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.
Launched in fall 2025, the Workplace Innovation Now (WIN) Challenge is a new initiative led by Aspen Digital, a program of the Aspen Institute. Aspen Digital will leverage its expertise in emerging technology and narrative change to unlock new opportunities and partner with the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program, drawing on its long experience helping people thrive in a changing economy.
Supported by Pivotal, a group of organizations founded by Melinda French Gates, the WIN Challenge aims to discover and scale innovative ideas that will help women thrive and everyone win in a rapidly changing workplace.
The awardees of the $60 million grant competition are focused on three key pillars: Culture & Practices, AI, and Narrative. Announced in October 2026, the 18 awardees represent a new generation of workplace innovation, addressing challenges ranging from caregiving and workforce participation to the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence and the narratives that shape workplace culture. Grants were awarded for $2.5 million or $5 million based on rigorous program evaluation.
“At a defining moment, as new technologies rapidly reshape how we work and who has access to opportunity, they are not simply responding to the future of work—they are helping to shape it. Their solutions offer practical, powerful ways to remove barriers, expand opportunity, and build workplaces where women—and everyone—can contribute at their full potential.”
Maria Acebal Interim President and CEO of the Aspen Institute
“Workplaces have changed dramatically in recent years—but in many ways they’re still shaped by the past. We see it in everything from harmful biases about women’s capabilities to outdated practices that make it impossible to balance raising a family with building a career. But these extraordinary innovators are proving that these problems can be solved. They’ve brought forward a bold set of ideas to remove barriers that prevent people from accessing economic opportunity and reaching their full potential—and finally bring our workplaces into the future.”
