We are . . .
Closing the GAP™ for First-Generation Female Professionals
Facilitating cohort-based learning
Executive Insider offers the evidence-based programs and support systems needed to create a more equitable and inclusive professional landscape.
Find Out if You Are Trapped in the GAP™
Skills Development & Certification
Industry-aligned curricula boosting employability and wage potential
Mentorship & Coaching
Structured, long-term guidance to navigate systemic barriers
Supportive Community Cohorts
Cohort-based learning for shared support and collective problem-solving
Professional Network Access
Connections to a robust national network of professionals and partners
Our Programs & Outcomes
Our layered evaluation strategy tracks both quantitative and qualitative outcomes, so we capture the full depth of each Fellow’s journey through the 18-month pathway.
Evidence-Based Foundation
Our model is validated by leading research institutions:
“. . . to achieve the executive positions with the highest levels of authority and pay, [women] also had to have an inner circle of close female contacts despite having similar qualifications to men including education and work experience.”
Our Theory of Change
Executive Insider’s work is guided by a rigorous, evidence-based Theory of Change that maps how our interventions create lasting impact. We go beyond temporary fixes to address the root causes of inequity facing first-generation female professionals (FGPs).
From expert personnel to strategic partnerships, mentoring, and AI-augmented holistic training via an evidence-based curriculum design, our roadmap leads to a transformed, equitable workforce.
This is where first-generation female professionals (FGPs) thrive in leadership roles, driving inclusive economic growth and reducing the wage and opportunity gaps for their communities.
Partner with us to scale this proven model.
The Population We Serve
“Like, how do I even ask for a promotion, or should I be networking more?”
“My parents are proud of me, but they can’t help with this stuff. They never had office jobs, online jobs.”
Our Research Identifies 4 Primary Barrier Domains
We address these areas in the RISE Fellowship curriculum:
1. The Social Capital Deficit
Lack of access to networks, mentors, and sponsors.
2. The Confidence Gap
Imposter syndrome and underdeveloped professional identity
3. Institutional Navigation
Understanding and overcoming hidden barriers to advancement
4. Financial Literacy & Stability
Managing debt and building economic resilience
Research & Validation
We leverage this research to design programs that directly contribute to these macroeconomic and individual outcomes.
Global Lead for Societal Impact in the Consumer and Social Impact practices at Boston Consulting Group
Global Lead for Societal Impact in the Consumer and Social Impact practices at Boston Consulting Group
Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review
Forbes
Forbes
Mission
Our mission is to advance economic equity by empowering first-generation female professionals to overcome systemic barriers to career mobility through evidence-based mentorship, targeted skills development, and inclusive professional networks.
We are dedicated to supporting these trailblazing women as they navigate unique, invisible disadvantages—equipping them with skills for career advancement and community reinvestment, and fostering a balance between their professional and personal lives.
Vision
We envision a transformed workforce where women of all backgrounds thrive, driving inclusive economic growth and closing the wage and opportunity gap for underrepresented communities.
The Cohort-Based RISE Fellowship
Our 18-month RISE Fellowship is a four-phase journey that transitions FGPs from career survival to sustainable leadership and legacy. Through sequenced curricula in Career Ownership, Strategic Navigation, Leading with Impact, and Community Building, we provide the critical support needed at every stage of a first-generation female professional's career.
GOAL: TRANSITION FROM GRATEFUL WORKER → CAREER CEO
Tier 1: RISE Foundation Curriculum (Career Ownership)
Tier 2: RISE Advancement Curriculum (Strategic Navigation)
Tier 3: RISE Leadership & Legacy Curriculum (Leading with Impact)
Tier 4: RISE Trailblazer Alumni Curriculum (Community Builders)
Fully-Funded by Our Generous Partners
Collaborate With Us
Invest in an Innovative Pathway to Equity and Leadership
Partner with us to overcome systemic barriers and build a more equitable, inclusive, and powerful workforce. Your support directly fuels our culturally-responsive, 18-month RISE Fellowship, creating a measurable ROI through the economic mobility of high-potential, first-generation female professionals (FGPs).
Amplify a Deep, Measurable Impact
Fund the replication of our evidence-based, four-tier RISE Fellowship. Your grant empowers us to deliver a program with a projected >50% promotion/raise rate for our Fellows.
Partner with us to generate critical research on trauma-informed, culturally responsive leadership development and document the transformative ROI of investing in first-generation talent who, in turn, reinvest in their communities.
Cultivate Your Future Leadership Pipeline
Develop a direct pipeline of exceptional, diverse talent equipped with holistic AI-augmented skills for modern leadership.
As a strategic partner, you’ll co-create a transformative upskilling journey for the women in your community or workforce, strengthening your commitments and employer branding. Invest in a program where 85% of graduates report increased confidence in advocacy and negotiation—skills that directly benefit your organization.
Expand Our Collective Ecosystem
Is your nonprofit focused on career coaching, workforce readiness, women’s empowerment, AI literacy, or talent development for underrepresented first-generation professionals?
Join a powerful mission-aligned ecosystem. Through strategic collaboration, we can amplify our reach and create a seamless pathway of support.
Refer candidates to our fully-funded Fellowship and integrate our trauma-aware, culturally responsive frameworks into your existing career coaching and empowerment programs.
Fund a Fellow's Transformative Journey
Become a champion for a trailblazing woman.
Your donation directly contributes to funding a 90-day tier of the RISE Fellowship, providing her with the AI skills, mentorship, and community to overcome unique systemic barriers to first-generation female professionals.
Witness the direct impact of your gift as she rises to become a leader in her field and a mentor to the next generation, creating a sustainable cycle of empowerment.
Our Leadership & Expertise
Our founding team of first-generation women leverages lived experience and advanced academic credentials to address unique systemic challenges.
Expertise: Curriculum development, socio-emotional learning, and building human resilience
May is an educator, mentor, and curriculum designer dedicated to advancing the careers of First-Generation Female Professionals. With a Master’s in Education from Harvard University and over ten years of experience in curriculum development, teacher mentoring, and leadership training, she brings a unique blend of academic rigor and practical expertise to the nonprofit’s mission.
Her work focuses on addressing the hidden barriers that often hold first-generation professionals back, from inherited beliefs and cultural expectations to systemic workplace dynamics. Drawing on research-based frameworks, trauma-aware practices, and innovative tools, she designs programs that help women step into the Insider Leadership Mindset™ with confidence and sustainability.
As co-founder of Executive Insider, May leads the development of the RISE curriculum, a multi-tiered leadership pathway that equips women to move from survival mode to visible, impactful leadership. She is committed to ensuring that every graduate not only advances in her career but also becomes a role model in her workplace, family, and community.
Torah Bontrager, M.Ed. (University of the People)
Expertise: Active learning instructional techniques, policy, artificial intelligence (AI), and creating platforms for underrepresented voices
Torah is a social impact leader and technologist dedicated to leveraging innovation for economic equity. She brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial, nonprofit, and AI expertise to her work, focused on overcoming the challenges faced by first-generation professionals. Her direct experience running a decade-long internship program provides her with an evidence-based understanding of the preparation gap new graduates face in the modern workforce.
One of her specialties is producing groundbreaking conferences and thoughtfully curated programs that bring together experts and underrepresented voices across sectors that rarely connect, sparking unexpected collaboration, original insight, and lasting impact.
As co-founder of Executive Insider, she architects the holistic infusion of artificial intelligence throughout the RISE curriculum's pedagogy. This approach embeds AI as a foundational tool across all four tiers—from leveraging it for energy stewardship to strategic navigation to scaling impact—ensuring Fellows gain mastery over using technology to navigate and reshape systemic barriers.
Torah holds a BA in Philosophy from Columbia University in New York City; a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Advanced Teaching, specializing in literature and writing; and an MS in Data and Artificial Intelligence Management.
Ready to Become a Fellow?
Find your leadership mentor, accountability & success partner, or women-only network. Apply for the RISE Fellowship
A Nonprofit Driving Systems Change
Executive Insider is a minority women-founded and women-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its EIN is 92-3586033.
We are committed to transparency, measurable outcomes, and serving those who need it most—particularly minority, rural, low-income, and educationally disadvantaged women.
Your philanthropic investment builds a more equitable economy. We welcome your contribution in any amount. Your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Our Insider Blog
Topics cover female leadership, artificial intelligence (AI), mindset, communication, entrepreneurship, and productivity.
Why AI’s Health Risks Need More Research, Not Less Scrutiny
A concise scientific letter lays out three overlooked health risks of the AI data center boom, noise, air pollution, and water stress, and calls for the research needed to hold the industry accountable.
The Health Divide: The AI Data Center Boom Will Harm Health Communities That Can Least Afford It
A strong health-equity report shows AI data centers are concentrating pollution in communities that already carry too much of the country’s environmental burden.
AI Is Rewriting the Career Ladder: What Women in Tech Research Means for FGPs
Finding your voice is a career navigation skill, because influence often depends on informal access, strategic timing, and language that makes your judgment visible.
Ready to Invest in a More Equitable Future?
Join a coalition of funders who are . . .
. . . breaking down barriers to economic mobility and creating a more diverse leadership pathway.