Purpose: This study explores the emergence of district-university partnerships in the context of a multi-year, grant-funded initiative to promote equity-centered school leadership. The initiative involved eight large urban school districts in the United States and began in 2021. Design/methodology/approach: We use an ecological model and explanatory mixed-methods design to investigate the evolution of collaborative relationships between university and district partners during the first two and a half years of the initiative. Findings: Our analysis of social network survey data illustrates that strong partnerships took two years to emerge. While the number of university partners did not change significantly, they became more central to and integrated in the work. Insights from our qualitative analysis suggest that the growth of collaborative relationships was promoted by shared goals and strategic actions by both the partners and the funding organization. The district and university partners in our study shared a commitment to advancing equity in schools and engaged in mandated as well as voluntary collaboration. Originality/value: Our insights contribute to the knowledge base on how intentional networks can promote alignment between university leader preparation programs and district-specific equity needs and give rise to new collaborative structures and processes that are mutually beneficial to both partners.