We help leaders see the conditions shaping what becomes possible.
Untapped Leaders is a leadership strategy and development firm for organizations navigating complexity, change, and growth. We connect individual leadership behavior to the systems, histories, relationships, and expectations surrounding it—so development leads to clearer choices and more credible organizational change.
Leadership capacity is not a fixed trait. It is shaped by the conditions in which people are asked to lead.
Too much leadership development begins with the person—and stops there.
Individual behavior matters. But it never exists on its own. When a leadership challenge is treated only as a skill gap, organizations may ask people to adapt around unclear decisions, conflicting expectations, constrained authority, or systems that repeatedly produce the same outcome.
Untapped Leaders widens the frame. We help people and organizations understand what is happening at multiple levels, then build the language, practices, and structures the situation actually requires.
THE INDIVIDUAL PATTERN
What is a leader noticing, carrying, choosing, or avoiding—and what support would expand their capacity to act?
THE RELATIONAL DYNAMIC
How are trust, identity, history, communication, and informal power shaping what people can say and do together?
THE ORGANIZATIONAL CONDITION
What structures, incentives, decision rights, norms, or resource constraints are reinforcing the present challenge?
Research-informed. Context-specific. Built to move beyond the room.
The goal is not a compelling session that fades by Monday. It is stronger judgment, shared language, and practices that can travel into real decisions and relationships.
DIAGNOSIS BEFORE PRESCRIPTION.
We begin by understanding the people, history, systems, and pressures surrounding the challenge before deciding what intervention fits.
APPLICATION BEFORE PERFORMANCE.
Frameworks become useful when leaders can apply them to a live tension, test a different move, and carry the practice forward.
PEOPLE AND SYSTEMS TOGETHER.
We develop individual capacity while examining whether the surrounding conditions make that capacity possible to use.
The work began by paying attention to leadership knowledge the field had overlooked.
Dr. Jenny Vazquez-Newsum’s research with leaders of color surfaced strategies developed while navigating organizations and systems not designed with their experiences in mind.
That research became Untapped Leadership—and a broader commitment to understanding leadership through context. Today, the same thinking informs work with leaders, teams, and organizations seeking more complete ways to understand complexity, power, adaptability, and possibility.
Dr. Jenny Vazquez-Newsum
Jenny is a leadership strategist, facilitator, educator, and author whose work helps people connect individual leadership behavior to the histories, systems, relationships, and conditions surrounding it. She has designed and facilitated leadership experiences for more than 500 leaders—from established executives to people beginning to name their leadership for the first time.
Before founding Untapped Leaders, Jenny served as Vice President of Leadership Training and Programs at Coro Southern California, where she designed and led cross-sector cohort experiences. Her earlier work in higher education focused on student development, engagement, and career pathways. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, an M.P.A. from New York University, and an Ed.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
A network of practitioners assembled for the context.
Untapped Leaders draws from experienced facilitators, strategists, and coaches across education, nonprofit, philanthropy, government, and social-impact settings. Jenny leads the strategic through-line; collaborators are selected based on what each engagement requires.
KNOWLEDGE THAT DOES NOT BEGIN AND END WITH THEORY.
Practitioners bring firsthand experience navigating identity, authority, change, and complex workplace dynamics.
EXPERTISE MATCHED TO THE CHALLENGE.
We bring relevant experience in leadership, facilitation, equity, coaching, organizational development, and systems change.
CURIOSITY, CANDOR, AND CARE IN PRACTICE.
Every collaborator is expected to hold complexity, invite honest inquiry, and remain accountable to people and purpose.
“Jenny’s candor, clarity, and compassion create the conditions for meaningful breakthroughs.”Natalie Samarjian
President and CEO, Coro Southern California
Bring us the leadership challenge that does not fit a standard solution.
The first conversation is a chance to understand what your organization is navigating and what kind of support may create meaningful movement.
About Untapped Leaders
We develop leadership grounded in values, shaped by context, and built to adapt.
Who We Are
Untapped Leaders is a leadership development firm that helps organizations cultivate adaptive, contextually-informed leaders who are ready to lead through complexity. Our approach is built on the belief that every team already holds powerful leadership potential—it just needs to be uncovered, aligned, and activated.
We partner with organizations that want to invest in their people—not with plug-and-play content but with meaningful, contextual leadership development that drives real results.
What We Believe
Leadership must evolve to meet the demands of a changing workforce.
Context matters—because culture, identity, and systems shape how leadership is experienced.
Personal growth and organizational strategy aren’t separate—they’re symbiotic.
Development should feel energizing, not overwhelming.
Diverse teams thrive when given the tools and space to lead authentically.
Meet Dr. Jenny Vazquez-Newsum
Dr. Jenny Vazquez-Newsum, is the Founder and CEO of Untapped Leaders and the author of Untapped Leadership. Jenny has facilitated training for 500+ leaders ranging from established executives at large corporations to high school students beginning their leadership journeys – witnessing the untapped capacities that exist across all stages in career paths.
Through her prior work as Vice President of Leadership Training and Programs at Coro Southern California, Jenny designed and facilitated cohort-based programs for leaders across all sectors and industries.
At Untapped Leaders, she spearheads the design and delivery of Untapped Leaders’ facilitated sessions, consulting, and coaching.
Jenny holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, an M.P.A. from New York University, and an Ed. D. from the University of California - Los Angeles.
Want to follow Jenny’s leadership insights? Connect on LinkedIn for ideas, reflections, and behind-the-scenes from the field.
Our Story
What Partners Say
We are a team of practitioners—facilitators, strategists, coaches—who bring decades of experience in education, nonprofit, government, philanthropy, and social impact sectors.
Each of our facilitators and coaches has:
Lived experience navigating complex workplace dynamics
Subject matter expertise in leadership, equity, and systems change
A commitment to growth, nuance, and practical outcomes
Want a deeper look at our team?
Explore our Facilitators and Executive Coaches.
Meet The Team
We build leadership from the inside out and the bottom up, always tailoring it to your context, culture, and goals.
Explore our Approach to see what makes us different.
Let’s Talk
Whether you’re navigating a leadership transition, planning a retreat, or building a long-term leadership pipeline—we’re here to help.
