Ideas Summer 2018

MEET
THE NEW
PRESIDENT
DAN PORTERFIELD COMES TO ASPEN
COMMUNIT Y
COLLEGES
MATTER MORE THAN EVER
ELIZABETH
PAEPCKE
ART AND INSPIRATION
IN ASPEN
THE
MOVE
OUR NEW DC HQ
PUT ON YOUR DRINKING CAPS
© 2018 FIJI Water Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. FIJI, EARTH’S FINEST WATER, the Trade Dress and accompanying logos are trademarks of FIJI Water Company LLC or its affiliates. FW180131-07
FW180131-07_Apsen_Ideas_Ad_F.indd 1 3/23/18 5:10 PM

From underwriting the 2017 Leonardo da Vinci Celebration to this summer’s exploration of
the American West, Lugano Diamonds is honored to support The Aspen Institute. Our creative
collaboration will continue with sponsorship of the prestigious 2019 Bauhaus Program.
NE WPORT BE ACH | ASPEN | PALM BE ACH | 866. 584.2666 | LUGANODIAMONDS.COM

CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS
10 | W H AT I S T H E I N S T I T U T E ?
15 | A R O U N D T H E I N S T I T U T E
The Institute welcomes David Brooks to the team; we head
to Abu Dhabi for a unique Ideas Festival; John Lithgow talks
facts versus fiction; Aspen Challenge dares teens to change the
Riccardo Savi
world; and more.
42 | A S H E A R D AT 10
Tracy K. Smith discusses poetry, life, and language;
Tom Farrey, Robert Cantu, Domonique Foxworth, Scott
Hallenbeck, and Jennifer Brown Lerner tackle the future of
football.
46 | I M PA C T
AMP Health works with ministries of health in sub-Saharan
Africa to scale up national networks of community health
workers; three Job Quality fellows from the Economic
Opportunities Program describe the effect of their fellowship
experience on their work as a corporate retailer, a union
SocialLight Photo
leader, and a state government business-development official;
and students from Virginia and Lebanon connect through the
15
Stevens Initiative.
80 | FA C E S
Behind the scenes at Institute events.
86 | FA C T S
Get to know the Institute’s programs.
88 | C O N N E C T W I T H U S
Contact our program directors; get in touch on social media.
92 | PA R T I N G S H O T
Nick Tininenko
The Institute takes a deep breath.
42
ON THE COVER
MEET
THE NEW
PRESIDENT
DAN PORTERFIELD COMES TO ASPEN
Mohamed Abdel Kader
COMMUNIT Y
COLLEGES
MATTER MORE THAN EVER
© John Dolan
ELIZABETH
PAEPCKE
ART AND INSPIRATION
IN ASPEN Dan Porterfield, president and
THE CEO of the Aspen Institute
MOVE
OUR NEW DC HQ 46
(Photo © 2018 Leigh Vogel)
4 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

ENDURING STYLE
How Will You

Shape the
Future?
M A J A D U B R U L
© John Dolan
JEWELRY
325 East Hopkins, Aspen | www.majadubrul.com
CONTENTS
FEATURES
52 | P E R S O N A L L E A D E R S H I P
Just as Dan Porterfield was leaving Franklin & Marshall College to take the
reins of the Aspen Institute, Corby Kummer spent two days hearing why
students and faculty are so sorry he’s going—and what the Institute has to
look forward to.
58 | M O V I N G O N I N
The Institute’s brand-new headquarters in Washington, DC, is designed
Michael Milville
to be a reflection of the Aspen campus. Nicole Corea describes it as an
“urban mountaintop” for work and reflection.
52
62 | S TAY I N G I N
In the United States, higher education provides an indispensable ladder
to the middle class for many lower-income and minority students. That’s
why the Institute’s College Excellence Program is helping both students and
colleges to expand opportunity for all. Caroline Broder explains how.
66 | T H E A R T O F L I F E
A 1939 ski vacation to a remote village in Colorado led to Elizabeth
Paepcke’s life’s work. Gitta Schneider-Sickert reveals how Paepcke
helped found the Institute and how she made Aspen the international
destination for art, music, mind, and spirit that it is today.
Riccardo Savi
58
THE JOURNAL OF IDEAS
72 | WORK REIMAGINED
Robots, drones, and online innovations have forever changed US
employment. Unfortunately, automation has also left millions stuck in
Courtesy Lake Area Technical Institute

an economic model that no longer works. US Senator Mark Warner
argues that there’s a way for all Americans to participate in the economy.
74 | HOW TO REIGNITE DEMOCRACY

