Unite is Leadership+Design’s membership community, created to extend the reach of our work and provide an ongoing home for changemakers in schools. In 2020, it began as a way for L+D Fellows to stay connected after completing their program, carrying forward the relationships, practices, and energy of the Fellowship. From that starting point, Unite has grown into something broader: a place where the L+D community can continue their journey and where new members can encounter small, regular doses of the L+D experience.

Unite now includes 192 members. About half subscribe individually, while the rest participate as part of school-based teams through institutional memberships. This mix creates diversity and depth. Individuals bring perspectives from many roles and regions, while teams translate shared insights directly into their schools. Both contribute to Unite’s purpose: supporting changemakers who want to make schools more human, creative, and alive.

Since its launch, the program has expanded steadily alongside our growth in members. What started with quarterly events and six annual care packages now includes twelve to fifteen live events each year and twelve monthly care packages. This shift reflects Unite’s evolution into a consistent touchpoint, offering members fresh ideas, timely resources, and opportunities to practice design mindsets. Events include workshops, conversations with field leaders, and experimental formats. Care packages deliver curated tools, templates, and provocations that members can put to work right away.

Last year, we added small-group “pods,” with six scheduled annually. Each pod brings together a handful of members around a shared focus, challenge, or curiosity. These groups create an intimate, sustained space for dialogue and support, complementing the larger events and resources with a different kind of depth.

Unite is intentionally flexible. Some members join events regularly. Others use the care packages as-needed. Still others commit deeply to pods. Each path is valid, and members can take what they need, when they need it.

As Unite continues to grow, it reflects Leadership+Design’s mission: to design experiences that are human-centered, joyful, and practical for schools. From a small continuation of the Fellowship to a nearly 200-member network, Unite has become both a proving ground for new ideas and a steady resource for changemakers everywhere. It offers continuity for those who have been through L+D’s deepest programs and small, accessible doses of connection and inspiration for those just discovering our work.