Lead21 was conceived on August 18, 2001 by Auren Hoffman and Price Roe, and shortly after founded with the additions of entrepreneurs Christopher Alden, F. John Duncan, and Rob Reid.
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In July 2006, director Daniel Trimble stated at a Lead21 reception with General Charles G. Boyd (former Deputy Commander-in-Chief of United States European Command (USEUCOM) that the organization has no marketing budget, and that its growth has been fueled almost entirely by word of mouth from its membership.
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New Century Leadership Council (NCLC), as it was called at the time, launched the new organization at the home of Silicon Valley veteran Ellen Hancock, with former California Governor Pete Wilson as guest-of-honor.