THE STANDARD FOR ERG TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

The ERG
of ERGs

ELA is the global standard for ERG training, leadership development and community. We exist because ERGs that aren't taken seriously don't just underperform — they actively reduce belonging. We're here to make sure that doesn't happen. 
25,000+
organizations in the ELA network worldwide
2.5M+
ERG champions supported
2019
founded — growing every year since
50+
ERG-experienced trainers around the world
THE STANDARD FOR ERG TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

The ERG
of ERGs

ELA is the global standard for ERG training, leadership development and community. We exist because ERGs that aren't taken seriously don't just underperform — they actively reduce belonging. We're here to make sure that doesn't happen.
25,000+
organizations in the ELA network worldwide
5,000+
ERG leaders trained on the Blueprint framework
2019
founded — growing every year since
5
countries with ELA offices
25,000+
organizations in the ELA network worldwide
2.5M+
ERG champions supported
2019
founded — growing every year since
50+
ERG-experienced trainers around the world

WHY ELA EXISTS

ERGs have always mattered. The support for running them hasn't.

When ELA was founded in 2019, the same story was playing out in organizations everywhere. ERGs were being stood up, people were volunteering to lead them, and then everyone was largely left to figure it out themselves. Leaders burned out. Programs stalled. Organizations pointed to their ERGs as evidence of commitment to inclusion — while those ERGs quietly struggled.

The problem wasn't motivation. It was infrastructure. ERG leaders needed a framework, not just encouragement. Oversight Managers needed peer support, not just a new job title. Executive Sponsors needed a gameplan, not just a plaque on the wall.

ELA was built to provide all three — and to keep providing them as the field evolves, the pressure on ERG programs grows, and the standards for what "good" looks like get higher.

“Healthy, supported ERGs increase belonging. When ERGs are only a marketing effort and not taken seriously, they will dramatically reduce overall employee belonging.”
ELA Research — McKinsey, Dec 2022
−24
The inclusion score gap between effective ERGs (83) and ineffective ERGs (59). That 24-point gap is why ERG quality isn’t optional — and why ELA exists.

We’re not a consulting Firm.
We’re not a conference.
We're the advancement of the practice of ERGs.

01

We set the standards — we don't just teach them

Every year at the SynERGy Summit, Oversight Managers from around the world gather to deliberate and draft the governance standards the ERG field needs. ELA doesn’t hand down best practices from above — it convenes the people doing the work and builds the standards with them. Then we train to those standards globally.
EVIDENCE
SynERGy Standards Councils: Leader Management, Group Management, and Reporting — producing ratified governance frameworks adopted by ELA member organizations worldwide.
02

We know what's working right now — not what worked five years ago

ELA engages with thousands of ERG Oversight Managers every month through OMG masterminds, ERG University classes, and our global network. That’s not marketing — it’s live intelligence. Our training, research, and frameworks are continuously updated based on what’s actually happening in portfolios like yours, right now.
EVIDENCE
The annual ERG Success Metrics & Business Impact Study — the most comprehensive benchmark dataset in the field, drawn from ELA’s own member data and updated every year.
03

Our training produces deliverables, not inspiration

Every ERG Blueprint produces something tangible — a Purpose Statement, a Recruitment Plan, a Metrics Dashboard. Leaders leave with work product they keep and use. Oversight Managers leave with completed plans they can share with sponsors and leadership. We measure success by what gets built, not by what got taught.
EVIDENCE
The 6 ERG Blueprints. The Executive Sponsor Workshop gameplan. The OMG portal templates. Everything ELA produces is designed to be used, not filed.
04

We certify demonstrated competence — not attendance

ELA certifications require submitted, reviewed work — completed Blueprints evaluated by a Certified Expert ERG Trainer. An ERG Leader Certification from ELA means that person can actually run an ERG. An Expert ERG Trainer Certification means that person can actually train others. The credential means something because it’s earned.
EVIDENCE
ERG Leader Certification, ERG Oversight Manager Certification, Expert ERG Trainer Certification — all require demonstrated competency, not course completion.

DOWNLOAD INFO SHEET (PDF)

We’re not a consulting firm.
We’re not a conference.
We’re the advancement of the practice of ERGs.

Tap each section to learn more ↓

01We set the standards — we don't just teach them +
Every year at the SynERGy Summit, Oversight Managers from around the world gather to deliberate and draft the governance standards the ERG field needs. ELA doesn’t hand down best practices from above — it convenes the people doing the work and builds the standards with them. Then we train to those standards globally.
EVIDENCE
SynERGy Standards Councils: Leader Management, Group Management, and Reporting — producing ratified governance frameworks adopted globally.
02We know what's working right now — not what worked five years ago +
ELA engages with thousands of ERG Oversight Managers every month through OMG masterminds, ERG University classes, and our global network. That’s not marketing — it’s live intelligence. Our work reflects what’s happening right now.
EVIDENCE
The annual ERG Success Metrics & Business Impact Study — updated every year from ELA’s member network.
03Our training produces deliverables, not inspiration +
Every ERG Blueprint produces something tangible — a Purpose Statement, a Recruitment Plan, a Metrics Dashboard. Leaders leave with work product they actually use.
EVIDENCE
The 6 ERG Blueprints, workshop outputs, and OMG templates — all designed for real use.
04We certify demonstrated competence — not attendance +
ELA certifications require submitted, reviewed work — completed Blueprints evaluated by a Certified Expert ERG Trainer. The credential means something because it’s earned.
EVIDENCE
ERG Leader, Oversight Manager, and Expert Trainer certifications all require demonstrated competency.

