Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA)
The Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy is designed to deepen the leadership and management practices of CVI leaders so they can effectively manage community-based organizations and implement CVI strategies at scale.
Project overview
The Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) – a first-of-its-kind national, executive education program for professionals leading violence reduction strategies – was launched in 2023 to equip community violence intervention leaders to make decisions grounded in evidence, data, and analysis. Through leadership and management education, the CVILA strengthens the capacity of community-based leaders and public safety agency leaders, to deploy resources strategically, measure performance, improve operational effectiveness, and achieve better public safety outcomes.
Admission to the CVILA is competitive. Once admitted, students are organized into cohorts of 30 to 35 leaders that foster ongoing collaboration, problem solving, and the exchange of promising practices. CVILA students engage in a rigorous curriculum grounded in the strongest social science research available, informed by empirical evidence, and shaped by the lived realities of the communities most impacted by violence. Over the course of nine months, students receive roughly 50 hours of in-person instruction, 48 hours of immersive field experiences with community partners across the country, and 25 hours of individualized executive coaching and technical assistance from experienced practitioners.
What distinguishes this program is our commitment to developing both practitioners and scholar-practitioners. We teach leaders what the evidence suggests works in violence prevention and equip them with the knowledge, skills, and analytical frameworks necessary to evaluate, measure, and continuously improve the effectiveness of their own interventions. We are cultivating local and national leaders who can translate research into practice and practice into evidence.
Through this rigorous, evidence-informed approach we are improving organizational performance and helping to strengthen the foundation of the CVI field to reduce violent crime.
Years Active
2022 – present
Project Team
Jvani Cabiness
Chief of Staff, Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
Rodrigo Canales
Kelli Questrom Associate Professor of Management and Organizations, Boston University
Kim Smith
Director of National Programs and External Engagement
Chico Tillmon
Executive Director, Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
We stand as the nation’s first university to spearhead such an initiative, directly translating our research into action to combat community violence nationwide. Our graduates are living proof that academic rigor and community leadership can converge to forge significant, life-saving change. This program is a proud example of our commitment to creating safer communities through scholarly excellence and practical application.
University of Chicago President
Every time you make sure that we address the gun violence crisis not just from the angle of public safety—but also from the angle of public health—the work these graduates are doing will save lives.
Governor of Maryland
Thanks to CVILA’s leadership education, our graduates are primed to implement sustainable CVI solutions, paving the way for healthy, thriving communities.
CVI Leadership Academy Executive Director
Program Overview
- Executive leadership development and management certificate program for executive and senior CVI leaders.
- 6 weeks of in-person learning; travel required.
- Instruction delivered by university faculty, non-profit, public sector, and private sector leaders.
- Access to mentors and executive coaches to guide your personal development and organizational growth.
- Participation is free for those selected; the full cost of the program, including travel and tuition expenses, is covered by the University of Chicago.
Eligibility
- Minimum five years of experience in the field of CVI and demonstrated experience implementing CVI strategies in alignment with the values and principles embraced by the CVI Academy.
- Currently hold a senior or executive-level position within a community-based CVI organization that serves communities disproportionately impacted by gun violence.
- Candidates must demonstrate a high degree of motivation and interest in enhancing their leadership skills and the impact of their work.
- Commitment of support from current place of employment. It is preferred that candidates come from an organization with an annual budget of at least $300,000 and a minimum of three employees.
Curriculum Outline
- Personal & Organizational Leadership
- Operations and Management
- Strategic Decision Making
- Building Healthy Communities
- Community Engagement and Advocacy
- Capstone Development
Latest Updates
Vice President Kamala Harris Recognizes the CVILA at White House Ceremony
On February 9, 2024 Vice President Kamala Harris recognized the work of the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) at an event that will acknowledged the accomplishments of its inaugural cohort at the White House.