America’s sense of pluralism is waning, faith in the news media is
crumbling, and belief in government is at a nadir. Jane Wales looks at
four Institute programs that are taking up the challenge of restoring trust in
the nation’s fundamental precepts, including citizens’ trust in one another. 62
76 | ON TRACK
Courtesy Aspen Historical Society, Chamberlain Collection
Once defined by guarded isolationism, India’s Track II diplomacy has

given the nation entrée to the world stage. The Ananta Aspen Centre’s
Pramit Pal Chaudhuri describes how the center has become a Track II
dialogue leader, paving the way for a new geopolitical era in India.
78 | RELIGIOUS INCLUSION
America was built on religious freedom. Yet religious inclusion seems to be
flagging. The Justice and Society Program decided to examine pluralism
as an American ideal. Zeenat Rahman and Allison K. Ralph discuss
how to combat religious bias and promote an interfaith society.
66
6 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

The Datejust 41
The new generation of the essential classic, with a new movement
and design that keep it at the forefront of watchmaking.
It doesn’t just tell time. It tells history.
oyster perpetual DATEJUST 41
rolex oyster perpetual and datejust are ® trademarks.

WHAT IS THE ASPEN INSTITUTE?
Riccardo Savi
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
Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has an international network
of partners.
10 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

EDITOR’S LETTER
DANIEL R. PORTERFIELD, PhD

President and Chief Executive Officer
ELLIOT F. GERSON
Executive Vice President, Policy and Public Programs; International Partners
NAMITA KHASAT
Executive Vice President, Finance and Administrative Services;
Chief Financial Officer; Corporate Treasurer
Sam Abdelhamid
DAVID LANGSTAFF
Interim Executive Vice President, Leadership and Seminars
ERIC L. MOTLEY, PhD

