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.
The version before the title. Before the recognition. Before the highlight reel. B-Sides: The Deeper Cut of Leadership with host Lorelle Atkinson is a show about that version — the place where biography becomes instinct, and lived experience quietly shapes how someone leads.
Each episode is a candid conversation with leaders across the Aspen Institute’s global network — from tech innovators and journalists to mayors, founders, and artists — going beyond the résumé to uncover the moments that changed them, challenged them, and ultimately defined them.
Because leadership isn’t just what you do. It’s who you’ve been — and what you carry forward.
Lorelle Atkinson is the Vice President for Communications and Marketing at the Aspen Institute, where she serves as chief strategist and steward of the Institute’s brand. She oversees the planning and execution of the Institute’s marketing and communications strategy, ensuring its voice reflects Aspen’s role as a trusted convener of ideas and leaders. She also leads Aspen’s in-house communications agency, providing counsel and creative strategy for more than 30 public policy programs.
