Leadership Programs

AGLN Fellows in the News

More News on AGLN Fellows

  • Aspen-NewSchools Fellow Kaya Henderson was appointed Interim Chancellor of Washington, DC Public Schools. Read more.
  • Henry Crown Fellow John Danner writes about winning the 2010 John P. McNulty prize for Rocketship Education on the Huffington Post. Read More.
  • The November US elections brought several Fellows into office, including Rodel Fellows: Kamala Harris, Attorney General of California; Jon Husted, Secretary of State of Ohio; Derek Schmidt, Attorney General of Kansas; Kyrsten Sinema Arizona State Senate; Jennifer Carroll, Lieutenant Governor of Florida; Kevin de Leon, California State Senate; and Liberty Fellows: Mia Butler, South Carolina House of Representatives and Tim Scott, Mick Mulvaney and Trey Gowdy all to the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina.
  • Henry Crown Fellow Ranji Nagaswami was tapped by New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, for the newly created post of Chief Investment Advisor for the city’s five pension funds. In her role Ranji will aim to reduce the burden of pension benefits to tax payers as well as garner the best possible returns on pension investments. Read more.
  • In the lead-up to Kenya’s constitutional referendum, Africa Leadership Initiative/East Africa Fellow Salim Amin’s company A24 Media/Camerapix released a documentary “Kikulacho – The Bite Within” exploring the negative impact of government corruption and lack of transparency on the poor. See the film’s website for clips from this powerful documentary.
  • Newly-minted Catto Fellow M. Sanjayan, the Lead Scientist at the Nature Conservancy was recently profiled in Outside Magazine for his work bringing the message of a brand of new conservation to the masses. Read more.
  • Aspen-NewSchools Fellow John Deasy has stepped up to take on the position of Deputy Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. After a little more than a week on the job, he is already making a big impact. Read more.
  • Central America Leadership Initiative Fellow Alejandro Poma’s leadership project, Libras de Amor which provides malnutrition and health services to the rural poor is planning an expansion of its coverage in El Salvador to an additional 37,000 beneficiaries through new partnerships. Read more, English Translation.
  • Three Fellows were named to Fast Company's list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business, 2010: Dele OlojedeReid Hoffman, Patrick Awuah and Dele Olojede.  See the full list here
  • Aspen-New Schools Fellow Mike Piscal, founder of ICEF Public Schools, a network of Public Charter Schools in Los Angeles was recently featured on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.  The segment focuses on this national problem and offers ICEF’s flagship campus, View Park Prep, as part of the solution. Watch the segment. 
  • Aspen-New Schools Fellow Kristin Groos-Richmond was recently featured in Time Magazine for her work with Revolution Foods to make school lunches nutritious and sustainable.  Read More
  • Three Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellows are stepping up to fill big shoes in the new Nigerian Government where they will no doubt have a great impact. President Goodluck Johnson appointed Segun Aganga to become Finance Minister of Africa's largest democracy. Segun has stepped down as a partner at Goldman Sachs in London to take on the challenge. ALI Fellows Omobola Johnson and Maryam Uwais have been named to the President's Advisory Council.
  • Henry Crown Fellow Toby Coppel recently became a partner at Virgin Green Fund, a new investment firm backed by Richard Branson which focuses on clean tech businesses that are already up and running.  Read a recent New York Times piece on Virgin Green Fund here. 
  • Henry Crown Fellow Jordan Kassalow and his non-profit, VisionSpring, were recently featured in a CBS News segment. VisionSpring has an innovative method of delivVisionSpring on CBS Newsering affordable reading glasses to some of the world’s poorest and hardest to reach communities. By creating local partnerships which use a "business in a bag" model, VisionSpring simultaneously creates jobs in underserved communities and addresses a social need. Watch the segment.
    Steve Benjamin
  • Liberty Fellow Steve Benjamin recently made history when he was elected as the first African America Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. Read more.

