A COMMUNITY COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING OUR NEXT GENERATION TO BE LEADERS OF INTEGRITY AND IMPACT
Who We Are
We are a community of seasoned national leaders and high performing young professionals, hungry to develop greater Purpose, Character, Courage, and Impact. CCL is the only character leadership community for young professionals in the United States.
What We Do
Through leadership programs, peer sharing, mentorship, and development from industry leaders, CCL members devote over 75 hours each year to character, leadership and career development to drive results and positive impact in their organizations and for the nation.
CCL Leader of the Year
2025 Recipient
Tara VanDerveer
Head Coach, Stanford Women’s Basketball:
1985-2024
Tara VanDerveer, a legendary figure in women’s basketball, is regarded as one of the sport's most influential figures. Over 38 seasons as head coach of Stanford’s women’s basketball, she amassed a 1064-220 (.829) record, capturing three national titles and leading her teams to 14 NCAA Final Four appearances. Her legacy is further solidified by her development of players: six National Players of the Year, 38 All-Americans, and 31 WNBA picks.
Tara also coached the 1996 Olympic team to a gold medal and is the second-winningest coach in NCAA basketball history. She has been named National Coach of the Year five times. Key to Tara’s career success on the court is her ability to develop her players into high-performing athletes and build cohesive, winning teams.
Tara is revered for her unwavering commitment to her players’ lives—their education, character, leadership, and personal development. Tara isn’t just a leader; she’s a creator of leaders. Her influence extends beyond the basketball court, shaping her players into exceptional leaders who excel in their careers in sports and beyond. Her ability to develop young women over four decades is unmatched—a testament to her bedrock of humility, adaptability, and dedication to her own growth and the growth of those around her.
Tara embodies CCL’s values of Purpose, Character, Courage, and lives with an unwavering commitment to excellence in everything she does.
CCL Membership Experience
Forum Group
Engage monthly with a small group of accomplished peers in dynamic leadership exercises, as well as sharing insights and perspective on challenges and opportunities. Build deep and lasting relationships in an environment of trust and support.
Mentorship
Meet regularly with a committed and accomplished CCL Leader who shares in your journey and helps advance your personal growth, character, and career goals. Engage with a team of national leaders on topics of community interest.
Leader Dialogues
Interact with top leaders through their intimate sharing of life stories and lessons learned. These powerful, collaborative discussions deliver game-changing perspectives on topics that matter most to members.
Leadership Programs
Experience CCL’s powerful leadership programs, developed with the top leadership organizations in the country. CCL’s programs provide best practices and developmental tools for growth in character, leadership, and career.
Retreats
Participate in members’ highlight of the Forum year: a weekend of dialogues with powerful speakers, unique and challenging group exercises, group sharing, and fun, all in a setting that builds personal growth and community unique to CCL.
Hear from Forum Members
CCL members are young professionals in their 20’s and 30’s across industries from technology to healthcare to media. Hear directly from four Forum Members on the profound impact CCL has on their character, career, and relationships.
Kaylee Hansen
Leadership Development Manager, Amazon
Hear from Kaylee
“CCL’s leadership development framework and programs do an incredible job of both challenging and supporting me. The CCL community inspires me to live my best self every single day.”
Sunil Bodapati
Chairman & Founder, Enable Medicine: Powering biologic insights to unlock the next generation of cancer therapies
Hear from Sunil
“At CCL, I have extraordinary mentors who provide a hundred years of cumulative knowledge on my problem within 24 hrs - it is incredible. So much of how I lead and live is a direct result of CCL.”
John Nunziati
Marketing Strategy & Planning Manager Google Workspace
Hear from John
“CCL gives you an immense amount of tools to unlock your personal and professional leadership potential. Being a part of this community enables me to be more intentional, impactful and to achieve my goals. You truly can’t find this anywhere else.”
Tracy Akashi
Corporate Development, M&A Integration, Salesforce
“Through my involvement with CCL, I’ve been empowered with extraordinary guidance and support, alongside a transformative leadership framework. CCL is an amazing community and a cornerstone in my life, that has inspired me to align my actions and decisions with my values and purpose - anchoring my life in what truly matters to me.”
This is the ‘A’ team of young leaders. I am so psyched to be a part of their journey.
— David Krane, CEO Google Ventures, CCL Leader
CCL Leaders
Embody Conscientious Leadership: Purpose, Character, Courage, and Impact.
Engage deeply with Forum Members at all levels—as speakers, advisors, and individual mentors.
Eff Martin
Former Managing Director, Goldman Sachs Technology Group
CCL Co-Founder, Mentor, Speaker
Hear from Eff Martin
Nanci Caldwell
Senior Executive, HP and PeopleSoft
CCL Co-Founder, Mentor, Speaker
Hear from Nanci Caldwell
Howard Behar
Former President and Board Member, Starbucks Corporation
Mentor, Speaker, CCL Advisor
Hear from Howard Behar
Emily White
President, Anthos Capital; Former Sr. Executive Google, Facebook, Snapchat
Speaker, CCL Advisor
Hear from Emily White
Mike Lee
Founder and Former CEO, MyFitnessPal
Mentor, Speaker, CCL Advisor
Hear from Mike Lee
Admiral Eric Olson
Former Commander, Navy SEALs and Joint Special Operations Command
Speaker, CCL Advisor
Hear from Admiral Eric Olson
Leading ourselves is our most important journey. It took lots of years and many mentors to get to know myself. As part of the Center, I love helping our next generation shorten that timeframe.
— Howard Behar, Former President of Starbucks, CCL Leader
We are committed to a world where young leaders measure fulfillment not by how much they have, but how much they give. Not by the power of their position, but by the inspiration of their character and impact.
— Chip Adams, CCL Founder