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 Whatever your Vision,
Well find the View.

Photo by Hansi Brenninger

HIS LEGACY LIVES ON

6 2 0 E A S T H Y M A N AV E N U E , A S P E N 9 7 0 .9 2 5 . 8 0 8 8 PA L L A D I U M A S P E N .C O M

Palladium_Aspen Idea_2017b.indd 1 4/13/17 9:41 AM

PARTNER CONTENT

Isaac kept his promise and sent the old pearl farmer a check and
soon after that received a call. When I answered, I couldnt
hear anyone over the phone... I asked who it was. But all
I could hear was the broken voice of the old man, telling me his
name... he could not talk anymore. He was crying...

Yvel is a luxury jewelry brand recognized worldwide for its

distinctive creations featuring natures most treasured resources.
Founded by Orna and Isaac Levy in 1986, Yvel (a mirror image
of the Levy surname) has a rich history of cultivating fine
jewelry for over 30 years.

Rare organic pearls are Yvels signature design motif with select
natural diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and other gems featuring
prominently. Yvel is legendary for its free form designs in which
18k white, yellow or rose satin finished gold is fashioned around
the gemstone, caressing it and enhancing its unique beauty.
While most jewelry designers design a piece of jewelry and
then look for a pearl or stone, at Yvel we first look for the pearl or
stone and then we fashion the jewelry around it, explains Isaac.

Since Orna and Isaac founded Yvel in 1986, the spirit of giving
back has been at the heart of the company. Isaacs challenging
childhood experience as a young new immigrant from Argentina
inspired the Levys to seek ways to help other newcomers succeed
in building new lives. The couple is proud that today over 90%
of Yvels more than 100 employees are immigrants hailing from
23 countries.

In 2010, the Levys furthered their commitment to the immigrant

population, in particular to Israels especially vulnerable
Ethiopian community. They established the philanthropic
Megemeria School of Jewelry & Art to provide professional
training and employment opportunities to Ethiopian immigrants
to facilitate their integration into Israeli society as proud and
contributing citizens. Meaning genesis in Amharic (the
native language of Ethiopia), Megemeria offers its students the
opportunity for a bright new beginning in life.

During their last visit to the Far East, Orna and Isaac Levy, Under the watchful eye of the Levys, Megemeria blossomed
founders of Yvel, discovered a rare array of natural Keshi into an independent social business, the first of its kind in Israel.
pearls, hidden away in one of the Indonesian pearl farms. Graduates of the school are employed to design and create a
This treasure led to the design of a once-in-a-lifetime jewelry collection inspired by their personal journeys of longing
collectors piece of art which combines these unique and renewal. The compelling Megemeria Collection fuses
natural pearls with 18k yellow gold. tradition with modernity and meaning with beauty. All proceeds
from sales benefit the school and social business, ensuring that
"While looking for some pearls to create our next Megemeria continues to cultivate positive social change.
collection, I noticed a very old pearl farmer, sadly bending
over a basket, Isaac recalls. He carefully approached the
old man and saw him looking at the few pearls he had
inside the bucket. Asked about his goods, the pearl farmer
explained that no one was interested in buying his pearls -
because of their unusual shape.

Isaac looked at a few of the pearls and immediately had

a design idea for amazing pieces using those pearls. I
explained my idea to him and after he heard me he handed
the basket to me, the Yvel founder states. The old man "woman of valor" bracelet by Megemeria
refused any payment but instead said: Take them. I trust
your judgment and taste. Pay me when you're done if
you ever do something with the pearls.
 PersonalAppearance
Personal Appearance
June24
June 24- -28
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Joinususfor
Join foraaCocktail
CocktailReception
ReceptionSaturday
SaturdayJune
June24,
24,55-7-7p.m.
p.m.

Thelibrary
The libraryatatthe
theHotel
HotelJerome
Jerome 330
330East
EastMain
MainStreet,
Street,Aspen,
Aspen,CO,
CO,81611
81611
Formore
For moreinformation:
information:usaservice@yvel.com
usaservice@yvel.com917-282-3554
917-282-3554

Miami Design District Beijing Kempinski Hotel TLV Fashion Mall Cramim Spa Hotel
CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS 8

8 | W H AT I S T H E I N S T I T U T E ?

13 | A R O U N D T H E I N S T I T U T E
The Institute heads to Abu Dhabi to launch a new Ideas Forum;
poet Clint Smith wrestles with a post-Ferguson America; Questlove
connects with teens during the Aspen Challenge in Philadelphia;

C2 Photography
the Aspen Management Partnership for Health supports
community health workers in Malawi; and more.

3 0 | A S H E A R D AT
Melinda Gates discusses the importance of listening to requests
you might not have wanted to hear; author Joichi Ito unpacks
conceptions of how the internet influences behaviorand
elections; Institute Trustee Henry Louis Gates Jr. examines why
black poverty rates have remained stubbornly stagnant since the
Civil Rights Movement; and Supreme Court Associate Justice
Sonia Sotomayor tells us the last thing on her mind before she
falls asleep.

42 | I M PA C T
The Institutes Alliance for Artisan Enterprise creates opportunities

Dan Bayer
for its artisan members around the world to build up their
livelihoods; the College Excellence Program gives students the tools 13
to succeed in four-year institutions; and the Business and Society
Programs First Movers Fellowship nurtures intrapreneurs.

74 | A S P E N L I B R I S
Rosa Brooks worries that the military is tackling far too much;
Dave Eggers sets his new novel in the wilds of the Alaskan frontier;
John Edgar Wideman exposes the tragic life of Emmett Tills
father; and more.

76 | FA C E S

Photo courtesy of Mela Artisans

Behind the scenes at Institute events.

8 2 | I N T E R N AT I O N A L PA R T N E R S
The Sports & Society Program heads to Mexico; Aspen Institute
Germany hosts a US Election Night party; the Aspen European
Strategy Group meets in Italy.
42
8 6 | FA C T S
Get to know the Institutes programs.

97 | CO N N E C T WI T H U S
Contact our program directors; get in touch on social media.
ON THE COVER
10 0 | PA R T I N G S H O T
Herbert Bayers distinctive art nurtures the Aspen Idea HENRY The Henry Crown Fellowship Class
CROWN
by drawing outside the lines. TURNS 20 THE INSTITUTE'S
SIGNATURE FELLOWSHIP
of 2006 celebrates a class reunion
HITS A NEW MILESTONE

ONE WORLD,
ONE CLASSROOM
THE STEVENS INITIATIVE
in 2009 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
(Photo by Chris Michel)
TAKES LEARNING GLOBAL

CRAFTING A LIVING
WOMEN LAUNCH HANDMADE LINES WITH
ALLIANCE FOR ARTISAN ENTERPRISE

4 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 THE CELLINI
A celebration of tradition in watchmaking, combining
eternal elegance with a contemporary touch.
It doesnt just tell time. It tells history.

CELLINI TIME

rolex and cellini are trademarks.

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 5
CONTENTS

FEATURES

52 | A CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT
This year, the Henry Crown Fellowship Program celebrates its
20th anniversary. Alison Decker looks back at the founding of

Courtesy of Henry Crown Fellowship

the program, the social-impact ventures its Fellows have created
around the world, and ahead to plans for the programs growth.

60 | VIRTUAL LEARNING, REAL CONNECTIONS

The Institutes Stevens Initiative uses virtual exchange to
give young people in the United States, the Middle East, and
North Africa the skills they need to succeed in a global economy.
52
Maysam Ali discovers what happens when students and young
professionals in the United States connect with their counterparts
in Jordanian villages or Kuwaiti universities. What happens? What
the Institute is known for, of courseconstructive dialogue.

THE JOURNAL OF IDEAS

68 | QUESTIONS OF LEGITIMACY
If we are committed to the examination of ideas and values-

Ahmed Jalboush
based leadership at the Institute, then we must directly engage
with the erosion of legitimacy that is weakening the authority
60

IS AVAILABLE THAT
of experts, leaders, and the organizations they represent, says
Douglas Farrar. Can we build better institutions and break
down the walls between Americans?
CONSUMERS CAN PICK
THEIR OWN REALITY
FROM A DELUGE OF
70 | LIBRARIES ARE MORE EXCITING THAN EVER
You can read a book or an article without ever getting out
of bed. So why go to the library? Because a library is so much
more than just a home for books and research. Linda
FACTS, LIES, AND OPINIONS
Kulman shows how the modern library can be a gateway
for things previously unimagined: a hub for social services
68
and technology, a public-support system, and a community
gathering space.

72 | MONEY TALKS
In a free and fair economy, market systems are designed
to favor the most efficient outcomes. But can market-oriented
approaches also pursue social goals? Is it possible to develop
systems that allow economic actors to do both well and good?
Mark G. Popovich examines the concerted effort to
BS

incentivize business models that boost job equality.

JO
L
TA

S
O
PI

AL
GO
CA

GO
AN

AL
M

CI

70 72
U

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6 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

In
 Knowing is not enough;
We must Apply.
Willing is not enough;
We must Do.
- Goethe

M A J A D U B R U L
John Dolan

JEWELRY
325 East Hopkins, Aspen | www.majadubrul.com
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 7

Institute.indd 1 5/1/17 11:10:53 PM

WHAT IS THE ASPEN INSTITUTE?

The Aspen Meadows campus C2 Photography

in Aspen, Colorado

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization headquartered in Washington,
DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue
for dealing with critical issues. The Institute has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River
on Marylands Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has an international
network of partners.

8 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

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2017 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE.

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EDITOR'S
EDITOR'S LETTER
LETTER
I write this in the deadline crunch as
we tape up printouts
Collaboration. Impact.of every
Theyre pagetwo oncore Aspen Institute
an office wall
principles. With formore
the Walter
than 30 review,
programs and counting, the
the moment
chance to joinofforcestruthfor forchange
every isissue of obvious but essential.
not just
IDEASthe
So when magazine the Youththat & was Walter Programs, a major
Engagement
Isaacsons brainchild,
Institute initiative underone the of direction
countless of Rajiv Vinnakota, WALTER ISAACSON
WALTER ISAACSON
President and Chief Executive Officer
creations in his 14 years at the Institute.
joined forces with Jennifer Bradleys Urban Innovation Lab to President and Chief Executive Officer
ELLIOT F. GERSON
IDEAS is a window
bring together adolescents ontoand theyoung
life entrepreneurs
of to propose ELLIOT F. GERSON
Executive Vice President, Policy and Public Programs; International Partners
the Institute,
solutions to theone thats they
problems a mainstay of
face in Washington and Baltimore
Executive Vice President, Policy and Public Programs; International Partners
life inside and outside its many offices,
(page 70), we wanted to be there to listen. As is so often the case,
NAMITA KHASAT
NAMITA KHASAT
Executive Vice President, Finance and Administrative Services;
particularly the Washington headquarters from which I write. Executive Vice President, Finance and Administrative Services;
they spoke with not just idealism but simple clarity that gives Chief Financial Officer; Corporate Treasurer
By the end of the year, we will have new officesa countdown Chief Financial Officer; Corporate Treasurer
hope for the kind of collaborations they can themselves make
clock in the kitchen tells us not just how many days but how many ERIC L. MOTLEY, PHD
ERIC L. MOTLEY, PHD
work. Racism is something that can
minutes and seconds until our mid-December moveand likely a be designedbut it can be Executive Vice President, Institutional Advancement;Corporate Secretary
Executive Vice President, Institutional Advancement;Corporate Secretary
redesigned
new leader. As andspring
dismantled,
began, Walterone entrepreneur
announced said. his decision to split PETER REILING
PETER REILING
We between
his time feature Institute
his homeimpact city of in New a dedicated
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will be a
Executive Vice President, Leadership and Seminar Programs;
Executive Vice President, Leadership and Seminar Programs;
Executive Director, Henry Crown Fellowship Program
issue, but Professor
University we haveinan theunusually long section
history department this time,
of Tulane to
University Executive Director, Henry Crown Fellowship Program
RAJIV VINNAKOTA
highlight
and New York the Institutes
City, where focuses
he willonbeyouth and to show
an Advisory Partner more of
at Perella RAJIV VINNAKOTA
Executive Vice President, Youth & Engagement Programs
its collaborations. We have four reports from
Weinberg, the financial-services firm where Bob Steel, the Institutes young people who Executive Vice President, Youth & Engagement Programs
CINDY BUNISKI
rose recent
most to the Aspen Challenge
board chair, is CEO. in Chicago (page 34), including two CINDY BUNISKI
Vice President, Administration; Executive Director, Aspen Wye Campus
Vice President, Administration; Executive Director, Aspen Wye Campus
students
The wall in review
Englewood, is a ritualoneofofeveryChicagos most impoverished
print magazine, that vanishing JAMES M. SPIEGELMAN
neighborhoods,
species. I first metwhose WalterChallenge
when he was project
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of college high-
and I JAMES M. SPIEGELMAN
Vice President, Chief External Affairs Officer; Deputy to the President
Vice President, Chief External Affairs Officer; Deputy to the President
schoolquite
wasnt students
finished; how weto both useworked
banksatrather than extortionate
print magazines for decades,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHER Corby Kummer
he of course becoming
check-cashing services.managing
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calls at EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHER Corby Kummer
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sacha Zimmerman
any
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people Atlantic,
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MANAGING EDITOR Alison Decker
and sprint between
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that lets people week. At the wall
succeed. MANAGING EDITOR Alison Decker
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Douglas Farrar
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Douglas Farrar
review, un-euphonious
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of high-school get rewritten, unharmonious
students, this one layoutsin SENIOR EDITORS Jean Morra, Tarek Rizk
SENIOR EDITORS Jean Morra, Tarek Rizk
reworked,
Raleigh, North subtle Carolina,
emphases came shifted,together
knotty textas partpassages
of theunknotted,
Bezos DESIGN DIRECTOR Katie Kissane-Viola
ASSISTANT EDITOR Arica VanBoxtel
mentions of recent Institute events too
Scholars Program to dismantle the school-to-prison pipelinelate for our deadlines squeezed CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paul Viola
DESIGN DIRECTOR Katie Kissane-Viola
DESIGNER Michael Stout
into packed layouts. Its a lot of work compressed
that suddenly became part of their own experience when six into a short window CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paul Viola
PRODUCTION MANAGER Heather Marine
ofstudents
time. Its also an exhilarating joy. Were
were charged with disorderly conduct over an end- full-fledged citizens of the EDITOR EMERITUS Jamie Miller
EDITOR EMERITUS Jamie Miller
digital
of-term world.
prank Walter has been
involving water oneballoons
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MANAGING DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS Pherabe Kolb
MANAGING DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS Pherabe Kolb
CONTACT EDITORIAL ideas.magazine@aspeninstitute.org
and, in his Time days, pioneers. But anyone lucky enough to get a taste CONTACT EDITORIAL ideas.magazine@aspeninstitute.org
woman who spearheaded the team is keeping closely involved ADVERTISING Cynthia Cameron, 970.948.8177, adsales@aspeninstitute.org
for print never loses it. ADVERTISING Cynthia Cameron, 970.948.8177, adsales@aspeninstitute.org
as a first-year at the University of North Carolina. GENERAL The Aspen Institute,
We all look forward to working with a new leader who will bring a GENERAL The Aspen Institute,
One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036
Our cover story shows the kind of collaboration
new vision to the Institute and set us moving down new, exciting paths. that Aspen One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036
202.736.5800, www.aspeninstitute.org
extends
And who across
will bring the that
globe: helping
vision to theentrepreneurs
wall review on in our
developing
new walls,
202.736.5800, www.aspeninstitute.org
countries without reliable access to business
which is about the most fun a working person can conjure up. But were and technical BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN: James S. Crown
BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN: James S. Crown
expertiseevery
enjoying get moment
both, and weve gogot,on even
to advise
if thereothers
isnt a in their own
countdown clock BOARD OF TRUSTEES
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
tocountries.
welcome That kind of
our arrival. reverberationstarting
IDEAS will present its own Walter with generosity,
review in our Madeleine K. Albright, Paul F. Anderson, Mercedes T. Bass, Miguel Bezos,
Madeleine K. Albright, Paul F. Anderson, Donna Barksdale, Mercedes T. Bass, Miguel Bezos,
Richard S. Braddock, Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak, William D. Budinger, William Bynum, Stephen
expertise,
next issue, our energy,
annual and the need
Summer to recognize
at Aspen issue, anotherand Walter
help peoplecreation. L. Carter,
Richard S. Braddock, Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak, William D. Budinger, William Bynum, Stephen L. Carter, Troy
Troy Carter, Cesar Conde, Phyllis Coulter, Katie Couric, Andrea Cunningham, Kenneth
whonow
For dontIllhave
quoteit ayetis
short what the Institute
paragraph from a creates,
marvelous cityandby town Carter, Cesar Conde, Phyllis Coulter, Katie Couric, Andrea Cunningham, Kenneth L. Davis, John Doerr, Thelma
heartfelt L. Davis, John Doerr, Thelma Duggin, Arne Duncan, Michael D. Eisner, L. Brooks Entwistle, Alan
Duggin, Arne Duncan, Michael D. Eisner, L. Brooks Entwistle, Alan Fletcher, Henrietta H. Fore,
by country,
tribute year byMadeleine
that Trustee year. In theAlbright
next years readahead,
at thewell need and
conclusion of the Fletcher, Henrietta H. Fore, Ann B. Friedman, Juan Ramn de la Fuente, Henry Louis Gates Jr.,
Ann B. Friedman, Juan Ramn de la Fuente, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Mircea Geoana, Antonio Gracias,
Mircea Geoana, David Gergen, Antonio Gracias, Patrick W. Gross, Arjun Gupta, Jane Harman,
look forward
spring board meetingto more of it. Andat IDEAS
in Chicago, Board Chair will beJimhere
Crownsbringing
request: Kaya Henderson,
Patrick W. Gross, Arjun Gupta, Jane Harman, Kaya Henderson, Hayne Hipp, Ivan Hodac, Mark Hoplamazian,
Hayne Hipp, Ivan Hodac, Mark Hoplamazian, Gerald D. Hosier, Robert J. Hurst,
This is what makes
that generosity and Walter
work tosoyou. specialhe is not just a dreamer; he is Walter Isaacson, Gerald D. Hosier, Robert J. Hurst, Walter Isaacson, Natalie Jaresko, Salman Khan, Teisuke Kitayama,
Natalie Jaresko, Salman Khan, Teisuke Kitayama, Eckart von Klaedan, Michael
Eckart von Klaedan, Michael Klein, David H. Koch, Satinder K. Lambah, Laura Lauder, Yo-Yo Ma,
a doer. And what he has done for Aspen, and with Aspen, has been Klein, David H. Koch, Satinder K. Lambah, Laura Lauder, Yo-Yo Ma, Frederic V. Malek, James M.
James M. Manyika, William E. Mayer*, Bonnie P. McCloskey, David McCormick, Anne Welsh McNulty,
Manyika, William E. Mayer*, Bonnie P. McCloskey, David McCormick, Anne Welsh McNulty, Diane
nothing short
Corby Kummer of spectacular. Diane Morris, Karlheinz Muhr, Clare Muana, Jerry Murdock, Marc Nathanson, William A. Nitze,
Morris, Karlheinz Muhr, Clare Muana, Jerry Murdock, Marc Nathanson, William A. Nitze,
Her Majesty Queen Noor, Jacqueline Novogratz, Olara A. Otunnu, Elaine Pagels, Carrie Walton Penner,
Her Majesty Queen Noor, Jacqueline Novogratz, Olara A. Otunnu, Elaine Pagels, Carrie Walton
Margot L. Pritzker, Peter A. Reiling, Lynda Resnick, Condoleezza Rice, Lewis Sanders, James Rogers,
Corby Kummer Penner, Margot L. Pritzker, Peter A. Reiling, Lynda Resnick, Condoleezza Rice, James Rogers,
Ricardo Salinas, Anna Deavere Smith, Michelle Smith, Javier Solana, Robert K. Steel*, Shashi Tharoor**,
Ricardo Salinas, Anna Deavere Smith, Michelle Smith, Javier Solana, Robert K. Steel*,
Laurie M. Tisch, Giulio Tremonti, Roderick K. von Lipsey, Vin Weber
Shashi Tharoor**, Laurie M. Tisch, Giulio Tremonti, Roderick K. von Lipsey, Vin Weber
*Chairman *Chairman
EmeritusEmeritus
**On**On LeaveofofAbsence
Leave Absence

LIFETIME TRUSTEES
LIFETIME CO-CHAIRMEN:
TRUSTEES Berl Bernhard,
Berl Bernhard,
CO-CHAIRMEN: AnnAnn Korologos*
Korologos*

LIFETIME
LIFETIME TRUSTEES
TRUSTEES
Roman Cho

Keith Berwick, James KeithC.Berwick, JamesWilliam

Calaway*, C. Calaway*,
T. Coleman, Jr.,
LesterTarun
Lester Crown, Crown,Das,
Tarun William
Das, William
H. H. Donaldson, Sylvia
Donaldson, SylviaA AEarle, Richard
Earle, N. Gardner,
Richard David Gergen,
N. Gardner, Alma L.
Alma
Gildenhorn, L. Gildenhorn,
Jacqueline Jacqueline
Grapin, Grapin,
Gerald Gerald Greenwald,
Greenwald, Irvine Irvine O. Hockaday
O. Hockaday Jr.,Jr., NinaRodale
Nina Rodale Houghton,
Houghton,
Anne Frasher Anne FrasherJrme
Hudson, Hudson, Jrme
Huret,Huret, William
William N. Joy,
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Henry A.Kissinger,
Kissinger, Leonard A. Lauder*,
Leonard A. Lauder*,
FredericMellerio,
Robert H. Malott, Olivier V. Malek,Elinor
Robert H. Malott,
Bunin Olivier Mellerio,
Munroe, SandraSandra Day OConnor,
Day OConnor, Hisashi Owada,
Roman Cho

Hisashi Owada, R.
Thomas Thomas R. Pickering,
Pickering, Charles
Charles Powell,Jay
Powell, Jay Sandrich,
Sandrich, Lloyd G. Schermer,
Lloyd Carlo Scognamiglio,
G. Schermer,
Albert H. Small,
Carlo Andrew L. Stern,
Scognamiglio, Paul A.
Albert H.Volcker,
Small, Leslie
AndrewH. Wexner, Frederick
L. Stern, Paul B. A.Whittemore,
Volcker, Leslie H. Wexner, Alice Frederick
Young *Chairman Emeritus
B. Whittemore, Alice Young
*Chairman Emeritus
The Aspen Institute sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable manner.
The
This issue was Aspen
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108 IDEAS
IDEAS
SUMMER 2017
WINTER 2016/2017
Great leaders strive
to create
a better place to live.
A great realtor
does much the same.

