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
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2021 Resnick Aspen Action Forum

Collective Leadership

What does it take to lead collectively in this polarized world?

Engage with thinkers and doers including Eric Liu, Amanda Ripley, Marla Blow, Cheryl Dorsey, Deepa Iyer, and many more leaders on the frontlines of tackling issues of polarization, racial injustice, misinformation, the global pandemic, and widening economic inequities during the 2021 Resnick Aspen Action Forum’s two live streams.

Together, let’s explore how we might work across differences
to build a more free, just, and equitable future.

The Conversation Line-Up

Conflict, Trust, and Polarization

While the polarization of our current moment may feel unprecedented, its root causes are fundamental to the human condition. Hear from thinkers and doers on the frontlines of polarization to discuss what is new and what is old about the conflicts which communities and organizations find themselves, how technologies of the 21st century have helped the advancement of some while harming many others, and look at the possibilities of building trust among people and institutions.

Why Are We So Polarized?

What are the causes of conflict and polarization? Are they fundamental to human nature or byproducts of the systems we have engineered for ourselves? In this discussion, explore the root causes of high conflict situations and learn how you can transcend them in order to have more sustainable relationships and “better arguments”.

Featuring:

Eric Liu

Amanda Ripley

Author, High Conflict

Rima Maktabi

Bureau Chief in London, Al Arabiya

Leading Through a Pandemic of Disinformation

We are living through a time where faith and trust in our institutions – and each other – are actively being eroded. Vivian Schiller, Executive Director of Aspen Digital, moderates a discussion with members of the Aspen Commission on Information Disorder and AGLN Fellows to explore the crisis of disinformation and how we, as leaders, can combat the pandemic of “truth decay”.

Featuring:

Vivian Schiller

Executive Director of Aspen Digital

Yasmin Green

Director, Research and Development of Jigsaw at Alphabet

Marla Blow

President & Chief Operating Officer of Skoll Foundation

Govindraj Ethiraj

Founder-Editor of IndiaSpend

Spark Conversation: Financial Security and Social Stability

What is the link between financial security and social stability? In this spark conversation, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth Founder Shamina Singh (Henry Crown Fellow) and newly elected St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones (Rodel Fellow) will talk about the connections between financial security – for individuals, households, and small businesses – and the imperative to build more equitable, sustainable and stable communities. Inclusion happens by design, not by default, and it matters very much who the designers are. Hear from two AGLN Fellows who are working to design more inclusive economic growth.

Featuring:

Tishaura Jones

Mayor, St. Louis

Shamina Singh

Founder, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

How Do We Build Trust?

The social fabric in many of our societies has been stretched to its limit. In some cases, it is completely torn. How do we weave it back together and build trust among our communities? In this conversation, explore the solutions that are helping to build the kind of societal trust that is fundamental for a more free, just, and equitable world.

Featuring:

Ana María Vallarino

President of VerdeAzul Foundation, Grupo VerdeAzul

Ashley Bell

Founder and CEO of 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center

Michael Skoler

Director, Weave: the Social Fabric Project

Collective Leadership: What does it take?

How do we each fit into the mosaic of social change? What are practical ways to channel our energy in service of a brighter future? Hear from global leaders and young people on how they’re mobilizing toward social change.

The world’s most difficult challenges won’t be solved by individual actors working in silos. Rather, we need leaders to come together to collaborate and sustain impact for the long haul.

Exploring Your Social Change Ecosystem

What does your social change ecosystem look like? What roles are you playing as you work to have an impact? In this conversation, join Deepa Iyer, Strategic Advisor at Building Movement Project and Director of Solidarity Is, to explore how we might lead sustainably with others.

Featuring:

Deepa Iyer

Author, Strategic Advisor of Building Movement Project, and Director of Solidarity Is

Adria Goodson

Director of Ford Global Fellowship at the Ford Foundation

Collective Leadership: What is Required of Us?

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”  What does it take to lead collectively? In this conversation, learn from Henry Crown Fellow Cheryl Dorsey, President of Echoing Green, what it takes to connect and mobilize an ecosystem of changemakers and what lessons we can take into our own work.

