Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder
Blog Posts, and Videos

It’s Just Us: Stories of Conviction and Courage

August 11, 2026
Aspen Global Leadership Network

What does it take to lead with purpose, especially when the stakes are life, safety, and the future of an entire nation?

In this candid dialogue, 2026 McNulty Prize Winners Rudy Espinoza, President & CEO of Inclusive Action for the City (Civil Society Fellowship), Tom McDougall, Founder of 4P Foods (Food Leaders Fellowship), and Anna Novosad, Co-founder of savED (Aspen Kyiv Young Leader), shared how they answered the call to serve their communities.

Moderated by Stace Lindsay (Henry Crown Fellowship), Executive Vice President for Leadership and Aspen Institute Moderator, this conversation explores pivotal choices that shaped their paths and the convictions that carried them through uncertainty.