Why This Conference Across the NHS, leadership programmes have multiplied but their impact has not been felt equally. Global Majority nurses and midwives continue to be excluded from senior decision-making spaces, despite their expertise, resilience, and frontline contributions. The leadership gap is not a reflection of capability. It is a reflection of systems that have failed to evolve. Rising Together is a direct response to this inequity and to the persistent disparities highlighted by the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES). WRES data continues to show that Global Majority staff are underrepresented in senior roles, disproportionately subject to disciplinary action, and less likely to access leadership development opportunities. These are not isolated issues, they are systemic. This conference is a space to pause, interrogate, and reimagine. We will examine whether current leadership programmes are delivering on their promise, highlight the journeys of those who have broken through, and confront the barriers that persist. We will ask: Are we building leadership pathways that reflect the diversity of our workforce, or are you reinforcing the status quo? Rising Together centres those most affected. It invites honest dialogue, strategic reflection, and collaborative action. Together, we aim to co-create solutions that make leadership development inclusive, accountable, and fit for purpose not in theory, but in practice. With support from NHS England and alignment with national frameworks including WRES Rising Together is a catalyst for visibility, equity, and transformation across the North of England and beyond.