Home | Focus Louisville

DISCOVER LOUISVILLE. BUILD CONNECTIONS. LEAD WITH PURPOSE.

Focus Louisville is the ideal leadership program for professionals seeking to broaden their network, understand the challenges that face our community, and collaborate with like-minded individuals to create an everlasting impact in our city.

Register for an upcoming Focus Louisville Session

March 13-15, 2025

June 12-14, 2025

September 18-20, 2025

December 4-6, 2025

Nominate a Candidate

For Professionals of all Levels and Industries

Whether you’re new to town, or you’ve lived here all your life, we invite you to become immersed in the community while you build meaningful connections and discover your sense of belonging.

2 ½ Day Program

Offers you a chance to meet the people, explore the places, and experience the leadership that makes our city extraordinary. It’s often the first step in engagement with the Leadership Louisville Center.

Hear from Influential Leaders

Build connections with the region’s top leaders and hear how they are actively making a difference in our community.

Lasting and Impactful Connections

Forge relationships with likeminded people and the influencers shaping our community.

Deeper Knowledge of the Community

Gain a deeper understanding of our city’s history, infrastructure, and leadership. Participation strengthens your application for our competitive cohort programs.

Tuition

Focus Louisville program tuition is $900, which includes meals and materials. Organizations can save with group registrations. Limited tuition assistance is available for those in need.

TESTIMONIALS

"Focus Louisville far exceeded my expectations. There are not many reasons for one to leave their social and physical bubble and it's often difficult to find meaningful inroads to civic work. This program expanded my knowledge and opened my eyes to areas and needs of our city which I did not know existed. Focus Louisville and the Leadership Louisville Center is a good conduit for getting engaged and even making a meaningful difference. I highly recommend!"

Lee Pfeiffer
CIO & Director of Business Intelligence, Stites & Harbison PLLC

"Being new to the Louisville area, and working in the non-profit sector, Focus Louisville provided me with a detailed and insightful overview of the community in which I live and work, including in-depth and critical information about the social, cultural, and economic components that make up Louisville. My favorite experience during Focus Louisville was actually meeting the other participants and the experiences we had as a collective. I was inspired to get more involved in the community."

Justin Davis
Vice President, External Affairs, The Center for Women and Families

"Connection, community, and belonging…. I didn’t realize those fundamental elements were missing from my professional life until I got to experience them again through Focus Louisville. This two-and-a-half-day intensive workshop was both empowering and overwhelming, in the best possible way. Through engaging speakers, field trips, tours and hands-on activities, our class was immersed in community building. We connected with each other, business and nonprofit leaders, the city’s history, education, arts and culture. Our exposure to a diverse array of people and organizations showed us how we could think differently, instead of what we should think. I encourage you to amplify YOUR purpose by connecting with a Leadership Louisville Center program. You won’t be sorry. And you might see me there, too. Now that I’ve had a taste of the Center’s incredible impact, I want to do all the things!"

Amy Higgs
Entrepreneur

“As a transplant to Louisville, I was looking for ways to learn more about the city, network and open new doors. Focus Louisville provided all that and then some. The knowledge gained has helped keep me grounded and more aware of how I can get plugged into Louisville. It was a catalyst to help me engage in community efforts. I can honestly say the experience was time and money well spent.”

John M. Anderson
EOS Worldwide

"Focus Louisville was the first piece in building a solid foundation for me to improve connections, leadership, and my role in my organization."

Lindsay Wehr
Director, Executive Visibility, Elevance Health

“Attending Focus Louisville was such an eye-opening experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people and making connections and discussing different ways we could impact the city of Louisville. For the first time since I moved to Louisville I felt as though I was able to “see” it and the wonderful things that it has to offer but also, understanding that our job is not finished. I want to use my resources and knowledge to enhance the city of Louisville. Before going to the program, I thought I was doing my part, but there is so much more to be done. I am grateful for my enlightening experience that Focus Louisville allowed me to be a part of. I cannot wait to be a part of the change!”

Emanual Arnold
Director of Operations, OneWest Corporation

“I entered Focus Louisville intent on making connections in the business community and learning more about the city I’ve called home for more than a decade. The program more than delivered on my expectations, and was great on a personal and professional level.”

Shea Van Hoy
Editor, Louisville Business First

Frequently asked questions

Focus Louisville is the Experience Louisville’s Top Leaders Recommend

Every professional reaches a point where they wonder: How do I take the next step or connect with the right people to make a bigger impact? Or maybe you’re a leader looking to develop and retain top talent?

Focus Louisville is an immersive 2 ½-day program that introduces participants to the leaders, institutions, and issues shaping Louisville, giving them the knowledge and network to lead with greater influence.

Why it works:
✔ 93% of participants felt more connected and a stronger sense of belonging
✔ 78% expanded their local network, creating new opportunities
✔ 71% felt a stronger desire to live and work in Louisville

With a 77 NPS score and over 6,800 graduates, Focus Louisville fuels leadership, engagement, and retention. It is a wise investment in your leadership journey and a great way to engage and retain your top talent.

A recent survey of Focus Louisville from the past 10 years found that they were impacted by the program in these ways:

93% – Felt more connected to our community and a stronger sense of belonging as a result
78% – Diversified their local network by building relationships with classmates and other leaders
80% – Increased their likelihood to participate in local community events and initiatives
71% – Have a stronger desire to live and work in the Louisville area

The Focus Louisville program allows participants to experience Louisville through an entirely new lens. Participants will:

Obtain a deeper understanding of Louisville’s extraordinary history, culture, business and economy, arts and government.
Gain inspiration through a hands-on-learning experience of Louisville’s past, present, and potential future.
Create new friendships, new ideas and new perspectives from a diverse group of people within our community.

Participation in Focus Louisville also strengthens applications for Leadership Louisville Center’s competitive selection cohort programs.

Ideal Focus Louisville candidates are:

Professionals of all levels and industries including executives, young professionals, managers, business owners, nonprofit directors, and senior business leaders at major corporations.
Individuals who are seeking more civic engagement, wanting to expand networks personally and professionally, and are ready to take their place as a community leader.

This program is 2 ½ days, lasting from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m. – noon on Saturday. To get the most out of the program, participants are expected to attend the program in its entirety, so please check your calendar to ensure the dates work for your schedule prior to submitting your registration.

Tuition for Focus Louisville is $900. This includes meals and materials.

Limited tuition assistance is available based on need. To request tuition support for Focus Louisville, complete this form. Tuition support will only be considered before registration. Have questions about tuition support? Contact Sara Bowman at sbowman@leadershiplouisville.org or call (502) 753-1492 for more information.

Organizations can save when registering a group of people for one or more Focus Louisville sessions through our Leadership Pathways program. Contact Paul Bolton, pbolton@leadershiplouisville.org, to learn more about our Pathways program and save on group registrations.

Focus Louisville graduates approximately 200 individuals per year. There are four classes, each comprised of around 50 participants.