Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Fellowship Class IX Application Available
INDIANA – The Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation (MDLF) announced today that applications are now open for its Class IX Fellowship. Established leaders from across Indiana are invited to apply at www.mdlfindiana.org/fellowship-application-2026. The application window opens today, January 2, and will close on February 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST. Fellows selected for Class IX will join a distinguished statewide network committed to strengthening Indiana’s future through principled leadership.
MDLF launched the Fellowship program in 2016 with a mission to “Enable Leaders. Drive Change.” Since its inception, the program has grown into a robust statewide network of 160 Fellows representing 30 counties who are actively working to make Indiana the best place to build a future.
The Fellowship is a two-year, statewide leadership development program designed for professionals ready to move beyond personal success and drive measurable impact in their communities. Ideal candidates demonstrate leadership experience, an entrepreneurial spirit, and alignment with MDLF’s core principles: individual liberty, personal responsibility, and the importance of private enterprise.
“The MDLF Fellowship brings together leaders who care deeply about Indiana and are ready to dive deeper into the state’s most pressing challenges,” said Fellowship Director Kelsey Cook. “I’ve seen firsthand how the intensive curriculum strengthens Fellows’ capacity for thoughtful civil discourse and sharpens the critical thinking needed to create lasting impact in their communities and work.”
Through monthly lectures, case studies, and Socratic-style discussions, Fellows examine Indiana’s economy, education, health care, and civil society systems. Each Fellow completes a capstone project focused on developing real-world solutions for Hoosiers. Each Fellowship class includes 25 participants, usually between the ages of 25 and 45, representing several counties and industries. There is no cost to participate, thanks to the generosity of MDLF’s donors.
About the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation
The Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation is a statewide civic engine that equips principled leaders to take bold, measurable action just as Mitch Daniels did as the state’s 49th governor. MDLF’s vision is to develop a statewide network of change agents actively working to make Indiana the best place to build a future. For more information, visit www.mdlfindiana.org.
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