Food Leaders Fellowship

The Food Leaders Fellowship unites the country’s most promising emerging food leaders to ignite personal transformation, promote cross-sector collaboration, and create scalable change. Launched with an inaugural cohort in 2022, the Food Leaders Fellowship motivates fellows to support and challenge each other to think bigger, increase their individual and group capacity for change, and find new collaborators to work with toward lasting impact.

Introducing Our 2023 Food Leaders Fellows

Welcome to the second cohort of 18 emerging leaders to our Food Leaders Fellowship community. The 2023 Food Leaders Fellows include entrepreneurs, investors, and civic and nonprofit leaders dedicated to changing the food system to eradicate food and nutrition insecurity, support entrepreneurs and farmers, and push forward sustainable solutions. Bringing both personal experience with and professional focus on the challenges of the food system, the new fellows will collaborate across the system’s divides to address the issues they are all so passionate about.

This cohort’s seminar dates are August 13-18, 2023; May 1-4, 2024; and February 5-8, 2025.

Our 2023 cohort shares why they are interested in food system change and excited to join the fellowship.

Meet the Inaugural Class

Chosen from a pool of over 200 applicants, this inspiring group of 18 entrepreneurial leaders hails from across the United States, including Puerto Rico, and Mexico. They bring a wide variety of both lived and professional experiences to inform the discussions and work of the fellowship community. 

The inaugural cohort of Food Leaders Fellows spans corporate, startup, nonprofit, and government organizations. They are all pushing themselves and their beliefs and putting in the work to address the challenges across the food system.

Hear From Fellows About the Experience

With Gratitude to Our Founding Funders

Food & Society at the Aspen Institute launched the Food Leaders Fellowship with support from Seth Goldman and Julie Farkas, Food at Google, the JIB Fund, Andy and Zelie Pforzheimer, Melony and Adam J. Lewis, and Gary and Meg Hirshberg.

Join the Fellowship Community

Food & Society invites you to guide and support the fellows as an active mentor—or consider applying for the next cohort! Stay up to date on the next application cycle and other Food & Society news and activities here.

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP