(NECN) – UMass Boston is home to the Emerging Leaders Program and, to reflect the changing demographics of the city, they look to find and develop future leaders from diverse backgrounds.

Lisa Deangelis is director of the UMass Boston Center for Collaborative Leadership, which runs the Emerging Leaders Program.

Two alumni, Craig Williams, the COO of Tufts Medical Center, and Rick Jakious, CEO of the Massachusetts Non-profit Network, talk about the program and how it affects the way they do their own work now.

Deangelis says the program came out of the 2000 census, when, for the first time, we became a majority/minority city.

The program was created to bring together diversity from every dimension.

Jakious was working for CityYear, which is how he became involved with the Emerging Leaders Program. He says it really broadened his horizons in terms of helping him connect within the community and within sectors where you might not otherwise have that opportunity.

Williams says he was exposed to amazing young leaders, all across Boston, during his time with the program. He says he gained a unique perspective that he wouldn’t have gained through any other program.

Watch the attached for more on the emerging leaders program.