2025 ILE & ULF CONNECT GRADUATION
November 8, 2025 @ 6:00PM — 9:00PM Mountain Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar
Cross Purpose Aurora: 1671 Altura Blvd Aurora, CO 80011 Get Directions
Celebrate the graduates from the 2025 ULFC programs
Celebrate with us as the Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado honors graduates of ULF Connect, our 10-month leadership fellowship with over 500 alumni, and the International Leadership Experience (ILE), a transformative two-week immersion in Africa. Together, these programs build leaders of excellence, service, and global awareness. Featuring keynote speaker Dr. Racquel “Rockee” Armstrong — educator, activist, poet, and Presidential Postdoctoral Scholar at ASU. Ride-share encouraged — arrive in unity, leave inspired.
You’re Invited — ULFC Leadership Graduation & International Leadership Experience Commencement
The Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado (ULFC) proudly invites you to celebrate a landmark moment in leadership, legacy, and global excellence: The joint graduation of our ULF Connect Leadership Cohort and International Leadership Experience (ILE) Fellows.
About Our Graduates — Two Paths, One Purpose
ULFC develops leaders through two powerful experiences that shape both capacity and consciousness:
ULF Connect — Our Flagship 10-Month Leadership Development Program
ULF Connect is a rigorous, 10 month journey designed to build leaders equipped for service, influence, and impact across every sector. Through monthly intensives, civic policy exposure, coaching, community service projects, and board/commission readiness training, fellows refine their voice, strategy, and leadership identity.
With over 500 alumni, ULF Connect has produced CEOs, elected officials, nonprofit executives, corporate leaders, philanthropists, and movement builders — all actively reshaping Colorado’s civic and economic landscape.
International Leadership Experience (ILE) — A Two-Week Global Immersion in Africa
The International Leadership Experience is not a trip; it is a pilgrimage of history, healing, and power. Over two intensive weeks in countries such as Ghana, Senegal, and others across the African continent, fellows engage in cultural exchange, economic exploration, historical study, and reflection at sites of both trauma and triumph.
Graduates return with a sharpened sense of purpose, fortified identity, and an unwavering commitment to lead with global context and ancestral responsibility.
Together, ULF Connect builds the leader. ILE strengthens the soul of that leader.
Keynote Speaker — Dr. Racquel “Rockee” Armstrong
Educator | Scholar | Poet | Advocate | Presidential Postdoctoral Scholar
We are honored to welcome Dr. Racquel Armstrong, also known as “The Microphonediva,” as our keynote speaker.
A Presidential Postdoctoral Scholar at Arizona State University, Dr. Armstrong is a nationally recognized educator, former school administrator, social justice researcher, cancer survivor, and award-winning public servant whose work explores leadership, healing, and equity in education.
She is:
- Founder of RL Consulting — delivering transformative leadership development globally
- Co-Founder of the Ohio Gap Closers — advancing justice for youth affected by the child welfare system
- Creator of A Burst of Light — a nonprofit supporting emotional sustainability for public service leaders
- Chair of Social Action for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in Arizona
- A TEDx speaker and published scholar on carceral logic and self-care as resistance
- A candidate for the Arizona State Legislature, committed to policy that puts people over politics
Dr. Armstrong brings not just expertise but fire, weaving together scholarship, poetry, purpose, and power.
Event Guidance
To ensure accessibility and ease of arrival, ride-share is strongly encouraged. Let us celebrate responsibly, fully present, and united in purpose.
Suggested Dress: Business Attire
The graduation will include a reception and entertainment.
Be Great on Purpose and see you on November 8th!