Executive Vice President, Institutional Advancement; Corporate Secretary
RAJIV VINNAKOTA
Executive Vice President, Youth & Engagement Programs
Sometimes change comes fast—to the country, to the Institute. AMY DeMARIA
In a year when it came for both, and fast, the Institute kept up: in both Executive Vice President, Communications and Marketing
policy and public programs, only a few of which are highlighted in JAMES M. SPIEGELMAN
“Around the Institute” (see “The Right Place for an Argument,” page Vice President and Chief of Staff
46); the new year brought us a new headquarters and a new leader, at EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHER CORBY KUMMER
pretty much the same time. EXECUTIVE EDITOR SACHA ZIMMERMAN
Much of the excitement over the announcement of Dan Porterfield as MANAGING EDITOR AND ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER NICOLE COREA
the Institute’s new president and CEO was around the dramatic increases SENIOR EDITORS ALISON DECKER, JAMES M. SPIEGELMAN
DESIGN DIRECTOR KATIE KISSANE-VIOLA
he made in access to college for high-schoolers who never thought they’d
CREATIVE DIRECTOR PAUL VIOLA
go—work he did in concert with the Institute’s College Excellence DESIGNER MICHAEL STOUT
Program—and also around the unique connection he made with wide EDITOR EMERITUS JAMIE MILLER
swathes of students. So I went to Franklin & Marshall College, where he MANAGING DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS PHERABE KOLB
was finishing the school year before heading to the Institute, to meet as ADVERTISING CYNTHIA CAMERON, 970.948.8177, adsales@aspeninstitute.org
many of those students as I could (see “Personal Leadership,” page 52). CONTACT EDITORIAL ideas.magazine@aspeninstitute.org
GENERAL The Aspen Institute,
I saw that connection in almost every conversation I had—
2300 N Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20037
particularly when I watched Porterfield at a lunch with a group of 202.736.5800, www.aspeninstitute.org
students he’d worked with closely during their college careers. An
additional student turned up as the last course: to do a run-through of BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN: James S. Crown
his audition for Teach For America, which in a virtually unprecedented BOARD OF TRUSTEES
move was coming to F&M’s campus in recognition of its distinction as Madeleine K. Albright, Jean-Luc Allavena, Paul F. Anderson, Donna Barksdale, Mercedes T. Bass,
Miguel Bezos, Richard S. Braddock, Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak, William D. Budinger, William Bynum,
the top contributor of successful TFA candidates among liberal arts and Stephen L. Carter, Troy Carter, Cesar R. Conde, Phyllis Coulter, Katie Couric, Andrea Cunningham,
smaller colleges. After the five-minute presentation, the rest of the class Kenneth L. Davis, John Doerr, Thelma Duggin, Arne Duncan, Michael D. Eisner, L. Brooks Entwistle,
offered the student practical tips. Alan Fletcher, Ann B. Friedman, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Mircea D. Geoana,
Antonio Gracias, Patrick W. Gross, Arjun Gupta, Jane Harman, Kaya Henderson, Hayne Hipp, Ivan Hodac,
Then Porterfield stood up. He advised the student to trim his last Mark S. Hoplamazian, Gerald D. Hosier, Robert J. Hurst, Natalie Jaresko, Salman Khan, Teisuke Kitayama,
question, stick to four and a half minutes, then “drop the mic.” He looked Michael Klein, David H. Koch, Satinder K. Lambah, Laura Lauder, Yo-Yo Ma, James M. Manyika, William E.
Mayer,* Bonnie P. McCloskey, David McCormick, Anne Welsh McNulty, Diane Morris, Karlheinz Muhr,
up to make his point: “You have to excel Clare Muñana, Jerry Murdock, Marc B. Nathanson, William A. Nitze, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Jacqueline
at every part of the interview process.” Novogratz, Olara A. Otunnu, Elaine Pagels, Carrie Walton Penner, Daniel R. Porterfield, Margot L. Pritzker,
We look forward to that standard— Lynda Resnick, Condoleezza Rice, James Rogers, Ricardo B. Salinas, Lewis A. Sanders, Anna Deavere Smith,
Michelle Smith, Javier Solana, Robert K. Steel,* Shashi Tharoor,** Laurie M. Tisch, Giulio Tremonti,
and to meeting it, and Porterfield, Eckart von Klaedan, Roderick K. von Lipsey, Vin Weber
in our new Washington building
*Chairman Emeritus **On Leave of Absence
(see “Moving On In,” page 58). It’s
a space where Aspen-style retreats LIFETIME TRUSTEES CO-CHAIRMEN: Berl Bernhard, Ann Korologos*
are at last possible in the LIFETIME TRUSTEES

Keith Berwick, James C. Calaway,*
capital city—including Lester Crown, Tarun Das, William H. Donaldson, Sylvia A. Earle, Richard N. Gardner, David Gergen,
on the airy roof deck, Alma L. Gildenhorn, Jacqueline Grapin, Gerald Greenwald, Irvine O. Hockaday Jr., Nina Rodale Houghton,
where visitors will be Anne Frasher Hudson, Jérôme Huret, William N. Joy, Henry A. Kissinger, Leonard A. Lauder,*
Frederic V. Malek, Olivier Mellerio, Sandra Day O’Connor, Hisashi Owada, Thomas R. Pickering,
forgiven for thinking Charles Powell, Jay Sandrich, Lloyd G. Schermer, Carlo Scognamiglio, Albert H. Small, Andrew L. Stern,
they’ve happened on Paul A. Volcker, Leslie H. Wexner, Frederick B. Whittemore, Alice Young
the Marble Garden.
Roman Cho
*Chairman Emeritus
—Corby Kummer
The Aspen Institute sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable manner.
This issue was printed by American Web on recycled fibers containing 10 percent postconsumer waste, with inks containing a blend of soy base. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council
and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and it meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards.

