The Henry Crown Fellowship Program, established in 1997, seeks to develop the next generation of community-spirited leaders, providing them with the tools necessary to meet the challenges of business and civic leadership in the 21^st century. The program is a unique mix of seminars designed to broaden the perspectives of the participants and hone their skills in values-centered leadership. It honors the memory of Chicago industrialist Henry Crown (1896-1990), whose legendary career was marked by a lifelong commitment to honor, integrity, industry and philanthropy.

The Program

Each class of 20 Henry Crown Fellows is chosen from a wide pool of accomplished entrepreneurial leaders (between the ages of 25 and 45). These Fellows have already achieved considerable success in the private or public sector and are at an inflection point in their lives or careers—looking toward the broader role they might take on in their communities or globally. The two-year program comprises a structured series of four seminars (approximately 24 days in total) under the guidance of skilled senior moderators of the Aspen Institute along with a required leadership project of each Fellow's own design and choosing. Three of the four seminars are held at an Aspen Institute campus in either Aspen, Colorado or on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. For the third seminar, Fellows can choose from a selection of domestic and international locations.

Upon graduation from the two-year program, Fellows are invited to continue their engagement with members of their class, with other Henry Crown Fellows, with members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and with various other aspects of the Aspen Institute.

Individuals cannot apply for the Henry Crown Fellowship Program; they must be nominated by recognized leaders of the business and professional communities or by Fellows, Senior Mentors, and members of the Henry Crown Fellowship Board of Overseers or the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees.

Executive Director - Peter A. Reiling (Henry Crown Fellow, Class of 1998) is Executive Director of the Henry Crown Fellowship Program and the Aspen Institute’s Executive Vice President for Leadership and Seminar Programs. Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, he was President and CEO of TechnoServe, an international organization backing entrepreneurs in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Central Europe.

Managing Director - Eric L. Motley (Henry Crown Fellow, Class of 2003) joined the Aspen Institute in 2007 as a Vice President and the Managing Director of the Henry Crown Fellowship Program. In addition to this role he currently serves as the Executive Director of the Aspen-Rockefeller Foundation's Commission to Reform the Federal Appointments Process. Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, Eric served as the Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Visitors and from 2001-2005 he worked at the White House including serving as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush.