ORIENTATION

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 • 6:00-8:30 PM

Academy Orientation + Team-Building with The Eureka Games
Location: TBA

The journey begins with an energetic evening focused on connection, collaboration, and setting the tone for the six months ahead. Participants will meet their cohort, learn what to expect from the Academy, explore the Challenge Workbook and Community Impact Lab experience, and take part in interactive team-building facilitated by Rob Davlin and The Eureka Games.

SESSION 1

Friday, October 9, 2026 • 2:00-4:00 PM

The Garden Theory: A Career Growth Framework
Facilitated by Dilara Casey • Location: TBA

Your career may be less like a ladder to climb and more like a garden to cultivate. In this opening curriculum session, participants will explore Dilara Casey’s Garden Theory framework and reflect on the relationships, experiences, skills, opportunities, and environments that shape meaningful professional growth. Through guided exercises and discussion, participants will consider what they are currently cultivating, what may need to be planted or pruned, and how to take greater ownership of their career and leadership development.

SESSION 2

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 • 6:00-8:00 PM

Community Impact Lab I: Discovery
A Discovery Session with Local Nonprofit & Community Leaders • Location: TBA

The first phase of the Community Impact Lab introduces participants to several nonprofit and community organizations working on real challenges across Central Ohio. Each organization will share a concise challenge or opportunity where fresh perspective could be valuable. Participants will then select the issue that most resonates with them, form small project teams, and begin exploring potential ideas and solutions. This marks the beginning of a semester-long applied leadership experience designed to move participants from discovery to development to presentation.

SESSION 3

Friday, November 6, 2026 • 2:00-4:00 PM

Getting to Know Columbus: City Discovery Bus Tour
Led by Columbus historian Doug Motz • Meeting Location: TBA

Get out of the classroom and experience Columbus firsthand. This guided bus tour will introduce participants to the people, places, history, neighborhoods, development, and civic institutions that have shaped the city. Led by local historian and author Doug Motz, the experience is designed to deepen participants’ understanding of Columbus and encourage them to think more intentionally about the relationship between place, leadership, and community.

SESSION 4

November 2026 • Date & Time TBA

Inside City Hall: Civic Leadership & Community Impact
Columbus City Hall

Go behind the scenes of local government and explore how civic leadership shapes the future of Columbus. Participants will tour Columbus City Hall and take part in an interactive town hall-style conversation focused on public leadership, city priorities, community engagement, and the role emerging leaders can play in civic life.

SESSION 5

Wednesday, December 9, 2026 • 6:00-8:00 PM

Finding Your Place & Purpose: A Storytelling Experience
Dawson Auditorium

Discovering purpose is often connected to the stories we carry and the experiences that shape us. In this signature storytelling session, local leaders and changemakers will share personal narratives about career pivots, challenges, triumphs, identity, community, and the moments that helped them better understand their own place and purpose. Participants will leave with new perspectives on how storytelling can inspire others, deepen connection, and help clarify their own leadership path.

SESSION 6

December 2026 • Friday, 12:00-2:00 PM or 2:00-4:00 PM

Community Impact Lab II: Development
Hosted by Community Partner Organizations

For the second phase of the Community Impact Lab, participants will leave the traditional classroom behind and spend time directly with their assigned nonprofit or community partner. Each organization will host its project team for a two-hour working session where participants can ask deeper questions, better understand the organization and its challenge, test assumptions, and begin developing actionable recommendations. By the end of this experience, teams should have a clearer direction and stronger foundation for their final presentation.

SESSION 7

Wednesday, January 13, 2027 • 6:00-8:00 PM

Leadership in Action: Service + Connection
Location TBA

Put leadership into action through an evening of service, connection, and community impact alongside Impact Academy Advisory Board members. In partnership with My Very Own Blanket, participants will create no-sew fleece blankets for children in foster care while building meaningful relationships with community leaders. This hands-on experience offers a rewarding way to give back while exploring how service and community involvement can become part of your ongoing leadership journey.

BONUS Volunteer Experience

Monday, January 18, 2027 • Time TBA

MLK Day of Service with Besa
Location: TBA

Honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through service alongside fellow cohort members and community volunteers. This optional bonus experience, offered in partnership with Besa, provides another opportunity to put leadership into action while supporting meaningful community needs.

SESSION 8

January 2027 • Date & Time TBA

Leadership Development Experience
Location & Time: TBA

This interactive leadership development session will challenge participants to better understand how they lead, communicate, collaborate, and respond in real-world situations. The experience will provide practical tools and reflection designed to strengthen self-awareness, team effectiveness, and intentional leadership.

SESSION 9

February 2027 • Date & Time TBA

The Power Lunch: Executive Leadership Roundtables
Ohio Dominican University

Sit down with accomplished Central Ohio executives and community leaders for candid, small-group conversations about leadership, decision-making, career growth, resilience, and lessons learned along the way. The Power Lunch gives participants rare access to senior leaders in an approachable roundtable environment where thoughtful questions and authentic conversation are encouraged.

SESSION 10

February 2027 • Date & Time TBA

Community Impact Lab III: Presentations
Location: TBA

The Community Impact Lab culminates in a highly interactive presentation experience. Each project team will have approximately 7–10 minutes to outline the challenge it explored, share its proposed solution or recommendations, and explain the thinking behind its approach. Following each presentation, nonprofit partners, facilitators, and fellow cohort members will ask questions, provide feedback, and offer advice in a friendly Shark Tank-style format. This is not a competition. It is an opportunity to test ideas, sharpen recommendations, and learn from the creativity and perspectives of the entire cohort.

SESSION 11

March 2027 • 5:30-7:30 PM

Leadership Through Nonprofit Board Service
Location & Time: TBA

Serving on a nonprofit board can be one of the most meaningful ways emerging leaders contribute to the community while gaining valuable governance and leadership experience. Participants will hear from nonprofit and board leaders about responsibilities, expectations, strategic decision-making, and the rewards and challenges of board service. The session will also help participants better understand how to identify board opportunities aligned with their skills, interests, and values.

SESSION 12 + COMMENCEMENT

Friday, March 26, 2027

Columbus Emerging Leaders’ Summit + Impact Academy Commencement
Location & Time: TBA

The six-month curriculum concludes at the Columbus Emerging Leaders’ Summit, bringing participants into a broader community of professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders from across Central Ohio. Throughout the Summit, participants will engage in leadership programming, meaningful conversations, and new connections while reflecting on how far they have come.

The event will also include a special Columbus Impact Academy Commencement, recognizing the Class of 2027 and presenting graduation certificates as participants officially transition from cohort members to Impact Academy alumni.

It is both a celebration of the journey and a launch into what comes next.