• In Person

In the Arena: Cohort 2

Date

Nov 17 – 20, 2026

Location

Kalamazoo, Michigan

An AGLN Leadership Initiative for Civic & Social Change Leaders

Hosted in Partnership with the McNulty Foundation

The moment we’re in demands something different.

Across the country, leaders on the frontlines of civic and social change are navigating a period with no clear precedent: funding disappearing, democratic values under pressure, and little space to pause, reflect, or find solid ground.

In the Arena is for those who are still showing up, still fighting for what matters, and who know that sustaining that fight requires more than willpower alone.

The Aspen Global Leadership Network, in partnership with the McNulty Foundation, is bringing together two cohorts of 16-18 Aspen Fellows for a seminar built to restore resilience, strengthen courage, and build lasting community around an irresistible vision for the future.

The cohorts will consist of leaders navigating a shared civic and political context – those working on the ground in the United States or whose work is closely connected to it, confronting pressures that are interconnected in their cause and consequence. With this in mind, the program is open to Aspen Fellows currently based in or leading work within the United States. This can include leaders who straddle multiple geographies while maintaining a meaningful presence in the United States.

Note: The cohort is full. Thank you to all who applied.