Your Community for High Stakes Leadership Starts Here.

Don’t go it alone.

WIBE connects bold leaders in higher education

who know the hardest decisions are better made together.

You’re Leading in a System Under Pressure

Leadership in business education has never been simple. Right now, it’s complex, high stakes, and constantly shifting.

WIBE is a private global membership community for current and future academic leaders navigating that reality together.

Year-Round Networking that Works

The kind where someone remembers your name, introduces you to exactly who you need to meet, and becomes a trusted sounding board.

Professional Development You'll Actually Use

From budget negotiations to building a leadership team you love, get tools, templates, and strategies that you can implement the same week.

An Activated Community that Shows Up

We’re not here to gatekeep or protect the “old guard.” We’re here to lift each other up, share wins (and failures), and make leadership more affordable, fun and creative.

MEMBERSHIP TIERS

DEANOVATORS

Deans/Provosts/CEO/President

Where your direction, strategy, and courage all align

Deanovators is the top-level circle for senior leaders who hold ultimate responsibility for vision, resources, and direction. We offer leaders a safe space for the difficult decisions only deans face.

Request Invite to Next Deanovators Event

NAVIGATORS

Associate Deans/Center Directors/Assistant Deans

We guide competing priorities with steady leadership.

This tier is designed for those who sit at the center of operations, strategy, and execution. You may balance faculty, students, budgets, accreditation, programs or innovation. This space is built for the pressure of your role.

PIONEERS

Chairs, Future Chairs or Faculty with leadership interests

We are the frontline of academic leadership

Pioneers are department chairs, future chairs, or faculty leaders who confront daily challenges across people, programs, and performance. This tier gives the opportunity for those ready to lead boldly at the forefront of academic leadership

Request Invite to Next Pioneers Event

How We Support Members

Global Peer Network

Connect with leaders across institutions and countries who understand the pressures of your role and are generous with insight, ideas, and support.

Monthly Workshops

Expert-led sessions focused on real leadership challenges in higher education, designed to be practical, relevant, and immediately useful.

Virtual Summits

Deep-dive convenings that bring the community together around timely leadership topics, candid conversation, and shared learning.

Inner Circles

Small group conversations where you can think out loud, workshop challenges, and learn alongside peers in similar roles.

Private Community and Mobile App

Your always-on space to ask questions, share ideas, and stay connected between events.

Leadership Visibility

Opportunities to contribute, be seen, and participate in shaping conversations that matter in business education.

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This Is What Members Experience

Members often tell us WIBE helps them:

Think more clearly in moments of uncertainty
Feel less isolated in leadership
Make better decisions with peer input
Build confidence during transition or growth
Stay connected to a broader leadership perspective

You’re not expected to have all the answers here.
You’re expected to show up as you are.

Inner Circles

Get ready to level up.

Our Inner Circles are monthly meet-ups built around the topics that matter most to your leadership journey.

We place you in a group of 6-8 of your peers that meet at a convenient time for you each month.

Group Coaching to sharpen your leadership edge
Peer mentoring from leaders who’ve been there
Problem-solving around your hottest topics and toughest challenges

Discussion Forum – Your people, your power, always with you

Connect with every WIBE member, every event, every resource, all in one private online forum and mobile app.

Chat in real time, swap ideas, join discussions, and stream recorded workshops whenever inspiration strikes.

Resources & Leadership Skills on Demand

From fundraising to mastering performance evaluations, our extensive library of workshops and courses is built for bold leaders at every stage.

Every live workshop, every virtual summit is recorded and ready for you inside our private site. Learn anytime, from anywhere, at your own pace.

Virtual Summits

BIG TOPICS. BOLD IDEAS. ZERO FLUFF.

Our multi-day virtual summits tackle the hottest conversations in business education leadership, the ones that move the needle in your career.

And the best part? They’re always included in your WIBE membership.

What Our Members Say

The energy and inspiration I get from WIBE has been so uplifting and incredible.

Lan Nygren

Associate Dean, Norm Brodsky College of Business, Rider University

WIBE is a wonderful support system for all business academics. The professional development, upskilling, and networking opportunities are phenomenal.

Tom Utnage

Director, Professional Development, Purdue University Fort Wayne

Wonderful summit! There were so many ideas shared and connections made that I can’t wait until the next one

Jennifer Percival

Dean, Bowling Green State University

Academia can be lonely and isolating, WIBE provides a great platform to build connections to other academics around the world.

Courtney Hatch

Associate Dean, Butler University

Ready to join us?

Individual Academic Membership – Deanovators/Navigators/Pioneers

Membership for a single membership for individuals working in Universities. Membership is open to men and women.

Cost: $799/annually

Access to Inner Circles — our monthly meet-ups for your peer group
Virtual Summits included in your membership, no extra fees
A private online community and mobile app to connect with members anytime
An on-demand library of workshops, masterclasses, and resources you can binge at 2am if you want
Discounts to in-person events
Meet-ups at conferences around the world
Monthly Bulletin sharing member wins
A network that shows up, supports you, and shares ideas that work

Register As an Individual Member

Academic Group Memberships – Save 60%

Invest in your team and get discounted seats for additional members. Groups learn faster, share insights across departments, and keep progress moving all year.

