2025 Business & Society Summit Agenda
Aspen Institute Business & Society Summit
July 8th-10th, 2025 | Aspen Meadows Resort, Aspen, CO
We invite you to join us for the chance to engage in honest dialogue, share fresh perspectives, and claim common ground on critical pursuits.
Agenda Themes
The Value Creation Mandate | Leading Through Disruption | Humanizing the Corporation
Agenda Themes & Sessions
The Value Creation Mandate
As political shifts reshape the business landscape, companies and investors must rethink how they balance risk and innovation to drive lasting value. How do they identify material risks and uncover opportunities for long-term growth while navigating the evolving economic, political, and regulatory forces shaping sustainability and the workplace?
MAIN STAGE PLENARY
The Prepared Leader’s Perspective
CEOs face uncertainty in global markets and changing expectations from employees, investors, boardrooms, and customers. Executives work to balance tradeoffs between private inurement and public welfare without pulling back on decarbonization, labor, and environmental improvement in the supply chain. How will responsible business be defined in this moment?
BREAKOUT // DIALOGUE
The Future of Oil & Gas
The energy landscape is shifting and the energy sector is called to redefine what constitutes good practice in the face of rising demand. How will the industry adapt to the competitive landscape and urgent need to address climate risk in this environment?
The Return on Investing in Nature
Nature-based solutions offer a path to both resilience and profitability. What steps are leading companies taking to integrate natural capital into business strategy and protect ecosystems as essential assets?
Can Collaboration Solve Market Failures?
Some challenges, like plastic waste in supply chains, are too big for one company to solve alone. Can cross-industry collaboration and co-creation unlock solutions and reshape markets?
Financing Sustainable Ambition
Sustainable innovation requires massive investment, but securing funding for long-term solutions remains a challenge. What financial tools and incentives can bridge the gap between ambition and action, to ensure that bold commitments translate into measurable impact?
Leading Through Disruption
Geopolitical instability, regulatory shifts, and the rapid rise of AI are reshaping industries, forcing leaders to navigate uncertainty while maintaining continuity and trust with stakeholders. What does it take to maintain a long-term vision when short-term pressures demand quick decisions?
MAIN STAGE PLENARY
Navigating the New Politics of Business
What role should companies play in labor rights, economic opportunity, and shaping policy in an increasingly complex political landscape? We’ll tap the unique perspectives of political leaders on how business leaders can best navigate the geopolitical landscape while staying true to their values.
BREAKOUT // DIALOGUE
Building Trust in the Face of Grievance
Trust in both public and private institutions is declining, driven by economic anxiety, misinformation, and a growing divide between executives and workers, leaders, and the public. What choices exist for business leaders when it comes to rebuilding trust?
Wealth, Power & Political Influence
When individuals, corporations, and trade groups leverage the power of money in politics in pursuit of private gain, the health of the commons suffers. Healthy, stable communities and ecosystems help businesses flourish. What will it take for business leaders to value the benefits that accrue from a well-functioning democracy enough to protect it?
Finance & Innovation: Navigating New Frontiers
Disruptive technologies from AI to crypto are seizing the attention and imagination of both managers and consumers. Can leaders balance speed with responsibility, ensuring ethical considerations and long-term stability for those affected?
Business Norms v. The Law
When legal standards leave room for discretion, how will business respond? From sustainability to workforce policies, where is regulation needed, and where do norms, protocols, and ethical boundaries suffice?
Humanizing the Corporation
Public trust in business is eroding as economic inequality rises and skepticism toward capitalism grows. Trade-offs persist over short-term gains versus the long-term well-being of employees, consumers, and society. Ensuring that prosperity is shared equitably is no longer just a moral question—it’s a strategic imperative that will define the future role of business in society.
MAIN STAGE PLENARY
Future Competitiveness Amid Global Volatility
Rising costs, inflation, and shifting global realities are redefining business strategy. How are companies adapting to policy changes, evolving supplier and customer relationships, and increased demand for both innovation and affordability in an era of uncertainty?
BREAKOUT // DIALOGUE
Belonging in the Competitive Workplace
Companies have made great strides identifying new pools of talent to drive innovation and performance. How can they retain, engage, and empower employees from all backgrounds amid both legal scrutiny of identity-based programs and worker pessimism about the future?
AI’s Transformative Impact on Business and People
The profound impact of AI in the workplace elevates questions about strategy and protections for employees. Can companies build AI-enabled enterprises that are both pro-innovation and pro-worker? What frameworks can ensure technologies support people, minimize harm, and drive sustainable progress?
Competing for the American Dream
The promise of economic opportunity has long defined the American story, but the ability of businesses to balance profit with worker and community well-being is increasingly called into question. What responsibility do business leaders have to create the conditions for economic mobility, address inequality, and rebuild trust in capitalism?
The Exorbitant Cost of Catastrophe
Rising climate risks and healthcare costs are straining individuals and communities. The challenges for traditional private insurers are significant and growing. Who will bear the financial risk, and how will insurance systems evolve to balance consumer protection with more sensible consumer choice?
Sessions will be updated and refined as new insights, trends, and industry shifts emerge leading up to the event.
Summit Schedule
ARRIVAL DAY: Monday, July 7th
Afternoon: Suggested Arrival
Evening: Welcome Reception
EVENT KICKOFF: Tuesday, July 8th
Morning: Breakfast, Optional Programming
Afternoon: Lunch, Main Stage Opening, Breakout // Dialogue
Evening: Cocktail Reception
MAIN EVENT: Wednesday, July 9th
Morning: Breakfast, Breakout // Dialogue, Thematic Roundtables
Afternoon: Lunch, Advisory Sessions, Working Groups, Main Stage Discussion
Evening: Excursion for Cocktail Reception & Dinner
MAIN EVENT: Thursday, July 10th
Morning: Affinity Group Morning Workshops, Breakfast, Breakout // Dialogue, Main Stage Closing
Afternoon: Lunch, Close of Summit