Len Forkas is now among the elite few who have summited the highest peak on every continent. In this re-release with a new preface by host Sharon Richmond, hear Len’s fascinating mix of business, nonprofit, athletics, and expeditions. He has led numerous teams to achieve extraordinary daring feats.
Welcome to To Lead Is Human. This show helps listeners envision how they can uplevel their leadership and shape cultures of accountability, respect, and candor.
Len Forkas is a dynamic figure known for his roles as an entrepreneur, endurance athlete, international explorer, and dedicated philanthropist.
“When people’s work has meaning, and they have the trust to be autonomous in doing what they do, and they belong to something that’s bigger than them… that's a high-performing team.” — Len Forkas
Guest Bio:
Len Forkas is a dynamic figure known for his roles as an entrepreneur, endurance athlete, explorer, and dedicated philanthropist. He founded Milestone Towers and currently serves as its President. Based in Reston, Virginia, Milestone Towers is a prominent developer of digital infrastructure across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States. Since its inception in 2001, the company has successfully developed and managed numerous wireless tower sites, fostering significant job growth in construction, engineering, and manufacturing.
As an author, Len Forkas has shared his insights and experiences from his endurance events and adventures in two books — What Spins the Wheel: Life and Leadership Lessons from the Race for Hope (2014) and Cold Hard Truth (2022), with all profits supporting HopeCam. This charity, which he established in 2003, aims to alleviate the social isolation experienced by children undergoing cancer treatment by leveraging technology. HopeCam has had a profound impact, connecting more than 5,000 children battling cancer to their peers across 50 states, in collaboration with more than 150 hospitals. Notably, 70% of the children assisted by Hopecam attend Title One schools, with half receiving treatment at St. Jude’s Hospital.
As a sought-after leadership speaker, Len has been featured on major media platforms including CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Fox and Friends, Wharton Sirius XM Radio, and the local affiliates of NBC, ABC, FOX, and CBS in the Baltimore/Washington DC area.
His athletic achievements are equally impressive, encompassing multiple Ironman races, marathons in all 50 states, 100-mile ultra-marathons, and the grueling Race Across America — a 3,000-mile solo bike race completed in just 11 days. In January 2024, he completed an ambitious expedition to ski to the South Pole. Len’s adventurous spirit has also led him to summit the tallest mountains on all seven continents, completing Mount Everest in 2025.
Host Bio:
For more than 30 years, Sharon Richmond has partnered with C-level executives from mid-size and small, fast-growing companies who want to up-level their leadership and build companies they are proud of. Clients accelerate their leadership by embracing mindset and behavior changes, building self-awareness and self-management skills, and focusing on the three things all leaders must ensure: focus, energy and delivery.
Sharon’s purpose as an executive coach is to help leaders 10X their impact by leveraging the power afforded by their roles to build organizations that are forces for good, both economically and socially. She also advises CEOs on shaping organization culture and leading change.
Sharon has taught leadership at Stanford GSB, where she now helps leaders increase influence, manage conflict, and prepare to build high-performing teams.
To see a list of Sharon’s clients, please visit LeadingLarge.com.
Resources or websites mentioned in this episode:
Mirasee
Sharon’s website: LeadingLarge.com
HopeCam: HopeCam.org
Len’s LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/LenForkas
Len’s book, What Spins the Wheel: https://a.co/d/8lwKZFX
Len’s book, Cold Hard Truth: https://a.co/d/h2JlcUg
Milestone Towers: MilestoneTowers.com
Credits:
Host: Sharon Richmond
Producer: Cynthia Lamb and Andrew Chapman
Assembled by: Melissa Deal and Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio
Music credits:
Track Title: Escaping Light
Artist: Aaron Sprinkle
Writer: Aaron Sprinkle
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: Bright Future
Artist: Be Still The Earth
Writer: Marshall Usinger
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Special effects credits:
24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.
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Episode transcript: Leadership at the Edge: A Journey to Everest and Beyond (Len Forkas) coming soon.
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