Build the judgment, confidence, and strategic operating habits needed to lead people functions through growth, complexity, and higher visibility. People Leader Accelerator combines expert faculty, practical frameworks, mentoring, and peer learning to help HR and people leaders move beyond reactive execution and become trusted business partners who drive organizational success.
Programs, mentoring, peer groups, retreats, and tools that help HR leaders accelerate career growth.
An annual leadership development retreat designed for professional growth, values exploration, reflection, panel discussions, networking meals, and intention-setting for people leaders ready to accelerate their leadership capabilities.
Selective 1:1 mentoring for HR leaders stepping into broader scope, higher visibility, or first-time top-of-function roles, with emphasis on judgment, presence, and decision quality.
A long-term leadership development engagement delivered across multiple months to help leadership teams build stronger operating rhythms, improve effectiveness, and navigate real business consequences.
An annual peer membership offering facilitated monthly discussions with curated groups of HR leaders in similar organizations, supporting community, insight sharing, and continued development.
A free balanced scorecard tool that helps individuals compare job options and career opportunities using a structured decision-making matrix for clearer next-step choices.
A free guide with three visual frameworks for purpose discovery, time allocation, and prioritization, helping professionals chart a more intentional development path.
The Career Accelerator Program helps people leaders translate experience into stronger influence, clearer strategy, and better executive decisions. With faculty who have led HR in high-growth companies, advised investors, taught management, and coached senior leaders, participants gain actionable tools they can immediately apply to compensation, culture, analytics, onboarding, and organizational planning.
See how people leaders use practical frameworks, mentoring, and peer support to expand strategic influence.
"I left the PLA program with several key takeaways. First, the value of making time for your own thoughts. This program was great for structured reflection. Second, don't over-engineer things, especially in growth companies. And finally, my biggest 'takeaway' from the PLA was really the new relationships. I've already found..."
People Leader Accelerator combines credible expertise, real-world frameworks, and a strong HR leadership community.
Faculty bring 25–30+ years of real HR, talent, coaching, and executive experience.
Frameworks translate directly into better planning, analytics, culture, compensation, and leadership decisions.
Peer groups and alumni connections create ongoing learning beyond a single program or download.
Content is built for HR leaders navigating high-growth, start-up, and private equity environments.
Learn from deeply experienced HR and leadership faculty.
Core Faculty – HR & Talent Leadership
Andrew Bartlow is a Core Faculty member at People Leader Accelerator, specializing in HR and Talent Leadership with 25 years of deep practitioner experience. He is co-author of 'Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High Growth Organizations' and holds prestigious certifications including CECP, SPHR, Six Sigma, and Executive Coaching. Andrew brings a unique blend of academic rigor and real-world application to his teaching, having served as a private equity operating partner, venture advisor, and HR mentor. His curriculum equips HR and people leaders with strategic frameworks to drive organizational success in high-growth environments. Andrew is dedicated to bridging the gap between operational HR and strategic business partnership for professionals across the United States.
Core Faculty – People Operations & Executive Coaching
Marie Szuts serves as Core Faculty at People Leader Accelerator, focusing on People Operations and Executive Coaching. She brings firsthand experience leading the people function at high-growth tech organizations, including Figma, where she developed scalable HR strategies during periods of rapid expansion. Marie holds a BA and MA from Yale University and is a certified Executive Coach through the prestigious Hudson Institute. She also advises people leader networks, venture capital firms, and companies navigating growth challenges. Her practical, experience-driven approach helps HR professionals elevate their strategic impact and build resilient people operations within dynamic organizations across the United States.
Core Faculty – Management & Human Resources Academic
Brad Harris, Ph.D. is a Core Faculty member at People Leader Accelerator, bringing academic excellence and real-world management expertise to HR and people leaders. He serves as Associate Dean of MBA Programs and Professor of Management and Human Resources at HEC Paris, and is an affiliated professor at the University of Illinois. Brad is co-author of 'Scaling for Success' and '3D Team Leadership,' with research published in leading academic journals. He holds a Ph.D. in Management from Texas A&M University and an Executive Coaching Diploma from Emory University. Recognized as a top '40 Under 40 Business School Professor' by Poets and Quants, Brad is committed to equipping leaders with evidence-based frameworks for organizational success.
Core Faculty – HR Leadership & Executive Coaching
Carmela Krantz is a Core Faculty member at People Leader Accelerator, specializing in HR Leadership and Executive Coaching with an impressive 30 years of experience building and leading HR functions in rapidly growing businesses. A trailblazer in her field, Carmela has served as the first VP of HR at nine companies, including six start-ups, giving her unparalleled insight into the unique challenges of scaling people operations from the ground up. She is a certified executive coach and the founder of WOVEN. Carmela's practical wisdom and passion for developing HR leaders make her an invaluable resource for professionals seeking to accelerate their strategic impact within high-growth and entrepreneurial organizations across the United States.
A career accelerator is a structured professional development experience designed to help participants grow faster than they would through experience alone. For HR and people leaders, People Leader Accelerator combines expert instruction, practical tools, peer learning, mentoring, and strategic frameworks so participants can improve judgment, business alignment, executive presence, and decision quality.
Connect with the team to discuss your goals and fit.
Recognition for academic leadership excellence.
Executive compensation expertise for faculty instruction.
Senior HR credential supporting strategic guidance.
Share your leadership goals, current role, and development priorities so the team can recommend the right next step.
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