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
Aspen Institute
Blog Posts, IDEAS Article, IDEAS: the Magazine of the Aspen Institute Special Issue 2019, and Longform
US student-loan debt—which for many can lead to higher stress, poorer health, and lower savings for retirement—is a hot topic of debate among everyone from advocates, to borrowers, to 2020 presidential candidates. The Institute’s Financial Security Program and the Bipartisan Policy Center recently hosted an event on Capitol Hill to explore the best policy and system reforms for future generations and the economy. The event launched the latest Financial Security Program brief, Student Loan Cancellation: Assessing Strategies To Boost Financial Security And Economic Growth, which focuses on 16 debt-relief proposals put forth by policymakers from across political parties, all designed to aid 44 million student borrowers. The proposals vary from targeted reforms of federal repayment plans to a total cancellation of $1.5 trillion in outstanding federal student-loan debt. US Representative Donna Shalala argued that states’ disinvestment in higher education helped create the problem, and suggested reducing the length of repayment terms and expanding debt forgiveness to those engaged in public service. The problems associated with student-loan debt are systemic and consequential both for today’s debtors and tomorrow’s college students—but they are also solvable.
Michael O’Neil, Health Innovators Fellow, has spent the past two decades reshaping how people engage with their own health. As Founder and CEO of GetWellNetwork, he pioneered the field of Interactive Patient Care, creating technology that gives millions of patients around the world a meaningful voice in their care journey.
After more than a decade in public office, the question isn’t whether the work continues—it’s how. Tony Vargas, Civil Society Fellow, shares how humility, bridge-building, and values-driven leadership have shaped his journey, from elected office to the work he continues today.
Ariana Arana Bermudez reflects on her first year as part of Aspen FSP’s Community Advisory Group and the role of young adults in advancing financial security.
Real change doesn’t always start big. Sometimes it starts with one idea — and an unwillingness to look away. Mandy Powers Norrell, Liberty Fellow, has spent her life serving the communities that shaped her, passing legislation that helped children recognize and report sexual abuse — proof that once you do one hard thing, an avalanche of change can follow.
Since 2021, Aspen FSP and our Community Advisory Group have worked to forefront lived experience of financial insecurity across our research and convenings. Learn how in this reflection by Riani Carr.
In this Q&A with Aspen FSP Fellow Nick Bourke, we go behind the scenes of National Task Force to Prevent Fraud and Scams and how it led to the an actionable strategy for multi-sector action.
Across our conversations, a single theme emerged: leaders are being asked to make decisions under conditions of heightened scrutiny, political complexity, and accelerating change.
Featuring Dr. Natalie Crawford, double board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, co-founder of Fora Fertility, and author of “The Fertility Formula” (April 2026), in conversation with CNN’s Pamela Brown, chief investigative correspondent and award-winning anchor of “The Situation Room.”
