Leadership
Community in action: the power of accompaniment
When leadership feels isolating, the Acumen Fellowship offers what matters most: lasting connection and support.
August 26, 2025
Our Reimagining Leadership series spotlights Acumen Fellows who are building solutions that solve problems of poverty and create a world based on dignity. This segment explores Community in Action, and shares stories of Acumen Fellows working together to deepen their leadership and scale their impact.
Ask any leader working for social change, and they’ll tell you: the work is hard, and often isolating. What makes the Acumen Fellowship different is accompaniment — a community of peers who see you, challenge you, and remind you that you’re not alone. For many Fellows, that support is what makes the impossible feel achievable.
What is accompaniment, and why is it so important?
At Acumen, accompaniment means having a trusted circle of peers who walk beside you in both the struggle and joy. These are the people who hold up a mirror when needed, help carry the weight of moral leadership, and sit with you through moments of doubt, decision, and determination.
Accompaniment reminds us that we don’t need to carry everything alone. It’s not about fixing one another, it’s about walking together, offering presence, perspective, and belief. And in a world that often isolates leaders tackling the hardest problems, this kind of connection is not just meaningful, it’s essential. Accompaniment acts as the fuel that sustains impact over the long term. It deepens trust and connection, opening up new possibilities and pathways. That’s why embedding the notion of accompaniment is critical in the Acumen Fellowship — it’s what truly sets this leadership programme apart.
Creating accompaniment during the Fellowship
Remi Ray, founder of The Diverse Creative and 2025 UK cohort member, reflects on how accompaniment is shaping her journey in the programme:
Community and connectivity are both components for true change to take place.
Remi Ray
CEO of The Diverse Creative, 2025 cohort member
Whether in moments of growth or vulnerability, Remi’s experience mirrors that of many Fellows: the presence of peers who not only understand the work but stand with you in it.
Exchanging Skills
Accompaniment doesn’t stop at emotional support — it often leads to powerful collaborations. One example is Rachel Gegeshidze and Cecilia Brezmes Alonso, both 2024 Fellows. What started as a simple skills exchange during the Fellowship evolved into a lasting strategic partnership. Today, Cecilia sits on the board of Rachel’s organization, Tempo, where she brings fresh insights and long-term value. Read more about their journey here.
Leadership positions can often be a really lonely place. The Fellowship’s opportunity to reflect and learn from a cohort of peers has been so important and beneficial.
Michaela Collins-McKenzie
CEO of PEEK (Possibilities for Each and Every Kid), 2024 UK Fellow
Expanding social capital and opportunities for collaboration
For many Fellows, being part of this network leads to new partnerships that amplify both revenue and impact. When Marsha Powell, 2024 Fellow and founder of BelEve — a women and girls’ empowerment charity — secured a partnership with Ralph Lauren centred on equity and inclusion, it naturally aligned with the mission of Fellow cohort member Faith Johnson, who runs programmes to increase diversity within the fashion industry through her organization, Caramel Rock. This connection, rooted in shared purpose, unlocked wider collaboration and deeper impact. Discover more about their partnership here.
Reciprocating support and accountability
During the Fellowship year, facilitated accompaniment takes place through cohort buddy-ups. This structure gives participants someone to turn to for mutual support and accountability as they journey through the programme. Many of these relationships thrive — and expand — well beyond the programme. In the below video, Duro Oye, founder of 20/20 Levels and 2020 UK Fellow, shares how his buddy relationships are still going strong five years later.
Join the Fellowship
If accompaniment feels like a missing ingredient in your commitment to tackling issues of injustice, consider applying for the United Kingdom Acumen Fellowship. Stay up to date with the Fellowship here.
