LEAD was created to serve advocates working to build a better world for farmed animals. Though we value and appreciate the work of advocates who advance protections for companion animals, animals used in labs, wildlife, or other exploited animals, we designed LEAD with the unique needs of the farmed animal protection movement and our shared mission in mind.

While LEAD 2022 had a more general audience, LEAD 2023 is tailored to advocates working within specific roles in our movement. To find out whether LEAD 2023’s content is relevant to you, please review descriptions of the event’s two workshops. Workshop 1, Optimizing Capacity by Cultivating Organizational Health, is designed for leaders of organizations. Workshop 2, Building a People-Powered Movement for Animals, is designed for beginners and seasoned leaders in organizing, movement-building, campaigning, and coalition-building roles.

Please note that LEAD was created with a U.S.-based audience in mind. We cannot guarantee logistical or financial travel support for attendees outside the United States; this includes navigating visa applications and COVID-related travel restrictions.

After receiving feedback on the inaugural LEAD event and reassessing our movement’s needs, we have made significant changes to this year’s iteration of LEAD. LEAD 2022 was a larger-scale event with a broader audience, more varied session topics, and more speakers. LEAD 2023 is smaller, much more focused, and intended to provide a much higher level of targeted, practical knowledge that can be immediately applied to attendees’ day-to-day work.

This year, LEAD involves only two, multi-day workshops that are much more intensive and in-depth, cover a single topic each, are limited to 40 participants each to foster greater interaction and relationship building, and are tailored to those who hold specific roles within our movement. LEAD 2023 attendees must select a single workshop when applying; unlike a conference with flexible “tracks,” LEAD 2023 is made to allow attendees to sharpen their skills in one specific area that is directly relevant to their work. Learn more about LEAD 2023’s two workshops.

In order to focus on intensive learning and to conserve resources, we have chosen to hold LEAD 2023 in an academic setting rather than at a hotel.

Learn more about the cost of registration.

LEAD 2023 is designed to be a different event from its predecessor in some important ways:

• Cost of registration: While last year's registration was free of cost, attendees paid for their own accommodation. By contrast, this year’s sliding scale includes lodging, while keeping total costs to a bare minimum. This is because in addition to providing expert in-house training, LEAD 2023 is designed to foster greater connection and relationship-building among attendees. Housing attendees onsite allows us to spend more time connecting (and less time commuting), makes it easier for attendees to return to their rooms to decompress, simplifies logistics, and helps us minimize total travel costs.

• Advancing equity: In an effort to build inclusivity and equitable opportunity, the introduction of the sliding scale for registration costs allows us to provide access where it is most needed, asking only those who can comfortably afford to pay to do so.

• Travel & registration awards: Regardless of organization size and budget, all attendees are welcome to apply for LEAD’s travel and registration awards, which allow individuals to upskill without the burden of any cost. Furthermore, we hope to provide a majority of the attendees fully funded seats, including cost of travel.

Registration for LEAD is by application. We have capped registration at 40 participants per workshop to offer an interactive experience. Applications close at midnight PST, Sunday, March 12, 2023 and will be reviewed by an application committee. We'll respond to all applicants by the end of April 2023.

Learn more and apply to attend LEAD.

Many other training events and conferences limit attendance by charging a registration fee and/or by accepting only the first to register. In the spirit of LEAD’s value of equity, we did not want a lack of resources to prevent anyone from developing their skills, and thanks to the support of generous donors, LEAD is a free and low-cost event. However, to ensure workshops are in-depth and interactive, we have a limited number of registrations available. In light of these factors, we decided to fill registrations by application rather than on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Requiring applications helps us ensure LEAD attendees represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds, experiences, and approaches in our movement, and it allows us to strive toward increasing access to skill building opportunities for all. Additionally, it enables us to be sure that the attendees have the required qualifications to get the most out of the workshops. We are open to feedback about how to improve our registration and application processes in future years; please don’t hesitate to contact us with suggestions.

No. This iteration of LEAD involves interactive workshops that are not conducive to online attendance. Sessions will not be recorded, and online attendance will not be permitted. We hope to offer more virtual training resources in the future.

There are a limited number of registrations for this event. If you’re selected to attend, that means someone else will not be able to. To honor this opportunity, we ask that all attendees commit to actively participate in their workshop for the duration of the event.

Failure to attend LEAD without at least 30 days’ advance notice may result in exclusion from future events and a possible no-show fee charged to your credit card (this does not apply to emergency situations).

If you have any questions, please contact us.

LEAD is designed to offer interactive workshops from expert trainers by invitation only. We are not soliciting or accepting applications from trainers or speakers for this event.

LEAD is an in-person event, and proof of vaccination is required to attend. If you have a medical exemption, please contact us.

LEAD will provide rapid tests onsite before the program begins. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in 90 days leading up to the event, you can bring a positive test and doctor note of recovery.

Our COVID policies may change to match what is required by the state of California and the CDC.

No, as of today, masks are not required at LEAD. LEAD will follow all local, state, and federal requirements per the CDC and WHO. If the requirements change and masks become required, we will notify participants as soon as we are aware.

Come as you are, and dress comfortably!

Please follow the steps outlined in our travel & registration awards policy.

You know we love animals, but please leave them at home. Only certified service animals are permitted at LEAD.

LEAD is a low- to no-cost event for those who work toward our common mission to create systemic change for farmed animals, and those of underrepresented identities are strongly encouraged to apply. We have prioritized selecting trainers who can bring a diversity of perspectives and lived experiences to their workshops.

Members of underrepresented groups will be given priority for travel awards to reconcile historically unequal access to wealth and resources.

The concepts of equity and inclusion will be integrated into the content of both LEAD workshops. We aim to ensure this event is one where advocates of all identities and backgrounds can feel they belong and can learn and grow in an inclusive space.

LEAD was carefully developed by our steering committee and program director with input from other leaders in the movement. LEAD’s board of directors oversees its business operations. Learn more about the LEAD team.

We hope LEAD will continue to provide leadership training and skill-building opportunities for years to come. Just as the second iteration of LEAD is different from the first, we anticipate the event will continue to evolve and adapt to our movement’s needs. At this time, we cannot make any guarantees about the future of LEAD.

View our anti-harassment policy and investigation policy.

If you experience harassment at LEAD, please feel free to reach out to anyone on the steering committee with whom you feel comfortable. Alternatively, you can use this anonymous form to report it, and the committee will look into it immediately.

For any other questions related to our harassment policy, please contact us.