Upcoming Events
New York, NY
Thursday, April 25: 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize Awards Ceremony
6:30-8:30 p.m. ET. Please join us for the 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize Awards Ceremony featuring prize finalists in conversation with Mary Louise Kelly, co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered. This event will take place at the Morgan Library. For more information you can register here.
Monday, May 13: SOF Discussion Reception: Family Philanthropy & Social Impact
Generously underwritten by Bernstein Private Wealth Management
5:30-7:30 p.m. ET. In partnership with the Aspen Institute’s Philanthropy and Social Innovation Program.
Steeped in a deep legacy of giving, experts Howard Buffett, Professor at Columbia University and corporate board director; Jennifer Goode, Director of the Institute for Trust and Estate Planning at Bernstein Private Wealth; Joshua Lauder, Business Development and Marketing at Indagare; and Elizabeth Newton, Director of Family Engagement and Advisory Services at Crown Family Philanthropies, will take part in a conversation moderated by Kirstin Hill, President and Chief Operating Officer, Social Finance. The panelists will share insights into the meaningful deployment of capital to maximize impact. Register here.
Washington, DC
Tuesday, April 30: Aspen Digital: The State of Product Equity: Navigating the Currents
5:00-8:00 a.m. ET. Join the Tech Accountability Coalition, part of Aspen Digital, for a reception to kick off the inaugural Product Equity Summit on Tuesday, April 30, 5-8pm ET at NYU, Washington, DC. This gathering will include happy hour drinks and bites and an illuminating one-on-one conversation between Timothy Bardlavens, Director of Product Equity at Adobe, and Antionette D. Carroll, Founder & CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, on where we are with product equity today and what it will take to drive systemic change. Register here.
Thursday, May 2: Ascend: In Conversation with Anne Mosle & Dele Olojede
5:30-7:30 p.m. ET. As former foreign editor of Newsday, Dele had a front row seat to South Africa’s transition from Apartheid when Nelson Mandela was elected president. 2024 marks 30 years since South Africa ended Apartheid and Rwanda’s violent genocide. Dele and Anne will explore leadership lessons about how societies make fateful choices as a result of their common experience, and the inevitable price, some unpredictable, thata must be paid for such choices. South Africa chose to emerge from Apartheid emphasizing freedom above all, while Rwanda chose to follow the rule of one leader who emphasized security. Where are both today and what can we learn from their triumphs and struggles in pursuite of liberté, and égalité, and fraternité? What does a society give up when it moves in one direction or the other? How do we maintain balance, assuming this can be found? Is there such a thing as a universally best system for society – democratic governance, say – or are we to answer, “it depends?”. Register here.
Monday, May 6: Susan and John Klein Book Series featuring Kai Bird
5:00-7:00 p.m. ET. We are thrilled to invite you to the Susan and John Klein Book Series event on Monday, May 6 featuring Kai Bird on his book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer in conversation with Marie Arana. This event is dedicated to the late Martin J. Sherwin, longtime member of the Society of Fellows and co-author of American Prometheus, the basis of the Oppenheimer, 2023 Academy Award winner for Best Picture. As a Society of Fellows member, you are invited to attend a private reception with Kai Bird following the book talk at 6:00 p.m. on the 7th floor of the Aspen Institute headquarters. The public conversation will begin at 5:00 p.m. and will take place on the 8th floor. Register here.
Chicago, IL
Tuesday, May 7: SOF Discussion Reception: The Evolution of Corporate Governance
Generously underwritten by Bernstein Private Wealth Management and Brunswick Group
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. CT. Delve into the intricacies of corporate governance as we examine its changing landscape, current trends, and responsible decision-making within a corporation. Joined by industry experts, Michelle Collins, President of Cambium LLC; Sue Bettman, Partner at Brunswick Group; and Sabastian Niles, President & Chief Legal Officer at Salesforce, panelists will share valuable insights into how corporate governance practices are adapting to meet the demands of today’s complex business environment. Moderated by Enrichetta Ravina, Senior Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the conversation will examine the increasing influence of shareholder activism in shaping company policies, and the nuances of effective proxy voting strategies. Register here.
Aspen, CO
Monday, July 22: SOF Art As Advocacy Series
Generously underwritten by Christie’s
1) Art and Diplomacy Panel from 3:00-4:00 p.m. MT. featuring Ambassador Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress; and Ellen Susman, former Director of Art in Embassies. Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President, Policy and Public Programs, International Partners at the Aspen Institute, will moderate a conversation that explores the transformative role art can play in society, highlighting cross-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding. Additional speakers will be announced soon.