The Alumni Dispatch: Leveling Up with the CVILA
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Program Manager Alesisia Cobb sat down with alumni DuJuan “Zoe” Kennedy (Cohort 1), Tracie Campbell (Cohort 2), and Rahaman Kilpatrick (Cohort 3) to discuss the ways their CVILA experience has contributed to their professional growth.
A New Way To Address Gun Violence You’ve Never Heard Of
Former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department Charlie Beck, Crime Lab Faculty Director Jens Ludwig, and CVILA Executive Director Dr. Chico Tillmon penned this Newsweek op-ed on the importance of raising awareness about community violence interventions and how they can be used to continue the gun violence reduction trends we saw in 2023.
Learn more about each academy
Policing Leadership Academy (PLA)
The Policing Leadership Academy combines innovative leadership and management training with real world, practical policing strategies to transform police departments.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA)
The Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy is designed to deepen the leadership and management practices of CVI leaders so they can effectively manage community-based organizations and implement CVI strategies at scale.
Alumni Directory
Cohort 4 (July - November 2025)
Muhammad "Moe" Abdul-Ahad
Minneapolis, MN
Cohort 5 (January - May 2026)
Jalilia Abdul-Brown
Minneapolis, MN
Cohort 3 (December 2024 - April 2025)
Ricky Aiken
Palm Beach, FL
Cohort 4 (July - November 2025)
Mary Alexander
Indianapolis, IN
Cohort 2 (May - September 2024)
Danny Allen
New Orleans, LA
Cohort 5 (January - May 2026)
Sharelle "Rosalee" Anderson
Portland, OR
Cohort 5 (January - May 2026)
Juan Avila
Bakersfield, CA
Cohort 5 (January - May 2026)
Rodney Babb
Philadelphia, PA
Cohort 3 (December 2024 - April 2025)
John Beard
Chicago, IL
Cohort 2 (May - September 2024)
Babatunde Beeks
Aurora, IL
Cohort 3 (December 2024 - April 2025)
Ingram Bell
Greensboro, NC
Cohort 2 (May - September 2024)
Raquel Bolton
Chicago, IL
Capstones
The CVILA’s six-month curriculum culminates in a capstone project that demonstrates the student’s mastery of the CVILA curriculum, offers new insight into a CVI challenge, and has a direct benefit to the student’s organization or local CVI ecosystem.
A capstone project is original work that applies the student’s knowledge and skills acquired throughout the CVI Leadership Academy to address a real-world local or national community violence intervention (CVI) challenge.
Through the capstone development process, students examine an organizational or ecosystem challenge using analytical methods presented in the CVILA. Based on their exploration of the issue and available data, they will then propose an evidence-informed solution. Every student is offered an advisor to help them move their capstone from a concept to an implementable plan.
Featured Capstones
Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention
Myesha Watkins
Cleveland, OH
Alabama PeaceLINK
Nikesha Tilton
Selma, AL
Unseen Impact: Gun Violence & Black Women in Wilmington
Darryl Chambers
Wilmington, DE
Washington, DC: Safe Passage to Youth Leadership Bridge
Boye Sofidiya
Washington, DC
Career Pathways for Community Violence Intervention Staff
Juan Avila
Bakersfield, CA
This academy is needed because it bridges the gap between CVI practitioners from across the country, and it also brings us together to allow us to share best practices.
Executive Director, Public Equity
It’s important that we professionalize the field of community violence intervention… each community that is plagued with gun violence needs a community violence intervention program.
Founder & Executive Director, FORCE Detroit
Latest Updates
Improving storytelling through data
Learn more about Alivia’s experience in the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.
The Alumni Dispatch: How CVILA Alumni are Shaping Policy, Practice, and Narrative
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Program Managers Alesisia Cobb and Heather Bland sat down with alumni DeVita Briscoe from Seattle, WA and Nikesha Tilton from Selma, AL to discuss the progress of their capstone projects, their evolving leadership roles, and the systemic changes they’re pushing forward in their cities and states.