DOWNLOAD INFO SHEET (PDF)
WHAT THIS MEANS

We don’t just serve ERGs.
We shape them.

Most training & development organizations deliver content. ELA does that too — but our deeper role is building the infrastructure the ERG field has never had: shared governance standards, benchmark data, a global credentialing system, and a peer network that keeps Oversight Managers from having to figure it out alone.

When the ERG world moves forward, ELA is usually in the room where that happened.

The standards, benchmarks, and practices we develop don’t stay inside ELA — they become the operating system for how ERGs run globally.

Governance Standards

The SynERGy Standards Councils produce ratified ERG governance frameworks — on leader management, group governance, and reporting — that member organizations adopt and build from.

Benchmark Research

The annual ERG Success Metrics & Business Impact Study is the most comprehensive ERG benchmark dataset available anywhere — drawn from ELA's global member network.

Global Credentialing

ELA certifications are the only field-wide ERG credentials verified through demonstrated competency — recognized across industries and geographies.

The Global Oversight Manager Network

200+ Oversight Managers in the OMG peer network — sharing what works, troubleshooting what doesn't, and collectively raising the floor for ERG programs everywhere.

WHAT THIS MEANS

We don’t just serve ERGs.
We shape them.

Most training & development organizations deliver content. ELA does that too — but our deeper role is building the infrastructure the ERG field has never had: shared governance standards, benchmark data, a global credentialing system, and a peer network that keeps Oversight Managers from having to figure it out alone.

When the ERG world moves forward, ELA is usually in the room where that happened.

The standards, benchmarks, and practices we develop don’t stay inside ELA — they become the operating system for how ERGs run globally.

Governance Standards

The SynERGy Standards Councils produce ratified ERG governance frameworks — on leader management, group governance, and reporting — that member organizations adopt and build from.

Benchmark Research

The annual ERG Success Metrics & Business Impact Study is the most comprehensive ERG benchmark dataset available anywhere — drawn from ELA's global member network.

Global Credentialing

ELA certifications are the only field-wide ERG credentials verified through demonstrated competency — recognized across industries and geographies.

The Global Oversight Manager Network

200+ Oversight Managers in the OMG peer network — sharing what works, troubleshooting what doesn't, and collectively raising the floor for ERG programs everywhere.

OUR FACULTY

Certified Expert ERG Trainers. Not generalists. Not consultants. Our faculty has done the work you're doing.

Every ELA training — whether in ERG University, a private session, or an organization's Leadership Summit — is delivered by a Certified Expert ERG Trainer. These are practitioners with deep, active ERG expertise, certified by ELA to deliver our curriculum to our standard. Not a network of freelancers. Not a slide deck handed to whoever's available.

Every ELA training — whether in ERG University, a private session, or an organization's Leadership Summit — is delivered by a Certified Expert ERG Trainer. These are practitioners with deep, active ERG expertise, certified by ELA to deliver our curriculum to our standard. Not a network of freelancers. Not a slide deck handed to whoever's available.

TRAINER CERTIFICATION REQUIRES
Deep demonstrated ERG expertise · ELA curriculum mastery · Practical delivery assessment · Ongoing recertification

OUR FACULTY

Certified Expert ERG Trainers. Not generalists. Not consultants. Our faculty has done the work you're doing.

Every ELA training — whether in ERG University, a private session, or an organization's Leadership Summit — is delivered by a Certified Expert ERG Trainer. These are practitioners with deep, active ERG expertise, certified by ELA to deliver our curriculum to our standard. Not a network of freelancers. Not a slide deck handed to whoever's available.

Every ELA training — whether in ERG University, a private session, or an organization's Leadership Summit — is delivered by a Certified Expert ERG Trainer. These are practitioners with deep, active ERG expertise, certified by ELA to deliver our curriculum to our standard. Not a network of freelancers. Not a slide deck handed to whoever's available.

TRAINER CERTIFICATION REQUIRES
Deep demonstrated ERG expertise · ELA curriculum mastery · Practical delivery assessment · Ongoing recertification

Meet ELA's full global faculty of Certified Expert ERG Trainers  MEET THE FULL FACULTY →

Rogelio Guzman

Bilingual HR, DEIB & talent engagement professional

Espanol · English

Helene Quenu

Research Analyst and Impact Advisor, ERG Leadership Alliance

French · English

Sunny Cho

Oversight Manager Certification Chair, ERG Leadership Alliance

English

Marinda Monfilston

Employee Resource Group Development Professional

English
BE PART OF THE ALLIANCE

Help us shape the future of ERGs

By collaborating and sharing outstanding practices across our global community of corporations, non-profits, government agencies, academic institutions and the best-known business brands, ELA's international network is driving the ERG market globally and collectively creating inclusive workplaces around the world.

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