Ascend

Ascend at the 2011 Aspen Ideas Festival

Why invest in America's women? What drives the woman entrepreneur? Are the girls beating the boys? And how will inclusiveness drive the global economy? These were the headline questions asked during the "Women on the Rise" track at the 2011 Aspen Ideas Festival, a collaboration between Ascend and the Festival. With speakers including Ascend's Executive Director Anne Mosle, Tides' Melissa Bradley, The New York Times' David Leonhardt, Track & Field's Benita Fitzgerald-Mosley, GlobalGiving's Donna Callejon, NEW Course's Jamie Bechtel, Green For All's Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, Slate's Hanna Rosin, Ernst & Young's Beth Brooke, and many others, these sessions elevated critical issues facing women globally and here in the U.S., while providing a forum for spirited debate on solutions to move women, especially those who are low-income, toward greater equity and success. You can download podcasts of these sessions:

Why Invest in America's Women?
What Drives the Woman Entrepreneur?
Are the Girls Beating the Boys?
How Will Inclusiveness Drive the Global Economy

"Children In America," a session of the 2011 Ideas Festival's State of the Union track, also features Ascend Executive Director Anne Mosle alongside Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Senior Program Officer Steve Patrick and Tipping Point founder Daniel Lurie. The threesome discusses opportunities and challenges for leveling the social and academic playing field for low-income children in the U.S., moderated by the journalist and author Alex Kotlowitz. To hear their conversation, go to http://www.aifestival.org/session/children-america-how-will-they-win-future