THE NEED.
We live in a world of possibilities. From Africa to India to Central America, leaders and entrepreneurs are harnessing new technologies and innovations to shake the status quo and strengthen their societies. Whether they are passionate about providing clean water or clean elections, their ability to pursue progress is too often stalled by structural limitations and political gridlock. But these issues exist here as well. Schools across the United States are developing innovative models for learning, and conservation and renewable energy technologies are no longer on the fringe. Yet, like so many other critical issues, they've become highly politicized. Whether or not we succeed in responding to these and other challenges depends on how we invest in leadership.
THE SOLUTION.
The goal of the Aspen Global Leadership Network is to build a corps of entrepreneurial, values-based leaders, then bring them together to create change at home and abroad. Fellows selected to join the Aspen Global Leadership Network convene multiple times over several years to clarify their values and discuss their legacy. Then they are tasked with moving from "success to significance" by creating projects that address a pressing societal issue.
SUCCESS STORIES.
It all began with 20 Henry Crown Fellows in 1997. Today, there are over 1,600 Aspen Global Leadership Fellows, spanning 45 countries on 6 continents. Fellows are taking on daunting challenges in education, working to improve public health, standing up for indigenous populations, fighting corruption, taking political office, and more.
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South African 
Panamanian 
Hildegard Vasquez is head of the architecture office, Hache Uve, which she founded in 1998. Her office has concentrated mostly on preservation and renovation of historic sites such as San Felipe Historic District in Panama or the city of Granada, Nicaragua. She served as head of Fundación Calicanto, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the cultural, historic, and human restoration of San Felipe. Its projects include the re-socialization of local gangs, educational programs for single mothers, multiple cultural events, and plans for the restoration of colonial churches. She has also been a member of the Inter Oceanic Canal Museum Board since its creation in 1997 and was part of the Contemporary Arts Museum Board from 2001 to 2005. Her office has worked on restoration projects such as Panama's National Theater and Santo Domingo Convent and is currently working on a proposal for a contemporary arts center in the transitional area of San Felipe and Chorrillo. Hildegard has a BA and a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and a master's in historic restoration from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. She is a Fellow of the second class of the Central America Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
