The Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN)

Applications are now open!

Leaders at the forefront of civic and social change are navigating unprecedented pressures with little space to pause, reflect, or connect with peers facing similar challenges.

In the Arena is a long weekend seminar experience for civic and social change leaders who are still showing up, still fighting for what matters, and who know that sustaining that fight requires more than willpower alone

Join one of two cohorts of 16-18 Aspen Fellows for a program designed to restore resilience, strengthen courage, and build lasting community around an irresistible vision for the future.

📅 Cohort 1: August 27–30, 2026 | Los Angeles, CA
📅 Cohort 2: November 17–20, 2026 | The Fetzer Institute Campus, Kalamazoo, MI

Expect Aspen-style text-based dialogues, immersive time in nature, somatic experiences designed for renewal and space for reimagination and collective thinking about what this moment demands, and what might be possible on the other side of it.

Open to Aspen Fellows currently based in or leading work within the United States.

Thanks to the generous support of , there is no cost to participate. Limited travel assistance is available.

Applications close May 15.

Explore the program and apply via the link in our bio — or join us live for an info session on April 30 with any questions 🔗

29 Civil Society Fellows from across four classes, representing 16 states and DC, came together last month in Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas to connect with local leaders, engage with the community, and deepen their bonds with one another.

Shout out to Fellows Rudy Espinoza & Lauren McCann for captivating the experience through photos & sketches 💫

Introducing the first class of the Michael D. Eisner Arts and Culture Fellowship ✨

Created in collaboration with the Arts Program and launched with founding support from the , the program is bringing together 26 leaders across film, music, theater, visual arts, education, and more, united by a belief in the power of arts and culture to drive positive change.

Spanning three countries, a dozen disciplines, and multiple generations, this class represents the richness and responsibility of creative leadership today.

Thank you to the Eisner Foundation for making this vision possible. We can’t wait to see what this cohort will create together. Link in bio to learn more about the class.

Aristotle had a word for the good life: eudaimonia. It’s usually translated as happiness, but it’s closer to flourishing — becoming fully what you’re capable of being.

His answer for how to get there? Contemplation. Genuine thinking. Not toward a goal, not to solve a problem — just the act of understanding, as an end in itself.

Today is World Happiness Day. Give yourself permission to contemplate. Read something slow. Sit with a hard question. Let your mind wander somewhere meaningful. ✨

🌍 Reminder: We’re gathering Fellows alongside Skoll World Forum, in Oxford from April 20–24, for time to connect, share what’s hard, and learn from one another. If you’ll be there, or are UK-based and want to join us, reach out to [email protected] to let us know.

RSVP Open Now: This Isn’t Easy: Braving Uncertainty Panel Discussion

Join us in partnership with the on April 23 for a candid dialogue on sustaining bold leadership and courage at one of the most challenging moments for social change.

Hear from winners Dr. Krithi K. Karanth (Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship), Mohamed Ali Diini (Aspen Global Innovators Fellowship), and Layla Zaidane (Civil Society Fellowship) in a panel discussion moderated by Stace Lindsay, Executive Vice President of Leadership at the Aspen Institute on finding courage in the face of strong headwinds, adapting while staying true to your mission, and strengthening your organization to meet what’s ahead.

Space is limited — early RSVP encouraged — link in bio.

4 cities. 3 months. 100+ Fellows. Countless perspectives. 🌍

From Stellenbosch to Hong Kong, Dubai to Antigua, AGLN Fellows gathered January through March for the Leading in a Global Context seminar — a pivotal moment in their Fellowship journey. Together, they explored global perspectives, challenged assumptions, and forged meaningful connections with like-hearted, differently minded peers across the AGLN.

Want to connect with fellow Fellows from around the globe? Join us at the 2026 Resnick Aspen Action Forum — the largest AGLN gathering of the year. Step into the seminar room, make new meaningful relationships and see old friends, and leave re-energized to drive the change that matters most to you.

Register via the link in bio. 💫

📌 Mark your calendar — April 7 | Washington, DC

What does leadership require—not only in moments of visible crisis, but in the quieter years before conflict erupts and in the long, demanding decades of repair that follow?

Hosted in partnership with the .foundation, join us on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda for an afternoon of dialogue on memory, recovery, and what it means to act with survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, author and educator Claver Irakoze and former USAID Administrator Gayle Smith.

🔗 Learn more via the link in our bio.

Dr. Krithi K. Karanth, Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellow, (.karanth) has spent nearly three decades in India’s forests — tracking tigers, listening to farmers, and building solutions that work for both. As CEO of the Centre for Wildlife Studies, she’s reached 7,500 villages, 55,000 children, and processed nearly 29,000 conflict claims — proving that conservation and community prosperity aren’t opposites. They’re partners.

“I don’t want to live on a planet without tigers and elephants and bears and wolves and leopards. And once gone, you cannot bring them back.”

In honor of last week, her message is simple: we have the solutions. Now we need the will — and the speed — to scale them. 🌿

🎥 Krithi was named a 2025 winner for her bold leadership. Watch her full talk and hear her vision for India’s wildlife — and the world’s — in the link in our bio.

Leadership in a complex moment takes courage—and community. Revisit Action Forum highlights and join us for 2026. 🤝

Registration is open—head to our bio to join us in Aspen this July 21-24.

What kind of conversations do you want more of this year?