  • After heading energy conglomerate GE India for over a decade, India Leadership Initiative Fellow Tejpreet Singh Chopra has resigned to start his own clean power venture, Bharat Light & Power. This new company will operate energy facilities across India using wind, solar, bio mass, hybrid and other technologies. His goal is to provide developing markets with access to green infrastructure solutions at an affordable price. Watch this interview with Tejpreet for more information.
    Tim Westergren, Pandora
  • Newly-minted Henry Crown Fellow Tim Westergren, the Founder and CEO of Pandora was named to the 2010 Time Magazine 100 Most Influential List for Pandora’s Music Genome Project which allows users to create their own internet radio stations by genetically categorizing music according to their preferences. Read more.

  • Central America Leadership Initiative Fellow Adrián Chinchilla is heading the Transition Team for the new President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, who also happens to be his sister. He also managed the campaign which led to her election.
  • Liberty Fellow John Cannon Few, was elected by the South Carolina General Assembly as the Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. John had served as a Circuit Judge for almost ten years, and was elected over three sitting members of the Court of Appeals.
  • Central America Leadership Initiative Fellows Julio Rank Wright and Felix Maradiaga have been selected by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas as members of the "Voices from the New Generation" of America. For more information, see the articles on both Julio and Felix from the Council's publication America's Quarterly.
  • President Barack Obama nominated Henry Crown Fellow Willy Ferrer as the new U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, which is among the most powerful of the 93 U.S. attorney's office nationwide. Read more. The President also nominated Henry Crown Fellow (and Fellow Miami resident) Ricky Arriola to the US Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, whose primary aim is to advance the White House's arts and humanities objectives. Read more
  • Six Aspen Leadership Network Fellows were selected as World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders for 2010: India Leadership Initiative Fellow Tejpreet Chopra, Henry Crown Fellow Shamina Singh, Central America Leadership Initiative Fellows Luis Miguel Castillo and Alejandro Poma, and Africa Leadership Initiative South Africa Fellows Jacob Lief and Gugu Msibi. In addition, Central America Leadership Initiative Fellow Marisol Argueta de Barillas has just been appointed Senior Director for Latin America for the World Economic Forum, based in El Salvador, selected from over 800 applicants worldwide. 
  • Henry Crown Fellow John Crowley is featured in a new major motion picture starring Harrison Ford and, in the role of John, Brendan Fraser.  Entitled "Extraordinary Measures" and playing in theaters across the U.S., the film tells the inspiring story of John's fight to find a cure when his children were diagnosed with the rare Pompe disease.  Watch a video interview with John in which he talks about his story and the film, and an interview with John and his wife Aileen here. 
  • Kristen Groos Richmond (Aspen-New Schools Education Fellow) was featured in the New York Times for her work with Revolution Foods to make school cafeteria food nutritious and sustainable.  Read more here. 
  • Africa Leadership Initiative/South Africa Fellow and Co-founder of the African Leadership Academy Fred Swaniker explains his vision to create a Pan-African network of leaders in a Huffington Post blog interview here. 
  • India Leadership Initiative Fellow Sugata Srinivasaraju, Associate Editor of Outlook Magazine, wrote a recent column assessing the state of the world's largest democracy, 60 years after independence. 
  • Africa Leadership Initiative/West Africa Fellow Funmi Iyanda's leadership project, the Change a Life Foundation (CAL) has affected the lives of over 3,000 Nigerians through its scholarship and health care support services.  More information on CAL and the February 21st CAL Foundation launch event is available here. 
  • Al Zain Al Sabah (MELI I), Co-Produced the film "Amreeka," which premiered in September to critical acclaim, including the coveted New York Times "Critics Picks List." See a selection of press on the film here.

  • John King (Aspen NewSchools II), Managing Director of Uncommon Schools, a leading charter management organization, was appointed Deputy Commissioner of New York State Public Schools. Read more on John's appointment here.

  • Trevor Ncube (ALI-South Africa V) was interviewed by CNN.com for a Feature on "African Voices" where he spoke about his work in media throughout South Africa and Zimbabwe and the power of the press to influence society for the better.

  • Leighton Lord (Liberty '08) Chairman of the Board for Nexson Pruet, has announced a bid for Attorney General of South Carolina. Read more here.

  • Jim Whitaker (HCF '04) and his documentary film on September 11th, "Project Rebirth" were featured recently on CBS News and in the Huffington Post.

  • Chris Howard (HCF '98), the new President of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia was recently profiled by the Associated Press and by National Public Radio.