Featuring:

Cheryl Dorsey

President of Echoing Green

Manoj Kumuar

CEO of Naandi Foundation

Collective Leadership & The Aspen Global Leadership Network

Henry Crown Fellow and 2018 McNulty Prize winner Mehrdad Baghai has developed an innovative learning model to inoculate young people against hate through his venture High Resolves. Founded in Australia, the program has spread across contexts and continents to deliver high-quality experiences for youth around the world. The proliferation of High Resolves is an inspiring example of how one Fellow tapped the network to scale a highly effective solution. In this conversation, hear Mehrdad’s on how he, alongside other AGLN Fellows, have taken the High Resolves model global.

Featuring:

Mehrdad Baghai

Co-Founder, High Resolves

Diane Robinson

Filmmaker

Action Forum Stories of Impact

The Key to Scaling: Collaboration and Adaptability
Blog Posts Videos

The Key to Scaling: Collaboration and Adaptability

The High Resolves learning model – which empowers young people by awakening their sense of “human responsibility” – has adapted to scale across contexts and geographies.

Building a Cross-Sector Civic Movement to Fight the Pandemic in Panama
Blog Posts Videos

Building a Cross-Sector Civic Movement to Fight the Pandemic in Panama

Central America Leadership Initiative Fellows came together for the first time to create #TODOPANAMA: a civic movement to stop the spread of COVID in Panama.

Closing the Racial Wealth Gap by Supporting Black-Owned Banks
Blog Posts Videos

Closing the Racial Wealth Gap by Supporting Black-Owned Banks

The National Black Bank Fund and Foundation (NBBF) are leading in the racial justice movement through economic justice.

Collective Leadership: What is Required of Us?
Blog Posts Videos

Collective Leadership: What is Required of Us?

There’s a lot to unpack behind the simple definition of collective leadership. Henry Crown Fellow Cheryl Dorsey breaks down the term and how to build toward it in this conversation with Manoj Kumar, Founder & CEO, Naandi Foundation.

Collective Leadership and the Aspen Global Leadership Network
Blog Posts Videos

Collective Leadership and the Aspen Global Leadership Network

The proliferation of High Resolves is an inspiring example of how one Fellow tapped the AGLN to scale a highly effective solution.

Exploring Your Social Change Ecosystem
Blog Posts Videos

Exploring Your Social Change Ecosystem

Designer of the Social Change Ecosystem, Deepa Iyer, breaks down the Ecosystem and explains how the tool can help sustain each player in the long haul that is creating lasting social change. 

Financial Security and Social Stability
Blog Posts Videos

Financial Security and Social Stability

Hear from two Aspen Global Leadership Network Fellows who are working to design more inclusive economic growth.

How Do We Build Trust?
Blog Posts Videos

How Do We Build Trust?

Two leaders share their experience on what it takes to build the kind of societal trust that is fundamental for a more free, just, and equitable world

Leading Through the Pandemic of Disinformation
Blog Posts Videos

Leading Through the Pandemic of Disinformation

How is the rampant spread of mis/disinformation contributing to that breakdown of trust? What is the role of online platforms in combating it? What about individual users?

Why Are We So Polarized?
Blog Posts Videos

Why Are We So Polarized?

What are the root causes of conflict and polarization? Are they fundamental to human nature or byproducts of the systems we have engineered for ourselves?

Leadership Lessons

Standing in Hope and Gratitude: Leading With Vulnerability and Purpose
Blog Posts Videos

Standing in Hope and Gratitude: Leading With Vulnerability and Purpose

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.

Bridging Divides with Humility: A Leadership Journey Rooted in Purpose
Blog Posts Videos

Bridging Divides with Humility: A Leadership Journey Rooted in Purpose

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.

Turning Compassion Into Action: A Lifelong Fight to Protect Children
Blog Posts Videos

Turning Compassion Into Action: A Lifelong Fight to Protect Children

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.

China Fellowship Reunion in Penang, Malaysia
Blog Posts

Reflections and Horizons

Standing Firm on Shifting Ground: The New Rules of Principled Leadership: a briefer from the 2025 Resnick Aspen Action Forum

Leading with Purpose: Why Bodily Autonomy is the Ultimate Act of Freedom
Blog Posts Videos

Leading with Purpose: Why Bodily Autonomy is the Ultimate Act of Freedom

Catalina Martínez Coral is a leading force for reproductive rights across Latin America and the Caribbean, guided by her belief that “the political is personal, and the personal is political.” As Vice President at the Center for Reproductive Rights, her leadership has driven landmark victories—from decriminalizing abortion in Colombia to securing justice for women and girls across the region.