Carrie Wells
VISION, INNOVATION, LONGEVITY.
Those are a few of the qualities of a
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Which probably explains why Carrie Wells
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for Coldwell Banker and has been the
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If youre interested in Aspen, give Carrie a call.
Shes dedicated to creating a space
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Carrie Wells
970.948.6750
Coldwell Banker Mason Morse Real Estate
514 East Hyman Avenue Aspen
carrie@carriewells.com
www.carriewells.com
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 11
 Since our inception, the Mount Sinai Health System has
challenged the boundaries of medicine through groundbreaking
research, which has led to improved methods of diagnosing and
treating human disease. Thats why we are so proud to have been
recognized by U.S. News & World Report, which named The
Mount Sinai Hospital to the Honor Roll of Best Hospitals in
America. The Mount Sinai Hospital is one of only a handful of
hospitals on the U.S. News Honor Roll. Seven of our specialties
ranked among the top 20, validating our commitment to
innovation and improved outcomes, and our team approach to
personalized patient care. We look forward to continuing our
groundbreaking work and giving our patients the best possible
care, particularly when they are at their worst. For you. For life.
1 - 8 0 0 - M D-SI N A I
mountsinai.org

EVIDENTLY,
THIS IS ONE

OF THE BEST PLACES TO BE

WHEN YOU

ARE AT YOUR WORST.

Aspen Idea magazine_329.indd 1 3/30/17 4:10 PM

 AROUND THE INSTITUTE
THE URGENCY OF COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY To create jobs
that develop the talent the United States urgently needsand the family-sustaining wages that go with themhigh-quality
postsecondary degrees are critical. Thats why the Institutes College Excellence Program works to expand college opportunities for
students in every demographic group. The program honors successful community colleges with the Aspen Prize for Community
College Excellence, conducts research, and expands opportunities for talented low- and moderate-income students to enroll in
institutions with high graduation rates. For more, see our article about the program on page 48, or go to highered.aspeninstitute.org.

ONLY 62% ONLY 39%

of students who of students

+95%
62% start at four-year
colleges complete 39%
who start
at two-year
a degree within colleges do.
six years.

of new jobs
created since the
Great Recession
have gone to
college-educated
workers. 62% 55% 45%
BUT ONLY
OF LOW-INCOME OF LOW-INCOME OF LOW-INCOME
high-school graduates attend students attend four-year students attend two-year
college compared with institutions compared with institutions compared with

40% 89%
of their
high-income peers.
75% of their
high-income peers.
25% of their
high-income peers.

ONLY 9% OF STUDENTS
of Americans from the bottom income quartile (less than $34,160) will earn a bachelors degree by age 24.
aged 25-64 have
a postsecondary People in STEM
IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES, ONLY

credential.
Sources: Georgetown Center on Education and the
occupations earn
$14,000 more per 30% of STEM majors
are women.

11%
Workforce, Recovery (2016) and STEM (2016);
Lumina Foundation, A Stronger Nation (2016);
College Board, Education Pays (2016); the Pell
year over those with are African
Institute, Indicators of Higher Education Equity the same educational American.
in the United States (2015); National Student

14%
Clearinghouse, Signature Report: Completing attainment in other are Hispanic/
College (2016); Michelle Van Noy and Matthew
Zeidenberg, Hidden STEM Producers (2014). occupations. Latino.
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 13

10 PM
AROUND THE INSTITUTE
Institute Executive Vice President Elliot Gerson (center)
attends the Aspen Abu Dhabi Ideas Forum.
ABU DHABI, INNOVATION, AND BIG IDEAS
If you cross Abu Dhabi from the sand beaches of Saadiyat Island
toward the marble grandeur of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, you
will see a series of stunning projectsa testament to the citys
architectural mastery and the symbols of the United Arab Emirates
dedication to building innovative solutions from the ground up.
Thats why the Institute headed to the UAE in March to host the
Aspen Abu Dhabi Ideas Forum 2017. More than 30 experts from
a variety of disciplines came together with an audience of business
leaders, entrepreneurs, students, politicians, venture capitalists,
and humanitarians to discuss todays most pressing issues in one of
the worlds most international and interconnected cities. Through
two packed days participants explored physics, biology, economics,
and political science, and each was challenged to understand new
phenomena and the connections between them. The Institute
engenders this type of critical thinking in order to advance
meaningful solutions. For this, there was no better setting than an
exploding knowledge hub like Abu Dhabi.
The forum focused on four major themes: combating global anger
and the politics of fear, discovering new measurements of economic
success, enhancing healthy lifespans, and living sustainably on Earth.
Historian Niall Ferguson talked about the seismic changes taking
place in the United States. Rima Al Mokarrab, the chairman of the
economic-development group Tamkeen, questioned former British
14 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
Photo courtesy of Aspen Abu Dhabi Ideas Forum
Prime Minister Tony Blair about how governments can defuse
rising global tensions. George Osborne, a conservative member
of Parliament and a former United Kingdom chancellor, examined
whether or not economics can evolve beyond GDP. Freakonomics
Stephen Dubner quantified the highs and lows of happiness. And
that was all just day one.
After such weighty meditations, the forums second day was
buoyed by hopeful speculation and fueled by talk of scientific
progress. Anthony Atala, the director of Wake Forests Institute for
Regenerative Medicine, demonstrated how human beings in grave
medical danger can literally be rebuilt. Discussions on the future
of science also left the stratosphere: Naveen Jain, the chairman of
MoonExpress, explained the imminence of lunar tourism; former
astronaut Buzz Aldrin looked at the best methods of traveling to
Mars; and former NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan explained the
promise of colonizing Mars.
The forum crowd also visited New York UniversityAbu Dhabi,
where a long, breezy thoroughfare featured a small city of wonders:
virtual-reality displays, robot-creation stations, family art projects,
flight simulators, pop-up shops, lectures, and live music. The whole
event was inspired by the Aspen Ideas Festival, brought to life
halfway around the world and tailored for Abu Dhabi, a city that is
no stranger to interdisciplinary thinking. ideasforum.com
 THE REVOLUTION WILL BE STREAMED
In January, outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler gave Wheeler
his farewell speech at the Institutes Washington, DC, headquarters. We are living through
a historic network revolution, whose power to transform our economy and our daily lives is
unprecedented, Wheeler told an audience hosted by the Institutes Communications and
Society Program. The FCC is the publics representative at that revolution. Wheeler went
on to discuss how broadband networks have become the nations preeminent platform for
innovation, economic growth, and civic engagementand how the new administration could
make dramatic changes to government oversight that could have profound implications for
internet users. In addition to hosting Wheelers final remarks, the Communications and Society
Program welcomed him into the Institute as a Senior Fellow. Wheeler is the sixth successive
Laurence Genon

FCC chairman to join the Institute after leaving government, a 20-year bipartisan tradition.
aspeninstitute.org/c&s
Photo courtesy of Aspen Abu Dhabi Ideas Forum

A community health
worker in Malawi
Mike Park

HEALTH LAB: MALAWI
Community health workers are trained laypeople who deliver
lifesaving health services to women and children around the world
who otherwise would not have access to care. Whats more, these
health workers are among the most cost-effective ways to invest in
global health today. According to the Office of the UN Special Envoy
for Health, every $1 invested in community health workers can yield
a $10 return in increased productivitya result of saved lives and
better health. Thats why the Aspen Management Partnership for
Health strengthens government capacity in sub-Saharan Africa to
scale up community health programs. In November, the partnership
held its first-ever Leadership Lab in Nkopola, Malawi. AMP Health is
an initiative of the Institutes Aspen Global Health and Development
program and works in partnership with the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, the Horace W. Goldsmith
Foundation, the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Health, and the
US Agency for International Development. ampforhealth.org

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 15

AROUND THE INSTITUTE

INVEST IN KIDS EARLY

New research from Nobel Prizewinning economist James
Heckman shows that investments in early childhood education
generate a staggering 13 percent return for every year of a childs
life. He and other experts shared their latest work before 250
parents and leaders at the Aspen Forum on Children and Families
in Januaryone of the first major policy discussions on children
and families since the new administration took office. At the forum,
pollsters Celinda Lake and Brian Nienaber released the results of
their election-eve survey, commissioned by the Institutes Ascend
program. Of the voters polled, 86 percent support investments to
help families break free of poverty, and 74 percent maintain that
support even if such programs would increase their taxes.
Parents werent surprised. They shared their own experiences
with the various initiatives that enabled them to get college
degrees while their children were in Head Start or in on-campus

Erin Baiano
centers. Parents overwhelmingly favor practical solutions, like
Ax
affordable child care and flexible benefits, so that families dont
have to compromise on the quality of their childrens care in order
AXS TAKE ON to work or study. In addition to state human-services leaders

BEETHOVEN
In November, the Institutes Arts Program hosted A Musical
Conversation, featuring acclaimed pianist Emanuel Ax in
conversation with Arts Program Director Damian Woetzel at
the home of Arts Circle Members Jody and John Arnhold. The
from across the country, other speakers included top childhood-
research funders like philanthropist J.B. Pritzker and Jackie Bezos
and Institute Trustee Mike Bezos, the founders of the Institutes
Bezos Scholars Program. ascend.aspeninstitute.org
State Human Services Leaders: Melvin Carter (MN),
Raquel Hatter (TN), John Davis (MS)

conversation explored Axs experiences collaborating with celloist

Yo-Yo Ma and others, questions of who is in charge (the conductor
or the soloist?), and a detailed discussion of technique, including
Axs explanation of why Beethoven wrote extraordinarily difficult
passages with explicit instructions to play them one-handed. (Its
actually unnecessary to play them one-handedand most pianists
dont!) Ax took questions from the group, which included many
New York Arts Circle members as well as distinguished guests like

Laurence Genon
Alan and Arlene Alda and young artists from the programs Creative
Young Leaders Alliance. aspeninstitute.org/arts

WATCH THIS SPACE

The Institute is moving! We are relocating our Washington, DC, headquarters from One Dupont Circle NW to a new two-floor space
at 2300 N Street NW in the Districts West End neighborhood. The offices will include a new front-entrance plaza, with a signature
lobby and common areas designed by Fox Architects; a 4,500-square-foot fitness center; and improved parking. Plans for a renovated
rooftop terrace with a special elevator, catering support, and a multilevel patio will be revealed soon. A lounge and conference center
are also underway. Our new home will allow us to better accommodate the growth we have experienced over the last decade, Institute
CEO Walter Isaacson says. It also will afford us the opportunity to create a more collaborative and functional workspace and a more
welcoming event and meeting space. The Institute will move at the end of 2017.

16 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

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AROUND THE INSTITUTE

FROM WORK
TO WEALTH
For decades, the basic premise of the
American social compact has been that
by working hard, families can acquire the
wealth to achieve the milestones of middle-
class success: homeownership, savings,
college education, and a comfortable
retirement. In recent years, however, this
connection between work and wealth has
frayed. Dramatic labor-market shifts have

Steve Johnson
contributed to a decline in household financial
security. Workers today face an array of
economic challengeswage stagnation,
income volatility, vanishing pensions,
unaffordable housing, and rising health and
education coststhat are eroding traditional
pathways to financial security. So in October,
with the support of Prudential and the Ford

Tom Miller
Foundation, the Institutes Financial Security Wittig

Program and Economic Opportunities

Program joined forces to present the 2016
Economic Security Summit, which brought
to the Institutes Aspen Meadows experts
in workforce development, labor-market
dynamics, income security, consumer
finance, savings, and asset development to
stimulate new policy ideas aimed at helping
low- and moderate-income Americans.
Leaders can no longer be content to focus
on partial solutions or explore ideas in
siloed discussions, Institute CEO Walter
Isaacson, the Financial Security Programs
Ida Rademacher, and the Economic
Opportunities Programs Maureen Conway
wrote in their welcome letter to summit
participantswho included former Labor
Secretary Thomas Perez, former White
House Council of Economic Advisors
Chairman Jason Furman, Yale Universitys
Jacob Hacker, Demoss Heather McGhee,
and Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance. The next
Economic Security Summit will be held in
Aspen in July.
aspeninstitute.org/fsp, aspeninstitute.org/eop
SINGLE NATIONS WONT
SOLVE GLOBAL CHALLENGES
This large audience epitomizes the interest in transatlantic relations between Europe
and the US, Dr. Peter Wittig, the German ambassador to the United States, told an
audience of Wye Fellows in January at the Institutes Wye River campus. We stand
firmly on common values. Nevertheless, he warned: Watershed elections in various
European countries are coming up. France and Germany are already today facing
fierce and polarized campaigns that threaten to pull the continent further apart.
And of course, Wittig noted, there is a new administration in charge here in the
US. Wittig, the two-time president of the United Nations Security Council and the
former German ambassador to the UN, was often interrupted by applause from the
Fellows as he explored the political, economic, and social challenges facing Europe,
the US, and the Atlantic alliance. Wittig emphasized that the challenges of the
coming years cannot be solved or contained by single nations. He called on Germany
and the United States to act jointly, resolutely, at times robustly to protect aligned
global values and to fight radicalism. aspeninstitute.org/wye-fellows
Germany and the United States should act jointly,
resolutely, at times robustly to fight radicalism.

18 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 POETRY AFTER
FERGUSON
Executive Director of the Institutes Arts Program Damian Woetzel
hosted poet, educator, and activist Clint Smith for an arts roundtable
about his book, Counting Descent, an exploration of racial stratification
in the United States. Smith describes the books inspiration:
How does one wrestle with the ever-present and complicated
duality of growing up in a home in which you felt loved, affirmed, and
celebratedand then going out into a world in which youre constantly
rendered a caricature of fear? Part of what Ive been thinking about is the
conversation that black parents have with their children. So, as an artistic
endeavor, I wrote a series of poems about what inanimate objectsor
Steve Johnson

non-human or non-living thingswould say to young black boys in the

same vein as ones parents. Would they give warning? Would they give Smith
solace? It was largely written in response to Ferguson. Im a third-year
PhD student at Harvard right now. I began graduate school the same dehumanization, and the disenfranchisement of black people is not
week that Michael Brown was killed. There was this fascinating moment a historical anomaly but something that is very consistent with the
where my job became going into the library to study the history of racial last 400 years of our countrys history, you start to see the world
inequality in the United States. I became attuned to these historical differently.
phenomena, which fundamentally recalibrated my understanding of Woetzel also announced the Institutes new artists-in-residence:
inequality in this country. When you realize that the delegitimization, the filmaker Ava DuVernay and artist Jeff Koons. aspeninstitute.org/arts
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AROUND THE INSTITUTE

PROJECT PLAY IN
CHARM CITY
From Babe Ruth to Michael Phelps, Baltimore has long produced great
athletes. At one time, the city had one of the nations largest networks of
neighborhood recreation centers, a key feature in developing the vitality of a
citys communities. The Sports & Society Program now aims to help Baltimore
write the next great chapter in its sports history. Working with Baltimore-based
athletic-apparel company Under Armour, Project Play: Baltimore launched this
spring as the first community effort based on the programs flagship national
initiative, Project Play. The multiyear effort aims to lift sports-participation
rates among young people and to develop a collective impact model that other
urban areas can use to increase access to sports. Project Play: Baltimore will
initially focus on a two-square-mile neighborhood in East Baltimore that is home
to 16 schools, 12,000 children, and the UA House, a newly refurbished and

Courtesy of Under Armour/Christin Rose

enhanced recreation center funded by Under Armour. Project Play will share
its knowledge of youth sports and collective impact with community leaders.
The Institute will also help local groups connect with national organizations
in its network. The initiative is in response to former Surgeon General Vivek
Murthys call to action at the first Project Play Summit to take Project Play
on the road and translate it into something that is impacting communities.
A young woman plays basketball in Baltimore.
aspeninstitute.org/sports

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AROUND THE INSTITUTE

EL SUEO 73%
AMERICANO GOOD
JOBS THAT
The Institutes second annual Americas Future Summit was held in OFFER A
Los Angeles in 2016 to take a fresh look at opportunity and equity in a LIVING
changing nation. The summit, organized by the Institutes Latinos and Society
WAGE
Program, called for a more holistic approach to building healthy communities.
The result was a new paper, Opportunity Reimagined: An Inclusive Vision for Healthy
Communities, which explores the unique health, education, and economic needs
of Latino Americans. One theme in particular emerged in the report: the
importance of collaborationwhether its coalition-building, partnering 77%
with community members (including youth), or including more Latinos AFFORDABLE,
and other people of color in positions of power. In partnership with QUALITY
the program, Nielsens Harris Poll conducted a nationwide HEALTH CARE
survey about increasing opportunities. Latino
respondents listed their top priorities:

76%
70% ELECTED
73% CONVENIENT
OFFICIALS WHO
ARE HELD
SAFE AND RELIABLE
ACCOUNTABLE
NEIGHBOR- PUBLIC
FOR THEIR
HOODS TRANSPORTATION
DECISIONS

THE ROBOT WILL SEE YOU NOW

Artificial intelligence is very real and very pervasive. Extraordinary
computing power and a constellation of new technologies have
led to innovations in machine learning, synthetic neural networks,
natural-language processing, and knowledge representation.
Whether its an AI assistant, self-driving car, or digital chess, the
widespread impact of AI is intriguingand demands caution. So the
Institutes Communications and Society Program held a roundtable
With support from the Ferro Institute, participants looked at how
AI will impact society, the economy, government, and even human
well-being. Institute CEO Walter Isaacson launched the summit
by asking: What skills and intelligence are distinctly human? What
do we bring to the partyand what do machines bring? As of now,
the impact of AI remains largely unknown. Meanwhile, the future is
hurtling toward usfrom Amazons Alexa to newsfeed algorithms
Courtesy of IPPA

with top leaders and expertsincluding the MIT Media Labs to cancer-diagnosing machines. For more, read the programs latest
Cynthia Breazeal, LinkedIns Reid Hoffman, Googles Jeff Huber, report, Artificial Intelligence Comes of Age. csreports.aspeninstitute.
and Yales Wendell Wallachto explore the complexities of AI. org/roundtable-on-artificial-intelligence