The Alumni Dispatch: Leveling Up with the CVILA
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Program Manager Alesisia Cobb sat down with alumni DuJuan “Zoe” Kennedy (Cohort 1), Tracie Campbell (Cohort 2), and Rahaman Kilpatrick (Cohort 3) to discuss the ways their CVILA experience has contributed to their professional growth.
Where We're Working
The first five cohorts include nearly 150 community violence intervention (CVI) leaders from across the U.S.
Team and advisors
Chico Tillmon
Executive Director, Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
Jvani Cabiness
Chief of Staff, Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
Kim Smith
Director of National Programs and External Engagement
Mark Saint
Director of Curriculum and Learning
Marcus McAllister
Dean of Students
Mariah Cooley
Program Manager
Dr. Shani Buggs
Dr. Shani Buggs is an Assistant Professor for the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California Davis and a health and public policy scholar with expertise in community-driven violence intervention and prevention efforts.
Dr. Antonio Cediel
Dr. Antonio Cediel is the Special Advisor for Live Free USA, where he leads community violence intervention efforts and supports the network’s Latino church organizing, and the CEO of First Revolution Consulting.
Erica Ford
Erica Ford is credited with reimagining effective pathways to public safety in inner-city communities. She is the Co-Founder and former CEO of LIFE Camp, Inc.; Lead Creator of NYC Crisis Management System; Co-Chair of the National Black & Brown Peace Coalition; and Co-Founder of Kush & Kemet.
Amber Goodwin
Amber is the Founder of the Community Justice Action Fund (CJAF) and the Community Justice Reform Coalition (CJRC). CJAF is a national gun violence prevention organization working on policy, education, leadership development, and building resources centered on communities of color.
Marcus McAllister
Marcus McAllister is a national violence prevention expert, speaker, and consultant. He is also the Dean of Students of the UChicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.
Pastor Michael McBride
Pastor Michael McBride is the Executive Director of Live Free USA, a Square One Fellow at Columbia University Justice Policy Lab, the Co-Founder of Black Church PAC and the Black Brown Peace Consortium, and serves as the Lead Pastor of The Way Church in Berkeley, CA.
Oresa Napper-Williams
Oresa Napper-Williams is the Founder and Executive Director of Not Another Child, Inc., an organization that provides unconventional therapeutic support and advocates for families and communities directly impacted by gun violence.
Anthony Smith
Anthony Smith is the Executive Director of Cities United and is an organizer, a bridge builder, a believer in community, and a thought leader.
Chico Tillmon
Executive Director, Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
Dr. Chico Tillmon is the Executive Director of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy and a leading national consultant and training and technical assistance provider on violence prevention, reentry, and nonprofits.
Dan Berkowitz
Executive Director, Green Family Foundation
Dr. Ngozi Ezike
President & CEO, Sinai Chicago
Erica Ford
Founder, Life Camp
Amber Goodwin
Founding Director, Community Justice Action Fund
Greg Jackson, Jr.
President, Rocket Foundation
Rev. Michael Pfleger
Reverend, St. Sabina Catholic Church
Anthony Smith
Executive Director, Cities United
Michael-Sean Spence
Managing Director, Community Safety Initiatives, Everytown for Gun Safety
Marcia Thompson
Chair, Department of Criminal Justice, Aurora University
Lisa Wiersma
Executive Director, IMC Chicago Charitable Fund
Dr. Adren Wilson
Executive Director, My Brother's Keeper Alliance
Julie Wilen
Director of Philanthropic Advisory, BMO Family Office
John Wolf
Associate Director, University of Chicago Education Lab
Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra
Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra is an Assistant Professor at Jane Addams College of Social Work at University of Illinois Chicago. She is a licensed clinical social worker and also serves as Senior Advisor to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on crime victim and violence prevention issues.
Dr. Julian Thompson
Dr. Julian Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His work spans several domains of research, including reentry, alternatives to incarceration and community mental health, criminalization of survivors, violence intervention, the politics of harm, and abolitionist praxis.
