Thank you for your interest in applying to our 2026 Essential leadership program. Leadership Austin has a 46-year history of providing transformational leadership experiences for over 3,000 alumni in the Austin and Central Texas communities. We are thrilled you wish to be part of our 2026 cohort. If you are unsure if Essential is right for you, feel free to review what Essential is here, or you can always sign up for an info session here, to see if you should apply for Emerge or Essential. 

To initiate the application process, you must first pay the $40 application fee*. Once your payment has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the application and the next steps. 

Key Dates and Information:

1) Applications are open from April 1st through June 12th. No Late Applications will be accepted.

*2) The Application Fee is waived if you complete the application by April 30, 2025. Failure to complete the application by April 30th will require that you pay the $40 application fee for your application to be considered complete. 

*3) The Application fee can be waived if you have applied for the 2024 or 2025 class and were not selected to join the cohort. A member of the recruiting team will reach out to you by email with instructions if you fall into this category. If you did not receive instructions, please email programs@leadershipaustin.org.

*4) The Application Fee can be waived if you attended Leadership Austin's 2025 Conference. A member of the recruiting team will reach out to you by email with instructions if you fall into this category. If you did not receive instructions, please email programs@leadershipaustin.org.

Application Fee:

• From April 1 - April 30: Free Until 3 PM

• From May 1 - June 12: $40

Disclaimer:
No refunds will be issued for not completing the application in a timely manner. Incomplete applications will not be considered for enrollment in the 2026 program year. For any questions about recruiting or about programs, please email programs@leadershipsaustin.org. If you are having technical difficulties with registering and paying the application fee, please reach out to Josh at jaguilar@leadershipaustin.org.