About Leadership Initiatives

For more than 15 years, Leadership Initiatives has partnered with outstanding high school students to gain real-world experience, explore future careers, develop leadership skills and experience college life.

Leadership Initiatives’ Youth Development Programs have assisted over 10,000 student leaders in attending college, receiving scholarships, gaining SAT and ACT training, partnering with top mentors from across the globe and transforming lives. Leadership Initiatives was founded on the idea that YOU can change the world at any age.

Leadership Initiatives program participants have created over 54 businesses across the continent of Africa, assisted low-income Washington D.C. residents in receiving a fair trial and provided developing communities access to desperately needed medical care.

Leadership Initiatives is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Institution with accolades from top Non-Profit accreditation organizations such as Guidestar, Globalgiving, the International Youth Foundation and has been funded by Microsoft’s YouthSpark Program and the Starbucks Foundation.

Everyone changes the world; we all create ripples that transform the world around us. Leadership Initiatives exists to turn those ripples into waves, to show every child that they can start living their dream today. This summer our students will be doctors, lawyers, business owners…they will be pioneers.

Marshall Bailly II, Founder, Executive Director

What Makes Us Different

Leadership Initiatives is a non-profit that believes in providing the highest-quality programs and services, leading by example, and going the extra mile to serve our students and partners. We believe in giving students real-world experiences that help them live out their dreams and realize their full potential.

We believe we can help students achieve personal and professional success by providing a rigorous and comprehensive educational experience within a nurturing, student-centered environment of full immersion.

We believe in providing students with opportunities for collaboration by drawing upon the knowledge, skills, resources, and passions of our partners from around the globe. In other words, we develop future leaders to transform the world.

Leadership Initiatives is the only international youth development non-profit operating in the world that does all of the following:

Students Create A Real World Impact

Students receive job training and career experience working side-by-side with experts in the fields of business, international development, law, and medicine. At the end of each program, students participate in court cases, diagnose patients, and design solutions to problems faced by businesses in the developing world.

College Admissions Panels

Participants receive one-on-one training from top college admissions experts. This training includes school selection assistance, application guidance, interview preparation, and private Q&A sessions. The program officers exclusive college admissions panels with admissions officers from Yale, Stanford, Brown, Dartmouth, Georgetown, UCLA, the University of Chicago and many more.

SAT/ACT Training Provided By Testrocker

TestRocker is the shortest way to the highest score because we combine one of the best private tutors with the best technology has to offer: leading to efficient learning. TestRocker students have increased their SAT and ACT scores by an average of 280 points and 4 points, respectively. Today, students from 36+ countries around the world are using TestRocker to prepare for their standardized tests.

College Application Assistance

When the time comes for college applications, the student has the opportunity to receive two letters of recommendation from their mentor or Leadership Initiatives team member to showcase their skills, abilities, and accomplishments they made while attending our summits.

Career Counseling

During our evening networking events and career fairs, students will make connections with professionals in their field and learn how to navigate their career pathway. After the conference, students will be connected with mentors that are nationally recognized leaders in over 200 fields.

SAT/ACT Training Provided By Testrocker

All attendees of Leadership Initiatives summer programs are offered entrance into Leadership Initiatives’ International Business Internship Program (IBIP). IBIP is designed to inspire and promote the efforts of high school students to take charge of their futures while creating global change. In doing so, LI creates a new generation of leaders who have both a greater understanding and depth of experience in international development.