22 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 FROM UNBANKED TO nLIFTED
Approximately nine million Americans live in unbanked
householdswithout checking or savings accounts. At least
64 million do not have a credit score. And one in five of the
American families who do have bank accounts still turn to
fringe serviceslike payday loans or check-cashersto borrow,
save, and pay bills. But developments in financial technology
are changing the way Americans access banking services. The
question is: will new financial technology make the banking
system more inclusive or exacerbate inequities? The answer
may depend on who designs and delivers these new products.
Nonprofit Leaders in Financial Technology, or nLIFTa group
of nonprofit organizations convened by the FIELD initiative of
the Economic Opportunities Program and the Financial Security
Program at the Instituteargues that nonprofits can harness the
power of financial technology for good. nLIFT membersEARN,
Mission Asset Fund, MyPath, the Financial Clinic, the National
Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, and
Commonwealthprioritize impact over profits as they increase
the economic stability of underserved populations. Currently,
nLIFT is building technologies that will deliver products and
services to the millions who have been left behind by the current
financial system. nlift.org

i
YOUR PHONE, YOUR AMERICA LAUNCHING INTO
CYBERSECURITY
This year, the Institute held its first-ever Aspen Ideas Festival photo contest, The
Cybersecurity is one of the greatest
America I Know, a chance for the public to show us the faces, places, and symbols that
national security and economic security
represent America from a variety of perspectiveswhether from someone who has lived
threats we face, Lisa Monaco, the former
in the United States his or her whole life or from someone who has seen it only in movies. assistant to the president for homeland
Winners will receive a round-trip ticket to Aspen and three nights of lodging during security and counterterrorism, told an
the 13th annual Aspen Ideas Festival, which will take a hard look at the nations deep audience of national security experts at the
Institute in January. Thats why President
divisions and how Americans and others can heal these rifts. As part of this project, the
Barack Obama, Monaco said, made sure
Institute partnered with the iPhone Photography Awards to explore as many Americas cybersecurity was at the top of the priority
as possible. A curated show from the contest will be exhibited on campus. aspenideas.org list for each Cabinet departmentso
no one thought it was just the IT guys
problem. Obama, Monaco continued,
recognized the enterprise risk that cyber
posed. The discussion marked the launch
of the Institutes newest initiative, the
Cybersecurity & Technology Program,
which recognizes that while technological
innovations make the world a better
place, business and government have not
kept pace with the landscape of digital
threats. John Carlin, the former assistant
attorney general for national security, will
chair the program, and Garrett M. Graff,
the former editor of Washingtonian and
Politico Magazine, will serve as executive
director. With rapidly evolving threats
from Russian hackers, Chinese spies, and
Courtesy of IPPA

botnets looming, the initiative intends to

create policy solutions for a safer online
environment. aspeninstitute.org/cyber

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 23

AROUND THE INSTITUTE
Poet Elizabeth Acevedo performs at the
Aspen Institute Summit on Inequality and
Opportunity.
AMERICA AND INEQUALITY
Inequality has always been a national problem, but Americans
today are plagued by historically high income and wealth
inequality, stalled mobility, and a stagnating standard of living. Its
a dangerous combination that almost 10 years after the financial
crisis has Americans working harder to stay in place, with many
left behind by a rapidly changing globalized economy.
In March, the Aspen Institute Summit on Inequality and
Opportunity gathered more than 400 policymakers, thought
leaders, social entrepreneurs, and philanthropists in Washington, DC,
for a day of dialogue about the widening opportunity gap as well as
the innovative solutions to inequality taking root around the country.
America doesnt have to stand for just a wealthy few, said
Michael J. Sorrell, the president of Paul Quinn College, a historically
black college in Dallas, Texas. Thats not who we are or who we have
to be. Ten years ago, Sorrell took over the school, which then had
a 1 percent graduation rate, almost no cash on hand, and a student
population just about everyone had given up on.
We had to make some very difficult financial choices, and
we had to have some tough conversations, Sorrell said. The
circumstances forced him to rethink basic assumptions about the
promise of college and his responsibility to Paul Quinn students
and their families, 80 to 85 percent of whom are eligible for Pell
Grants. Ten years later, Paul Quinn is down a football team, up a
24 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
Laurence Genon
two-acre organic farm on the field where the team once played,
and pioneering the first urban work-college model in the country.
A poet, a grocer, a steel manufacturer, a chef, a senator, a
professorat the Summit, the story of inequality and opportunity
was told by a diverse set of voices who all do unique but
interconnected work toward a common goal. All of us who work on
social change are going to be so much more effective if we embrace
that interconnectedness, said Rachel Schneider, co-author of
The Financial Diaries. If in our youth-opportunity programs we
think about financial well-being, why not housing or health care, or
anything?
The Summit, launched in 2015, represents the Institutes
commitment to understanding the complicated, overlapping
barriers to economic opportunity in the United States. It also
reflects the power of collaboration between the Institutes public
programs division and seven policy programs, which joined forces
to plan and present it. Working together, the public-program
team was able to design an agenda that leveraged the diverse,
issue-specific knowledge and networks of each policy program, and
layered and connected them in a profoundly effective way, says
Ida Rademacher, the executive director of the Institutes Financial
Laurence Genon
Security Program. The Summit is truly a testament to the saying
that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
 The diverse perspectives at the Summit meant that speakers
could showcase their different approaches to the complex issues
underpinning inequality. If we come out of this room today having
the hard discussions, and challenging ideas that are so easy to
accept and not push back on, then were going to get to a better
place, Mike Curtin, CEO of DC Central Kitchen, said. What do
we mean when we talk about the American Dream? As if its a box
of cornflakes on a grocery store shelf, where anybody can walk up
and say, Im going to take my American Dream! Thats absurd.
Lets be honest about that and lets try to fix it.
The Summit is a collaboration between the Institutes public
programs division and seven policy programs: Ascend, the Economic
PODCASTING
Opportunities Program, the Forum for Community Solutions, the ACROSS GENERATIONS
Community Strategies Group, the Financial Security Program, the
Future of Work Initiative, and the Program on Philanthropy and For some, the postinaugural womens marches around
Social Innovation. aspenopportunity2017.org the world in January galvanized the feminist movement,
bringing together voices of different generations of
America doesnt have to activists at once. But for others, the goals of the modern

stand for just a wealthy

womens movement remain polarizing. Thats why The
Laurence Genon

Bridge from the Aspen Institute, a new Institute podcast,

few. Thats not who we puts smart women of different ages, geographies, and
life experiences together to explore the issues, policies,
are or who we have to be. and ideas that will move women forward. In the premiere
episode, journalists Courtney Martin and Pat Mitchell
examine how lessons from past feminist waves can
Sorrell
inform a new cohort as they confront the issues ahead
like how a new administration will impact the womens
movement or whether the urgency around reproductive
justice will dissolve womens generational differences.
In the second episode, the podcast welcomes African
leaders Joy Phumaphi and Sisonke Msimang, who
discuss their experiences working for womens equality
at the global level. Future cross-generational pairs will
look at women and climate change, the media, careers,
race, family, and the economy. The Bridge is hosted by
Peggy Clark and is produced by Katie Drasser, leaders in
the Institutes Global Health and Development program,
which takes on the worlds most overlooked global health
and development challenges. aspeninstitute.org/ghd
Laurence Genon

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 25

AROUND THE INSTITUTE
IF I CANNOT CHANGE YOUR HEART,
NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE
What soft skills would Questlove recommend to high-school
students? I encourage you to go outside of your comfort zone,
the music superstar said. Really get to know people and get to know
cultures. Questlove was speaking to students in his hometown of
Philadelphia as part of the Aspen Challenge, a contest in which
teens are empowered to solve the problems they see in their
own communities. While Questlove was the hero of the day, the
kids also listened intently to an array of local leaderslike Komal
Ahmad, an entrepreneur who uses the principles of the sharing
economy to redirect excess food to those in need; JT Reager,
a NASA Jet Propulsion Lab chief Earth scientist; and Ezekiel
Emanuel, a bioethicist and health care policy expert. To finish
the day, Jeffrey Rosen, the president and CEO of the National
Constitution Center, led the students through an interactive
US Constitution, unveiling the inspiring stories behind each
amendment and discussing the value of separating constitutional
and political views.
A week later, 200 students and educators from across Chicago
gathered for their own introduction to the Aspen Challenge.
Understand that you are the missing ingredient in the city of
Chicago, Reverend Michael Pfleger, a renowned local activist,
told the students. Pfleger said that Rosa Parks once told him that
she chose not to change her seat on the bus because every time
she started to get up, she saw Emmett Tills face. So Emmett
Questlove and Institute Executive
Vice President Rajiv Vinnakota
26 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
Till moves Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks gets arrested, and she moves
Martin Luther King, Pfleger said. All that went back to a child,
a teenager, who set off the civil rights movement. You have the
possibilities and the potential, now. Its inside of you. Its about time
that you let it out and show the rest of Chicago what you got.
Stirring reminders of the contrast between Chicagos media-
stoked reputation for crime and the growing development of new
businesses and buildings downtown ignited powerful questions
from the students about economic disparity, structural racism, and
how to make a difference.
One student asked Robin Robinson, a special adviser for
community affairs at the Chicago Police Department, if the citys
institutions themselves simply need to be reimagined. Robinson
replied: Whats an institution made of? People. Its not like you
can say, Im going to change the institution and not change the
people. I can change policies, rules, and laws, but if I cannot
change your heart, nothing is going to change.
And that was just the beginning. The students and educators
from both citieswho comprised 40 teams from 20 high schools
across each citythen spent eight weeks designing and piloting
solutions to the challenges around them. They showcased their
work in a competition; three teams from Philadelphia and one
team from Chicago will present their solutions at the Aspen Ideas
Festival this summer. aspenchallenge.org
Dan Bayer
 C
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IDEAS SUMMER 2017 29

AS HEARD AT: MELINDA GATES

fieldand how global health has backed away

from contraceptivesI realized I had to step up
and do it.
The pill works in the United States. But
women around the world will tell you they
cant use the pill. They cant hide it from their
husbands or remember to take it every day.
This shot that they were getting is what they
want, but they want it more easily and in
greater supply. So, with our partners, we got
a shot you can give to yourself: a blister pack
with a tiny needle that a health care worker can
put in her kit and go out and give to women.
Were working on registration in a few dozen
countries, so that women will be able to get
it, take it home, and take it themselves. Thats
a game changer. Thats how technology is
helping women.

ON GENDER:
When I first got into philanthropy, I wanted
to stay away from gender issues. I saw them as
soft things. I thought, Im a hard-core technologist.
I believe in data. But I realized that women are
the ones carrying the burdensnot only in
the developing world but in the United States.
Women do the unpaid labor, the second shift at
home. In the developing world, women come

Jared Siskin
Gates
up against these inequities over and over, and
we dont collect the data.

THE RALLYING CRY When you empower a woman, she

empowers everyone around her. She decides
Bill and Melinda Gates have become as famous for their who eats in the house. Shes in charge of
malarial medication or paying school fees. We
philanthropic work as they are for the company that launched dont invest at a huge scale in women, and thats
their success, Microsoft. We knew the wealth from Microsoft a big mistake. Unless we make the investments,
would go back to society, Melinda Gates told Institute CEO we wont change.

Walter Isaacson last November at the Institutes Annual ON DATA:

Awards Dinner at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. It was a How will I know if Im fixing the West African
reproductive-health supply chain unless I have
matter of when, not ifand then it became how. The Aspen data? But theres also value in the women
Institute awarded Gates its 2016 Public Service Award to honor telling us the story of their lives. Women will
the contributions in global health and education that she and tell you: Nobody has asked for my story. No
one has every cared enough about me to ask.
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have made around the Sometimes the man of the house will turn the
world. She spoke with Isaacson about birth control, empowering researcher away, and the woman will find a way
to come out and say, Meet me at the well in
women, and the value of data.
an hour. Without those stories, we dont know
ON CONTRACEPTIVES: about shots for my children. I know about how to act.
There are 225 million women crying out for those, and theyre in stock. But what about Our foundations resources may look
birth control. I was out in the field talking my shot? I go to that clinic, I walk ten enormous. But given the depth of the
about vaccines, and women were constantly kilometers, make up an excuse to leave my problems in society, they are tiny. It takes
asking me for birth control. field, take my babies It was a rallying governments to scale programs up. I cant call
In Africa, they predominantly get a shot cry. Thats what happens when you listen. I on the government to invest unless I know that I
every three months. Its painful, but its covert, kept wanting to turn away, to say, No, lets personally am willing to put down my dollars
so their husbands dont know about it. The keep working on vaccines. But eventually, and I wont unless I have the data to know its a
women would say to me: Youre asking me as I started to learn the history of this good investment.

30 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

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IDEAS SUMMER 2017 31
AS HEARD AT: JOICHI ITO
very opportunistic about the energy coming in.
Social media is a playground, and the
currency of what gets todays kids excited is
attention. Theyll do anything to get under
peoples skin, and you cant get back at
themif you write about them, they enjoy
it. This is one of the tricky parts about being
a journalist in this game. You used to have a
battlefield that you would write about, and
if you wrote about it in harsh-enough terms,
that would affect the battlefield. Well, once
the media itself becomes a battlefield, every
time you use your hammer, you are feeding
the problem. That power gets a bunch of kids
saying: Hey, we can manipulate the system!
Were in charge here.
Trump took that energy and directed
it into a very strong powerbase. And I
dont want to belittle the importance of
the Trump voters, but there is definitely a
decent chunk of energy on the internet that
is something weve never seen: people who
look at the media as a game. These kids are
the guerrillas.

ISAACSON: Did the Russians use them?

Laurence Genon
ITO: I dont know. And if I knew, I might not
say. These networks understand that warfare
Ito
is about deception. This is an online war,
and its very important to try to make sure
WILL DEMOCRACY SURVIVE you dont underestimate your opponents

THE INTERNET?
capabilities and you dont play all of your
cards at once.

In February, the Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series invited ISAACSON: What should outlets like The New
Joichi Ito for a conversation about his new book, Whiplash: How York Times be doing technologically?
to Survive Our Faster Future. Institute CEO Walter Isaacson spoke ITO: Realizing what the battlefield looks
with Itothe director of the MIT Media Lab as well as an online like. You look at metrics to see which pages
activist, entrepreneur, and venture capitalistabout democracy are getting a lot of traffic. Well, if youre
getting a lot of traffic because some ultra-
and internet freedom in the wake of the contentious 2016 right site is making fun of you, thats
presidential election. very different than getting traffic because
everybody is sharing a link because its a
ISAACSON: Whiplash is timely because there The Media Lab has done a lot of good idea. Thats something we have tools
has been both a whiplash and a backlash in analytics on how social media and the for, but journalists dont use them yet.
our political system. mainstream media are connected. You
can see the Trump supporterswhos ISAACSON: Will democracy survive the
ITO: The way Donald Trump has played influencing who, whos talking to who. internet?
his strategy is not over-planning everything, And its clear the mainstream media
being highly responsive, and iterating wasnt listening to or wasnt connected to ITO: Well get a different kind of democracy.
based on what you know. It is more about the people who had an influence on the Each media form has challenged and
surfing a wave than planning a structured election. There were many coordinated changed democracy. The internet is going
campaign. A lot of these trends are coming efforts online that were very sophisticated, to be the biggest shift in democracy so far.
to a point now, and the world is extremely very agile. I dont know the extent to But artificial intelligence will bring an even
unpredictableand if youre agile and which the [Trump] campaign was even bigger challenge. Machines are going to be
small, youre more likely to survive. managing that.Ito I think they were being much harder to track.

32 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

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AS HEARD AT: HENRY LOUIS GATES JR.
Gates
THE PERSISTENCE OF POVERTY
Why have black poverty rates remained static since the end of
the civil-rights movement? When journalist Michele Norris
brought her Race Card Project to the Institute, she immediately
made examinations of race, culture, and identity central parts of
the Aspen idea. We want to try to engage people to talk across
difference, to try to examine deeply entrenched narratives, so that
we better understand how those narratives can confine or define
communities, she told an Institute audience in January. For her
initiatives first event, Norris sat down with Institute Trustee Henry
Louis Gates Jr. The Harvard professor and filmmakers latest
film project is Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, a look at black
history in the modern era. aspeninstitute.org/bridge
34 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
NORRIS: In your new film, you look at the
50-year period from 1965 forward. Why?
GATES: Imagine Martin Luther King came
back now and said, Whats happening?
We would say, Well, Dr. King, the black
upper-middle class quadrupled. He would
say, That means you must have wiped
out poverty! When King died, he was in
Memphis for the garbage-workers strike. He
was planning the Poor Peoples Campaign.
He thought that poverty was a condition that
could be treated. Very few people at that time
thought poverty was structural, that it was a
fundamental part of the American capitalist
system. They thought that there had not been
sufficient will turned toward the problem,
and just as they wiped out nearly a century
of de jure segregation with the passage of
the Voting Rights Acts, they could turn their
attention to wiping out poverty. But thats
not what happened. The poverty rate was 41
percent the day King was assassinated, and
its 38 percent now. So thats a paradox.
Meanwhile, the Black Panthers were busy
trying to dismantle the economic system,
which is why they were systematically killed. In
black studies, we sometimes think of the black
nationals as the radical people. But what did
the American capital system ever do to black
nationals? It started selling them Afro picks and
dashikis made in Texas. The black nationals
were not questioning the economic structure
of the United States. They didnt have an
Laurence Genon
argument with capitalism. They just wanted a
chunk of it. But what happened to the group
that questioned the economic structure of the
country? The Panthers wanted to tear the
system down, and what happened? Boom,
dead.
NORRIS: In the 1970s, we were laying the
foundation for a black middle class. But, when
a black family integrated a neighborhood,
it affected property values and community
wealth.
GATES: Middle-class, white suburban
neighborhoods began to integrate. Then five
years later, the white people left. So two things
happen: (1) the white middle-class suburbs
become integrated, then become blacker; and
(2) the black inner-city neighborhoods that
black middle-class people fled become driven
by class. It used to be that we all lived in the
same neighborhoods because of segregation.
continued on page 36
AS HEARD AT: HENRY LOUIS GATES JR.
continued from page 34
Black doctors and ditch diggers lived next
door to each other, sent their kids to the same
schools. That was a class escalator. Youd
start in the unskilled part of the paper mill,
then youd move up and make a lot more
money, then youd get a mortgage, youd get
two cars and a TV, youd send your kids to
college, and they would become a doctor or
a white-collar worker. That was a cycle.
But after segregation, as soon as you got
enough money to move, you moved, and
black inner-city neighborhoods didnt have
role models to imitate anymore. That left
behind a new and devastatingly repetitious
cycle. The absence of role models, the
presence of crack cocaine, the disappearance
of industrial jobs in the city, it all left behind
devastation.
NORRIS: What should have been happening
to ensure opportunities for working-class
families?
The Panthers wanted to tear down
the economic structure, and what
happened? Boom, dead.
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
GATES: The mistake, as King knew, was
underestimating the role of class in the
history of the American racial imagination.
If you have laws that say, All blacks shall
or All blacks shant, the class differences
within the race are irrelevant. It didnt
matter if you had gone to Harvard or you
were a murderer. You were affected by the
law in exactly the same way. So, we didnt
have time for class differences. But we did
have pronounced class differences within the
racegoing back to house and field Negros
in the Civil War, light-complexioned people,
dark-complexioned people, good hair,
bad hair. Its almost like we invented class,
but the only people who knew about our
class distinctions were us. The larger white
community didnt care.
This film is a wake-up call to the black
upper-middle class. We must demand that the
larger system make changes structurally. But
black members of the upper-middle class and
the leadership class have to insist on this.
36 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
Far too many of us have taken for
granted that the black underclass is going to
be the black underclass, and theres nothing
that can be done.
NORRIS: So what can people do to help
those entrenched in poverty?
GATES: Thats the big question. The
two causes of poverty are structural and
behavioral. Structural, like the disappearance
of industrial jobs from the cities. President
Obama was always very honest: that world
is gone and is never coming back. Donald
Trump said, Elect me, and Ill bring it
back. The structural part is not my area
of expertise, but I dont see concern about
addressing the structural causes of poverty
coming out of the Trump administration.
The other cause of poverty is behavioral:
studying your ABCs, not having a baby as
a teenager, staying in school, not shooting
somebody. All the things that if you say
in public make you sound like Clarence
Thomas. But culture is the air we breathe.
Ive always loved hearing my Jewish
friends talk about Hebrew school. If
American Jews did not have Hebrew school,
there wouldnt be Jewish religion and culture.
They perpetuate their own culture. Whats
that got to do with solving poverty? There are
18 million black Baptists. We have churches.
Why cant we take Sunday school and make
it Hebrew school? Teach computer skills or
DNA? What if I went to an inner-city school
right now and said: Todays lesson is Watson
and Crick. Im going to swab everybodys
cheek, and in six weeks, were going to tell
you what ethnic group your ancestors came
from in Africa. While you wait, were going to
teach you the history of the slave trade and of
the 12.5 million Africans who were shipped
across the ocean. We could do more with
the institutions that we do control. Thats not
going to solve all the problems, but its the best
I can do.
 J U LY 2 7 - 3 1 , 2 0 1 7

