Grow. Connect. Change.
CiviCO is committed to building a more vibrant Colorado by cultivating leaders from all corners of our communities.
Join the Movement. Find Your People.
We believe that with the right support, anyone can lead, which is why we provide a collaborative space for those passionate about growing a more impactful business, serving their community, and creating meaningful change.
Purpose
To ignite and unite cultures of leadership for a better Colorado. Educate. Equip. Engage.
Mission
How do you engage in community challenges when you don’t have a title or role? Grow as a person, while learning to contribute to your community. You’ll develop skills here —and find your people. Be heard, and listen. Get challenged, and grow. Get activated.
Vision
Do hard questions excite you? Does service to our great state light you up? Come hone your civic leadership within a like-hearted community that cares just as much about Colorado as you do.
Explore leadership through three key pathways
Organizational Leadership
for those aiming to grow their businesses while strengthening leadership skills.
Civic Leadership
for people who want to serve the state and tackle tough questions within a supportive community.
Community Leadership
for individuals who want to make a positive impact even without an official title.
The 5 Values at the Heart of all We Do
Humble
When we are humble, we move beyond our own egos and approach others with a sense of true humanity. Our self-awareness enables us to continually grow.
Engaged
We deeply engage our peers, teams, and employees with intention, approaching each person as an individual—listening, understanding, connecting.
Authentic
For real. It’s not just a common phrase, it’s how we live. Authenticity becomes the baseline for how we show up and interact with others.
Regenerative
We create abundant and resilient outcomes by designing healthy roles for ourselves and others. Health and well-being are standards for how we achieve success. We make the world a better place.
True to Service
Focusing on our shared commitment to service allows us to build a community dedicated to helping others succeed. We serve first.
OUR EVOLUTION
The CiviCO we know today is rooted in the legacy of two transformative leadership forums: Quarterly Forum and Colorado Thought Leaders Forum (CTLF). Both were born from moments of inspiration shared over meals, planting the seeds for organizations that would shape Colorado’s leadership for decades to come.
1999
Serve First
A passionate conversation arose over breakfast between Mike Fries, Scott Reiman, and then-entrepreneur John Hickenlooper at the Quarterly Forum. They wondered why the private sector and public sector didn’t collaborate more often for civic success. During this meal, they posed a bold question: What if a place could be created for Coloradans to do more, learn more, and become more in service to their State? From this thought, CiviCO was born.
A decade later, CTLF emerged from another meaningful meal between Bob Neuman and Greg Greenwood. While scribbling ideas on a napkin, they grappled with the hardships of the Great Recession. Their answer for how to help the business community survive the financial crisis? “Serve First!”
2009
Connect and Grow
Out of that 2009 meal, CTLF was born. Steadfast in the belief that leaders do not have to stand alone in hard times, CTLF’s founders chose connection over isolation, and contribution over scarcity. Instead of simply surviving the economic downturn, they found ways to thrive. They leveraged authentic relationships, open dialogue, and the generous sharing of ideas to enable leaders to grow. Rooted in the belief that strong, principled leadership would be the key to building great companies and stronger communities, they developed HEART-Level Leadership™—grounded in humility, engagement, authenticity, regeneration, and service.
The Quarterly Forum in 1999 evolved into an early stage of CiviCO, beginning its journey with a spirit of innovation and collaboration. It transformed into Colorado’s premier community leadership development organization, serving leaders across public, private, and non-profit sectors. Committed to providing educational programs and rich experiences, CiviCO nurtured over 300 graduates and members into a robust network united in service to Colorado.
2025
Stronger Together
Today, CiviCO and CTLF operate as one under the CiviCO banner, continuing to show that when forward-thinking individuals invest in themselves and each other, they create leadership cultures that drive lasting change. Their combined legacy is clear: “We exist to ignite and unite cultures of leadership for a better Colorado.” By carrying forward CTLF’s tradition of HEART-Level Leadership and reinforcing CiviCO’s long standing belief that better leadership makes better communities, this new chapter unifies their distinct histories into a powerful, shared future. And as both organizations have proven time and again, there’s no better spark for transformative work than a table set with good food, a favorite drink, and a shared commitment to making Colorado better.