Elevating Healthcare
IN ASPEN
Aspen Valley Hospital has been recognized with numerous
awards for patient safety and satisfaction and holds a Five-Star
Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
for overall quality and patient experience.
Keeping a team of expert clinicians, state-of-the-art facilities

and world-class technology standing ready to care for you and
your loved ones takes the support of our community.
Consider a gift to Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation to allow

progress to continue. Your support has never been more critical
to elevating healthcare in Aspen.
To make a gift or to learn more about all the giving opportunities available,
please call Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation.
970.544.1302 | avhf@aspenhospital.org | supportaspenvalleyhospital.org
AROUND THE INSTITUTE
A DREAM DEFERRED The American Dream is still alive, but is it accessible to all? In October,
the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program held a Working in America event to explore “Race, Work, and Opportunity
in America.” Participants discussed the relationship between race and employment, the experiences of black workers in the
United States, and the realities of opportunity in America today. They also explored ways to improve equity and diversity by
leveraging business, pursuing legislation, and organizing on the ground. To start, the Economic Opportunities Program laid out
the facts. aspeninstitute.org/eop
90%
$62,950 In 2015, the real
median income for
In 2010, the median earnings of black WHITE white households was
women were 90% of the median
earnings of white women.
$36,898 $62,950. It was just
$36,898 for black
BLACK households.5
68%
In 2010, black men earned just
68% of the median earnings of
white men.4
7.0% 3.4%
Black unemployment is generally twice
African Americans make up 12.1% of
the workforce but are overrepresented
as high as white unemploment.1 in low-wage occupations.6 For example,
In the last quarter of 2017, African black workers make up 16.8% of service
Americans faced a 7% unemployment occupations, but only 9.4% of management
rate, while whites had a 3.4% and professional occupations.7
unemployment rate.2
9.4% 16.8%
Black applicants are less likely to be called back for a position than white applicants with
the same credentials. Worse, a white applicant with a criminal record is more likely to
receive a callback or job offer than a black applicant with no record.3
REFERENCES
1
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity, 2015,” September 2016.
2
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “E-16, Unemployment Rates by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity,” October 2017.
3
Devah Pager, Bruce Western, and Bart Bonikowski, “Discrimination in a Low-Wage Labor Market: A Field Experiment,” American Sociological Review, 2009.
4
Colin Peterson, C. Matthew Snipp, and Sin Yi Cheung, “State of the Union: The Poverty and Inequality Report,” Pathways Magazine, 2017.
5
Bernadette D. Proctor, Jessica L. Semega, and Melissa A. Kollar, “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2015,” Current Population Reports, US Census Bureau, 2016.
6
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity,” January 2018.
7
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Median Weekly Earnings of Full-Time Wage and Salary Workers by Detailed Occupation and Sex,” 2017.
IDEAS SUMMER 2018 15

SocialLight Photo
Race Card Project
THE OBAMAS HOST THE BRIDGE

Prince Harry, Common, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the They shared triumphs, sorrows, and memories and posted
Institute’s Eric Liu were just a few of the speakers featured at the their mini-anthems on a massive wall—which quickly became
Obama Foundation’s inaugural summit in Chicago last fall. The a popular summit hub. Norris and the Bridge team also led a
Bridge—Aspen’s new program on race, identity, and inclusion, workshop, “What’s Your Story?” featuring their new BridgeBox
led by Michele Norris—was showcased during the gathering, tool, which is designed to kick-start powerful conversations.
where hundreds of leaders came together to explore creative The workshop allowed summit participants to explore race,
solutions to familiar problems. The Bridge hosted its “Who Do gender, sexual orientation, class, ethnicity, American identity,
You Think You Are?” photo booth, which asks participants for and otherness in a deep and candid dialogue. A session like this
six-word portraits for the Race Card Project. Over two days, can help leaders reach across differences, push past discomfort,
more than 100 people from around the world distilled their and keep the conversation going in their own workplaces.
thoughts and observations about identity into just six words. aspeninstitute.org/the-bridge