Jaunita Pye
Cohort 1
Tony Woods
Cohort 1
Ben "Taco" Owens
Cohort 2
Lakeesha Eure
Cohort 2
Darryl Chambers
Cohort 3
Varonika Wilson
Cohort 3
Latonya "Abys" Denson
Cohort 4
Rahsmia Zatar
Cohort 4
Kenneth Thompson
Cohort 5
Dr. Asoye' Uhurubey
Cohort 5
Resources
CVI Leadership Academy: Application Information Session
View and download materials from the CVI Leadership Academy’s application information session.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Brief
Learn more about the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy in this brief.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Steering Committee and Curriculum Developers
View the members of the CVILA’s steering committee and curriculum developers.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Week in Washington, D.C.
View highlights from the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy’s week in Washington, D.C. in February 2024 including capstone presentations, meeting with policymakers, and the graduation event at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Related News + Events
The Alumni Dispatch – This Didn’t Happen Overnight: Three CVILA Alumni Reflect on Chicago’s Progress
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Program Manager Heather Bland sat down with Chicago alumni Pamela Montgomery-Bosley, Edwin Galletti, and Guillermo Gutierrez to explore how their leadership, lived experience, and daily work are reshaping public safety and advancing community violence intervention across Chicago.
The Alumni Dispatch: How CVILA Alumni are Shaping Policy, Practice, and Narrative
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Program Managers Alesisia Cobb and Heather Bland sat down with alumni DeVita Briscoe from Seattle, WA and Nikesha Tilton from Selma, AL to discuss the progress of their capstone projects, their evolving leadership roles, and the systemic changes they’re pushing forward in their cities and states.
The Alumni Dispatch: Leveling Up with the CVILA
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) Program Manager Alesisia Cobb sat down with alumni DuJuan “Zoe” Kennedy (Cohort 1), Tracie Campbell (Cohort 2), and Rahaman Kilpatrick (Cohort 3) to discuss the ways their CVILA experience has contributed to their professional growth.
2025 CVI Leadership Academy Celebration and Graduation
The CVI Leadership Academy hosted the graduation of its third cohort and a celebration of the field in Miami, Florida.
Welcome Greg Jackson, advisor to the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s CVI Leadership Academy
The University of Chicago Crime Lab is thrilled to share that Gregory N. Jackson will be joining our team as an advisor to our Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA).
Biden’s Gun Violence Prevention Office Is Empty. Here’s How Its Work Can Continue Under Trump.
The Trace’s Chip Brownlee speaks with Greg Jackson, former deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and advisor to the Crime Lab’s CVI Leadership Academy, about strategies to continue addressing America’s gun violence crisis.
Improving storytelling through data
Learn more about Alivia’s experience in the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.
Safer Communities: Are We Making Progress on Gun Violence?
The Source speaks with Antonio Emanuel, a graduate of the Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy, about the violence prevention challenges in the Virgin Islands.
Lake County GVPI director graduates from University of Chicago Crime Lab’s leadership academy
The Lake County Gazette features the work of Tierra Lemon, Director of the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Gun Violence Prevention Initiative and recent graduate of the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Graduation of Second Cohort
The Crime Lab hosted the graduation of the second cohort of the CVI Leadership Academy, a program to educate community violence intervention leaders from across America.
Media Gallery
Community Violence Awareness Week Culminating Ceremony + CVILA Graduation
CVI Leadership Academy Spotlight
The CVI Leadership Academy’s Inaugural Cohort
CVI Leadership Academy Week in Washington, D.C.
CVI Leadership Academy Week in New York City
The CVI Leadership Academy’s Second Cohort
Reflections from UChicago Crime Lab’s CVI Leadership Academy
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois visits the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
The CVI Leadership Academy’s Third Cohort
The CVI Leadership Academy’s Fourth Cohort