This past weekend, on September 5th and 6th, Roaring Fork Leadership launched its 38th Academy class at Aspen Camp for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. We are thrilled to welcome 35 participants from across the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys and from a wide range of industries and sectors – leaders who bring with them unique perspectives, passions, and commitments to strengthening our communities.
The Academy opening retreat has long been a cornerstone of the program, setting the stage for the year ahead. Participants carpooled in together early Friday morning, beginning to build bonds by sharing what brought them to the valley, what keeps them here, and what they hope to gain from RFL. Over two days, they leaned into intentional conversations, community-building activities, and the first steps of exploring what conscious leadership looks like in practice.
Guiding the cohort was Greg Cortopassi, a longtime friend of RFL and a catalyst for personal and organizational growth. Greg has opened and closed the Academy for an incredible 32 years, drawing on his career as an innovator, entrepreneur, and experiential educator. His facilitation helps participants step outside their daily routines and into the possibility of authentic, connected leadership.
We are deeply grateful to Garfield County, whose generous grant support made this retreat possible.
Our Community of Support
While we celebrate the arrival of the Academy 2026 class, we must also celebrate the incredible community that makes their journey possible. RFL is committed to lowering financial barriers so that leadership development remains accessible to people from all walks of life.
- Every single participant’s tuition is cut nearly in half thanks to our alumni, corporate partners, foundations, and local government supporters.
- In addition, RFL maintains a critical scholarship fund for those facing financial hardship. This year, we awarded nearly $18,000 in scholarships – our largest amount ever.
This extraordinary level of support ensures that voices from across sectors, backgrounds, and lived experiences are at the table – making the Academy stronger, more representative, and more impactful.
We could not do this without you:
- Alumni, who continue to pay it forward after graduation
- Corporate partners, who invest in both individual leaders and the future of our workforce
- Local governments and Community Based Organizations, who recognize leadership as community infrastructure
- Foundations, who share our belief in the power of local leadership
- Volunteers, who show up at every turn to help create the container for transformation
Your generosity and vision are woven into the Academy 2026 journey.
Looking Ahead
With the retreat complete, our newest participants now continue through nine months of leadership training, civic engagement, and personal growth. They will explore the complexities of leadership through monthly sessions, projects, and collaborations that challenge them to lead with clarity, courage, and compassion.
As we embark on this next chapter, we invite you to celebrate the RFL Academy Class of 2026 with us. Their leadership journeys have just begun, but thanks to the strength of our community, they are already walking a path paved with support, opportunity, and purpose.
Your leadership journey continues here and we’re honored to take the next steps together.
