Our Story

Thirty-Four Years of Leadership for Life
Rising Leader Forums began with a simple belief: leadership isn't something you learn in a single workshop — it's something you grow into, alongside people who are climbing the same hill.

Over three decades later, that belief has carried more than 6,000 technology professionals through the program. What started as one regional cohort has grown into six forums held across the country each year.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

RLF's story can't be told without the people who built it. Bart Bolton, June Drewry, and Darwin John, each shaped this program into what it is today — through vision, through years of quiet dedication, and through a belief that leadership is worth investing in for the long haul. Their influence is woven into every session, every cohort, and every graduate who's gone on to lead with more clarity and courage. 

Bart Bolton

June Drewry

Darwin John

Our Facilitators

Every Forum, Led by Someone Who's Been There
RLF facilitators aren't hired trainers reading from a script — they're seasoned leaders, many of them RLF graduates themselves, who understand the climb.

Each region's forum is led by a facilitator selected for both depth of experience and the ability to hold space for real, sometimes uncomfortable, personal growth. You'll get to know your facilitator's background on your region's page — but the standard is the same everywhere: someone who can push a room of rising leaders further than they'd go on their own.

Trusted By

Companies Invest in Top Talent With RLF
Major U.S. and global organizations send their high-potential employees through RLF to invest in the next generation of leadership. Current and recent sponsors include:


Aon Affinity · Bristol Myers Squibb · Campbell Soup Company · Chubb Group of Insurance Companies · CVS/Aetna · FEMA · Howard Hughes Medical Institute · International Monetary Fund · NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center · Pfizer · Temple University Health System · and many more

Curious What The Experience Is Actually Like?

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The Impact, In Their Words