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

The Aspen Institute Announces Inaugural Cohort of Aspen Religion Fellows

The Aspen Institute Religion & Society Program announces an inaugural cohort of Aspen Religion Fellows, 10 leaders—clerics, journalists, nonprofit leaders, climate practitioners, and depolarization experts—who will develop projects that advance pluralism across society. 

Washington, D.C., July 16, 2026 – The Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program today announced an inaugural class of Aspen Religion Fellows — a special 18-month initiative designed to support exceptional leaders in their commitment to strengthening the bonds of trust and shared responsibility that hold our society together and advancing a richer understanding of the diverse role religion plays in American life. 

The inaugural 10 Aspen Religion Fellows span five sectors – clerical leadership, climate, media, nonprofit, and social trust – and represent top media outlets, nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, climate leadership, higher education and clerical leadership:

Rev. Devon Jerome Crawford, Senior Pastor, Third Baptist Church of San Francisco

Alec Gewirtz, Editor and Publisher, Kismet Magazine

Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Hack, Director of Partnerships and Engagement, Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics

Dr. Andrew Mark Henry, Creator, Religion For Breakfast

Lauren Jackson, Deputy Editorial Director and Host of Believing Column, New York Times

Alaa Murabit, Managing Partner, 500 Global

Omar Nassimi, Executive Director, PVBLIC House

Elizabeth Richardson, Engagement Coordinator, University of Virginia Coastal Research Center

Marni Schreiber, Senior Portfolio and Policy Manager, The Tepper Foundation

Kevin Singer, Executive Director, Neighborly Faith

The fellowship will support these rising leaders at a unique moment in American life, inviting the next generation to engage thoughtfully with American religious diversity, honoring “thick pluralism” in the spaces where we live and work. Drawing on the Institute’s 75-year history of investing in values-driven leaders, these Religion Fellows will join a wide network of other Fellows who have wrestled with the question of what it means to build a good society, foster social trust, and advance the common good. 

The cohort will convene in October 2026 and then gather again twice for multi-day summits, including at the 2027 Aspen Ideas Festival. Each fellow will receive a $15,000 stipend to advance a pluralism project. Keep up to date on their accomplishments at: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/religion-society-program/aspen-religion-fellows/

About the Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, CO; New York, NY; and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

About the Religion & Society Program 

The Religion & Society Program (RSP) was created at the Aspen Institute in 2011 to convene, catalyze, and research important challenges and opportunities at the convergence of religion, culture, and justice. The program supports journalists, clerics, philanthropists, and rising leaders in better understanding religious diversity and the power of religion’s role in the world. For more information, visit https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/religion-society-program/.