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of our time. At the Resnick Aspen Action Forum, we invite ADDITIONAL SPONSORSHIP PROVIDED BY
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THE GREAT RE-SET IDEAS SUMMER 2017 37
AS HEARD AT: SONIA SOTOMAYOR
Sotomayor
MY LIFE IS WORTH MY EFFORT
AND SO IS YOURS.
In December, the Institute honored Supreme Court Associate
Justice Sonia Sotomayor for her distinguished career in judicial
service with the seventh annual Preston Robert Tisch Award in
Civic Leadership at the Museum of Modern Art. The award,
given in memory of Preston Robert Tisch, is sponsored by Steve
Tisch, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, and the Laurie M. Tisch
Illumination Fund. Sotomayor also joined the Institute at a Latinos
and Society Program event in March for a conversation about the
role of civic engagement in society and how to inspire civic action
among Americans. Sotomayor recently joined the board of iCivics,
an interactive website that aims to make civics lessons available at
no cost to schools around the United States. Sotomayor discussed
Latino identity, youth empowerment, her personal motivations,
and more with Latinos and Society Executive Director Abigail
Golden-Vasquez. aspeninstitute.org/latinos-society and who encouraged me to use education as my
38 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
GOLDEN-VASQUEZ: What is the state of
Americas civic culture, and what can we do to
ignite civic spirit?
SOTOMAYOR: We are never going to reach
equality in America until we achieve equality
in education. Its what we need to change if we
want all people equalnot just under lawbut
in participation in society. We have to change the
talk around education, and the understanding
that its not just a local community problem.
None of us can afford to be bystanders in life.
We create our community, and we create it by
being active participants in our community.
Since I joined the board of iCivics, Ive been
an active participant in three new initiatives:
moving into high schools, creating models for
how teachers can create programs to do civic
problems, and making civics accessible to ESL
students.
GOLDEN-VASQUEZ: Latinos start businesses at
four times the rate of the rest of the population,
but we lag behind in civic participation. Why?
SOTOMAYOR: Lets be honest. If youre
working 14 hours a day at your job, it is hard
Laurence Genon
to make time for civic participation. For many
Latinos, thats the quality of their life. Its very
hard to motivate people who barely have time to
sit and think about involving themselves in other
peoples problems. Thats why I think teaching
civic involvement as a bettering not of the
world, but of your community, becomes more
powerful and easier to sell.
GOLDEN-VASQUEZ: What can we do to
empower Latinos who are not one in a million?
SOTOMAYOR: Theres a continuing tension in
America between the image of the person who
pulls themselves up by the bootstraps and the
person who believes that you need a lift to get
up sometimes. Those people who believe that
everyone must pull themselves upthey dont
believe that people are entitled to help. For those
of us who understand that sometimes no matter
how tall the heel on your boot is, the barrier
is too high that you need a small lift to help
you get over itthey will understand that the
inequalities in society build that barrier. Unless
you do something to knock it down or help that
person up, they will never have a chance. I had
those things. I had a unique mother, who was
able to understand the benefits of education
liftoff. But not everyone does. If you come from
continued on page 40
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AS HEARD AT: SONIA SOTOMAYOR
At the end of my life, I want to be able to look at myself and say
that I tried. If you cant say that, you cant claim a meaningful life.
Sonia Sotomayor
continued from page 38
a country where society is closed to equality,
why would you believe that education for
your kids would lead to something different?
How many kids hear that they cant go to
college, that they have to support the family?
Thats not a bad parent. That comes from
a parent whose own life has constricted her
understanding of opportunity. So for me,
thats a constant conversation. Its not an issue
of whether someone is willing to lift herself
up. There are so many barriers that we have
to bring down before we can change the
outcomes.
Take one child in your life, and engage
him in something to help his community. I
dont care what it is. Put them on a computer
and show them the iCivics site. Take them on
a trip to feed the homeless. Take them to a
nursing home and have them talk to someone
there for an afternoon. But take one child
in your life, and show them the meaning of
helping someone else. Dont assume that kids
know what that means. You have to get them
to participate.
GOLDEN-VASQUEZ: How did your time at
Princeton University and in law school help
shape your civic identity?
SOTOMAYOR: When I look at my life,
I believe that the fact that I understood
Sotomayor at the Tisch Award ceremony
40 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
somewhere early on that involvement wasnt
limited to gender, or ethnicityit wasnt
limited to anything but my belonging to my
communityhas carried me throughout my
life. In every role that I have served, I not only
continue to participate in whatever Hispanic
issues that I can. I also join the larger
community around me to address the issues
that are important to thembecause now, I
am a part of that community, too.
I dont see lines the way others do. I dont
see the law as black and white. Most people
expect the law to tell you how to do things.
We have lawyers and judges in our society
because in fact the law is not clear. But the
law interacts with all of our gray areas. And
thats how we have to live.
GOLDEN-VASQUEZ: Who inspires you to
move forward?
SOTOMAYOR: There are two questions I ask
myself every day. One is: what have I learned
today? I try not to limit it to the law. That
would be cheating. Its usually something Ive
read or listened to on the news. It could be
anything. But it has to be something with a
rich meaning. The richer I am, the more I
can give. Thats whats so important about
education. With it, you become a richer and
more interesting person. Think about the
people that you gravitate to. The leaders
have new thoughts, a spirit about them, of
engagement.
The second is: who have I helped today?
There are days where all Im doing is working
on my computer. Then I get home, look at
my messages, and think about someone who
is sick or someone I know who is in need and
reach out to them. If its not too late, I do it
with a phone call. I ask how they are and how
things are going.
But I dont look to people to motivate
menot in that way. Ive had many mentors.
But there are people I hear about who inspire
me to keep going. Everyday, normal people
who have just decided to do something
extraordinary. If they can do it, so should I.
GOLDEN-VASQUEZ: This was one of the
most contentious election processes the nation
has seen. What do you say to people who are
feeling disillusioned?
SOTOMAYOR: You let it happen. Anytime
you are disillusioned by any election or
anything that happened, you have to ask who
is responsible. This happened because we
dont take control and ensure that our voices
are heard. Look at how close the last election
was. Every time I look at people, I want to
ask, Did you vote? And any Latino who
complains to methats the first question
I ask. My point is: we dont have a right to
despair.
Whats left if you walk away? All of those
bad things that you hate? You have done
nothing to change them. At the end of my
life, I want to be able to look at myself and
say, I tried. If you cant say that, you cant
claim a meaningful life.
And thats what spurs me on in everything
I do. If we give up hope, we have nothing
to live for. Theres too much at stake for the
people I love. For the community that is such
an integral part of who I am.
For the children who want to grow up and
have the world that I want, and the future
that I imagine for them. My life is worth my
Erin Baiano
effortand so is yours.
 TWO BROKERS. ONE PURPOSE. 100% SATISFACTION.

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NEW YORK CITY | LONG ISLAND | THE HAMPTONS | WESTCHESTER | CONNECTICUT | NEW JERSEY | FLORIDA | CALIFORNIA | COLORADO | INTERNATIONAL IDEAS SUMMER 2017 41
IMPACT: Alliance for Artisan Enterprise
ARTISAN TO
Aspen Global Health and Developments Alliance for Artisan Enterprise
helps artisans around the world develop creative strategies, remove
barriers to success, and thrive. Here, three members share the results of
that workon their businesses and on the artisans who drive them.
HESHIMA KENYA By Alisa Roadcup
W
hen you step foot onto Heshima Kenyas sun-soaked
campus in Nairobi, it is difficult to recognize the trauma
behind the giggles of the teenage girls on the lawn. You
wont understand the hours of counseling it has taken for
that young girl kicking a soccer ball to smile again. You might guess at the
challenge of mastering the technique behind the scarves hanging on the
clothesline, but you wouldnt see that the repetitive motion involved in
dyeing that fabric is actually a form of therapy. Under the surface here,
there is space for healing, sanctuary, growth, and leadership. This is the
power of holistic programming at Heshima Kenya, a member of the In-
stitutes Alliance for Artisan Enterprise.
42 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
Be
The young women of Heshima
Kenya craft their own paths to
independence.
At Heshima Kenya, refugee women and children are offered an edu-
cation, a secure place to live, and an opportunity to earn a living. The or-
ganization is devoted to protecting, nurturing, and empowering vulnerable
refugee women and girls from East Africa. We provide a community to
allow girls who have undergone unimaginable trauma to healand to be-
come leaders. With comfortable shelter, specialized education programs,
and social enterprise, Heshima Kenya provides long-term solutions for the
myriad challenges refugee girls face. The young women here chart their
own paths to independence: 70 percent are economically self-sufficient af-
ter completing a vocational-training program.
Some girls need more time to heal, like Fartun (not her real name),
 Bezos Scholars at Aspen Ideas Festival
ENTERPRISE
who was very withdrawn when she initially arrived at Heshima Kenya.
She came with an infant son, born from sexual assault. Fartun was hav-
ing difficulty coming to terms with her new situation and accepting her
newborn child. After months of counseling and living in our Safe House,
she began to open up, joining the Girls Empowerment Project educa-
tion program, taking a tailoring course, and later becoming a leader in the
Maisha Collective, a social enterprise that fosters leadership and business-
management skills through the design and production of hand-dyed fab-
rics and textiles. Her son is now enrolled in the Early Childhood Develop-
ment Center, where he is happy and thriving.
Other girls move forward quickly, like Mirelle, who worked her way
through the education and vocational programs, eagerly taking in all that
the Girls Empowerment Program had to offer. She began making and
selling snacks to the other girls and to Heshima Kenya staff to supple-
ment the income she received from the Maisha Collective. She eventually
launched her own catering business and hotel.
Our work has affected thousands of unaccompanied refugee minors
by offering many paths to healing. Every day, we see how this specialized
environment makes a profound and positive impact on the people living
in our community.
Bobby Neptune
We see the same emphasis on community-driven support at the Insti-
tutes Alliance for Artisan Enterprise. In 2015, we joined the Alliance, a
community that understands the delicate balance between empowerment
and entrepreneurshipa challenge when serving such a vulnerable popu-
lation. Our membership in the Alliance connects us to like-minded artisan
groups across the world who confront similar trials and who can share
new opportunities for successes. The Alliance provides a much-needed
sounding board for challenges, new ideas, and insights into the uncharted
territory we sometimes encounter. Plus, the Alliances remarkable thought
leadership and expertise in working with artisan groups from around the
globe imparts a unique perspective.
The Alliance amplifies our outreach. We are able to share our model
and impact other people who care about artisan talent, which has led to
amazing projects, events, and partnerships. We were able to showcase our
products at TEDWomen, collaborate on an artisan-focused project with
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Livelihoods Pro-
gram at the Kakuma refugee camp, and connect with numerous colleagues
with key expertise for our creative partnerships and advisory board.
Every day, Heshima Kenya fights for vulnerable refugee girls to have
an equal chance in this world, and every day we are supported by the
beautiful tapestry of talent in the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise. Because
of our membership with the Institutes Alliance, we can better economi-
cally empower young refugee women and give a voice to those whose voice
has been silenced.
Alisa Roadcup is the executive director of Heshima Kenya.
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 43
IMPACT: Alliance for Artisan Enterprise
MELA ARTISANS By Esha Chhabra
A
t the base of the Himalayas, in Kashmir, a group of
women artisans are contemporizing zalakdozi, hook em-
broidery that resembles crochet and dates back to the
1400s. Whether it is scarves, bedding, or clothing, all
forms of textiles are enhanced with this hook stitch, in patterns that
sing of Kashmir: saffron, tulips, lotus, lilies.
The embroidery is an art form passed down through the generations.
Yet such a deeply entrenched heritage is struggling in the modern era.
Artisans lack a constant supply of work. Payments dwindle in. Its hard
to make a living by simply stitching.
Thats why Navroze Mehta and his daughter, Sonali Mehta
Rao, decided to build a brand to celebrate the beauty of Indian
craftsmanship and make artisan products more accessible. Mela Artisans
combines traditional handcrafting techniques and the functionality of
contemporary design, working with artisan groups around the world
to preserve their age-old traditions and help them access new markets.
The company launched over five years ago and has placed crafts in more
than 300 boutiques and retailers, such as Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf
Goodman. It also has an online shop.
Three years ago, Mela Artisans joined the Institutes Alliance for
Artisan Enterprise to learn from other brands and gain access to resources
tailored to its needs. In the past two years, Mela has been able to get small
loans for its artisan groups, which enable them to buy materials up front
and place orders for upcoming product lines.
One artisan Mela has helped is Tasleema Akhter, who at the age of
eight was learning to perfect her hook stitches in Kulgam, an agrarian
community in Kashmir. The transition from a hobby to a serious source
of income started when she was 16 and began working as an individual
artisan for local traders. There was no financial security, as the work
used to be irregular, Akhter says. Most of my time, I was sitting idle.
SASA DESIGNS By Megan MacDonald
I
n rural Kenya, deafness is frequently misunderstoodor as-
sumed to be a mental disorder. But with respectable jobs, deaf
people have the opportunity to show their communities that they
are valuable and can take care of themselves.
Sasa Designs was started in 2011 to provide dignified work to deaf
women in Kenya. Since its inception, Sasa has empowered the deaf
through skills training, leadership development, and a path toward in-
dependent business ownership. Sasas membership in the Institutes
Alliance for Artisan Enterprise has provided exposure and access to
resources that have helped it transform from a small project under
the umbrella of a larger nonprofit into a wholesale brand that part-
ners with artisans in five countries: Kenya, Haiti, Mexico, Zambia,
and El Salvador. Our work at Sasa centers on our now-independent
deaf partners in Kenya, who are learning how to manage their busi-
nesses and balance thriving local markets in Kenya while continuing
to distribute globally through Sasa Designs.
One of our guiding philosophies has been to ensure full-time work
and wages to our artisans. Paydays are always a good thing, but when
they are inconsistent, they can limit a familys ability to climb the eco-
nomic ladder. The community impact of Sasa Designs work is felt far
44 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
Artisans display their work
Photo courtesy of Mela Artisans
After five years of going solo, she decided to join a local artisan group,
Hunarmand. Today, she is regarded as a master artisan. Operating in a
group was the answer, she says, and not only for the higher wages: she also
improved her skills and discovered new templates and patterns.
Akhter has been instrumental in educating other young women about
new designs. In 2011, when an opportunity came to take on a managerial
role, Akhter became a production coordinator for Indias National Trust
for Arts and Cultural Heritage, INTACH. Mela Artisans Mehta and
Mehta Rao met Akhter on one of their routine visits and were captivated
by her passion for the craft.
That is the power of the Alliance and brands devoted to the
handmade. And it is the power of strong, young female leaders who,
thanks to the Alliance, now have allies in rethinking manufacturing for
the modern era.
Esha Chhabra is a communications specialist working with Mela Artisans.
beyond our workshop and primary staffthe impact goes deep into the
community, where we source thousands of dollars worth of brass, glass,
horn, and bone each month from other independent artisans. We also
keep corporate accounts with three of Americas top component suppli-
ers in the jewelry arenawhich demonstrates the value of artisan busi-
ness models to the global economy. Small- and mid-sized US businesses
now sell Sasa Designs final products.
In 2015, Sasa Designs was honored to share our work at the State
Department as the winner of the Alliance for Artisan Enterprises multi-
media competition, I Am Artisan. Our video gave our deaf team in
Kenya the opportunity to share their personal and professional lives. The
recognition we received by the Alliance and from US Secretary of State
John Kerry in 2015 at the launch of the Global Campaign for the Al-
liance for Artisan Enterprise affirmed the voices we are committed to
bringing to the table as this initiative grows. While our deaf partners can-
not speak in a way that many understand, their continued production,
energy, and thriving confidence has created a platform for growth that is
now having an impact on artisans and buyers across the globe.
Megan MacDonald is the president of Sasa Designs.
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IDEAS SUMMER 2017 45
IMPACT: Business and Society

INVESTING IN
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Romy Parzick is an executive at the Austin-based NetSpend, a
leading provider of reloadable prepaid cards and other financial
services. Her career has focused on financial inclusion. In 2015, Parzick
was selected for the Aspen Institute Business and Society Programs
First Movers Fellowship Program, which was established in 2009 as the
leading global network and professional-development program for
corporate social intrapreneursaccomplished innovators
working inside companies. For her Fellowship project, Parzick built
and launched the NetSpend Foundation, whose mission is to provide
NetSpend customers equal access to education, skill-building,
and resources that can increase their earning power and improve
the quality of their lives. By Romy Parzick

N
etSpend provides a powerful alternative banking solution
for people who dont want or cant get a traditional bank
account. Our company was built on the idea that people
are left out of the financial mainstreamand they de-
serve responsible alternatives.
Accessing funding for education later in life can be a challenge, es-
pecially if youre living paycheck to paycheck. For those on a tradition-
al education path, funding mechanisms like scholarships, grants, and
federal loans are available. But take a nontraditional path, and as a
low- or moderate-income person, you are likely looking at higher-cost
funding sources with less favorable repayment terms to help finance
your education. All too often, that means you dont finish what you
started, because you reach a point when you just cant afford itand
now you dont have that new degree or certification, but you do have
a sizable amount of debt.
So I worked to establish the NetSpend Foundation, and our first
program is a scholarship fund for our customers. Through this pro-
gram, weve learned that the relatively small investment into a new cer-
tification for one of our customers can lead to a powerful life change.
Imagine changing someones life for only $1,000 to $4,000. Take
Staci, a 32-year-old single mother of three with an annual income
under $45,000. She has worked in retail as a senior certified pharmacy
technician for eight years at an hourly rate, but her income is only
enough to pay rent and utilities.
Bezos Scholars at Aspen Ideas Festival
Staci doesnt qualify for government assistance because she makes
$112 over the limit for help. But that $112 dollars doesnt cover health
care or groceries or allow her to do nice things for her children. The
NetSpend Foundation scholarship gave her the funds she needed to
gain additional pharmaceutical-technician certifications, giving her ac-
cess to higher rungs on the pay ladder.
With the First Movers Fellowship Program, I found the peer coach-
ing and support I needed to persevere as I negotiated the complexities
of building allies, getting approvals, and finding funding for a new ini-
tiative during a year when the internal budget was very tight.
In year one, we gave out 15 scholarships, thereby proving the con-
cept. The scholarships excited our leadership and external partners
with the possibilities and allowed our employees to engage in meaning-
ful ways. Bringing scholarship winners to meet the NetSpend team was
the highlight of 2016. Weve already raised two and a half times our
initial seed money and have solidified our executives commitment to
this program.
Financial institutions can be a force for good in the lives of their
customers. And doing good by your customers leads to powerful business
outcomes. Our best sources of new customers are our existing happy
customers. Our cardholders tell their friends, families, and neighbors
about us. They can and will be advocates for us if we are advocates for
them. We believe the NetSpend Foundation is the start of a new, exciting
journey to support loyal customers in life-changing ways.

46 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 Start-Up Nation FinderTM:
Your Gateway to Israeli Innovation

finder.startupnationcentral.org
IMPACT: College Excellence

GETTING TO FOUR
Every year, thousands of Americans enroll in community colleges
with the goal of continuing on to a four-year college or university
to earn a bachelors degree. Yet, too often, exceptional community-
college students dont reach that goal. Through no fault of their own,
they fall short of their dreamsand communities across the US miss out
on their talents. The Institutes College Excellence Program works with
community colleges and four-year institutions to build clearer bridges
and to increase access for low- and moderate-income students.
By Zach Johnson Rebecca Egbert Tania LaViolet Keith Witham
Bezos Scholars at Aspen Ideas Festival

48 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

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IMPACT: College Excellence
C-STEP poster
PATHWAYS TO COLLEGE SUCCESS
With a mission of serving the local community and with lower tuition
than most four-year institutions, community colleges offer a promising
point of access to higher education for those who may not have followed
a direct path to a four-year degree. Zach Johnson was one of those in-
dividuals.
At the age of 18, rather than apply to college like many of his peers,
Johnsoneager to push boundaries and inspired by his grandfather, a
Korean War veteranenlisted in the Marines. During four years of
service, he deployed for two tours in Afghanistan and was selected to
join the bomb-dog-handling team. When Johnsons enlistment ended
in 2012, he sought out a new set of challenges and looked to Cape Fear
Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina. I went into Cape
Fear because the college was right there, and there was a huge veteran
community there, Johnson says. I was leaving the military community
and wanted to go into another community where I would feel at home.
Initially, Johnson says, he thought he would be a veterinarian be-
cause of his work with animals in the military. However, when he started
community college, he immediately felt the consequences of four years
spent outside of any type of academic settingand he struggled.
Hes not the only one: 80 percent of students entering community
college intend to transfer to a four-year institution, but only 24 percent
of them actually doand even fewer obtain a bachelors degree.
It brought me to do some serious reevaluating, Johnson says. I
changed my major to business, and I dedicated myself to helping others.
I interned for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, which opened
my eyes to law and the justice system, and that has stayed with me.
Though the value of education was deeply instilled by two genera-
tions of teachers in his family, Johnson wasnt sure at where his education
would take him. He also knew he wanted to continue in public service,
but he wasnt sure what form that would take or how to get there. Like
many community-college students, Johnson was ambitious but needed a
clear path forward. He found his way thanks to a poster in the Veterans
Center at Cape Fear for a program called the Carolina Student Trans-
fer Excellence Program. C-STEP is run through the admissions office
at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; its mission is to help
students of all ages from low-income families transfer from one of ten
partnering North Carolina community colleges into UNC.
The poster was simplea picture of the Old Well, the iconic ro-
tunda on UNC Chapel Hills campus, that said something along the
50 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
lines of, Were here for nontraditional students, according to Johnson.
You know how when a new idea hits you, and its something you didnt
know you needed or wanted until you discover it? It was like finding a
group I didnt know I belonged in.
C-STEP gave Johnson a home at UNC Chapel Hill before he was
even attached to the school. He was able to visit several times before he
started classes. And advisers from UNC visited Cape Fear to talk with
students about their plans after they transferred. By the time I got to
Chapel Hill, Johnson says, I already knew the campus, and I already
felt like I was at home.
UNC Chapel Hill is a founding member of the American Talent
Initiative, a Bloomberg Philanthropiessupported partnership among
the Institutes College Excellence Program; Ithaka S+Rs Educational
Transformation Program, which works with leaders in higher education
to foster innovation; and a growing alliance of state, Ivy League, and
private liberal-arts colleges and universities committed to substantially
increasing opportunity for low- and moderate-income students. ATI in-
stitutions are dedicated to learning from each other about how best to
enroll, engage, and support lower-income students through graduation
and beyond.
Five years later, Johnson is poised to graduate from one of the na-
tions best public universities, with a degree in Management and Society.
He is committed to serving people and making a difference: Johnson has
already been accepted to law school, after which he hopes to pursue a
career advancing social justice.
WHAT COLLEGES DO MATTERS
Johnsons chance encounter with a poster was part of a larger effort by
Chapel Hill to reach out to talented, nontraditional, and lower-income
students who might have reservations about UNC. The message: you
belong here. The C-STEP program was started in the admissions of-
fice at Chapel Hill in 2006 to help talented students from low-income
families and nontraditional college paths find their way into UNC and
be successful there. UNC Chapel Hill had not always been viewed as
a very transfer-friendly institution, says Becky Egbert, a senior assistant
director of admissions and the director of the C-STEP program. That
was something we wanted to change. The program works with many
different departments on campus, Egbert says, to ensure, for example,
that community-college students are making the right course choices for
their majors and are on track to graduate from their community college
within two years. The financial-aid office sends a staff member to each of
the ten colleges to talk to students about finances, make sure theyre filling
out the right paperwork, and help them feel more at ease with the costs.
We make students aware of need-based aid, Egbert says, and let them
know they can make it work.
The kinds of support that helped Johnson succeed at UNC Cha-
pel Hill are critical. His journey is an example of how good policy that
provides access to academic advising, holistic support, and community
building across a continuum of two-year and four-year college campuses
can help talented students like Johnson reach their full potentials. The
importance of such intentional practices is underscored by trends show-
ing that nontraditional students like Johnson are becoming the new nor-
mal in higher education.
Zach Johnson is a student at UNC Chapel Hill.
Rebecca Egbert is the director of the C-STEP program at University of North Carolina.
Tania LaViolet is a senior program manager at the Aspen Institute.
Keith Witham is deputy director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.
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 THE HENRY CROWN FELLOWSHIP CELEBRATES
20 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP | BY ALISON DECKER

52 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 W
hat if accomplished business
leaders applied their entrepre-
neurial talents, networks, and
collective brainpower toward
building a better society? What
would the world look like?
That world is exactly what the Henry Crown
Fellowshipthe Aspen Global Leadership Networks
flagship programhas been building for the past two
decades. The Fellowship develops community-spirited
leaders, giving them the toolsand the nudgethey
need to meet the complex challenges of business and
civic leadership. Each years class of 20 Henry Crown
Fellows has already achieved considerable success,
generally in the private sector. They are all beginning to
look toward the broader role they might take on in their
communities. The Fellowship gives diverse leaders the
head and heart space to reflect on leadership and impact
when they are at an inflection point in their lives, says
Tonya Hinch, a 2007 Henry Crown Fellow and the
programs managing director. They begin their journey
of moving from success to significance.
Over the course of two years, Fellows attend a structured
series of four weeklong seminars. The first, The Challenge
of Leadership, in Aspen, Colorado, focuses on the qualities
of leadership necessary to master the forces of change. At
the end of the first weeks seminar, each incoming class
votes to give itself a name to capture the spirit of the class
as they first discover their new compatriots and to serve as a
guiding philosophy. The second, the classic Aspen Executive
Seminar, at the Wye River Conference Center in Maryland,
gives Fellows the opportunity to explore the Good Society
and to learn how to make it a reality. In the third, Leading
in an Era of Globalization, Fellows meet with other Fellows
from across the Aspen Global Leadership Networkbe they
from Latin America, India, China, Africa, the Middle East,
or South Carolinato explore clashing values in an ever-
more-entwined world. The final seminar, The Promise of
Leadership, allows Fellows to explore issues around legacy
and life balance and to plan for their future as a class.
Kristen Grimm, a 2014 Henry Crown Fellow, recalls
her first experience with the Fellowship: I had no idea
Photos courtesy of Henry Crown Fellowship
what I was getting into. Grimm, the founder and
president of Spitfire Strategies, says that it all became
clear within a week: I was going to rethink everything
what I valued, what I stood for, who I respected, and the
many assumptions I had come to hold as truths.
Top: Reed Hastings (1998), founder and CEO, Netflix; Lisa Skeete Tatum (2012), founder and CEO, Landit; Javier Olivan (2014), vice president of growth, Facebook;
Center: Sheila Lirio Marcelo (2012), founder, CEO, Care.com; Marla Blow (2015), CEO, FS Card Inc.; Marcelo Claure (2016), president and CEO, Sprint Corporation; Bottom:
Alexa von Tobel (2016), founder and CEO, LearnVest; Dolf van den Brink (2014), president, Heineken Mexico; David Gilboa (2014), co-founder and co-CEO, Warby Parker
It was a lot to absorb. Yet Grimm says that the
Instituteand the setting of Aspen itselfmade all
of this soul-searching engaging rather than torturous. I
laughed more than I had in a long time. Now, three
years later, she says, The experience is without rival.
NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED
All Fellows are required to design and launch a leadership
venturea project that addresses what they identify as the
foremost social, economic, and political challenges of their
time. Its expected that Fellows will apply the leadership
practices they hone during their Fellowships to do the kind
of galvanizing work they had always meant to dobut
never found the time for. Many have been so successful
that in 2007, Institute Trustee Anne Welsh McNulty
established the John P. McNulty Prize to recognize the
strongest ventures around the Aspen Global Leadership
Network and amplify their impact. Given the variety of
Fellows, leadership ventures take myriad paths. But they
all have one thing in common: a fresh approach. Ventures
offer a chance to be bold. To take a risk.
Putting a pair of eyeglasses on every low-income child
in the country, for instance, may sound ambitious. But
thats the kind of impact Henry Crown Fellows aspire to.
Dave Gilboa, a 2014 Fellow and the co-founder and co-
CEO of Warby Parker, created a program with a mission
to provide better vision for students in need.
Gilboa and his team started in their own backyard,
working closely with the city of New York and its
Community School Initiative. Warby Parker estimates
that though 20 to 25 percent of New York City public-
school students have vision problems and require
optometric testing and glasses, they dont have access
to testing or cant afford it. If children could see the
board and (literally) focus in class, the team reasoned,
they would be more motivated to attend class and to pay
attention, and ultimately be more prepared to succeed.
With Gilboas leadership, Warby Parker launched a four-
year program to distribute more than 20,000 eyeglasses
to children in New York City. Warby Parker has since
launched a similar program in Baltimore, providing
glasses to more than 8,000 students in 150 public
schools. The company has also teamed up with Johns
Hopkins University to conduct a study to understand the
correlation between vision treatment and reading scores.
Johns Hopkins will publish the studys findings with the
aim of influencing public policy at the federal level.
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 53
 A Crowning Achievement
ASSEMBLING THE MOSAIC
The Institutes Henry Crown team considers about 400
candidates each year, looking for clear evidence that candidates
are at the right point in their lives and careers to stretch their
leadership. The commitment is not just for four seminars over
two years but also the time to launch a meaningful venture
and an expectation that Fellows will remain engaged with the
Henry Crown Program the rest of their lives.
Assembling the mosaic of Fellows is like building an
orchestra, says Keith Berwick, the former executive director
of the Henry Crown Fellowship: You dont need 16 violinists,
even if they are the most fantastic violinists you have ever
heard. You need to make sure that there are different voices at
a table. The team thinks about diversity in a methodical way.
A typical class will have a mix of traditional entrepreneurs,
like Reed Hastings (1998), the creator of Netflix, or Reid
Hoffman (2010), the co-founder of LinkedIn. But there will
also be someone like Blair Christie (2015), the former senior
vice president of Cisco, an intrapreneur now working on
a venture to rebalance the gender ratio in private and public
boardrooms.
CIVIC-MINDED LEADERS WILL
CHANGE THE WORLD
The values embodied in the Henry Crown Fellowship honor
the memory of Chicago industrialist Henry Crown, whose
career was marked by a lifelong commitment to integrity,
industry, and philanthropy. One of his guiding philosophies
HENRY CROWN FELLOWS REFLECT
LISA SKEETE TATUM, 2012
FOUNDER AND CEO, LANDIT
What could a woman achieve if given the access, tools, resources, and support to
pursue her biggest dreams? Millions of women around the globe are looking to
answer this very question.
In 2012, after more than a decade as one of the nations few African-Amer-
ican female venture capitalists, I had decided that I wanted to focus beyond just
my board work; I wanted to focus on positively impacting the lives of women. I
wanted to unlock the potential of women in the workplace. I had no idea what that
looked like or how I was going to figure it out.
But an impromptu dinner, where I found myself seated next to a Henry Crown
Fellow, was about to change my life. Within weeks, he convinced me that the Fel-
lowship would be the experience I needed to help chart this new path. The more I
learned about the authentic commitment to making a difference with measurable
results, the more the mission spoke to me.
There is no way I could have known the impact the Fellowship would have on
Within weeks, he convinced me that the Fellowship would be the experience I needed to
help chart this new path. The more I learned about the authentic commitment to making
a difference with measurable results, the more the mission spoke to me.
54 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
was that changing the world requires civic-minded business
leaders. Government, he reasoned, couldnt address all of
societys issuesand so he held himself and his company
responsible for making up the difference. When he died, in
1990, longtime friends Francis and Muriel Hoffman teamed
up with the Aspen Institute to launch the Fellowship. The
Crown family, which has been involved with the Institute
for almost two decades, also takes pride in the Fellowship.
When Fellows graduate, Lester Crown, Henrys son, invites
Fellows to embrace their broader roles in their communities.
Jim Crown, Henrys grandson, serves on the Henry Crown
Fellowship Board of Overseers in his current role as chairman
of the Institutes Board of Trustees.
Peter Reiling, a 1998 Henry Crown Fellow and the current
executive director of the program, made it his leadership
venture to expand the Henry Crown Fellowship into what
is now known as the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Teaming up with other Fellows to launch new programs, the
network now comprises 2,500 Fellows in 14 Fellowships spread
across sectorsincluding education, health, finance, politics,
and the environmentand across more than 50 countries.
Each initiative is modeled on the original Henry Crown
Fellowship Program.
Building this incredible community has become my
lifes work, Reiling says. And whats been so fun is all those
who have joined me to make it a reality. I can read the news
on any given day and see the positive impact our Fellows
are making.
my career, my personal development, my family, and my goal of helping others
bring their best selves to the workplace.
The framework for Landit, an online network for professional women, started
out as my venture. The initial iteration at my first check-in received a Sounds
nice, but are you thinking big enough? comment. (Ouch!) I worked on it for the
next two years, and it came together just in time for that final presentation, where
I had three minutes (actually two minutes and 53 seconds, but whos counting) to
explain my new lifes work.
The outpouring and support from the other Fellows gave me what I needed to
take this big leap of faith, including by becoming investors, board members, and
advisers. They are amazing friends and my best advocates. I am proud that I have
been able to reciprocate by serving all of those roles for my classmates. I even
co-founded Landit with Sheila Marcelo, my Henry Crown classmate and close
friend from business school.
 LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
The Henry Crown team continues to look forward. The
key question, Hinch says, is: How do we keep the Fellows
meaningfully engagedand, as Bill Mayer, chair of the Henry
Crown Board of Overseers asksto what end?
The answer to Mayers question comes in the ways Henry
Crown Fellows use their talents to build the Good Society. Fellows
start companies with a mission to both do well financially and
to give back: David Ebersman (2000) and Bryan Roberts (2006)
launched Lyra Health, a behavioral-health technology company
that connects people who have health conditions to providers
and treatments, for example. They step out of business careers
into public service: Deval Patrick (1999) served as governor of
Massachusetts, Sylvia Burwell (2005) as secretary of health and
human services, and Cory Booker (2003) as one of the current
US senators from New Jersey.
419 400 400 40%
THERE ARE OVER
Henry Crown Fellows ventures have been started
(as of 2017). by Henry Crown Fellows.
89% of Fellows work 23% of Fellows are CEOs;
the vast majority are
in the United States.
senior leaders.
SERGIO GONZALEZ, 1999
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT AND
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
In 1999, I was the chief of staff for the mayor of Miami-Dade County, with a daily
agenda that included political consensus building, constituency matters, and developing
local policies on issues with national implications, such as gun control and immigration.
I was also very involved in a number of community organizations. Needless to say, life
was hectic and grueling. Thats when a longtime mentor told me about this leadership
program for young professionals. I immediately felt I would benefit tremendously and
was thrilled when I learned that I had been selected to participate in what we named
the Triple Crown Class. I was one of the first Hispanic candidates, the first Fellow from
South Florida, and the only government professional with a background in the nonprofit
field. I looked forward to being a productive member of the class.
We bonded immediately. Because we were at a similar inflection point in our ca-
reers, we were eager to share our experiences and learn from each other. With the help
of our skillful moderators, our seminars and subsequent discussions featured a deep
analysis of leadership in all its forms, a look at the impact of our actions, and a focus on
the greater good. Our meetings became an oasis of ideasan opportunity to remove
ourselves from our work lives and embark on a deeper understanding of ourselves and
our professional journeys.
Our regular communications and yearly reunions have deepened friendships, and
this intellectual support system also extends to Fellows from other years; in South
Florida, we have developed our own network. The need for constructive, values-based
leadership and communication is more important than ever.
They join company boards and government advisory
councils: former Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs Suzanne
Nora Johnson (1998) serves on the boards of Pfizer, Intuit,
AIG, and Visa, helping build board diversity and serving as a
role model to women throughout Wall Street; Preeta Bansal
(2009) was named to Barack Obamas advisory council on
faith-based and neighborhood partnerships.
The Fellowship is not something you do, says Tim
Noonan (2008), a vice president of the Boeing Corporation. It
is something you become. Through the readings, the dialogue,
the friendships, the community, I became a Henry Crown
Fellowmore open, aware, giving, responsible, and alive than I
thought I could be, changed on the inside forever.
Alison Decker is the managing editor of Ideas: The Magazine of
the Aspen Institute.
ABOUT NEARLY
candidates are considered of Fellows are
each year for 20 spots; people of color.
a 5% acceptance rate.
40% are women.
60% are men.
CHRISTY ORRIS, 2007
FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER,
PEAK TO PEAK INVESTING
In 2007, I was given one of the greatest gifts in my life, but I didnt
know it then: I was chosen to be in the 11th class of the Henry Crown
Fellows. It was not a leadership course. It was a life courseone that
pushed me to examine who I was and who I wanted to be.
I have cultivated some of my most treasured friendships through
the Fellowship and the overall Aspen Global Leadership Network.
These friends support me, push me, and inspire me to be a better
person and leader. We are a diverse group, yet we share the passion
to ponder challenges, brainstorm solutions, and strive to be better
leaders in our families, businesses, and communities.
These bonds strengthen the Fellowship and keep us all coming
back year after year. My husband, Jay, attended the Aspen Semi-
nar with me in 2007, and it inspired us to build similar programs
at our childrens schools and at the University of Colorado so that
younger generations will have the opportunity to explore what is
really meaningful to them. Our teenage kids are now participating
in the Youth Action Forum, which runs concurrent with the Resnick
Aspen Action Forum and was started two years ago to help youth
from around the world ponder their values and societal issues. The
Fellowship is a gift that will last a lifetime. I intend to make the most
out of it!
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 55
 A Crowning Achievement
With the co-founding of the Africa Leadership Initiative
in 2002 as his Henry Crown Fellowship venture, Aspen
Institute Executive Vice President Peter Reiling laid the
foundation for what would become the Aspen Global
Leadership Network. Since then, he has teamed up
with many other Henry Crown Fellows, listed below, to
launch and grow a range of regional and industry-specific
Fellowships, taking the Aspen method of developing
values-based leadership around the world.
2002 Fellows Arne Duncan, Stace Lindsay, Russ Pillar, and Joanna Rees at their
first seminar, the Challenge of Leadership, in Aspen.

2002 2002 2003 2005 2006

AFRICA LEADERSHIP AFRICA LEADERSHIP AFRICA LEADERSHIP CENTRAL AMERICA AFRICA LEADERSHIP
INITIATIVE: GHANA INITIATIVE: INITIATIVE: LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE:
EAST AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA INITIATIVE WEST AFRICA
Ken Ofori-Atta (2000)
Peter Reiling (1998) Ali Mufuruki (2001) Isaac Shongwe (2002) Stace Lindsay (2002) Ken Ofori-Atta (2000)
Beth Brooke-Marciniak (1997) Peter Reiling (1998) Peter Reiling (1998) Peter Reiling (1998) Peter Reiling (1998)
Suzanne Nora Johnson (1998) Fabricio Altamirano (2010)
Sonal Shah (2006) Margarita Herdocia (2005)

HENRY CROWN FELLOWS REFLECT

SHANE TEDJARATI, 2006
PRESIDENT, GLOBAL HIGH-GROWTH REGIONS, HONEYWELL, INC.

Mehrdad Baghai, a 2004 Henry Crown Fellow, told me about the pro-
gram and said it would be one of the most worthwhile experiences of my
life. I had never heard of the Henry Crown Fellowship before, but given
how much I trusted Mehrdads judgment, I was intrigued.
I really didnt want to commit to yet another social group or training
function or to a place where I would meet new contacts. In fact, I wanted
to curtail my commitments. But when Keith Berwick told me about going
from success to significance and finding yourself at an inflection point, it
struck a chord. I felt it could be just what I needed.
I expected the Fellowship to be more of a learning and thinking exer-
cise, given the massive amount of readings, but it ended up being a spiritual
journey for me. It was Life 2.0. It made me think deeply about my purpose
and how I wanted to spend the next one to two decades.
I am really connected to the Fellows in my Great Xpectations class. We
sustain each other and are always ready to help each other. Henry Crown
gave me the opportunity to do two major projects: to launch, together
with Peter Reiling and Chadia El Meouchi Naoum (2008), the Middle
East Leadership Initiative; and a couple of years later, to launch, again with
Reiling, the China Fellowship Programmy original idea for a leadership
venture.
Gving back to the Middle East, the region I am from, in this unique
and meaningful fashion is a privilege and deeply satisfying. As for China,
it is my adopted country, where I have spent over 25 years of my life.
To see the China Fellowship Program flourishand to see the Chinese
Fellows integrate themselves into the Aspen Global Leadership Net-
work and complete the circleis truly remarkable. Whats even more
fascinating is to watch the Middle East Leadership Initiative and China
Fellows take on their own ventures, make a difference in their own com-
munities, and build a better society. Thats ultimately what the Institute
is all about. I am ready for Life 3.0.

I expected the Fellowship to be more of a learning and thinking exercise,

given the massive amount of readings, but it ended up being a spiritual journey for me.
56 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
 2003 Fellows Cory Booker and Anne Devereux- Current Aspen Institute Board Chair Jim Crown with his Program founders Francis and Muriel Hoffman at the Aspen
Mills singing by the campfire with senior mod- grandfather, Henry Crown. Institute Annual Awards dinner in New York.
erator Keith Berwick during their final seminar.

2006 2007 2009 2013 2015 2016

KAMALNAYAN PAHARA-ASPEN MIDDLE EAST CHINA HEALTH FINANCE
BAJAJ EDUCATION LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP INNOVATORS LEADERS
FELLOWSHIP FELLOWSHIP INITIATIVE PROGRAM FELLOWSHIP FELLOWSHIP

Sonal Shah (2006)
Brooks Enwistle (2007)
Suzanne Nora
Johnson (1998)
Peter Reiling (1998)
Kim Smith (2002) Chadia El Meouchi Shane Tedjarati (2006) Michelle Wilver (2011) Ranji Nagaswami (2005)
Joanna Rees (2002) Naoum (2008) Peter Reiling (1998) Joanna Rees (2002) David McCormick (2003)
Reed Hastings (1998) Shane Tedjarati (2006) Peter Reiling (1998) Lisa Shalett (2008)
Reid Hoffman (2010) Stace Lindsay (2002)
Peter Reiling (1998) Peter Reiling (1998)

BETH BROOKE-MARCINIAK, 1997

GLOBAL VICE CHAIR OF PUBLIC POLICY, ERNST & YOUNG, AND ASPEN INSTITUTE TRUSTEE

One day sometime in the mid-1990s, I was informed that I had been selected to
be a Fellow in the Aspen Institutes inaugural class of Henry Crown Fellows. The
question to me was whether I would be willing to accept: being a Fellow required a
commitment of 21 days over two years, and attendance was mandatoryno miss-
ing a session or youre out.
Since the program had no history, I had no brochures or materials to share
with my boss. But after I found out as much as I could about the Fellowship, I
had a great feeling and I was intrigued. Values-based leadership was just what I
needed to help me better understand what I was doing in my work and why. I
told my boss not to worryI would take all my vacation to attend the program.
To this day, I do not know who nominated me. I do know that I joined the
Clinton administration for two years for reasons similar to those that inspired
me to join the Fellowship: I wanted to impact society in a broader way than my
job seemed to let me. Success for successs sake wasnt good enough. I knew I
had so much more to give.
The Fellowship delivered exactly what I had hoped and more. Without it, I
might have succumbed to the pressures that tell you that success is good enough.
The Fellowship seemed to catch all of us at a point in our careers when we were
successful, yes, but hadnt thought seriously about what to do with that success. It
made us think. And discuss. And then act. The dialogues didnt drive us to same-
ness; they provided a context for each of us to realize and value our differences.
The mosaic of our class was purposeful. We were selected to be pieces of a
stained-glass window: beautiful together but different on our own. The intense
dialogue exposed those differences in the most unvarnished way. We listened,
learned, agreed, and disagreed. And we grew.
We learned that in an uncertain and volatile world, dialogue was the only
way forward. We were grounded in readings from great philosophers, which en-
couraged us to strip ourselves mentally bare. During our two years together, we
shared more with each other than we had in some cases with even our partners,
and we bonded in a way most of us had not bonded with anyone.
As the first class, we knew we were an experiment. Only in hindsight did I
see just how important our experiment was. We each developed ventures to put
our thinking into action. I had some fits and starts. But when I did, there was the
network. Since we were the first class, the incredible network of the Fellows grew
from there: an incredible ecosystem of support to a group of young leaders. And
when we needed help, someone was always there to to mentor us, coach us, and
inspire us on our journeys from success to significance.
We have been together now for 20 years, and we have shared ups, downs,
transaction failures, successes, births, deaths, new adventures, and the end of
adventurestransitions through which we are always there for each other. The
Henry Crown Fellowship changed my life. It gave me permission to pursue sig-
nificance and the comfort of being part of a group that pursues the Good Society.

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 57

 A Crowning Achievement
FELLOWSHIP VENTURES
Each Henry Crown Fellow is required to launch a new
venture for social impact. With over 400 ventures
launched, Fellows are working to close educational
achievement gaps, improve access to health care,
protect cultural heritage, promote environmental
sustainability, fight rare diseases, bridge the digital
divide, and more. Below are just a few examples.

MEHRDAD BAGHAI, 2004

HIGH RESOLVES INITIATIVE
To motivate high-school students to become purposeful global
citizens, international business executive Mehrdad Baghai and his wife,
Roya, founded the High Resolves Initiative. It has engaged more than
120,000 students in 120 schools in Australia and encouraged them
to reflect on important issues like collective identity, justice, conflict
resolution, collective action, and leadership, earning him recognition as
a 2010 John P. McNulty Prize Laureate. The High Resolves Initiative
has since expanded to the United States, Canada, and China.

ALISSA HSU LYNCH, 2013

RETAIL COMMUNITY HEALTH
To improve access to affordable health care for low-income
consumers, Alissa Hsu Lynch created partnerships with her company,
Johnson & Johnson, and retailers like Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid, and
Shoprite to fill the health care gaps in their local communities. Since
2013, the platform has benefited more than 250 million consumers
through free diabetes and dental screenings, skin-cancer detection
and prevention programs, and outreach on maternal health to help
reduce infant-mortality rates, contributing over $2.5 million of
in-kind donations or services for communities in need.

DAN FRANK, 2010

REDUCING DISTRACTED DRIVING
As president of Wheels, Inc., the worlds largest privately held
fleet-management company, Dan Frank addressed a key issue in
his industrydistracted driving. Each year, approximately 6,000
Americans are killed due to cell-phone-related distractions and
an additional 500,000 are injured. To reduce these avoidable
casualties, Frank created an initiative to prevent fleet drivers, the
group that drives the most, from being distracted. Within two years,
he was able to get 80 percent of corporate fleets to adopt a policy
limiting or banning the use of distracting devices in a vehicleup
from nearly 0 percent.

58 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 ANDREW HAYEK, 2014
SCA MEDICAL MISSIONS
As chairman and CEO of Surgical Care Affiliates, Inc., Andrew
Hayek merged his profession and passion to create a new venture:
SCA Medical Missions. His venture provides American surgeons with
the opportunity to volunteer their time and skills to improve surgical
care in Central America. In 2016, 690 surgeries were performed at a
surgery center in Honduras by volunteers Hayek enlisted.

JOHN CROWLEY, 2009

THE GLOBAL GENES PROJECT
After his own search to find a cure for the rare Pompes disease,
which two of his children were diagnosed with, biotechnology
CEO John Crowley set his sights on helping other sufferers of
rare diseases. He co-founded the Global Genes Project to unite
existing networks for over 7,000 rare diseases into a powerful
alliance for advocacy, lobbying, information, support, and research
sponsorship, earning him recognition as a 2014 John P. McNulty
Prize Laureate.

KELLIE LEONARD, 2012

DESIGNED TO MOVE
Inspired by new research on the economic consequences of
inactivity, Nikes vice president of global corporate communications,
Kellie Leonard, launched Designed to Move as an advocacy-focused
venture aimed at putting increased physical activity for children on
the global agenda. She worked with Nike and a network of global
partners to secure funding for workshops and materials to kick off
the program, allowing Designed to Move to host 12 workshops in
three markets: the United States, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 59

 VIRTUAL LEARNING,
Ahmad Jalboush

60 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 A
Hadeel and Sajida, students at
gainst a backdrop of rising skepticism about
Yarmouk University in Jordan,
connect with peers from the US. international trade, globalization, and migration,
it is clear that there is as great a need as ever
for people from different places and different
backgrounds to listen to and work with each other. The
issues that affect all of our daily lives are influenced by
events and trends in other countries. More and more jobs
require collaboration with colleagues or clients thousands of
miles away. Effective communication can be complicated. A
stable economy depends on the strength of global markets,
and access to these markets requires an understanding of
the countrys political climate and local cultures. Political
conflicts and crises have stark repercussions across borders.
A public health crisis originating in one country quickly
becomes a global threat for citizens across continents. Yet the
vast majority of young people in the United States are not
getting the exposure they need to understand and navigate a
tumultuous and interconnected world.
The result is a gap between the skills students and young
people have and the skills they will need in an increasingly
international labor market. In order to close this gap,
educators are starting to incorporate new goals into the
classroom, such as cross-cultural dialogue, learning a foreign
language, and awareness of diverse perspectives. The Stevens
Initiative, a public-private partnership housed at the Aspen
Institute, is helping educators use technology to meet those
goalsand meet them on a global scale.
The Stevens Initiative was created to bring young people
around the world together virtually, helping them learn
new skills and subject matters, and learn about each other
in the process. This method, known as virtual exchange,
is rooted in an academic curriculum, designed and led by
qualified facilitators, and involves sustained collaboration.

REAL CONNECTIONS
THE STEVENS INITIATIVE CREATES
A COMMON CLASSROOM FOR
STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD
Ahmad Jalboush

BY MAYSAM ALI

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 61

 It is inspired by the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens,
who was killed by violent extremists in Libya in 2012 and who
dedicated his life to fostering dialogue with the people of the
Middle East and North Africa.
Last year, the Initiative funded ten US-based organizations
that use virtual exchange, reaching more than 21,000 students in
17 countries and 29 US states from middle-school through post-
secondary levels. Many of these projects have already achieved
The vast majority notable success. One of the Initiatives grantees, the Global

of young people are

Nomads Group, links 3,300 students across Jordan, including
Syrian refugees, with students in New York, Kentucky, Utah, and

hardly getting the

California. Each week, the students connect and share information
about their communities and cultures, increasing their cross-

exposure they need cultural experiences and enhancing their digital-literacy skills.
Jill Armstrong, a teacher from Greenup County in Kentucky,

to understand and introduced her class to the virtual-exchange program last fall. Her
students were at first hesitant, unsure of what to expect. Where
navigate a tumultuous is Jordan? they wondered. Is everyone there Muslim? The
students then watched a series of virtual-reality videos, including
world. one about life for Syrian refugees in the Zaatari camp in Jordan.
They were surprised to learn that Jordan has urban areasand
is not just desertand that students there share similar interests,
music tastes, and aspirations for the lives they hope to build.
In Jordan, the students were no less enthusiastic about their
new virtual classmates. I thought American [students] thought of
all of us as terrorists, said 16-year-old Sham Mustafa, an eighth-

Left: Students at Wofford College start a

Ahmad Jalboush

Ahmad Jalboush

Skype call with a university in Cairo, Egypt.

Right: Students at the American University
of Technology connect with their peers at
SUNY Empire State College.

62 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 grade student in a Jordanian village bordering Syria. I wanted
them to understand that just because we are Muslim and wear
veils, this does not mean that we believe in violence and hatred.
Mustafa and four of her female classmates said that the virtual-
exchange program introduced them to a new world of possibilities.
They now plan to pursue higher-education opportunities in the
United States after high schoolsomething that was, until now,
hardly imaginable. With the help of their English teacher, they are
applying for scholarships at the US Embassy.
Many schools in the region have incorporated virtual
exchange into their curricula, and the Initiative expects to reach
more than 50 high schools in Jordan alone. The Initiative works
with government and civic partners to spread awareness about
virtual exchanges and the funding opportunities available; it
also provides training to schools and non-profit organizations
to implement programss. Teachers formulate virtual-classroom
syllabi in collaboration with peer teachers and facilitators
abroad, and often conduct texchanges over the course of a whole
semester. Sessions may be held simultaneously so students can
communicate in real time, or they can be staggered to allow for
time-zone and language differences. Students often have both
online and offline assignments, and some collaborate on final
capstone projects that they are graded on.
The Initiatives funding recipients reach different age groups,
but share a common mission. For example, the National
Democratic Institute, another grantee of the Stevens Initiative,
Ahmad Jalboush
is implementing a program that teaches young professionals
to use technology for social good. The program started with a
massive online course, conducted in partnership with Stanford
Universitys Technology for Accountability Lab, which reached
3,400 Arab and American students. Two hundred MOOC
participants were selected for an online-mentorship program,
in which small multinational groups developed proposals to
use technology to address a social issue. One group proposed
developing a platform that combats misinformation during
elections by collecting and displaying independently verified
information about candidates, policies, and campaign finances.
Another proposed an open-source platform that enables citizens
to anonymously submit and map reports of bribery demands. In
April, 16 members of teams with the best proposals were invited
to Washington, DC, and Silicon Valley, where they pitched their
ideas to technology-sector leaders and policymakers.
The Initiative and its two main donors, the US State
Department and the Bezos Family Foundation, are
supporting these and other projects to demonstrate that
technology can help millions of young people build the global
competencies they need to participate in the workforce and
in society. The Initiative gives millions of students and young
professionals an international experience that they would not
otherwise have.
Maysam Ali is the assistant director of the Stevens Initiative.
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 63
 grade student in a Jordanian village bordering Syria. I wanted
them to understand that just because we are Muslim and wear
veils, this does not mean that we believe in violence and hatred.
Mustafa and four of her female classmates said that the virtual-
exchange program introduced them to a new world of possibilities.
They now plan to pursue higher-education opportunities in the
United States after high schoolsomething that was, until now,
hardly imaginable. With the help of their English teacher, they are
applying for scholarships at the US Embassy.
Many schools in the region have incorporated virtual
exchange into their curricula, and the Initiative expects to reach
more than 50 high schools in Jordan alone. The Initiative works
with government and civic partners to spread awareness about
virtual exchanges and the funding opportunities available; it
also provides training to schools and non-profit organizations
to implement programs. Teachers formulate virtual-classroom
syllabi in collaboration with peer teachers and facilitators
abroad, and often conduct texchanges over the course of a whole
semester. Sessions may be held simultaneously so students can
communicate in real time, or they can be staggered to allow for
time-zone and language differences. Students often have both
online and offline assignments, and some collaborate on final
capstone projects that they are graded on.
The Initiatives funding recipients reach different age groups,
but share a common mission. For example, the National
Democratic Institute, another grantee of the Stevens Initiative,
Ahmad Jalboush
is implementing a program that teaches young professionals
to use technology for social good. The program started with a
massive online course, conducted in partnership with Stanford
Universitys Technology for Accountability Lab, which reached
3,400 Arab and American students. Two hundred MOOC
participants were selected for an online-mentorship program,
in which small multinational groups developed proposals to
use technology to address a social issue. One group proposed
developing a platform that combats misinformation during
elections by collecting and displaying independently verified
information about candidates, policies, and campaign finances.
Another proposed an open-source platform that enables citizens
to anonymously submit and map reports of bribery demands. In
April, 16 members of teams with the best proposals were invited
to Washington, DC, and Silicon Valley, where they pitched their
ideas to technology-sector leaders and policymakers.
The Initiative and its two main donors, the US State
Department and the Bezos Family Foundation, are
supporting these and other projects to demonstrate that
technology can help millions of young people build the global
competencies they need to participate in the workforce and
in society. The Initiative gives millions of students and young
professionals an international experience that they would not
otherwise have.
Maysam Ali is the assistant director of the Stevens Initiative.
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 63
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IDEAS SUMMER 2017
 The Aspen Journal of Ideas offers thought-provoking analysis and
issue-defining information from the programs and partners of the Institute.
The digital magazine, updated weekly, is at aspen.us/journal.
68 QUESTIONS
LEGITIMACY
OF
70 LIBRARIES ARE MORE
EXCITING THAN EVER
If we are committed to the
examination of ideas and
values-based leadership at
the Institute, says Douglas
Farrar, then we must directly
engage with the erosion of
legitimacy that is weakening
the authority of experts,
leaders, and the organizations
they represent. Can we build
better institutions that help
break down the walls between
Americans?
BS
JO
L
TA
S
O
PI
AL
GO
CA
GO
AN
AL
M
CI
U
SO
H
72 MONEY TALKS
In a free and fair economy,
You can read a book or an
market systems are designed
article without ever getting
to favor the most efficient
out of bed. So why go to the
outcomes. But can market-
library? Because a library
oriented approaches also
is so much more than just a
pursue social goals? Is it
home for books and research.
possible to develop systems
Linda Kulman shows how
that allow economic actors to
the modern library can be a
do both well and good? Mark
gateway for things previously
G. Popovich examines the
unimagined: a hub for social concerted effort to incentivize
services and technology, a
business models that boost job
public-support system, and a
equality.
community gathering space.
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 67
 The Aspen Journal of Ideas offers thought-provoking analysis and
issue-defining information from the programs and partners of the Institute.
The digital magazine, updated weekly, is at aspen.us/journal.

68 QUESTIONS
LEGITIMACY
OF
70 LIBRARIES ARE MORE
EXCITING THAN EVER 72 MONEY TALKS
In a free and fair economy,
If we are committed to the You can read a book or an market systems are designed
examination of ideas and article without ever getting to favor the most efficient
values-based leadership at out of bed. So why go to the outcomes. But can market-
the Institute, says Douglas library? Because a library oriented approaches also
Farrar, then we must directly is so much more than just a pursue social goals? Is it
engage with the erosion of home for books and research. possible to develop systems
legitimacy that is weakening Linda Kulman shows how that allow economic actors to
the authority of experts, the modern library can be a do both well and good? Mark
leaders, and the organizations gateway for things previously G. Popovich examines the
they represent. Can we build unimagined: a hub for social concerted effort to incentivize
better institutions that help services and technology, a business models that boost job
break down the walls between public-support system, and a equality.
Americans? community gathering space.

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 67

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QUESTIONS OF
LEGITIMACY
How can we rebuild the Among many new realities, the 2016 presidential election
exposed something about US culture today: legitimacythe
keystone of our government ability to lead various factions of society toward a common
and institutions? goal, begin a public examination of an idea, or make a
statement of facthas all but disappeared.
BY DOUGLAS FARRAR The Aspen Insitutes programs confront this challenge
across many issues. Debates rage over addressing climate
change, the effectiveness of vaccines, the safety of genetically
modified crops, and more. At the Institute, we seek to be an

68 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

outpost of truth and civil dialogue in a sea of opinion and prefer it to factual evidence that challenges their personal
incivility. Although we value discourse from a variety of narratives. The success of Sean Hannity or Rachel Maddow
viewpoints, says Institute CEO Walter Isaacson, we have to demonstrates this preference.
be clear what our bedrock values are. If we are committed The way information is generated and shared creates short-
to the examination of ideas and values-based leadership at term thinking and rapid-fire, personalized responses. People
the Institute, then we must also engage with the erosion of seem less concerned with the results of President Trumps
legitimacy that weakens the authority of experts, leaders, and actions, or any kind of thoughtful examination of what they
the institutions they represent. will imply for society, than simply wanting to know what he
Americans have always had questions when experts state will do next.
something as a fact or leaders declare they must take a certain Things are bleak for legitimacy, but all is not lost. The
action. It is in our cultural heritage to doubt authority. Is the answer is not to stifle social media or try to slow down
speaker trustworthy? Does he or she have expert knowledge of the democratization of information. The problem of
the question at hand? legitimacy boils down to a loss of faith in institutions and an
In the liberal West, legitimacy is the keystone of government. otherization of people we disagree with. The solutions to
It comes from trust. From credibility. these new problems lie in the Aspen
It does not derive from God or Institutes original mission: values-
from inherited status or wealth, at based leadership and dialogue.
least not in democracies. It derives Values-based leadership, the
from the consent of the governed In a world where the core of the Institutes purpose, is
and their belief in the system of a challenging concept. What are
government itself. Liberal democratic motivations of institutions are good values? History is littered
governments, the theory goes, constantly questioned, the with leaders who deeply believed
should deliver good outcomes for the in principles that created injustice,
societies they govern. An agreement value of integrity and the division, and even violence within the
on objective facts, a reliance on
expert analysis, and reasonable
belief that an institution is an societies they governed. Good values
are not just strongly held principles.
discussion and argument will lead to honest broker is priceless. The Institutes original programming,
logical policy outcomes. Even when the seminar, is dedicated to probing
a necessary action is unpopular, if a what values lead to a good society.
leader is legitimate, he or she can use In a world where the motivations
that credibility to move forward. The of institutions are constantly
public may disagree with the policy. If the public believes the questioned, the value of integrity and the belief that an
leader is credible, it may consent to be governed by decisions institution is an honest broker is priceless. It is only through
it does not strongly support. But leaders cant lead if their own values-based leadership that institutions can preserve their
legitimacy is questioned at every turn. own legitimacy. It is easy to make lies about an individuals or
A rejection of widely established expertise is the clearest a groups motivations appear real when the people being lied to
signal of a big-league problem with legitimacy. And that is what never interact with the people spreading the lies. If a popular
seemed to change after the election, or perhaps before. When cable-news host says that all Trump supporters are racists, viewers
hundreds of climate scientists agree that climate change is a who dont know any Trump supporters have no experience that
result of human activity, the reaction of much of the public has would necessarily make them disagree. But viewers who have a
not been to question their methodology. It has been to question neighbor or a friend who voted for Donald Trump can simply
the scientists very legitimacy. People point to ways in which ask them why. The answer might be illuminating. At the very
the scientists may be corrupted or compromised. If everyone least, a civil dialogue between two people helps bridge the gap
is assumed to have an agenda, there can be no expertsjust as that generalizations and otherization create.
there can be no true leaders. Though the challenge to legitimacy threatens our ability to
So how did we get to this point? Information overload. More have a cohesive and successful society, it is comforting to know
information is available to all, thanks to social media, cable that at the Institute our mission is still clear and our goals are
news, and the democratization of media platforms. Its easy to still just. Dedication to values-based leadership and dialogue
create a digital publication that appears to be trustworthy. We can cure the problem of legitimacyvalues-based leadership
are overwhelmed with so much information that picking facts creates better institutions and dialogue breaks down the walls
from lies is getting harder with every tweet. Consumers can between Americans.
pick their own reality from a deluge of facts, lies, and opinions.
As the 2016 campaign made clear, Americans are susceptible Douglas Farrar is the senior manager for communications and public
to propaganda that supports their own beliefs and, in fact, affairs at the Aspen Institute.

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 69

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LIBRARIES
ARE MORE EXCITING THAN EVER
A library can be a gateway
to things unimagined.
BY LINDA KULMAN
Library is a feel-good word. It calls up childhood memories:
the smell of old books and linoleum, the hum of ceiling fans.
Whether an architectural masterpiece like the flagship Beaux-
Arts New York Public Library, a two-room clapboard structure,
or an old bus repurposed as a bookmobile, a library was a place
where children felt important, where they got their first library
card, were entrusted with books, and where they could imagine

70 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

themselves in faraway places in faraway times. Along with standard fare like books, DVDs, and VHS tapes,
Every Saturday when my children were young, we would the library now lends Fitbits, bicycles, and even umbrellas for
pile into the car and drive to the Wekiva, Florida, library, Maria unexpected rain showers. If library users think they might want
Vazquez, an area superintendent for the Orange County Public to buy a Kindle but are not sure, they can check one out and
School System, told a group of 35 local and national policymakers, test-drive it.
civic leaders, educators, and librarians gathered for a dinner hosted The library signs up residents for cards at the local farmers
by the Aspen Institute in Winter Park, Florida. Wed spend the af- markets. Soon the community librarian will take off on a bike
ternoon scouring the shelves for books to take home. I believe it is paid for by the fund-raising efforts of a local Eagle Scout troop,
one of the finest gifts my husband and I gave our children. to deliver books to day-care centers and schools. To attract 20-
Each of the dinner guests had a personal connection to their and 30-year-olds, the library hosts a biweekly book group called
childhood libraries. Libraries had launched them. But as John Books and Brews at different bars around town, and recently
Palfrey writes in his 2015 book, BiblioTech: Why Libraries Matter threw a party at a local restaurant that served a custom-brewed
More Than Ever in the Age of Google, Nostalgia is too thin a reed craft beer called the Page Turner.
for librarians to cling to in a time of such transition. Indeed, Inside the library, the staff encourages noise and has tossed
in a 2013 survey by the Pew Research out the age-old no-eating policy. The
Center, 52 percent of Americans said teen section sports a hip couch that the
they did not need a library as much as librarys youth advisers chose. And up-
they used to because they can find the The staff encourages noise stairs on the third floor, there are two
information they need on the internet. 3-D printers, where library-card-car-
True. The internet has changed the and has tossed out the age- rying inventors and entrepreneurs can
way we fact-find. Writing on Forbes.com
in 2015, innovation consultant Steve
old no-eating policy. The teen come in to make a prototype. There
is also an area to record podcasts and
Denning asked, Who needs a library section sports a hip couch. videos.
today, when it is possible, without even The problem is that all of these in-
getting out of bed, to read almost any Upstairs there are two 3-D credible innovations are happening in
book or article ever published? printers, where inventors can a 1970s-era brown brick building with
But done right, libraries are more leaky windows, worn carpets, awkward
usefuland excitingthan ever. That make a prototype. angles that end in unusable corners,
means serving the distinct needs of unreachable top bookshelves, sparse
their communities, according to a re- electrical outlets, and an auditorium
port published by the Aspen Institutes that reeks of mildew.
Dialogue on Public Libraries, Rising to the Challenge: Re-envisioning In June 2015, after 11 months, 27 task-force meetings, five
Public Libraries. Libraries in neighborhoods populated by immi- community forums, a presentation before the Winter Park
grants need classes in English as a second language, job banks, Chamber of Commerce, a listening session with the Teen Ad-
and one-stop shopping for social services. Suburban libraries visory Board, six commissioner workshops and meetings, a Win-
might teach library users how to scan old family photos. A li- ter Park user-needs and transportation survey, consultations with
brary in a neighborhood with an aging population might train local and national experts, and a close look at site options, the
staff members to use blood-pressure monitors and offer access to City Commission voted unanimously to proceed with a new
medical information and research. 50,000-square-foot library and an 8,500-square-foot event space
Experts argue that the library should be adapted and expand- with parking adjacent to Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
ed to make technology available to everyone, strengthen com- With voter approval of a $30 million bond referendum, the
munities and education, and provide a safe, neutral space for library and city are moving ahead. They selected David Adjaye,
citizens to interact. It can bridge the gap between upper-income the architect behind the National Museum of African American
children who own iPads and lower-income children who in the History and Culture, to design the complex. Winter Parks lead-
age of tech will, without a public support system, almost cer- ers and residents expect the building to make a strong visual state-
tainly fall further behind in school. mentan expression of both the dynamism inside the library
A library can be the gateway to things yet unimagined, and I and of Winter Park.
hope that we will create that experience for future generations, The next step is for the library to incorporate and execute all
says Marina Nice, a wealth adviser and the president of the Win- of these ideas. As David Odahowski, president and chief execu-
ter Park Public Library board of trustees. tive of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation in Winter Park,
That evolution is underway at the Winter Park Public Li- says: It only took us 131 years to discover the future of libraries.
brary, selected by the Institutes Dialogue on Public Libraries as
a partner for developing the first model-community dialogue. Linda Kulman is the rapporteur of the Winter Park Library Dialogue.

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 71

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BS
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MONEY TALKS
Can Business Decisions
Align with Social Needs?
BY MARK G. POPOVICH
They were the best of times, they were the worst of times This
epic opening to A Tale of Two Cities, written by Dickens in the mid-
19th century, could just as easily be used to describe America in
the 21st century. Stocks soar, but the economic recovery is weak.
Globalization yields amazing gains, but it also engenders social and
financial instability. The top 10 percent gain enormous wealth while
the bottom half struggle and fear diminishing prospects for their
children. Our economy is certainly generating jobs. But too many
are low-quality, and too few are good jobs that offer livable earnings
and opportunity for advancementlet alone satisfy our desire to
contribute and find meaning.

72 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 Markets are bound to be flawed when desired outcomes like
these are mere externalities. But can market-oriented approaches
actually drive toward social goals? Can systems develop to allow
economic actorsbusinesses and investorsto do both well
and good?
Theres a strong case emerging that we can do better. Some
investors and lenders are tilting toward good jobs, which
means employers will have more incentives to make good jobs
a higher priority. The recently launched Good Companies/
Good Jobs Initiative within the Aspen Institute's Economic
Opportunities Program is developing tools and materials to
bolster the movement.
The capital market in the United States is huge$28 trillion
in publicly traded equity alone, and over $8 trillion in traditional
debt financing. That finance system
is a powerful influence on business
decisions. The data and factors
important to lenders or investors
become essential issues for businesses
that want capital. New software start- Does it serve either business
ups were a good example: many leaders or investors to have
investors preferred businesses that
could show them explicit strategies to rules so tilted against doing
minimize costs. Even firms with long right by the workforce?
records of success must respond to the
preference of investors to minimize
employee expenses in the headlong
pursuit of short-term profits.
Traditional financing prompts
borrowers to count worker compensation, benefits, or training as
costs. But this can preclude reasonable investments. A company
that closes a plant worth $100 million, for example, must write off
a loss of capital value. But if the same firm cuts workers who would
earn $100 million in the next year, it is also losing experience, skills, issued to both the reporting firm and the potential lender or
and a commitment to productivity and quality. The firm gets to
post immediate cost savingsand never accounts for the real loss
of human capital.
Does it serve either business leaders or investors to have rules
so tilted against doing right by the workforce? Laurie Bassi, David
Creelman, and Andrew Lambert write in an article for CFO.com,
Finance has long worried about the cost of human capital. But
there is much to be gained by flipping that and looking at how
organizations can harness human capital to drive growth.
In fact, there is good evidence that good job companies
tend to outperform their peers in business results and return
on investment. For example, a portfolio of stocks reflecting
Glassdoors Best Places to Work from 2009 to 2014 yields
a 243.3 percent return, compared with 121 percent from a
benchmark of S&P 500 picks. This real-world investment
guidance is also buttressed by a 2015 Harvard Law School
Investor Responsibility Research Center report: Our survey of
92 empirical studies on the relationship between HR polices
and financial outcomes concludes that there is sufficient
evidence of human-capital materiality to financial performance
to warrant inclusion in standard investment analysis.
There is already a $9 trillion segment of the US capital
market that incorporates environmental, social, and governance
factors into investment selection. While the environmental
component is the most-developed (our initiative takes lessons
from the green investing movement), and governance issues
lag somewhat behind, the social element is the least defined.
Within the social criteria, job quality is garnering high
attentionbut it is still developing. The market size and a lack
of adequate tools define both the key challenge and the large
opportunity for our new program.
Some investors are increasingly ready and willing to consider
human-capital factors. After all, the business experience and
research evidence supports this direction. But moving from
theory to action entails overcoming a few challenges. Capital
sources and the organizations
that support them need rigorous
approaches for implementing these
intentions.
There is a concerted effort by field
organizations, investors, and advisers
to set the definitions, tools, assessments,
and rating systems necessary to move
this approach into the mainstream.
Were aiding that evolution toward
better people practices through the
Economic Opportunities Program's
Good Companies/Good Jobs
Initiative. Were doing this in part
through software tools and analytics
developed to serve both businesses seeking capital and investors
or lenders. Our tools facilitate easy and secure reporting of very
reliable data already held by businesses. Akin to credit scoring,
data is analyzed and benchmarked with a final scorecard
investor. This helps all involved measure success and identify
opportunities for improvement in both job quality and the
bottom line. Our system will also provide investors the tools to
gauge how human-capital outcomes correlate with the return
and risks of their portfolios. Our Good Companies/Good Jobs
software is one approach to giving a market better information
and new services in pursuit of a social good.
America needs to work. It needs more businesses to succeed.
And it needs millions more good jobs. Investors and lenders
could remain content with traditional strategies that push against
those gains. Or they can opt in to the emerging alternatives that
can deliver good financial and business outcomes and higher
job quality. Public policy and traditional nonprofit sectors must
play their roles. But to address the economic dissatisfaction and
disruption of our era, more is needed. Individuals and institutions
that make investing decisions should help fuel the economic
success of main-street businesses and their frontline workers.
Money talks. And money will either continue to be a part of the
problem or become more a crucial element of a practical solution.
Mark G. Popovich is the director of the Economic Opportunities
Program's Good Companies/Good Jobs Initiative.
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 73
ASPEN LIBRIS

HOW EVERYTHING BECAME BOOKS

AND BOOKS BECAME EVERYTHING
Each year, the Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series brings in the authors of some of the worlds best newly
released books for deep explorations of culture, history, technology, and the political zeitgeist. Hosted at the Institutes
Washington, DC, headquarters, this year the series brought ten unique voices to our stage to discuss Asia policy, life on
Alaskas frontier, modernitys ceaseless acceleration, foreign-affairs chaos, Republican chaos, the resonance of

Laurence Genon
Emmett Till, the big business of big health care, and Americas surging war machine. Below are just a few highlights.
For full videos of each discussion, go to aspeninstitute.org/video.

ROSA BROOKS
Georgetown University Law Center Professor and New America Senior Fellow
How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything; Tales from the Pentagon
The blurriness of the boundaries between war and peace that has happened in such a subtle way across so
many different domains that we tend not to notice how radically the world is changing around us. When you

Laurence Genon
think of the world as a place where the next threata bioengineered virus, a cyberattack, another terror attack

Ian Wagreich
using nontraditional weaponscould come from anywhere and be anything, then the military is going to say,
Weve got to do everything everywhere. When everything is potentially war, everything is a job for the military.

KURT CAMPBELL
Chairman and CEO, The Asia Group, LLC
The Pivot: The Future of American Statecraft in Asia
Previous efforts on North Korea have failed: diplomacy, some sanctions. We need to have a wholesale
re-look at the way forward. North Korea is relatively lightly sanctioned, and if you compare the sanction

Riccardo Savi
regimes that we have used against Iran, against Cuba, and even Myanmarmuch more intense. We have
to think carefully about targeted financial sanctions that will essentially hold at risk 2,000 to 3,000 of the
North Korean elite.

ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
Editor-in-Chief, Kaiser Health News
An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back
(Book Excerpt) In other countries, when patients recover from a terrifying brain bleedor, for that
matter, when they battle cancer, or heal from a serious accident, or face down any other life-threatening
health conditionthey are allowed to spend their days focusing on getting better. Only in America do

Ian Wagreich
Ian Wagreich
medical treatment and recovery coexist with a peculiar national dread: the struggle to figure out from
the mounting pile of bills what portion of the fantastical charges you actually must pay. It is the sickness
that eventually afflicts most every American.

RICHARD HAASS
President and CEO, Council on Foreign Relations
A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order
Entropy is the natural order of things, the natural state of things, and its important to keep that in mind,
because the world, if left to its own devices, doesnt ever sort itself out; it is in ever-increasing disarray.
Thats important, because you cant just park it, return to it, and expect that its going to be in better shape
Laurence Genon
Ian Wagreich

than when you left it. The Cold War is part of it, but theres also the rise of certain countries like China,
the phenomenon of globalization, and a phenomenon where more and more actors had more centers of
capacity and decision-making, including non-state actors.

74 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 JOHN EDGAR WIDEMAN
Professor of Africana Studies and Literary Arts, Brown University
Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File
Mamie Till is hoping for justice, sitting in a courtroom, and a newspaper story breaks that the father of
the young man, Emmett, who was murdered, turns out not to be an American hero, not an American
soldier who died defending his country, but this dude who was hanged by the U.S. military for rape and
Laurence Genon

murder in Italy ten years previously. You can imagine the head shaking, Uh-huh, Bad seed. Seed never falls far
from the tree. And so the informal logic to explain the lynching, the murder, of Emmett Till became almost
a form of self-congratulation.

THOMAS FRIEDMAN
Foreign Affairs Columnist, the new york times
Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations
The year 2007 may be seen in time as one of the greatest technological inflection points since
Gutenberg. An incredible release of energy happened in and around that year and it changed power:
Laurence Genon

It changed the power of one. We have a president-elect who can sit in his penthouse and communicate
Ian Wagreich

directlyunfiltered by any other mediumto hundreds of millions of people around the world. Whats
scarier is the head of ISIS can do the same thing from Raqqa Province.

The informal logic to explain the lynching,

the murder of Emmett Till became almost a form
of self-congratulation.
John Edgar Wideman
Riccardo Savi

HUGH HEWITT
Nationally Syndicated Radio Host, The Hugh Hewitt Show
The Fourth Way: The Conservative Playbook for a Lasting GOP Majority
Media that the purveyor knows is objectively false at the time they put it into circulation is fake news
that takes biased news out of the equation. Im biased, I have an opinion, its not fake, its what I believe
in. It might be wrong, but its not fake. On the other hand, if cyber warriors are creating fake news for
the purposes of delegitimizing American initiative abroad, its propaganda, its cyber warfare, and its an
Ian Wagreich
Ian Wagreich

instrument of cyber power.

DAVE EGGERS
Best-Selling Author, Founder of McSweeneys, and Co-Founder of 826 National
Heroes of the Frontier
(Book Excerpt) There is proud happiness, happiness born of doing good work in the light of day, years of worth-
while labor, and afterward being tired, and content, and surrounded by family and friends, bathed in satisfaction
and ready for a deserved restsleep or death, it would not matter. Then there is the happiness of ones personal
Laurence Genon

slum. The happiness of being alone, and tipsy on red wine, in the passenger seat of an ancient recreational vehicle
Ian Wagreich

parked somewhere in Alaskas deep south, staring into a scribble of black trees, afraid to go to sleep for fear that
at any moment someone will get past the toy lock on the RV door and murder you and your two small children
sleeping above.
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 75
 FACES: Preston Robert Tisch Award Dinner Darren Walk
er, Sharon Lo
eb , John Loeb,
Alice Young

Seitu Hart, Rynthia Rost

Sonia Sotomayor, Sharon Loeb

Orin McCluske
h, y, Gillian Steel
Tisch Blodgett, Laurie Tisc
Melanie Shorin, Carolyn
a Joh nson , Cin dy Kur tin
Lind

ddock, Susan Braddock,

Mercedes Bass, Rick Bra
Walter Isaacson

Sonia Sotomayor, Walter Isaacson Jennifer Raab, Alice Young

Laurie Tisch

ayor
Sue Anderso n, Sonia Sotom
Darren Walker,
Anne McNulty,

Jonathan Lauter, Sherrily

n Ifill, Deborah Lauter
Erin Baiano

76 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 Elevating Healthcare
IN ASPEN
Making sure our community has a clear
path to obtaining critical and life-saving
services is a shared mission of Aspen
Valley Hospital and Aspen Valley Hospital
Foundation.
Providing extraordinary healthcare
in world-class facilities, with highly
trained physicians and state-of-the-art
technology has only been made possible
through the continued generosity of our
philanthropic community.
Now, as we continue to strive to elevate
healthcare in Aspen, your support has
never been more impactful or meaningful.

To discuss giving opportunities, please contact

Deborah Breen, President & CEO
970.544.1302
supportaspenvalleyhospital.org
Erin Baiano
 FACES: Aspen Board in Chicago
Chicago C
reate Real Ec
onomic Des
tiny (CRED
I) participants
, Rahm Em
anuel anuel
Walter Isaacson, Rahm Em

Lester Cro
wn, Madelei
ne Albright

Antonio Gracias, Jeff Aronin, Eric Motley,

Troy Carter, Walter Isaacson
Bill Bynum

Arne Duncan

Clare Munana, Stephanie Marshall,

Phyllis Lockett, Thelma Duggin

Bill Mayer, Elisabeth

Muhr, Arjun Gupta

Carasco Photography

Margot and Tom

Pritzker, Jim Cr
Ren own,
Gail Elden, Dick Elden Mercedes Bass Amy eCrockett
and Lesterand Anne
Crow n, MaMcNulty
deleine Albright

Bob Steel, Patrick Gross

78 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
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IDEAS SUMMER 2017 79
 FACES: Society of Fellows in DC
Jos Andrs

Mike Klein

Barry Rosen
thal

Joan Fabry and Tom Henteleff

Tony Spadero, Joan

Ro senthal
Alexandra de Borchgrave

r
Norma Saafi

Larry Thom
as, Jos A
ndrs
Ashley and James Beaty
Michael Klein, Rod and Alexia von Lipsey
Leigh Vogel

80 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

Leigh Vogel

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 81

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
PLAYING ACROSS BORDERS
Jelinek, Farrey, Limon
THE SPORTS & SOCIETY PROGRAM HEADS TO MEXICO,
THE STEVENS INITIATIVE LANDS IN ITALY,
AND THE US ELECTION FINDS AN AUDIENCE IN GERMANY
MEXICO
At a January roundtable discussion, the Aspen Institute Mxico and the
Institutes Sports & Society Program partnered to build a bridgenot a
wall. The two groups examined lessons from the Sports & Society Programs
success in growing access to sports across the United States and discussed
how sports leaders in Mexico can do the same.
The need is great: Mexico, like the United States, is home to an obesity
crisis, with nearly 33 percent of children classified as overweight. However, the
role of sports in building healthy communities as well as the infrastructure to
playlike public parksis often lacking. The Mexican government is making
efforts to address the deficit, but no coordinated, independent plan exists to
marshal the energies necessary to touch the lives of the nations children.
82 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
The event, Project Play Mxico: A Plan for Mxico, launched the
conversation. Juan Ramon de la Fuente, president of Aspen Institute
Mxico and a former secretary of health for Mexico, welcomed more than
50 attendees, including senior government officials in education, sports, and
Photo courtesy of Aspen Institute Mxico
social services; top corporate and media executives; and a representative from
the US Embassy. De la Fuente and Aspen Institute Mxico CEO Adalberto
Palma worked closely with Sports & Society Program Executive Director
Tom Farrey, who walked attendees through the process that the Institute
used to create Project Play, which has inspired more than 100 organizations
in the United States to introduce programs that build healthy communities.
www.aspeninstitutemexico.org
 GERMANY
On November 8, Aspen Institute Germany held two
events: a Berlin Transatlantic Conference and a US
Election Night party. The Transatlantic Conference
brought together experts from Germany, Europe,
and the United States to discuss their ideas
on globalization-fatigue, rising populism, and
nationalization with more than 160 guests. During
the US Election Night party, Aspen Germany,
in cooperation with Berlins major transatlantic
institutions, hosted more than 1,500 guests from
politics, business, media, academia, and civil society
to watch the drama of the US elections unfold. The
evening featured a high-caliber mix of information,
analysis, and entertainment. It was the biggest
election party in Germany and trended nationally
on Twitter. Later in November, the second Aspen
German-American Dialogue brought together a
group of American civil-society representatives,
who visited four German parliamentarians and their
constituencies.
aspeninstitute.de
Photo courtesy of Aspen Institute Mxico
Photo courtesy of Aspen Institute Italia
EuroMed 2016
ITALY
In December, the Aspen European Strategy
Group met in Rome at Aspen Institute Italia
to discuss problems affecting the European
economy, including public and private debt,
weak banking systems, divergence within the
eurozone, and obstacles to innovation. Migration
issues were also widely discussed, along with
innovative ideas to solve themincluding the
Stevens Initiative, a multilateral public-private
partnership managed by the Aspen Institute that
connects young people in the United States and
the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions to
build global connections. Institute Trustee Mike
Bezos also spoke about the initiative on an expert
panel on women and youth at EuroMed 2016 to
highlight new strategies for cooperation.
aspeninstitute.it
Bezos
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 83
EXPERIENCE AMERICAS
PREMIER CLASSICAL
MUSIC FESTIVAL
Enjoy more than 400 events featuring hundreds
of the worlds best music students, top
professional artists, five full orchestras,
two staged operas, chamber music,
childrens events, lectures, and more.

This season explores the theme

of Enchantment, offering
works inspired by myth, fairy
tales, magic spells, and love.
Dont miss Rene Fleming,
Yefim Bronfman, Sarah Chang, These
Edgar Meyer; La traviata, and Final Sunday concerts go
with the monumental dramatic legend far beyond mere
The Damnation of Faust. entertainment, and
often touch the soul
ROBERT SPANO with a sense of intense
Music Director aliveness.
ALAN FLETCHER ATTENDEE SURVEY
RESPONSE
President and CEO

JUNE 29-AUGUST 20, 2017

MORE THAN 400 EVENTS

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

970 925 9042
www.aspenmusicfestival.com
 CO N F L I C T / P E R S P EC T I V E / U N D E R S TA N D I N G

The stories of the Vietnam War provide unique perspectives and

insights into American history, and give us an opportunity to
connect in collective reflection. Bank of America proudly sponsors
the PBS documentary event The Vietnam War because we believe
that understanding our past can help us shape a brighter future.

Tune in to starting September 17 at 8/7c.

LIFE / BETTER CONNECTED

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. 2017 Bank of America Corporation. AR93CLH8
FACTS/PROGRAMS

SEMINARS

Dan Bayer
Executive leadership seminars help participants explore the tensions among
the values that form our conception of a Good Society, with the aim of
deepening knowledge, broadening perspectives, and enhancing the capacity
to solve the problems leaders face. Our humanities-based approach
to leadership development uses a variety of classic and contemporary
philosophical and literary texts as the basis for intensive, interactive
roundtable discussions led by skilled moderators in groups of 1520
participants. Facebook.com/AspenLeadership Twitter: @AspenDialogue

86 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 THE ASPEN EXECUTIVE SEMINAR ON LEADERSHIP, ASPEN ROMANIA LEADERSHIP SEMINAR
VALUES, AND THE GOOD SOCIETY In collaboration with Aspen Institute Romania, this seminar explores the
The Aspen Executive Seminar challenges leaders in every field to clarify the specific leadership challenges facing business, government, and civil society
values by which they lead and to think more critically and deeply about their in a post-communist environment.
impact on the world in a moderated, text-based Socratic dialogue. aspeninstitute.org/romaniaseminar
aspeninstitute.org/aspenseminar JUNE 22-25, 2017 | FUNDATA, BRASOV, ROMANIA

MARCH 1117, 2017 | ASPEN, CO

APRIL 814, 2017 | ASPEN, CO

WYE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
APRIL 22 28, 2017 | WYE RIVER, MD
In a longstanding collaboration with the Association of American
MAY 612, 2017 | WYE RIVER, MD Colleges and Universities, these seminars engage faculty, senior academic
JUNE 39, 2017 | ASPEN, CO administrators, and college presidents in an exchange of ideas about liberal
arts education, citizenship, and the global polity.
AUGUST 1218, 2017 | ASPEN, CO
aspeninstitute.org/wyeseminars
SEPTEMBER 915, 2017 | ASPEN, CO

OCTOBER 1420, 2017 | WYE RIVER, MD WYE FACULTY SEMINAR

JULY 1621, 2017 | WYE RIVER, MD
aspeninstitute.org/wyefaculty

LEADERSHIP AND CHARACTER

Leadership and Character takes up where the Aspen Executive Seminar
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE SEMINARS,
leaves off, looking at the internal context of making leadership decisions and
PLEASE CONTACT KALISSA HENDRICKSON AT KALISSA.
exploring the competing tensions that form our internal moral compass.
HENDRICKSON@ASPENINST.ORG
aspeninstitute.org/characterseminar
OCTOBER 1215, 2017 | ASPEN, CO

JUSTICE & SOCIETY SEMINAR

Co-founded by the late Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, this
NATURE, SOCIETY, AND SUSTAINABILITY seminar brings together people from diverse backgrounds to discuss what we
Nature, Society, and Sustainability provides both updated content and a mean by justice and how a just society ought to structure its legal, judicial,
values framework as we balance the tensions between a vibrant human, social, and political institutions. Roundtable discussions are led by two distinguished
and economic ecology and environmental sustainability. and experienced moderators: a federal or state high court judge and a
aspeninstitute.org/natureseminar professor of law or politcal theory. Contact Michael.Green@aspeninstitute.org:
aspeninstitute.org/jss
Dan Bayer

JULY 612, 2017 | ASPEN, CO

ASPEN ESPAA SEMINAR

Transatlantic Values at a Crossroads: CUSTOM SEMINARS
Contemporary Leadership Challenges
Custom Seminars enable organizations and companies to develop
In collaboration with Aspen Institute Espaa, this seminar probes the
one-day or multiday seminars relevant to their day-to-day operations.
European context of modern leadership in the midst of the uncertainties in
aspeninstitute.org/customseminar
democratic capitalism, nationalism, and culture.
aspeninstitute.org/espanaseminar

OCTOBER 26-29, 2017 | RONDA, SPAIN As a CEO, taking time to

sharpen the saw is critical.
ASPEN ITALIA SEMINAR The Aspen Seminar is the
Values and Society & Leadership, Globalization,
and the Quest for Common Values best whetstone out there.
In collaboration with Aspen Italia, these concurrent seminars explore Reed Hastings, founder and CEO, Netflix
the cultural challenges of leadership in a European context, deepening
partcipants' understandings of the values by which they lead even as those
values are tested by the demands of globalization. FOR MORE INFORMATION,
MARCH 25, 2017 | CASTELVECCHIO PASCOLI, LUCCA, ITALY CONTACT THE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS.

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 87

 THE SOCRATES PROGRAM Looking for
The Socrates Program provides a forum for emerging leaders from a wide range of
professions to explore contemporary issues through expert-moderated roundtable a Realtor
dialogue. aspeninstitute.org/socrates
who runs to
JULY 7-10, 2017 SUMMER SEMINARS | ASPEN, CO win?
AMERICA'S NATIONAL SECURITY TOOLBOX: TOOLS OF DIPLOMACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE
MODERATORS
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, former secretary of state and chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group
TARA SONENSHINE, former under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs for the State
Department and professor at George Washington University

THE NEW CAPITALISM: LEVERAGING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AND

IMPACT INVESTING FOR CHANGE
MODERATORS
SETH GOLDMAN, co-founder and president of Honest Tea
ERIC LETSINGER, president of Qualified Ventures

SACRED GROUND: RELIGIOUS PLURALISM & PREJUDICE IN THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT

MODERATOR: EBOO PATEL, founder of Interfaith Youth Core

AS A CITY UPON A HILL: ON BECOMING AMERICA

MODERATORS
LEIGH HAFREY, senior lecturer in the behavioral and policy sciences at MIT's Sloan School of Management
RUSS MUIRHEAD, Robert Clements professor of democracy and politics and professor of government at
Dartmouth College
CAROL DOPKIN
HOW DO YOU KNOW? FINDING THE TRUTH IN A POST-TRUTH WORLD
The Realtor With Horse Sense!
MODERATOR
RAY SUAREZ, former host with Al-Jazeera and chief national correspondent for PBS NewsHour With expertise in negotiation
and the local market, Carol
JOIN THE SOCIETY OF FELLOWS has guided hundreds of clients
to the homes of their dreams.
Whether you are a seller or a
The Society of Fellows (SOF) is a national community of the Institutes closest friends buyer, whether it is a ski condo
whose support plays an instrumental role in advancing the mission of the Aspen Institute. or a ranch, you will be off to a
Fellows enjoy unparalleled access to Institute programs, most notably exclusive discussion good start with Carol. She has
receptions, luncheons, and multiday symposia, all featuring policy and issue experts. been winning for her clients for
Fellows are the first to know of offerings, and they receive special invitations to programs nearly 30 years.
in Aspen; New York; Washington, DC; San Francisco; and elsewhere across the country.
Those who wish to engage deeper with the Institutes work are encouraged to join. An
SOF membership is tax-deductible. To learn more, visit aspeninstitute.org/society-fellows. Consistently One Of
ASPENS TOP PRODUCERS
JUNE 20, 2017 AUGUST 1-4
SOF OPENING RECEPTION SOF SYMPOSIUM
DOERR-HOSIER BUILDING | ASPEN, CO KOCH BUILDING | ASPEN, CO
Horse sense - noun:
Playing Chess with Putin: US -Russian Relations Today stable thinking
JULY 5-7, 2017 Matthew Rojansky and Jill Dougherty
SOF SYMPOSIUM 970.618.0187
KOCH BUILDING | ASPEN, CO
The Tribalization of Media and the Post-Truth World
AUGUST 6-9 Carol@CarolDopkin.com
SOF CELEBRATION
Gillian Tett DOERR-HOSIER BUILDING | ASPEN, CO www.CarolDopkin.com
Leonardo da Vinci: A Celebration of Wonder,
JULY 19-21 Imagination, and the Creative Power of Curiosity
SOF SYMPOSIUM
KOCH BUILDING | ASPEN, CO
Law and Order Out of Order? Policing and
*Please visit aspeninstitute.org/sof for a complete list of
Incarceration in the United States Society of Fellows events.
Ronald Davis
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 89
FACTS/PROGRAMS

LEADERSHIP
THE INSTITUTE CULTIVATES ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERS AND ENCOURAGES THEM TO TACKLE
THE GREAT CHALLENGES OF OUR TIMES THROUGH SOCIAL VENTURES. SPANNING VARIOUS
GEOGRAPHIC AND ISSUE AREAS, WE HOST 14 DIFFERENT FELLOWSHIPS.

Dan Bayer
Fellows at the Resnick Aspen Action Forum

THE ASPEN GLOBAL LEADERSHIP NETWORK

Each Aspen Global Leadership Network program, inspired by the Henry Crown Fellowship Program, is developing a new generation of high-integrity,
civically engaged men and women by encouraging them to move from success to significance and to apply their entrepreneurial talents to addressing
the foremost challenges of their organizations, communities, and countries. Today, there are more than 2,500 Fellows in more than 50 countries.

Henry Crown Fellowship Program

aspeninstitute.org/crown
Finance Leaders Fellowship
aspeninstitute.org/flf INNOVATION
The Aspen Institute Center for Urban
Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) Health Innovators Fellowship Innovations mission is to harness the innovative
*including programs in East Africa, West Africa, and the
aspeninstitute.org/hif power of cities to make them great places
country of South Africa
africaleadership.net; ali-wa.net for all of their residentsespecially those in
Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship underserved neighborhoodsto live, work,
*formerly the India Leadership Initiative connect, and flourish. The Center for Urban
Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowships in
anantaaspencentre.in/intro_leadership.aspx Innovation is designed to be a place where
Public Leadership
aspeninstitute.org/rodel smart, passionate, creative people ask the next
Liberty Fellowship Program generation of questions and find the answers
libertyfellowshipsc.org together. We connect and supports leaders
Central America Leadership Initiative (CALI)
centralamericaleadership.net from government, business, nonprofits, and
Middle East Leadership Initiative (MELI) philanthropy to better understand the
aspeninstitute.org/meli needs and challenges of urban innovators from
China Fellowship Program
aspeninstitute.org/china a range of disciplines.
Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/
pahara.org center-urban-innovation
Environment Leaders Fellowship
aspeninstitute.org/leadership

CENTER FOR URBAN

90 IDEAS SUMMER 2017
Dan Bayer

Better Care for People with Complex Needs

www.bettercareplaybook.org

IDEAS SUMMER 2017 91

 FACTS/PROGRAMS

POLICY
Policy programs and initiatives serve as
nonpartisan forums for analysis, consensus-
building, and problem-solving on a wide
variety of issues.

SUMMER
SERIES
FEATURED ARTISTS & CONVERSATIONS
PRESENTED BY TOBY DEVAN LEWIS

JULY 6
WILLIAM J. OBRIEN
JULY 13
WALEAD BESHTY

Dan Bayer
JULY 19
Conversation with
JAN & RONNIE GREENBERG
ASCEND AT THE ASPEN INSTITUTE CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAM
JULY 20 ascend.aspeninstitute.org aspeninstitute.org/congressional
WANGECHI MUTU
ASPEN BRIDGE CYBERSECURITY & TECHNOLOGY
JULY 27 aspeninstitute.org/programs/race-card-project
National Council Special Event* PROGRAM
ASPEN FORUM FOR COMMUNITY aspeninstitute.org/cyber
DOUG AITKEN
*To join the National Council, SOLUTIONS
call 970-923-3181, x212 aspeninstitute.org/solutions ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM
aspeninstitute.org/eop
AUGUST 3 ASPEN GLOBAL HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT
SISTERS ON TOP: Artists talk about aspeninstitute.org/ghd EDUCATION & SOCIETY PROGRAM
Islam, Immigration and Ingenuity HUMA aspeninstitute.org/education
BHABHA and DIANA AL-HADID in ASPEN INSTITUTE LATINOS & SOCIETY
PROGRAM ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM
conversation with SARAH THORNTON aspeninstitute.org/ee
aspeninstitute.org/latinos-society

ASPEN NETWORK OF DEVELOPMENT GLOBAL ALLIANCES PROGRAM

CRITICAL DIALOGUE ENTREPRENEURS aspeninstitute.org/global-alliances
aspeninstitute.org/ande
JUNE 22 FINANCIAL SECURITY PROGRAM
Ritual, Making and Spirituality in Art ASPEN PLANNING & EVALUATION aspeninstitute.org/fsp
with TOM SACHS & TOM HEALY PROGRAM
aspeninstitute.org/apep HEALTH, MEDICINE, & SOCIETY PROGRAM
JULY 5 aspeninstitute.org/health
Chairmans Choice Presentation ASPEN STRATEGY GROUP
aspeninstitute.org/asg HOMELAND SECURITY PROGRAM
ENRIQUE MARTNEZ CELAYA
aspeninstitute.org/security
JULY 10 - 11 BUSINESS & SOCIETY PROGRAM
Black Mountain College: then & now aspeninstitute.org/bsp JUSTICE & SOCIETY PROGRAM
aspeninstitute.org/justice
with HELEN MOLESWORTH
CENTER FOR NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH
& ANOKA FARUQEE PROGRAM ON PHILANTHROPY & SOCIAL
aspeninstitute.org/cnay
AUGUST 10 INNOVATION
CITIZENSHIP & AMERICAN IDENTITY aspeninstitute.org/psi
The Artist, The Censor and The Nude
PROGRAM
with PAMELA JOSEPH, GLENN PROGRAM ON THE WORLD ECONOMY
aspeninstitute.org/citizenship
HARCOURT, ELEANOR HEARTNEY aspeninstitute.org/pwe
& FRANCIS NAUMANN COLLEGE EXCELLENCE PROGRAM
aspeninstitute.org/college-excellence SERVICE YEAR ALLIANCE
www.aspeninstitute.org/franklin-project
Reservations or Registration Required COMMUNICATIONS & SOCIETY PROGRAM
Additional support is provided by National Council sponsors SPORTS & SOCIETY PROGRAM
aspeninstitute.org/c&s
aspeninstitute.org/sports-society
andersonranch.org | 970/923-3181
COMMUNITY STRATEGIES GROUP THE STEVENS INITIATIVE
aspeninstitute.org/csg stevensinitiative.org

92 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 POLICY PROGRAM
FELLOWSHIPS
Born from the policy programs
at the Aspen Institute, Policy I have been a part of the
Aspen community and
Leadership Programs seek to
affiliated with the Aspen
empower exceptional individuals Institute for over 30 years.
Having been trusted to
to lead with innovation in their
develop and sell some of the
chosen fields. These individuals most prestigious properties
then become more effective in our area, it would be my
pleasure to help you with
change agents who caninfluence your real estate needs.
Dan Bayer

the institutions and fields in

John Sarpa
which they work and lead to 970.379.2595
create better outcomes for John@JohnSarpa.com

society.
History | Respect | Leadership | Results

NEW VOICES FELLOWSHIP

Founded by the Institutes Global Health
and Development Program, the New Voices
Fellowship cultivates compelling experts to speak
on development issues.
aspennewvoices.org

THE ASCEND FELLOWSHIP

Founded by the Institutes Ascend Program,
the Ascend Fellowship targets diverse pioneers
paving new pathways that break the cycle of
intergenerational poverty.
aspeninstitute.org/ascend

FIRST MOVERS FELLOWSHIP

Founded by the Institutes Business and Society
Program, the First Movers Fellowship helps
corporate social intrapreneurs deliver financial
value to their company and positive social and
environmental outcomes for the world. Floral Arts
aspeninstitute.org/firstmovers for Weddings, Events & Everyday
970.920.6838 ~ www.sashae.com
300 Puppy Smith St. ~ Aspen, CO

Sashae_AspenIdea_sum14.indd 1 4/27/14 7:28 PM

FACTS/PROGRAMS

PUBLIC Public conferences and events provide

a commons for people to share ideas.

Malek Jandali performs at

Aspen Ideas Festival 2016

Riccardo Savi
ASPEN IDEAS FESTIVAL ASPEN SECURITY FORUM
This weeklong, large-scale public eventco-hosted by On the Institutes campus in Aspen, the Aspen S ecurity Forum convenes
The Atlanticbrings some of the worlds brightest minds and leaders to leaders in government, industry, media, think tanks, and academia to explore
Aspen every summer for enlightened dialogue on the planets most key national homeland security and counterterrorism issues.
pressing issues. aspensecurityforum.org
aspenideas.org

WASHINGTON IDEAS FORUM ONGOING PROGRAMS IN NEW YORK

Presented in partnership with The Atlantic, this Washington, DCbased
event features leading figures in public policy discussing the most important
issues of the day.
ASPEN WORDS
Throughout the year, Aspen Words encourages writers in their craft and
readers in their appreciation of literature by hosting festivals, readings, and
other literary exchanges.
aspenwords.org
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE ARTS PROGRAM
The Arts Program was established to support and invigorate the arts in America
and to return the arts to the Institutes Great Conversation. It brings
together artists, advocates, educators, managers, foundations, and government
officials to exchange ideas and develop policies that strengthen the reciprocal
relationship between the arts and society. aspeninstitute.org/arts
The Institute hosts a variety of programs in New York City, from book talks
and benefits to roundtable discussions,
forums, and the Aspen Leadership Series: Conversations with Great Leaders
in Memory of Preston Robert Tisch.
aspeninstitute.org/events/newyorkevents
ASPEN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
The Institute offers residents of Aspen and the surrounding Roaring Fork
Valley communities a variety of programs throughout the year, including
speaker series, community seminars, and film screenings.
aspeninstitute.org/community
ONGOING PROGRAMS IN WASHINGTON, DC
From September through June, the Institutes DC headquarters hosts the
Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series, featuring discussions with major
recent authors. Concurrently, the Washington Ideas Roundtable Series focuses
on world affairs, arts, and culture.
aspeninstitute.org/events

94 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 Aspen | Avon | Crested Butte | Basalt | Glenwood Springs | Rifle

Big-City Legal Services, Small-Town Practice Attorneys in Litigation & Transactional Law

Garfield & Hecht, P.C. is a proud sponsor of the Sandra Day OConnor Conversation Series

www.garfieldhecht.com | 970.925.1936 ph | atty@garfieldhecht.com

FACTS/PROGRAMS

CALENDAR For more information about any of these events,

please call Natasha Little at 800.410.3463

C2 Photography
JULY 8, 2017 AUGUST 5, 2017 NOVEMBER 9, 2017
21ST SOCRATES ANNUAL DINNER 24TH ANNUAL SUMMER 34TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER
DINNER CHAIRS: CELEBRATION DINNER CHAIR:
Laura and Gary Lauder, Erin Brooks Sawyer, and DINNER CHAIR: Mercedes T. Bass
Ken Sawyer Diane L. Morris LOCATION:
HONOREE: HONOREES: The Plaza Hotel, New York City
Madeleine Albright
David Boies and Ted Olson aspeninstitute.org/annualdinner
LOCATION:
The Doerr-Hosier Center, Aspen Meadows LOCATION:
The Doerr-Hosier Center, Aspen Meadows
aspeninstitute.org/socratesdinner
aspeninstitute.org/summercelebration

WE WERE HERE WHEN THE PAEPCKES

MIND
& THE ASPEN IDEA LANDED IN ASPEN

BOD
BODY
SPIR
NON-STOP
CHICAGO
DENVER
LOS ANGELES
SAN FRANCISCO
HOUSTON
DALLAS/
FT. WORTH
ASPEN/PITKIN COUNTY SALT LAKE CITY

AIRPOR
EMBRACING THE CHARACTER OF ASPEN SINCE 1948
 CONNECT WITH US
THE INSTITUTE ONLINE
E-NEWSLETTER
Sign up for the Aspen Institutes
biweekly e-newsletter at
aspeninstitute.org/newsletter.
MULTIMEDIA CHANNEL
Find videos of many of the
Institutes panels and discussions, many of which
are invitation-only, at
aspeninstitute.org/video.
PUBLICATIONS
To find Institute publications, some of which are
available for purchase or downloadable for free,
go to aspeninstitute.org/publications.
TO CONTACT INSTITUTE LEADERS
SEMINARS
Director
Todd Breyfogle // 202.341.7803
todd.breyfogle@aspeninstitute.org
aspeninstitute.org/seminars
HENRY CROWN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Managing Director, Director
Henry Crown Fellowship Program
Tonya Hinch // 202.736.3523
tonya.hinch@aspeninstitute.org
aspeninstitute.org/crown
DONATIONS, SPECIAL EVENTS,
AND BENEFITS
Director of Development Events
and Donor Relations
Leah Bitounis // 202.736.2289
leah.bitounis@aspeninstitute.org
IDEAS: THE MAGAZINE OF THE ASPEN
INSTITUTE
To find and share this issue online,
go to aspeninstitute.org/magazine
THE ASPEN IDEA BLOG
Aspen Institute directors, experts,
and guest bloggers offer insight
into the work of the organization at
aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts.
THE ASPEN JOURNAL OF IDEAS
The Institutes digital collection of thought-
provoking analyses and opinions on critical
issues is at
aspen.us/journal.
ASPEN GLOBAL LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Dep. Director, Operations & Partnerships
Willow Darsie // 202.736.3545
willow.darsie@aspeninstitute.org
aspeninstitute.org/leadership
ASPEN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
Cristal Logan // 970.544.7929
cristal.logan@aspeninstitute.org
aspeninstitute.org/community
POLICY PROGRAMS
Director of Administration,
Policy and Public Programs
Donna Horney // 202.736.5835
donna.h@aspeninstitute.org
aspeninstitute.org/policy-work
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Vice President, Aspen Ideas Festival, Director
Kitty Boone // 970.544.7926
kitty.boone@aspeninstitute.org
aspenideas.org
Vice President, Director
Jamie Miller // 202.736.1075
jamie.miller@aspeninstitute.org
ASPEN ACROSS AMERICA
Executive Vice President
Eric L. Motley // 202.736.2900
eric.motley@aspeninstitute.org
SOCRATES PROGRAM
Director
Cordell Carter // 202.736.2922
cordell.carter@aspeninstitute.org
aspeninstitute.org/socrates
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
Director
Jonathon Price// 202.736.1077
jonathon.price@aspeninstitute.org
aspeninstitute.org/international
THE SOCIETY OF FELLOWS
Director
Peter Waanders // 970.544.7912
peter.waanders@aspeninstitute.org
aspeninstitute.org/sof
HERITAGE SOCIETY
To learn more about planned giving
opportunities, please call
Kris Robinson // 202.736.3852
aspeninstitute.org/heritagesociety
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Managing Director,
Communications and Public Affairs
Pherabe Kolb // 202.736.2906
pherabe.kolb@aspeninstitute.org
OFFICE
HEADQUARTERS
Suite 700, One Dupont Circle, NW
Washington, DC 20036-1133
202.736.5800
ASPEN CAMPUS
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970.925.7010
WYE RIVER CAMPUS
2010 Carmichael Road, P.O. Box 222
Queenstown, MD 21658
410.827.7168
NEW YORK OFFICES
477 Madison Avenue, Suite 730, NY, NY 10022
212.895.8000
IDEAS SUMMER 2017 97
 The Heidi Houston
Team gets results!
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98 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

 18 Antelope Drive, Carbondale/Redstone
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IDEAS SUMMER 2017 99
PARTING SHOT

Photo courtesy of the Berko Society

Outside the Lines
At the Aspen Institute, crossing lines is crucial. It means meeting people where they
are to have a constructive conversation. It means being open to differing points of
view. The Institute reflects this in its very atmospherelike the Herbert Bayer pieces
that are integral to our campus. Bayer was instrumental in creating the environment
the Institute is known for: a retreat to encourage all visitors to come together, share
great ideas and cultural values, and nurture their minds, bodies, and spirits. Bayer and
founder Walter Paepcke worked carefully to ensure that the campus embodied the
"Aspen idea" itself through the idea that an artist's responsibility is to imbue his or her
work with "head, heart, and hand." But it's not just artistry that necessitates consulting
both the head and the heart. Working toward a Good Society means balancing the two
every day.

Ideas: The Magazine of the Aspen Institute is published three times each year by the A spen Institute and distributed to Institute constituents, friends, and supporters.
To receive a copy, call (202) 736-5800. Postmaster: Please send address changes to The Aspen Institute C ommunications Department, Ste. 700, One Dupont Circle NW, Washington, DC 20036
or ideas.magazine@aspeninstitute.org.
The opinions and statements expressed by the authors and contributors to this publication do not necessarily reflect opinions or positions of the Aspen Institute, which is a nonpartisan forum. All rights reserved. No
material in this publication may be published or copied without the express written consent of the Aspen Institute. The Aspen Institute All Rights Reserved

100 IDEAS SUMMER 2017

Photo courtesy of the Berko Society

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extending directly onto the ski slope. $8,900,000

CHRIS SOUKI
MASON MORSE REAL ESTATE 970.948.4378 | chris@masonmorse.com

THE BINEAU TEAM

The Source for Real Estate in Aspen ANITA & JIM BINEAU
970.925.7000 | masonmorse.com 970.688.0609 | thebineauteam@masonmorse.com