Accelerated Leadership Experience

The Accelerated Leadership Experience (ALX) is a five-day program that challenges and inspires leaders through immersive learning, breakthrough coaching, and powerful connections. It begins with a three-day mountain retreat and concludes with two days at the University of Denver—one dedicated to a follow-up learning session and the other focused on graduation, where participants define and share their personal leadership style and statement.

Next Session Starts Sep. 30, 2026

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Program Format

Upcoming Session Details: Register Here

Three-Day Mountain Retreat (In-Person):
Dates: Wednesday, September 30 - Friday, October 2, 2026
Location: The Nature Place, Florissant, CO
Session & Graduation (In-Person):
Dates: Wednesday, November 4 - Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: University of Denver (DU)
DU Exclusive Cohort Dates: August 12–14 and September 9–10 | Register Here

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Cost

$5,450 per participant

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Discounts

A 15% discount is available for nonprofits, current or former military, government, DU alumni, Daniels corporate partners and three or more individuals from the same organization.

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Benefits of ALX

ALX is a five-day program focused on the following learning outcomes:

Articulate and understand the role of a leader in an organization.
Increase self-awareness and one's impact as a leader.
Incorporate new tools to develop high performing teams.
Recognize the value of inclusion in the workplace and how to create an inclusive culture.
Apply relevant management and leadership theories, styles, and strategies.
Effectively reframe and refocus challenging situations.
Expand communication skills specific to effective listening, building trust, addressing conflict, and influence.
Accelerate the development of your team through effective feedback and coaching.
Create and articulate a personal philosophy of leadership.

Two men weaving a plastic tube around a tripod structure

Who Should Attend

Ideal candidates:

Are high-potential contributors - new to mid-level managers
Have less than seven years of managerial experience
Are responsible (or will soon be responsible) for a portion of an organization (a small team, a unit, a department, an initiative, etc.)

Professionals with more than seven years of managerial experience should consider enrolling in the Denver Leadership Experience.

This course is also offered as a private program for intact teams and can be delivered for a team or organization. Please contact us for more information.

“I was very apprehensive about taking the class and after the 3-Day retreat, I was extremely excited about the direction of the class and excited to use the variety of leadership tools I learned back at my office."

- ALX Cohort 8 Graduate -

Key Faculty

Karen Collins

Karen is a triple-certified Executive Leadership and Mental Wellness Coach through the International Coaching Federation, Co-Active Training Institute and Lyra Health. With over 15 years of leadership and change management experience, Karen is in high demand for her interactive, thought-provoking approach to leadership.

Brian Elizardi

Brian J. Elizardi is an experienced education leader with over 20 years of private and public sector experience in fundraising, corporate engagement and leadership development excellence gained in public and private universities. He serves as adjunct faculty member in the Daniels College of Business and the Director of Community Impact and Innovation at CSU Spur.

Bo Storozuk

Bo specializes in learning and organizational development with expertise in leadership development, cultural alignment, and systems-focused performance solutions. At GHD, he designs and delivers enterprise-wide leadership programs, global forums, and technical conferences. He also teaches in executive education at DU’s Daniels College of Business, bringing a facilitative approach that blends skill-building with growth in adaptability, inclusion, and impact.

“I highly recommend taking the opportunity to put a spotlight on your own leadership style—what
kind of leader you want to be, what drives you, and where you want to take it."

“The format of the course (3 intensive days at the Nature Place, followed by 4 half-day class sessions) works very well. It was just long enough to get a substantive amount of content, but not too long that I could not balance working full-time and taking the class at the same time. Furthermore, the principles and skills I learned in the course are ones that I can (and have) immediately put to use in my daily work.”

“Our time at the Nature Place was great and solidified many of the lessons I am taking away from this course. It was also a great way to focus on personal challenges. I enjoyed both the class discussions as well as all the activities. I was surprised by how effective these exercises were at highlighting important principles.”

“The activities were transformational.”

“I was very apprehensive about taking the class, but after the 3-day retreat, I was extremely excited about the direction of the class and excited to use the variety of leadership tools I learned back at my office. I learned a lot about leadership, but the most important take away from the class that I was excited to build from was learning who I was as a leader and a person.”

“The team building activities at the Nature Place were really helpful because they allowed us to immediately see how we work in a team and how different leadership styles show up.”

“It was great to start with the Insights assessment and then use it in all of our other discussions about handling conflict, coaching employees and influencing others.”

More Details

Are you a DU staff member looking to register for credit?: Visit our Registration for DU Staff page.

Schedule and Format

ALX is offered twice a year: our Spring Cohort takes place in April, and our Fall Cohort is held in October. Programs are broken into 2 sessions:

Three-Day Mountain Retreat (In-Person): The Nature Place, Florissant, CO
Two-Day Learning Session & Graduation | University of Denver

Tuition & Cost

For cohorts including the mountain retreat, the tuition cost includes lodging and meals for the three-day retreat as well as program materials, activities and instruction. Transportation to and from The Nature Place is not included.

For cohorts including sessions in Denver, the tuition cost includes lunch and parking at the University of Denver as well as program materials, activities and instruction. Transportation to and from DU is not included.

Non-credit: $5,450
Discounts are available for nonprofits, current or former military, government, DU alumni, Daniels corporate partners and three or more individuals from the same organization. Visit the program non-credit (pay with credit card) registration page or contact us for more information.

For Credit: 4 credit hours at DU’s tuition rate

For more information on DU's current tuition rates, check the Registrar's website

Cancellation Policy

We understand that sometimes life throws curveballs-and plans change. If you're unable to attend your program, we offer flexible options to help you or your organization still benefit from the experience. Because our workshops are designed for small, high-impact cohorts, last-minute changes can be disruptive. Our policies aim to balance flexibility for you with the commitments we make to our faculty, facilitators, and fellow participants.

View Full Cancellation Policy

For questions, please contact us at executive.education@du.edu.

Featured Story

Daniels Leadership Programs Propel Professionals of All Levels

The Accelerated Leadership Experience (ALX) and the Denver Leadership Experience (DLX) use experiential learning to prepare leaders for uncertainty.

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Connect With Us

Have other questions?

Connect with Jennifer Landers,
Director of Partnerships,
Executive Education