The Forge Leadership Network is building foundational relationships that have been critical for conservative policy victories.
In January, the Ohio House of Representatives voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto, enshrining the “Save Women’s Sports” bill into law. Behind the four-year push to enact the Save Women’s Sports Act were three young women, whose friendship began with one organization dedicated to friendship in the crucible of modern political life.
In July, 230 people filed into the ballroom of the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus, Ohio, for a black tie gala. The occasion was the 10th anniversary of Forge Leadership Network, an Ohio-based organization dedicated to connecting, training, and mentoring the next generation of faithful conservative leaders in the public square.
However, Forge did not begin anywhere near the public square or black tie galas.
It was a failed state senate campaign that brought together Forge co-founders Adam Josefczyk and Justin Powell. As airplanes took off and landed at the nearby Dayton International Airport, the two men ate lunch together at the now closed Ruby Tuesday’s just off I-75 in Dayton, Ohio.
That afternoon the two men bonded over the realization that genuine friendship and trust are routinely sacrificed on the altar of political gain. They made a commitment to wade further into the political world together—as friends.
Little did Josefczyk and Powell know that in the coming years their commitment to friendship in the political arena would give rise to thousands of other similar friendships across the nation.
Three years after that fateful lunch, Josefczyk and Powell hosted the first ever Forge Leadership Summit on the grounds of Ohio Christian University, about 70 miles east of Dayton.
In the decade since that first summit, Forge has branded itself as the “farm team” for the conservative movement, developing talent like minor league baseball does for the major leagues.
Since its inception, Forge Leadership Network has trained over seven hundred young conservatives, won The Heritage Foundation’s Innovation Prize, expanded into two yearly summits in state capitols, guided students to learn national and international affairs in the District of Columbia and Israel, and intentionally mentored over 350 students for leadership in politics and the public arena.
Josefczyk and Powell often say the defining characteristic of Forge is not the top-notch speakers, or the nice conference centers and meals. The thing that animates Forge is genuine friendship; friendships with a vision.
At every summit, Josefczyk gives his signature talk on the life and career of William Wilberforce, the 18th-century English abolitionist. Josefczyk warns the summit attendees against trying to wade into politics alone. The mission of Forge is to surround future leaders with friends who will hold each other to their highest ideals. Josefczyk challenges the attendees to be like Wilberforce and embrace a life of public service without losing touch of what matters most.
Powell and Josefczyk both routinely stress the importance of having friends who care more about your soul than any political victory. Those are the kinds of friendships that Forge intentionally cultivates.
As Josefczyk said during his remarks at the Ohio gala, “Forge is now thousands of these intentional friendships, relationships that will inspire, challenge, exhort, hold accountable, care more about each other’s souls than any political or material success they might achieve.”
Yet, the necessity of political victory is not lost on the two men who founded Forge. Justin Powell gives a talk at every summit about his home in Western Ohio—what he refers to as his Shire (a reference to “The Lord of the Rings”)—and he describes how everything he does in the political arena is to protect and defend the way of life in his rural community.
The Forge Leadership Network has fellows working at all levels of the public arena to defend that vision. This year in Ohio, three Forge fellows were an instrumental part of passing the Save Women’s Sports legislation. State Rep. Jena Powell, a Forge fellow, along with her legislative aides Madeleine Castle and Naomi del Guidice—also fellows—worked together for four years to introduce, sponsor, and pass this piece of legislation.
Those members of the network are just some of the notable examples of Forge fellows leading in the public square. Countless Forge fellows are interns and staff beginning to rise through the ranks in Washington and state capitals around the country.
Forge fellows have become a known—and trusted—commodity in conservative politics. Yet, what makes the Forge network unique is the basis of genuine and strategic friendship that started it all.
As a Forge fellow I can attest to the fact that the most unique aspect of Forge is the friendships that form within the network. Some of my closest friends today were random people I met at the Forge Leadership Summit in 2023. Those friendships have opened countless doors for me in the past year, and I know that the Forge Network will be an instrumental part of my future career.
I am only one of hundreds of young conservatives around the nation who can tell the same story.
Forge has spent a decade giving young conservatives the training and skills necessary to succeed in the public arena, and, even more importantly, the godly friendships and mentors needed to stand firm and continue to work for what’s right in the decades to come.
Ten years after that first summit, a ballroom in Central Ohio filled with supporters and fellows from all around the nation. What began with a lunch between two friends has blossomed into a network of thousands.
In its first 10 years of existence, Forge Leadership Network has become a nationwide network that will only continue to expand in the coming years. And because of Forge, hundreds of young conservatives—myself included—have gained the confidence and connections necessary to wade into the political crucible of our time.
In the same way a fellowship formed to save the Shire and civilization in “The Lord of the Rings,” Forge Leadership Network is a band of friends on a mission to protect and defend our communities, states, and nation we all call home.