Built in 2026. For many future stars.
2026 marks three beginnings.
The United States reaches its 250th year. Colorado reaches its 150th. And the Leeds Professional MBA cohort at the University of Colorado Boulder — our founding class — reaches the moment we chose to build something together that no one of us could build alone.
We named this foundation for the year because the year is the truth. We began here. Whoever inherits this work in 2066 or 2266 will know exactly when it started and what it was built to carry forward.
Our mark carries 240 rays of light — one for every direction our work will take into the world. The mountain beneath them is the ground from which every rise begins. Together, they describe what we are: a foundation for anyone starting a climb.
What We Believe
We don't announce ourselves as a legacy. We earn it across decades of work. The name on the door is a statement of when we began — not a claim of what we've done.
Our diversity is not a feature — it is the design. Every background, every path, every perspective makes this foundation stronger. We were founded by many, for many.
The most transformative support arrives at the first step — before success is certain, when belief matters most. We fund people at the beginning of their climb.
The names on the founding documents are not the brand. The work is the brand. We have built an institution, not a monument to ourselves.
Our Founding Cohort
2026 Foundation was established by the graduating Professional MBA cohort at the University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business. The founding class comes from across industries — technology, healthcare, finance, energy, consulting, and beyond — and from backgrounds spanning continents, cultures, and callings.
Founding cohort members will be recognized here with their permission. If you are a Leeds PMBA Class of 2026 alum and would like to be listed among the founding cohort, please reach out.
Leadership
Our founding Board of Directors will be announced here as it is finalized. Initial directors are being appointed from among the founding cohort and trusted advisors committed to the long-term mission of the foundation.
Our Roots
2026 Foundation was founded by alumni of the Leeds Professional MBA program at the University of Colorado Boulder. We carry forward what we learned there: that business is a craft of building things that matter to people, and that the best institutions are the ones that outlast their founders.
An important note:
2026 Foundation, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a subsidiary of the University of Colorado or its Leeds School of Business. The name "Leeds" is used here only to refer to the school our founding cohort attended as alumni.