Simi Nwogugu
Blog Posts Videos

Empowering Girls at Scale: Simi Nwogugu’s Vision for a Safer, Stronger Africa

Simi Nwogugu’s journey reflects a bold commitment to helping African girls rise — equipping them with agency, protection, and leadership skills to rewrite their futures.

Navyn Salem
Blog Posts Videos

A Mother’s Mission to End Malnutrition: Navyn Salem’s Global Impact

Navyn Salem launched Edesia to combat global malnutrition, creating life-saving foods that have helped millions of children survive and thrive.

Lessons in Navigating Uncertainty from a Frontline Physician
Blog Posts Videos

Lessons in Navigating Uncertainty from a Frontline Physician

Dr. Benson Hsu believes transforming healthcare begins with a single, decisive act toward equity. His leadership is reshaping how physicians respond to crisis, uncertainty, and the communities most in need.

LIMINAL Podcast

Seeing Our Common Humanity with Simran Jeet Singh
Blog Posts Podcasts

Seeing Our Common Humanity with Simran Jeet Singh

How can we see the light during such painful times? How can we take pause amidst chaos and hurt to stay curious? Who can we turn to and where can we go to find our common humanity? Simran Jeet Singh, a national leader in the areas of equity, inclusion, and social justice shares his lived experience and offer practical wisdom for seeing the light.

The Most Undervalued Driver of the Economy: Childcare with Jessica Sager and Bernadette Ngoh
Blog Posts Podcasts

The Most Undervalued Driver of the Economy: Childcare with Jessica Sager and Bernadette Ngoh

If “children are the future” how are we guaranteeing support for those responsible for protecting them? Explore what caregiving means to our culture and why we aren’t paying enough attention.

Facing the Shortness of Life with Suzanne Beigel
Blog Posts Podcasts

Facing the Shortness of Life with Suzanne Beigel

In confronting the end of her life, impact investor Suzanne Beigel has found a clarified vision around how to spend her time, live into her purpose, and speak truth. Suzanne joins us on LIMINAL to explore how we might all allow the shortness of life to shape how we show up for the better.

Reimagining Power in the Workplace with Roy Bahat and Liba Rubenstein
Blog Posts Podcasts

Reimagining Power in the Workplace with Roy Bahat and Liba Rubenstein

Rethink how ideas of power and our relationship to work and the workplace could help inform better decision-making and ultimately create prosperity for everyone.

The Most Undervalued Driver of the Economy: Childcare with Jessica Sager and Bernadette Ngoh
Blog Posts Podcasts

The Most Undervalued Driver of the Economy: Childcare with Jessica Sager and Bernadette Ngoh

If “children are the future” how are we guaranteeing support for those responsible for protecting them? Explore what caregiving means to our culture and why we aren’t paying enough attention.

Reimagining Power in the Workplace with Roy Bahat and Liba Rubenstein
Blog Posts Podcasts

Reimagining Power in the Workplace with Roy Bahat and Liba Rubenstein

Rethink how ideas of power and our relationship to work and the workplace could help inform better decision-making and ultimately create prosperity for everyone.

The Moral Question at the Center of the Climate Crisis with Katharine Wilkinson and Brett Jenks
Blog Posts Podcasts

The Moral Question at the Center of the Climate Crisis with Katharine Wilkinson and Brett Jenks

We know that at its core, the climate crisis, like many, is a moral challenge, rather than a technical one. You’re invited to think less about the “what” of climate work and more about the “who” and “who” we need to be in order to heal our planet.

Power and Race with the Groundwater Institute
Blog Posts Podcasts

Power and Race with the Groundwater Institute

The Groundwater Institute helps people make sense of our society is organized by race – and how that organization causes racial inequity. Dar Vanderbeck is in conversation with the Groundwater team on their analysis and how they work with leaders to propel their anti-racism journeys.