Leadership is a journey – no matter your title or your network, there is always room to grow and connect with leaders across the region.

Kelly Underell, executive director of the Colorado Technology Foundation, found her network in Impact Denver. “Impact Denver taught me to embrace a broader network,” Underell said. “Even if a classmate or guest speaker might not be able to help you directly now, or vice versa, there is always potential for future collaboration.”

She was named the inaugural Outstanding Impact Denver Alum last spring.

“I have great appreciation for the Leadership Foundation and the well-respected Leadership Foundation alumni network,” Underell said. “It’s an honor to be recognized among this group as the first recipient of the Outstanding Impact Denver Alumni Award.”

Underell was able to hone her skills as a leader through her 2011 classmates: “I enjoyed the opportunity to dive in deeper to the issues effecting the Denver community and to consider different perspectives from around the room.”

Since her Impact Denver days she has been leading efforts to ensure that in the new age of technology, Colorado’s supply of skilled workers meets industry demands, and taking the knowledge from Impact Denver and channeling it into action in the community.

Make an impact on someone’s community impact; encourage them to apply for the 2018 Impact Denver fall class by Monday, May 14 – you never know the lasting impact that you could have on their leadership journey.

Take it from Underell when it comes to connecting with program participants: “Make the effort to nurture the unique relationships” that come out of Impact Denver and other Leadership Foundation programs.