Who:
Taylor Sams
Finance Manager at Regions Bank
What:
Sams was invited to attend Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program, an annual convening of business, civic and nonprofit leaders who assemble on the Harvard University campus with the goal of working together to bring shared prosperity to America’s communities.
For the last decade, the program has brought in 10 leaders from each of 14 cities across the country to collaborate on solutions for a target issue their city is facing. According to program organizers, these participants are being equipped to lead their cities through change and growth in the years to come. The program provides a way of seeing what’s possible when you reach out, connect, and collaborate across sectors.
Why:
Sams was one of 10 individuals representing Birmingham, Alabama, with backgrounds in sectors such as financial services, healthcare, public service, education, and philanthropy. The sessions were led by current Harvard Business School professors along with featured speaker Professor Tricia Rose, an author and researcher at Brown University.
The case studies centered around real-world situations that brought the concepts to life. These weren’t hypothetical scenarios — they were deep dives into many of the cities that represented the cohorts that attend the program and how cross-sector collaboration made a measurable impact. Lectures covered topics such as the U.S. economy, the workforce of the future and AI.
Throughout the program, city teams met regularly for sessions designed to help participants reflect on what they were learning and think critically about how it could apply to their community. Each city team was asked to come up with a big idea — a concrete opportunity or challenge in their community where cross-sector collaboration could drive meaningful progress. Teams presented their ideas to the other cities and engaged in productive conversations.
In His Own Words:
“The biggest takeaway for me was the power of intentional cross-sector relationships – that real community change doesn’t happen in silos. Seeing how business, government, and nonprofit leaders can come together around a shared vision for their city was inspiring. It reaffirmed the importance of building relationships outside of one’s own industry to truly move the needle on complex community challenges. This experience has sharpened my focus on collaborative leadership—both within my role at Regions and in how I engage with the Birmingham community.
It was an incredible honor to represent Regions and Birmingham at such a prestigious program. I’m especially grateful to the Altec/Styslinger Foundation, whose generosity made the Birmingham cohort’s participation possible. The relationships built and insights gained will have a lasting impact on my leadership journey and deepen my commitment to making Birmingham a stronger place to live and work.”