We make it simple with one invoice, easy onboarding, and instant access to live programs and the resource library.

2-4 Academic Members – $499/each

5-7 Academic Members – $399/each

8 + Academic Members – $250/each

Email membership@wibenetwork.com to request a Group invoice

Corporate Membership NEW!

A WIBE Corporate Membership puts your brand in front of the decision-makers who matter most in business education, deans, future deans, and senior leaders from around the globe.

It’s your gateway to meaningful connections, powerful visibility, and opportunities to position your organization as a trusted partner in higher ed leadership.

Direct Access to Leaders – Engage with an influential network of academic decision-makers through our events, forums, and private community.
High-Impact Visibility – Your logo featured on our website, event materials, and partner communications, seen year-round by our global membership.
Showcase Your Expertise – Opportunities to participate in programming, share insights, and position your company as a go-to resource.
Year-Round Engagement – Presence across all WIBE events, from Virtual Summits to monthly Trailblazer Circles, keeping your brand top-of-mind.

Registration for two corporate members – USD $2,500

Email membership@wibenetwork.com to discuss corporate partnership membership

WIBE is an incredibly supportive, non-judgmental, and an open environment where I feel comfortable authentically sharing whatever is on my mind. It truly feels like I have a group of like-minded leaders who are making a difference in higher education and I always walk away feeling like I’ve learned something new

–Aarti Ivanic, Dean, University of Hartford

Register As an Individual Member

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is WIBE?

WIBE Network — Where Imagination Builds Excellence, is a global community for bold, creative leaders in business education.

Formerly known as Women in Business Education, we’ve opened our doors to all leaders who thrive on curiosity, connection, and shaking things up for the better.

WIBE is a private membership community headquarted in Fairfax, Virginia.

What do I actually get as a member?

Members will receive:

Access to Trailblazer Circles — our monthly meet-ups on everything from Future Deaning to Fundraising to Creative Leadership
Virtual Summits included in your membership, no extra fees
A private online community and mobile app to connect with members anytime
An on-demand library of workshops, masterclasses, and resources you can binge at 2am if you want
Discounts to in-person events
Meet-ups at conferences around the world
Monthly Bulletin sharing member wins
A network that shows up, supports you, and shares ideas that work

Can I come check out WIBE before I commit to joining?

Definitely! All potential members are invited to attend one of our monthly Global Convenings.

Email membership@wibenetwork.com to be added to the registration list.

How much time will this take?

As much or as little as you want. Some members hop on monthly calls, others dive into multiple circles, summits, and forums. We’re here when you need us, no guilt trips if life gets busy.

What if I’m not a dean (yet)?

Perfect. We have entire programs built for future leaders, including our Future Deaning Trailblazer Circle and the Annual Future Deans Summit.

You don’t have to wait until you have the title to start building your leadership game.

What makes WIBE different from other professional associations?

No gatekeeping. No “members-only if you’ve been in the club for 20 years.”

We’re fresh, welcoming, and obsessed with giving you real tools and connections you can use now.

Plus, we mix in a whole lot more imagination and fun.

How do I get the team or group discount?

Easy, if you’ve got two or more people from the same institution or organization ready to join WIBE, you qualify. Just reach out to us at membership@wibenetwork.com before signing up, and we’ll send you a special link with the discounted rate.

You’ll all get the same great benefits, plus you can split up and conquer different Trailblazer Circles, then bring the ideas back to your team.

Is this just for women?

Nope!

We started as Women in Business Education, but now WIBE is open to all leaders in business education who believe creativity and connection are the future.

Register As an Individual Member

Meet our Founder, Lisa Leander

I’ve never been one to wait for an invitation. In fact, when I saw the leadership world in business education was too often exclusive, slow to change, and allergic to bold ideas… I built my own club, and invited the people who wanted to make a real difference.

For more than 20 years, I’ve worked with business school leaders across six continents. I’ve seen it all, the politics, the pivots, the power struggles, and I know exactly where the opportunities for innovation and connection live.

In 2020, I founded WIBE to do something radically simple. I brought together leaders who want to think bigger, lead differently, and have a whole lot more fun doing it.

What started as Women in Business Education has grown into a global hub for bold, innovative high stakes leadership open to anyone ready to reimagine the future of higher ed.

My gift is building communities where people feel seen, supported, and ready to make big leaps.

When I’m not running WIBE, you’ll probably find me playing tennis, driving my two kids around volleyball practice, or designing a program that makes you think differently before it’s even over.

If you’re reading this, consider it your personal invitation to join our community.

You’ll be welcomed exactly as you are, and I can’t wait to connect with you.

-Lisa Leander, Founder & CEO

Where Imagination Builds Excellence (WIBE)

Register As an Individual Member

Come Meet Our Members