Founded in 2022 by Alison Mariella Désir and Martha M. Garcia, Take the Lead is a retreat shaped by the lived experience of women of color and was created to foster a space grounded in shared learning, honest dialogue and community-driven growth. The retreat welcomes participants from across roles, backgrounds, and organizations who are committed to growing as leaders and contributing to a more connected industry network.

The 2026 Take the Lead event is scheduled for September 20-22 at Life Development University in Los Angeles, CA and registration is open through August 27.

“Take the Lead is built on five values: inclusion, achievement, empowerment, honesty, and joy,” shares Take the Lead co-founder, Martha Garcia. “We believe leadership is personal, not positional, and that honest conversations are how we build a future where women reach their goals.

This year Take the Lead will bring 80 leaders from across the running and outdoor industry to Los Angeles for three days of programming that lets this city’s culture shape the experience, from a panel on what leadership will require next, to a peer-to-peer mentorship lunch designed for real problem-solving, to a live recording of EARTHMOVERS. 

“Hosting in South Central was non-negotiable for me,” Garcia continues. “It’s an iconic part of the city with an incredible community. Los Angeles is vast, deep and layered, and we wanted our programming and our location to reflect that.”

This retreat is for those shaping the future of the running and outdoor industry who want to do it alongside a community that understands the specific challenges of this space. 

“Five years in, what I’m proudest of is that the relationships built here don’t end when the retreat does,” Garcia adds.

There are still a few spots open for the 2026 Take the Lead retreat. For more information and to register, visit https://www.movemint.cc/events/take_the_lead_2026.