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Lead with Confidence. Advance with Purpose.
Brought to you by the Denise Taber Finard ’80 Women’s Institute at Russell Sage College and the Times Union’s Women@Work network, this six-week leadership development program is designed for ambitious professionals at any stage in their careers.
It’s time to move beyond power
poses and confidence builders.
Confidence comes with expertise.
With our interactive approach, you’ll:
And it’s built by people who know
how hard it is to balance it all.
Three two-week modules spread throughout the year offer microdosed learning opportunities that can energize your career and set you up for an advanced degree. Each module delivers valuable, immediately applicable tools, whether you continue in a graduate program or complete the certificate as a stand-alone credential.
Take one module
to sharpen a specific skill.
Complete all three
and earn credits toward your master’s degree.
Who Is This Program For?
This program is designed for professionals who want to build new skills and advance their careers in a flexible, practical format.
Interested in graduate study, but looking for a low-risk way to start?
If you have a bachelor’s degree and are thinking about pursuing an MBA or M.S. in Organization Management, this program offers a low-risk way to experience graduate-level learning while earning credits that can apply toward a future degree at Russell Sage College.
Looking to Build Skills?
If your goal is professional growth without committing to a full master’s program, you can complete individual modules or the full series to earn a microcredential certificate and develop practical leadership and innovation skills.
Dynamic Learning
Each two-week module adds value to your career, no matter your field. Sessions blend live online and in-person meetings at Russell Sage College’s Troy campus and an industry partner.
Module 1: Change and Innovation
June 2-12, 2026
Change is constant — but leading it effectively requires insight, adaptability, and courage. In this highly interactive workshop, you’ll engage in simulation-based learning to better understand how organizations respond to change and unlock your own power to innovate. Whether seeking renewed perspective or exploring future graduate study, you’ll complete this module energized, equipped with tools you can apply at work, and ready to approach change with greater clarity and confidence.
Module 2: Relationships and Persuasion
October 19-30, 2026
You’ll explore the art and practice of persuasion while recognizing the role of relationships in business and careers. Using roleplay exercises to develop your skills, you’ll complete this module ready to deliver purposeful, effective presentations and develop and nurture relationships that help you achieve your professional goals.
Module 3: Entrepreneurial Thinking
November 9-20, 2026
Success in entrepreneurship requires a broad base of conceptual knowledge, personal skills, and competencies. Whether you want to become an entrepreneur or simply develop an entrepreneurial spirit in the way you approach and execute new projects and ideas in your current organization or business, you’ll learn the key ingredients to entrepreneurial thinking.
Meet the Instructors
Russell Sage faculty and industry practitioners will help students combine theory and practice.
LaQuetta Alexander
LaQuetta Alexander is a visionary educator, workforce development leader, and community advocate whose work has transformed access to healthcare careers across the Capital Region and New York state. She is the founder and executive director of Practice 2 Perfect® Training Center, the first Black-owned healthcare training center in the Capital Region and a New York State Education Department (BPSS) licensed school. Since founding Practice 2 Perfect® in 2020 — without loans or financial backing — Alexander has trained and graduated hundreds of students in phlebotomy, EKG, and CPR/BLS, directly connecting them to employment opportunities and strengthening the local healthcare workforce. Her programs intentionally serve individuals who are often underrepresented or overlooked, including individuals from diverse backgrounds, career-changers, and those facing economic barriers.
Kristen Delaney
Kristen Delaney launched her broadcasting career in Utica, New York, before rising through the ranks at iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channel) in Albany. Over a 32-year career, she advanced from account executive to area president, overseeing markets in Albany, Poughkeepsie, and Sussex, New Jersey, and leading high-performing sales teams. She holds degrees from MVCC, Empire State University, and Marist University. A longtime civic leader, she has served on several regional boards. Today, Delaney brings her industry expertise into the classroom as an adjunct professor and internship coordinator at Russell Sage College, teaching sales, sales management, and leadership to emerging professionals.
Dr. John F. Dion
Dr. John F. Dion is dean of the School of Management at Russell Sage College. He brings more than 25 years of experience in global marketing, brand strategy, and product innovation to his teaching and leadership. Prior to entering higher education, he held positions with Bose Corporation and the LEGO Group. At Bose, he worked with Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Nissan/Infiniti, and Mazda on the development of premium automotive sound systems. He also contributed to the development of LEGO Mindstorms, the company’s best-selling product. Dion’s teaching and research focus on strategy, innovation, and the academic profession.
