ADCOLOR is once again putting a spotlight on the next generation of industry trailblazers. The nonprofit, long known for championing diversity and inclusion across creative industries, has unveiled its 2025 classes of ADCOLOR FUTURES and ADCOLOR LEADERS—two programs designed to propel talent at different stages of their careers into positions of greater impact.
If the creative world sometimes feels like it moves at the pace of a TikTok trend, ADCOLOR’s “Rise Up, Reach Back” mission is a steady throughline: lift others while climbing higher yourself. With this year’s FUTURES and LEADERS cohorts, the organization doubles down on that ethos—investing both in ambitious newcomers and experienced professionals steering toward executive leadership.
FUTURES: Tomorrow’s Leaders, Today
Launched in 2012, the ADCOLOR FUTURES program has become a proving ground for young talent with one to three years of experience under their belts. Now in its 14th year, FUTURES is less a boot camp and more a launchpad—pairing mentorship, skills training, and hands-on innovation to ensure that tomorrow’s leaders get a head start today.
From hundreds of applications, 30 young professionals were selected for the 2025 class. Each demonstrated leadership potential, community involvement, and a hunger for inclusion-driven change.
The curriculum is designed to be immersive. Participants dive into ADCOLOR University, a series of intensive training sessions hosted in the FUTURES Hub and powered by Apple. They’ll also put creativity to the test in the annual FUTURES Hackathon—a one-day challenge (also backed by Apple) to dream up solutions for real-world problems.
Storytelling plays a role too. Agency Deutsch is once again behind bespoke portraits and the annual FUTURES yearbook, ensuring that each participant’s journey gets the spotlight it deserves.
“Welcoming this new generation of trailblazers is more than symbolic—it’s strategic,” said Candace Queen, Strategic Growth Advisor at ADCOLOR. “The 2025 class has already proven their ability to lead, and this program gives them the mentorship, community, and tools to accelerate that impact.”
LEADERS: Experience Meets Elevation
If FUTURES is about potential, ADCOLOR LEADERS is about sharpening influence. Introduced in 2022, the program caters to professionals with 15+ years of industry experience—people who’ve already climbed the ladder but want to make their leadership more intentional, inclusive, and future-focused.
Only 30 applicants made the cut for 2025. Over the course of the program, they’ll engage in advanced workshops, thought-leader discussions, and curated exercises aimed at both self-reflection and practical leadership growth. The goal? To ensure this group walks away with fresh strategies, renewed purpose, and the kind of cross-industry network that accelerates careers.
“It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch this program grow into a community of purpose-driven executives,” said Criseli Roddy, Director of Programs at ADCOLOR. “This year’s class embodies our mission, and we’re committed to equipping them with insights and connections that will sustain their leadership journeys.”
Why It Matters: Beyond the Classrooms and Keynotes
ADCOLOR’s initiatives don’t exist in a vacuum. They land at a moment when creative industries are under increasing pressure to diversify leadership pipelines. Major agencies and brands alike have acknowledged the business impact of inclusive leadership, yet many still struggle with representation in senior roles.
Programs like FUTURES and LEADERS are more than résumé builders—they’re attempts to structurally shift how talent is identified, nurtured, and elevated. With tech giants like Apple investing in the FUTURES Hub, the implications go beyond mentorship: these efforts could influence how entire sectors think about cultivating innovation and inclusivity.
Mark Your Calendar: ADCOLOR 2025
Both classes will be formally recognized at ADCOLOR 2025, running November 11–14 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida. The event includes the 19th Annual ADCOLOR Awards and the ADCOLOR Conference, this year rallying under the theme: “CTRL + ALT + LIFT.”
It’s a fitting mantra. In tech, the CTRL + ALT combo is about resetting or reimagining. For ADCOLOR, it signals a broader ambition: not just to refresh industries, but to lift them—by cultivating leaders ready to do more than keep pace with change.
