Leadership takes many forms, but it often grows through shared experiences and community involvement.
That’s the idea behind the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA) Key Leadership Program. Now entering its second year in Indiana, the program brings together emerging Asian professionals from across Indianapolis. Participants come from different industries and backgrounds, but share a common interest in civic engagement, public service, and community leadership.
It’s designed for early to mid-career professionals who want to be more involved in their communities and more intentional about how they lead. The cohort-based format gives people the chance to learn alongside one another, building connections that extend beyond the program itself.
The program follows a set structure, but it’s the discussions, perspectives, and people that bring it to life.
Over the course of six months, participants move through a mix of hands-on and reflective experiences. Some sessions focus on community and civic engagement, while others focus on leadership development and on understanding how systems work at the local level. Throughout the program, participants also spend time learning from leaders who are already active in the community, gaining insight into how different roles and responsibilities take shape in practice.
There’s a balance between guided sessions and open discussion, which gives people room to ask questions, share perspectives, and think through how they want to show up. Not every conversation leads to a clear answer, and that’s part of what makes the experience valuable. It creates space to explore ideas more fully and learn from the perspectives of others in the room.
The program includes hands-on community and civic engagement experiences, interactive workshops focused on leadership and public engagement, mentorship and peer-to-peer learning, and exposure to local elected officials and decision-makers. Together, these pieces help participants move beyond understanding and toward active participation.
For a second year, Arianna Cruz is helping facilitate the Indiana professional cohort alongside Patrick Armstrong, with additional support from Ephraim Palmero.
Her role centers on guiding conversations and supporting participants as they work through ideas. That often means helping create an environment where people feel comfortable contributing, even when they are still forming their thoughts or stepping into new areas of discussion. Programs like this rely on that kind of presence. Someone who can keep things moving while also making space for different perspectives to come through.
It’s something we value in our own work as well. Being part of the process, not just observing it, and creating space for ideas to take shape through conversation.
The first cohort helped set the tone for what the program could become. Seven participants completed the inaugural experience, contributing to a foundation that this year’s group can continue to build on.
As the second cohort gets underway, the focus remains on creating opportunities for participants to engage more deeply with their communities and explore what leadership looks like in practice. Each group brings its own perspectives and experiences, which continue to shape how the program evolves.
We’ll be following along as the cohort progresses and sharing more along the way.
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