A Record-Setting Summit!

After months of planning, recruiting, and excited anticipation, the 2022 Forge Leadership Summit was a record-setting success!

Last week, we welcomed our largest group (90) of aspiring young leaders from around the country to Columbus for a week of networking, hands-on training, and lessons in timeless conservative principles. They learned networking and public speaking skills, participated in both campaign and legislative simulated experiences, and heard from patriots like Vivek Ramaswamy and Jim Olson.

In addition to training all of these new students, the Summit marks the graduation and celebration of the 2021-2022 Mentorship Academy class. This month, a new group of standout Summit attendees will be chosen for the 2022 mentorship cohort for the year ahead. We welcomed back our largest gathering of alumni to date and celebrated the graduation of last year’s Academy in front of almost 230 members of the Forge community at our Showcase Reception.

Forge has now trained 500 young conservatives at the annual Forge Summits and taken that training and mentorship deeper with 250 Academy graduates who have been mentored in their personal and professional lives. This milestone is a testament to the amazing faithfulness of God and those who partner with us to serve these young leaders. We are incredibly grateful and honored to welcome a new group of Forge students while we continue to deepen connections with our growing network of alumni.

“I don’t think I could ever thank this organization enough for its dedication to conservative young adults today. I am more confident in myself as a young conservative woman because of Forge.”

~ Hannah Hines, 2022 Summit Attendee

We had such a great time together at the 2022 Summit, that we made a video recap just for you! 

Watch the full video HERE!

Looking back over the past week, we have much to celebrate and give glory to God for:

  • The largest Forge Summit class to date – 90 young conservatives
  • Hitting the milestone of 500 students trained and 250 students mentored through Forge
  • A wonderful Forge-For-A-Day and Showcase reception where our champions and friends got a taste of the Forge experience
  • New alumni and the anticipation of a wonderful Academy year

As we set our sights on a new Academy class, I hope you will join us in praying for the young leaders who will be raised up through this program and continue to pray for our growing ranks of alumni as they live out their callings both individually and collectively as they collaborate with their Forge network.

Adam is passionate about investing his future in the future of students who will become the next innovators in the marketplace, champions of free enterprise, inspiring educators, shapers of culture, and statesmen and stateswomen in government.

Joseph Backholm is Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at Family Research Council. He combines extensive legal, political, and policy experience with a love for the way biblical truth cultivates human flourishing.