2026 IMPACT ACCELERATOR
- Date: Wednesday, June 3, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM CT
- Location: Chapman and Cutler, 320 S Canal St, Chicago, IL 60606
- Registration is now open! DFA member tickets start at $995; non-member tickets start at $1,995.
Bring an idea or initiative that isn’t moving. Leave with a plan to move it.
Most leaders today are expected to navigate change, whether or not it is formally part of their role.
You may be leading an initiative. You may be revisiting one that stalled. Or you may be preparing for what is coming next.
The common thread is this: knowing how to move change forward has become a core leadership skill.
The challenge is building alignment, navigating resistance, and sustaining momentum when priorities compete and expectations keep shifting.
AI is accelerating that reality. The pace of change is increasing, and the ability to move work forward through complexity is no longer optional.
The DFA Impact Accelerator is designed to help you build that capability.
What the DFA Impact Accelerator Is
The Impact Accelerator is a hands-on, one-day working session for talent leaders responsible for navigating and supporting change inside their organizations.
This is not a theoretical program or a case study.
You can bring:
- A current initiative that needs traction
- A past effort you want to evaluate and strengthen
- Or no initiative at all, and focus on learning the S.P.A.R.K.™ Framework for Change as a repeatable skill you can apply to future change
By the end of the day, you will have a clearer, more structured way to navigate change moving forward.
Enrollment is limited to 40 participants to ensure a focused, high-value experience.
What You’ll Build
Through the five stages of the S.P.A.R.K.™ Framework, you will develop the skills required to:
- Shape a vision that earns alignment across stakeholders
- Assess current realities and learn from past efforts
- Move from planning to execution with clarity and ownership
- Use feedback to refine and strengthen your approach in real time
- Sustain momentum as conditions evolve
What You’ll Leave With
The Impact Accelerator is designed to build both capability and practical outcomes. You will leave with:
- A completed S.P.A.R.K.™ Framework workbook tailored to your work or learning goals
- An Impact Blueprint with clear priorities, messaging, and accountability structures
- A repeatable framework you can apply across future change efforts
- Practical tools to navigate alignment, resistance, and execution
- A peer network of leaders working through similar complexity
- A 30-day cohort regroup call to recalibrate and sustain momentum
Who Should Attend
The Impact Accelerator is designed for professionals who are responsible for navigating or supporting change inside their organizations, whether formally or informally.
This experience is especially valuable for:
- Culture, DEIB, Talent, Wellbeing, and HR leaders
- Leaders responsible for organizational change, strategic initiatives, or team transformation
- Professionals navigating leadership transitions, merger integration, or evolving priorities
- Teams or individuals rolling out new policies, programs, or workplace shifts
- Leaders who want to strengthen their ability to build alignment and move work forward
If you are navigating change or responsible for helping others move through it, and want a clearer, more practical way to do that, the DFA Impact Accelerator was built for you.
FAQ
Do I need to come with a current initiative?
No. You can come with a current initiative, a past effort you want to revisit, or no initiative at all. Many participants use this session to evaluate what has not worked in the past or to build a stronger, repeatable approach they can apply to future change efforts. The goal is to strengthen how you navigate change, not just solve for one project.
Can I attend on my own or bring a team?
Both are welcome. Some participants attend individually to focus deeply on their work or skill development. Others attend with a colleague or small team to align more quickly and apply the framework together. The session is designed to support both approaches.
Who will be in the room?
You will be working alongside leaders who are responsible for moving work forward inside complex organizations. This includes leaders in talent, professional development, DEI, HR, operations, and other functions who are navigating similar challenges around alignment, execution, and change.
What types of initiatives can I work on?
You can bring any initiative or challenge where alignment, execution, and momentum matter.
Past examples include:
- Strengthening employee engagement, succession planning, or training and development
- Revamping mentoring or promotion processes
- Managing compensation or evaluation changes
- Building new functions or capabilities within a team
- Rolling out policies or organizational shifts
- Supporting leadership transitions or team realignment
- Integrating inclusion into everyday business practices
You can also use the session to think through broader challenges, such as how to bring people along through change or how to strengthen communication across the organization.
Is this relevant if I’m not formally leading change?
Even if leading change isn’t actually written into your roles and responsibilities, you are still expected to drive it forward. This has become a core skillset across roles. Knowing how to navigate change, build consensus, and bring people along is no longer optional. This session is designed to build that capability.
How does this apply to the pace of change we’re seeing right now, including AI?
The pace of change is increasing, and many organizations are navigating both opportunity and uncertainty at the same time. What we are seeing across firms is that the challenge extends beyond the technology itself. It includes how leaders bring people along, address different perspectives, and create clarity in the midst of shifting expectations. The S.P.A.R.K.™ Framework helps you do exactly that.
What if I’m still figuring out my approach to change?
This day is designed to help you step back and build a clearer, more structured approach to change that you can use moving forward. You do not need to have everything figured out to benefit from the experience.
What makes this different from other leadership or change programs?
This is not a lecture or a theoretical session. You will actively apply a structured framework to real work or real scenarios and leave with a practical approach you can use immediately. The focus is on building a repeatable skill.
2026 Event Details
Date
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Time
9:30 AM – 4:00 PM CT
Location
Chapman and Cutler
Chicago, IL
Facilitator
Manar Morales, DFA Founder & CEO
Registration & Pricing
Pricing below excludes taxes and processing fees.
Teams of 2 or more receive a $50 discount per ticket.
- Early Bird Registration
3/27 – 5/1 - DFA Members*
- Non-Members
- Alumni**
- Early Bird Registration
3/27 – 5/1 - $895
- $1,095
- $695
- Regular Registration
5/2 – 5/24 - $995
- $1,195
- $795
- Late Registration
5/25 – 6/1 - $1,095
- $1,295
- $895
*Champion-level members receive one complimentary ticket. To claim your spot, email Emma Simpkins and we’ll take care of the rest.
**Alumni includes anyone who has attended a DFA Boot Camp.
Professional Development Credits
This program is approved for 4.5 PDCs for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification.
New this year! This program is eligible for 4.5 ICF CCE Resource Development credits.
*DFA is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.
Why Leaders Return to DFA Experiences
This program is the next evolution of DFA’s Driving Change Boot Camp.
Past participants rated that experience 4.5 out of 5, with 100% saying they would recommend it to a colleague.
What previous attendees have said:
“Manar is really an expert at creating a shared culture and any session with her is bound to have a positive impact!”
“I loved that we were able to tackle an issue we were currently experiencing. Having that context helped me think about how this could actually be put into practice in my organization.”
“[My favorite part of the Boot Camp was] the deep dive into the practice of Appreciative Inquiry…not only was learning an important part of change management incredibly rewarding, I also got a sense from other firms that I wasn’t alone in my efforts and struggles.”
If you are leading a change effort that needs stronger traction, clearer alignment, and a more practical path forward, the DFA Impact Accelerator was built for you.
Seats are limited to 40 to preserve the depth, interactivity, and quality of the experience.