SAVE THE DATE
JULY 18 – 21 2018
ASPEN CO
SocialLight Photo
THE NINTH ANNUAL

ASPEN SECURITY FORUM
will bring together top-level government
officials, industry executives, leading thinkers,
diplomats, noted journalists, and concerned
citizens for three days of in-depth discussion on the
major issues of the day in global, national, and homeland
security, including nation-state conflict, non-state actors, PCVE,
cybersecurity, alliances, the pillars of democracy, and more.
How secure are America’s interests at home and abroad?
Socrates seminar participants in Otsu
Courtesy Aspen Institute Japan

SOCRATES GOES TO JAPAN
In October 2017, the Socrates Program and Aspen Institute Japan Institute Japan will hold over the next two years. In May, leaders
joined forces to bring the first English-language Aspen seminar to met in Tokyo to examine artificial intelligence with Google’s Wilson
Japan: “Order Amid Chaos: Making Sense of Major Trends Shaping White. In November, Charlie Firestone, the executive director of
the Future of Technology, Business, and Society.” Led by the MIT the Institute’s Communications and Society Program, will bring
Media Lab’s William Powers, participants from Japan, the United “Democracy in a Digital Age” to the city of Nara, Japan. The Japan
States, Italy, Romania, and Hong Kong delved into technology, the partnership is the result of the vision and generosity of Leonard
rise of social media, and national competitiveness. Conversations Lauder, an Institute lifetime trustee; the late Yotaro Kobayashi,
that began at the seminar table continued over Wagyu beef the former president of Aspen Institute Japan; and Elliot Gerson,
dinners and group excursions. Held just outside of Kyoto, in Otsu, the executive vice president of the Institute’s policy and public
participants toured iconic temples, shrines, and parks. The event programs and international partnerships.
marked the first of five seminars the Socrates Program and Aspen aspeninstitute.org/socrates
IDEAS WORTH TEACHING AWARDS

Business is the most popular undergraduate major and the second practice. Some of the winning courses included the University of
most popular graduate degree in the United States. Business Pennsylvania’s “Fault Lines in the Global System,” Georgetown
schools, therefore, often hold the key to orienting future leaders University’s “Peer-to-Peer Economies,” and Harvard University’s
toward a more inclusive, just, and sustainable capitalism. This “Reimagining Capitalism: Business and Big Problems.” All these
May, the Institute’s Business and Society Program celebrated courses are challenging conventional approaches to private
20 exceptional courses from around the world that are redefining enterprise, and many focus on the role of business on the world’s
excellence in business education—and ultimately in business social issues. aspeninstitute.org/ideas-worth-teaching

Whitman Fine Properties
Luxury Real Estate Sales
Courtesy of Aspen Institute Japan
79 Winter Way 69 Herron Hollow

3 En Suite Beds | 2 Powder Rooms |4,017 SQ 6 En Suite Beds | 2 Powder Rooms |8,246 SQFT
This home offers gorgeous contemporary finishes, Contemporary six-bedroom home located on
state of the art kitchen and secluded master suite. coveted Willoughby Way. Top of the line finishes
Last of three homes built on the most exclusive and throughout. Featuring a wine cellar, home gym and
unique riverfront setting in Aspen. $12,500,000 private hot tub. Magnifienct views of all ski areas.
40 Spruce Court 645 Hunter Creek

5 En Suite Beds | 8,181 SQFT 5 En Suite Beds| 2 Powder Rooms|7,840 SQFT
Spectacular five-bedroom home walking distance This home has it all: a swimming pool, hot tub,
to downtown Aspen situated on a rare flat acre. outdoor shower off the master bathroom, ski
Boasting gorgeous views and a phenomenal outdoor room, home gym and media room. One of a kind
living space including a fire pit, hot tub and pool. location with exceptional views. $27,500,000
Wendalin Whitman (970) 544-3771 whitmanfineproperties.com

DAVID BROOKS JOINS THE INSTITUTE

“What we see is a society riven by valleys and ravines and division,” New York
Times columnist David Brooks said before an audience of Institute employees.
“The people in this organization happen to be in the bridge-building business.”
And now he is, too. Brooks is joining the Institute to head a new initiative
aimed at understanding and reducing the growing fragmentation and alienation
across the United States. He highlighted the work several Institute programs
are already doing on the ground: the Community Strategies Group equips
local leaders in rural regions; the Center for Native American Youth tackles
the unique challenges facing young Native people; The Bridge explores race,
identity, and inclusion; the Citizenship and American Identity Program focuses
on the idea of vibrant citizenship; and the Aspen Challenge asks students to solve
their communities’ toughest problems. Brooks will spearhead new workshops
across America to help find commonalities and to uplift those working hard for
positive change. Institute CEO Dan Porterfield praised Brooks’s commitment
to Aspen's core mission. “How can we as an organization contribute to the
restoration of a sense of togetherness, national hope, and practical optimism?”
he asked. “David Brooks is going to work with all of us to make a difference for
America.” Given the divisive state of the country, it’s not an easy road—but it’s
one Brooks is prepared for. “The core problem is a crisis of social solidarity, a
crisis of fragmentation,” Brooks, who will continue to write his Times column,
said. “What’s the purpose of our country? What is the thing that unites us?”
Leigh Vogel
Brooks
aspeninstitute.org
WEST MEETS EAST AT IDEAS ABU DHABI

For the second year, the world's top leaders, CEOs, scholars, students,
scientists, and activists all packed into a university auditorium in the United
Arab Emirates for Abu Dhabi Ideas Weekend 2018, held at NYU–Abu
Dhabi. The event, a globally focused private conference run by Tamkeen,
a Bahraini government agency, and the Institute, features experts as they
explore four different moonshots in a variety of disciplines. This year,
former British Prime Minister David Cameron discussed transcending
political polarization, Google’s Lily Peng described how machine learning
can enhance cancer detection, and French computer-scientist Yann
Courtesy Tamkeen
LeCun explored the possibilities and limits of artificial intelligence.

But it was former French President Nicolas Sarközy, in conversation
Sarközy
with Institute Executive Vice President Elliot Gerson, who made
headlines—by decrying democracy in favor of strong personalities. the East: “Today, the world axis is Asian. Out of seven billion inhabitants,
“Where you see a great leader, there is no populism,” Sarközy said. “If four are in Asia; that’s the demography that creates history.”
great leadership leaves the table, the populist leaders come and replace After the discussions, the forum held an Ideas Festival–inspired
him.” Modern democracy, according to Sarközy, “destroys” leadership: fair on the large NYU–Abu Dhabi promenade. The festival featured
“The great leaders of the world come from countries that are not great performances, lectures, technology, and food trucks with cuisines from
democracies.” Sarközy also said that the future of global leadership is in around the world. ideasweekend.ae
AA_
Lifestyle. Luxury. Legacy.
WE’LL FIND YOURS.
Leigh Vogel
JONATHAN FEINBERG • PJ BORY • ASHLEY CHOD • COLTER SMITH • NICK LINCOLN

RYAN ELSTON • TONY DILUCIA • JAMES MAGUIRE • LAUREN BULLARD • RYAN THOMPSON
SCOTT DAVIDSON • CHRIS FLYNN • MONICA VIALL • REID HANSEN (not pictured)
RANKED
Courtesy of Tamkeen
IN SALES
PER BROKER*
Start searching properties now at

AspenAssociatesRealty.com
* Based on total dollar volume sold from ABOR 2017 year end stats. 970.544.5800 • Info@AspenAssociatesRealty.com
AA_company-stat_AI-18.2.indd 1 3/1/18 12:51 PM

Laurence Genon
Journalist Jay Newton Small with Fatima Goss Graves of the National Women’s Law Center
REACHING THE SUMMIT:

FIGHT INEQUALITY, CREATE OPPORTUNITY
In March, the Institute’s Summit on Inequality and Opportunity Marcia Chatelain, a professor at Georgetown University,
gathered more than 400 policymakers, social entrepreneurs, pointed out that the systems and programs designed to help get
philanthropists, and business leaders from around the country for families out of poverty are broken. “I can’t bash the American
a series of conversations about the latest innovations in the fight Dream because I’m a product of it,” she said. “But I hate that it’s
against poverty and inequality. The summit underscored the toxic such a heavy lift in this country to have opportunity.”
gaps in wealth and opportunity that continue to threaten the well- Launched in 2015, the summit is part of the Institute’s
being of all Americans. commitment to collaboration between its public programs
“Wealth inequality is enormous,” said Ray Boshara, a senior director and several policy programs—Ascend, the Economic
and advisor at the Center for Household Financial Stability at the Opportunities Program, the Aspen Forum for Community
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. “The top 1 percent of the country Solutions, the Community Strategies Group, and the Financial
owns about a third of the nation’s wealth. The wealth gap has become Security Program—which are all leading national efforts to
worse than the income gap.” Yet the most vulnerable populations, who tackle inequality and poverty. The Institute’s new CEO, Dan
are best positioned to help create solutions, are often left out of the Porterfield, spoke at the event and is certainly no stranger to
conversation. “We need to empower people,” said Mia Birdsong, a the topic: under his leadership, Franklin & Marshall College
senior fellow at the Economic Security Project who is exploring how a tripled the percentage of Pell Grant recipients and students
universal guaranteed income might lift people out of poverty. “Agency from communities of color. “Just give them opportunity,” he
and choice are fundamental to how people move forward.” urged summit attendees. aspenopportunity.org

Laurence Genon
2018 New Voices Fellows
Debbie Yazbek
MEET THE 2018
NEW VOICES FELLOWS

The New Voices Fellowship, a program of the Aspen Global populations, a Nigerian social entrepreneur who founded a food-
Innovators Group, was established in 2013 to bring the perspectives processing company and consulting firm dedicated to improving
of experts from Africa and other parts of the developing world nutrition in West Africa, and a Ugandan LGBT activist who fought
into a global conversation. Fellows undergo an intensive year of the country’s 2009 anti-homosexuality bill.
training in storytelling, coalition-building, and leadership. The During the program’s first five years, New Voices fellows
2018 New Voices fellows come from 12 countries across Africa, were featured over 2,500 times in the media, and many of them
Latin America, and Asia, and they are charting the way forward on have delivered TED talks. Plus, thanks to a partnership with The
issues like food security, climate change, global health, and good Moth, a nonprofit show dedicated to the craft of storytelling,
governance. The 20 new fellows are public-health specialists, fellows have told their stories to live American audiences as
scientists, activists, social entrepreneurs, and economists. They well as to radio and podcast audiences around the world. You
include a Nepalese microbiologist who works on antimicrobial can meet them this summer in Aspen at Spotlight Health.
resistance, a Mexican physician committed to serving marginalized newvoicesfellows.aspeninstitute.org
STARTER JOBS
Despite reports that the US job force is strong, there are nearly five million 16-to-24-year-olds without jobs. The Aspen Institute
Forum for Community Solutions tackles the long-standing inequities that hold this segment of the population back. The forum
recently released three new publications that highlight areas for improvement. Opportunity Lost? investigates the ways federally funded
programs—like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Pell Grants—can be
challenging to use and hard to combine. Shift Happens examines initiatives around the country that help young adults succeed. Finally,
Erin Baiano
Including All Voices explores local approaches that recognize youth and young adults as agents of their own growth and development.
aspeninstitute.org/aifcs

2017 TISCH AWARD PRESENTED TO
MITCH LANDRIEU
On December 13, outgoing Institute CEO Walter Isaacson sat down with the 2017
winner of the Preston Robert Tisch Award in Civic Leadership, New Orleans Mayor Mitch
Landrieu. They discussed their shared hometown and the unique challenges Landrieu has
faced there, like bringing the city back from the devastation of both Hurricane Katrina
and the BP oil spill. The mayor spoke about rebuilding the school system, the health care
system, and the levee system.
Landrieu also talked about growing up in one of New Orleans’s first integrated
neighborhoods and being raised by Maurice “Moon” Landrieu, the city’s mayor in the
early 1970s who was famous for opening up top City Hall positions to African Americans.
“Diversity for New Orleans has always been its strength,” Landrieu said, citing the city’s
Spanish and French influences.
Debbie Yazbek
Landrieu also discussed the events that led to the removal of Confederate statues
from the city’s public spaces. It started with a conversation with New Orleans native and
jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, who asked Landrieu to take down a prominent statue of
Robert E. Lee, which led Landrieu on a quest to understand the monument’s significance.
He found that it had been put up years after the Civil War by people who wanted to glorify
the Confederacy and what it stood for. “If I wanted to build a multicultural city,” Landrieu

