History

Building BCBR Through Community

BCBR was co-founded by Thane Kreiner, Ph.D., and Dennis Lanham, who drew on Santa Clara University’s executive education experience and an expanding network of corporate directors and business leaders to develop the program. Their work was grounded in the belief that meaningful progress in corporate governance required both preparation of talented executives and engagement with the leaders and institutions that influence board opportunities.

The development of BCBR was shaped from the beginning by corporate directors and leaders with deep knowledge of the boardroom.

In June 2020, Dennis Lanham reached out to experienced CEO and corporate director Shellye Archambeau for perspective on the emerging program. Archambeau connected the co-founders with Robin Washington, an experienced CFO and corporate director, who subsequently introduced them to Barry Lawson Williams.

Williams became an instrumental early champion of BCBR, connecting the program with an expanding network of experienced corporate directors and leaders. Ken and Caretha Coleman and numerous other directors joined the effort, helping shape a program grounded not only in governance education, but also in the realities executives encounter as they pursue and serve on corporate boards.

By September 2020, BCBR had established a Program Advisory Board to provide strategic guidance, inform program design, and help build the community surrounding the initiative.

The First BCBR Cohort

BCBR launched its inaugural cohort in February 2021 in recognition of Black History Month.

Interest exceeded expectations. The first cohort enrolled 28 Black executives, surpassing the program’s initial enrollment goal.

During BCBR’s first 12 months, 82 executives completed the program across three cohorts, establishing the foundation for what would become a growing national community.

The Evolution of BCBR

As BCBR grew, so did its curriculum and community. The program continued to bring participants into direct conversation with experienced corporate directors, senior executives, Santa Clara University faculty, governance experts, and subject matter experts.

Individualized mentorship remained central to the experience, while the curriculum evolved alongside the responsibilities facing contemporary corporate boards. Today, BCBR addresses foundational and emerging areas of corporate governance, including fiduciary responsibilities, strategy and risk oversight, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, technology ethics, corporate responsibility, boardroom dynamics and influence, board positioning, and navigating the board opportunity process.

The BCBR experience has also expanded beyond the cohort through continued alumni education, governance programming, relationship-building, and engagement with the broader corporate governance ecosystem.

BCBR Today

Since its launch in 2021, BCBR has grown from an inaugural cohort of 28 executives into a national community of more than 460+ alumni.

BCBR alumni have collectively secured more than 200+ public and private corporate board seats, extending their leadership and expertise into boardrooms across industries and sectors.

These outcomes reflect the accomplishments of BCBR alumni. BCBR is an executive education and board readiness program, not a board placement, recruiting, or executive search organization, and does not guarantee board appointments.

Today, BCBR is offered through the Leavey Executive Center at Santa Clara University and continues to evolve alongside the changing corporate governance landscape while remaining grounded in its founding purpose: advancing Black representation and strengthening the pipeline of accomplished executives prepared to contribute meaningfully in corporate boardrooms.

Building the Next Chapter

BCBR’s growth has been made possible by a community of alumni, corporate directors, mentors, facilitators, advisors, partners, supporters, and Santa Clara University leaders who have invested their expertise, relationships, and resources in the program.

That community continues to shape BCBR’s future. Through executive education, individualized mentorship, alumni engagement, continuing governance education, and long-term investment in the program, BCBR is building on its first six years while preparing for the next chapter of its impact.