2) Art as Advocacy Panel from 4:15-5:15 p.m. MT. featuring Hank Willis Thomas, conceptual artist and 2024 Aspen Institute Harman/Eisner Artist in Residence; and Eric Gottesman, multimedia artist and teacher. Co-founders of For Freedoms, an initiative for art and civic engagement that won the 2017 ICP-Infinity Award and was named the “largest creative collaboration in United States history” by TIME Magazine, both artists will be in conversation with Ellen Susman, former Director of Art in Embassies, and Camille Benton, curator at Art in Embassies Program at the US Department of State, to discuss big vision art and advocacy. Additional speakers to be announced soon. Register here.
Newport Beach, CA
Friday, May 10: SOF Discussion Reception: Art and the Brain & the Power of the Arts to Heal
Generously hosted by Lugano Diamonds
Generously underwritten by Bernstein Private Wealth Management
5:30-8:30 p.m. PT. Join us for a special evening in Newport Beach featuring a panel and dinner discussion with Dr. Charles Limb, musician and professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Chief of the Division of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery at UC San Francisco; Ivy Ross, vice president of Design for the Hardware organization at Google; and Susan Magsamen, founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; in conversation with Heidi Zuckerman, CEO and director of the Orange County Museum of Art. Guests will learn about the cutting-edge field of neuroarts from the authors of the New York Times bestseller, Your Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us. The experts will dive into the overwhelming evidence that exposure to the arts can reduce stress and prolong one’s life. Celebrating the Aspen Institute’s history exploring the intersection of art, philosophy, and civil discourse, join us to discuss the power of simple acts to harness creative thinking to heal, both in a clinical and spiritual setting. Register here.
Sonoma, CA
Saturday, April 27: SOF in Wine Country: Tasting and Dialogue at Oak Glen Reserve
Generously underwritten by Janet and Tom McKinley
11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. PT. Spend the afternoon in the California sun at Oak Glen Reserve in the heart of Sonoma Valley, and learn during a luncheon featuring Brian Freedman, renowned wine, spirits, travel, and food writer, Carlton McCoy, master sommelier and respected wine professional, and Corby Kummer, executive director of Food & Society at the Aspen Institute, a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science, and a senior editor of The Atlantic. Blend education with pleasure and spend a day in Glen Ellen meeting fellow SOF members and wine lovers. Attendees will enjoy a tasting session, lunch, and panel discussion about the impacts of climate change on winemaking, from challenges facing grape growers to the evolution of varietals. Experts will explore innovative practices, including new cellar techniques and technologies that are shaping the future of winemaking. Cheers to an afternoon of enlightenment and exquisite flavors! Register here.
Virtual
Tuesday, April 23 & Tuesday April 30: Creating an Inclusive Future: A Two-Part Dialogue on Shifting Paradigms from the Ground Up
11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. ET. Our society’s methods of distributing resources and solving collective problems are shaped by our thinking and assumptions about the world. How do we, as leaders, break through old assumptions and patterns to help make new paradigms possible? How do we work against stagnation and desensitization to inequitable and pervasive structures? How do we leave future generations with robust and inclusive systems—what does that look like at the local, national and global level? Join us for a two-part series featuring rapid-fire conversations between leaders—all awardees of the 2024 McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund and Fellows of the Aspen Institute—working to advance solutions uplifting their communities. Register here.
Wednesday, May 15: Economic Opportunties Program: The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. The myth that hard work pays off in the US, and always leads to a better and more economically prosperous life, has come unraveled in recent years. Many jobs simply do not pay enough for workers to meet their basic needs, much less do things such as save for retirement, fund their kids’ education, or allow for leisure. In her first book, “The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy,” Natalie Foster asks us to imagine a new economic framework that casts aside the failures of the trickle-down approach to embrace one that builds economic security and well-being from the bottom up. Foster — co-founder of the Economic Security Project, a leading voice for guaranteed income, and senior fellow at the Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative — explores a bold vision in which housing, health care, higher education, dignified work, family care, and an opportunity to build generational wealth are guaranteed for all by our government. Join us for an insightful book talk with Natalie as she discusses what a New Deal could look like for the 21st Century. Register here.
Thursday, May 30: SOF New Member Orientation: Spring 2024
11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. PT. We invite you to join us for a virtual new member orientation on Thursday, May 30 from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This will be an opportunity for you to meet members of our team, meet other members who have recently joined, and become better acquainted with the Society of Fellows. This conversation will take place on Zoom, so that all attendees can participate face-to-face. Register here.