Dr. Jen Murphy
Dr. Jen Murphy is a higher education strategist, educator, and leadership consultant with more than 20 years of experience leading institutional transformation. She has built and led major initiatives within business schools at The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), University of Cambridge, Ohio University, and American University. Her work focuses on guiding organizations through change and translating vision into practical strategies that strengthen institutional culture and support complex leadership environments. Murphy also teaches and advises undergraduates, MBAs, and executive learners on leadership, professional identity, change management, and career strategy. She is a frequent national speaker on institutional culture and advancing women in leadership.
LaQuetta Alexander
LaQuetta Alexander is a visionary educator, workforce development leader, and community advocate whose work has transformed access to healthcare careers across the Capital Region and New York state. She is the founder and executive director of Practice 2 Perfect® Training Center, the first Black-owned healthcare training center in the Capital Region and a New York State Education Department (BPSS) licensed school. Since founding Practice 2 Perfect® in 2020 — without loans or financial backing — Alexander has trained and graduated hundreds of students in phlebotomy, EKG, and CPR/BLS, directly connecting them to employment opportunities and strengthening the local healthcare workforce. Her programs intentionally serve individuals who are often underrepresented or overlooked, including individuals from diverse backgrounds, career-changers, and those facing economic barriers.
Kristen Delaney
Kristen Delaney launched her broadcasting career in Utica, New York, before rising through the ranks at iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channel) in Albany. Over a 32-year career, she advanced from account executive to area president, overseeing markets in Albany, Poughkeepsie, and Sussex, New Jersey, and leading high-performing sales teams. She holds degrees from MVCC, Empire State University, and Marist University. A longtime civic leader, she has served on several regional boards. Today, Delaney brings her industry expertise into the classroom as an adjunct professor and internship coordinator at Russell Sage College, teaching sales, sales management, and leadership to emerging professionals.
Dr. John F. Dion
Dr. John F. Dion is dean of the School of Management at Russell Sage College. He brings more than 25 years of experience in global marketing, brand strategy, and product innovation to his teaching and leadership. Prior to entering higher education, he held positions with Bose Corporation and the LEGO Group. At Bose, he worked with Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Nissan/Infiniti, and Mazda on the development of premium automotive sound systems. He also contributed to the development of LEGO Mindstorms, the company’s best-selling product. Dion’s teaching and research focus on strategy, innovation, and the academic profession.
Dr. Jen Murphy
Dr. Jen Murphy is a higher education strategist, educator, and leadership consultant with more than 20 years of experience leading institutional transformation. She has built and led major initiatives within business schools at The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), University of Cambridge, Ohio University, and American University. Her work focuses on guiding organizations through change and translating vision into practical strategies that strengthen institutional culture and support complex leadership environments. Murphy also teaches and advises undergraduates, MBAs, and executive learners on leadership, professional identity, change management, and career strategy. She is a frequent national speaker on institutional culture and advancing women in leadership.
Real Value
Have your bachelor’s degree but always wanted your MBA or an M.S. in Organization Management? Consider this program your on-ramp and a way to save on your degree.
At $500 per module,
you won’t find a more affordable, extensive program in a manageable format.
Benefits for program completers:
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Interim Executive Director of The Denise Taber Finard ’80 Women’s Institute
“We’re excited to partner with Russell Sage College and the Denise Taber Finard ’80 Women’s Institute to bring a practical, rigorous leadership development experience to our community.
What makes it especially meaningful is the blend of expert faculty, real-world practitioners, and a cohort model that builds lasting professional connections — an accessible on-ramp to growth for anyone looking to sharpen their leadership edge.”
Director of Community Engagement, Times Union
“Russell Sage has always been dedicated to lifting women in their careers and in life, as well as meeting students where they are.
The Denise Taber Finard ’80 Women’s Institute at Russell Sage is proud to partner with Women@Work to offer this microcredential. Professionals who are looking for a refresher in business or a network of women to lean on will find exactly what they’re looking for. And those who don’t yet have their graduate degree can discover they’re more ready to start that journey than they think.”
Interim Executive Director of The Denise Taber Finard ’80 Women’s Institute
Enroll today
Enrolling in the program is simple, simply click the button below to fill out the enrollment form.
Module 2: Relationships and Persuasion, October 19-30
Module 3: Entrepreneurial Thinking, November 9-20
Want to Learn More?
Email John Dion, dean of the School of Management, at dionj2@sage.edu.
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Have Questions? Contact Katie Cooney Lesko at leskok@sage.edu.
Also, we have a virtual info session scheduled. MK will provide the link ASAP.
Want to Learn More? Join Us for a Virtual Information Session.
When: Tuesday, April 21, 6-7 p.m.
Where: Zoom
How: Sign up to receive the link.
Have Questions?
Contact Katie Cooney Lesko,
VP for Enrollment Management and Student Success at leskok@sage.edu.
