The Leopold Leadership Program grew from an idea, originated by Jane Lubchenco, then a distinguished professor at Oregon State and a past president of the Ecological Society of America (ESA). She and colleagues within ESA recognized the need to train environmental scientists and received initial funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to launch the program in 1998. The first cohorts, 1999-2001, were convened under the auspices of the Ecological Society of America. In 2003 the program moved from ESA to the New England Aquarium and received continued support from the Packard Foundation. The program relocated to Stanford University in 2005. View the timeline to learn how the Leopold Leadership program innovated and adapted to the ever-changing sustainability science and leadership landscape.