explained, “I had to think about public spaces. There is a dangerous tendency to rest in
a bed of denial on these issues. We have to stop telling historical lies.” Then nine people
were killed at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South
Carolina. He knew: “Now is the time.” And the statues came down. As Isaacson said of
Landrieu, “It is one thing to understand intellectually, but it takes leadership to act on it.”
aspeninstitute.org/tisch-award
Erin Baiano
Landrieu and Isaacson

NEW DATA ON NEW GIGS

Warner The gig economy is fundamentally changing the US workforce.
Understanding its size and scope is crucial to identifying how
gig work can contribute to Americans’ financial security. The
Institute’s Future of Work Initiative, Cornell University’s School
of Industrial and Labor Relations, and the Rockefeller Foundation
recently convened a Gig Economy Data Roundtable in New
York that brought together nearly 40 experts to explore new
employment trends. Senator Mark Warner, the honorary co-
chair of the Future of Work Initiative, delivered opening remarks
about the significance of gig and independent workers (see “Work
Reimagined,” page 72). Princeton University’s Alan Krueger,
who serves on the Future of Work Initiative’s National Advisory
Council, presented his latest efforts to collect more and better
data. One major obstacle to good research on the gig economy is a
lack of agreement on basic definitions of “independent work.” The
roundtable also explored the diversity of gig workers’ experiences
and previewed the Gig Economy Data Hub, a new website from the
Laurence Genon
Future of Work Initiative and Cornell that aggregates and explains
relevant data. After all, better information means better policies.
aspeninstitute.org/future-of-work
THE RIGHT PL ACE FOR AN ARGUMENT

In an era of deep divisions, many Americans yearn to heal schisms,
repair the nation’s social fabric, and restore civility to public
discourse. These efforts are admirable. Done wrong, however, they
have the potential to compound political problems rather than
ameliorate them. That’s why the Institute’s Program on Citizenship
and American Identity recently launched the Better Arguments
Project, which helps Americans engage with one another more
productively across their differences—because civic life doesn’t
need fewer arguments; it needs better ones. Better arguments
allow people to connect across political, cultural, and economic
divides. They do so not by papering over those divides but by
teaching Americans how to have better, more informed, intelligent,
compassionate arguments that are honest about power. The Better
Arguments Project, in partnership with The Allstate Corporation
and the education nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves, has
already been selected as a featured initiative of Erase the Hate, a new
Nick Kozak
social-impact campaign by NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment.

betterarguments.org Students at a Facing History and Ourselves event

TRUE FICTION
Quoting Mark Twain’s famous “Presidential Stump Speech,” the actor John Lithgow said, SUMMER
“I’ve pretty much made up my mind to run for president.” Delivered from behind the same
lectern that once framed the speech’s author, the packed auditorium chuckled at Twain’s
hubris. On February 5, the Institute’s Arts Program partnered with the Cooper Union and
SERIES
FEATURED ARTISTS & CONVERSATIONS
PRESENTED BY TOBY DEVAN LEWIS
the Public Theater to bring together a range of renowned artists as well as famed Harvard
political philosopher Michael Sandel to address the question, Who needs truth? THURSDAY, JULY 12
TARA DONOVAN
Directed by the Arts Program’s Damian Woetzel, the evening featured a cast of
& NORA BURNETT ABRAMS
remarkable artists, including actors Brandon Victor Dixon, Bill Irwin, Paola Mendoza,
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18
and Phumzile Sitole; dancer and actor Carmen de Lavallade; and musicians Kate AI WEIWEI
Davis, Savannah Harris, and Gabe Schnider—all of whom delivered thought-provoking & ALEXANDRA MUNROE
performances that took the audience on an artistic tour of the truth. (The event also THURSDAY, JULY 19
served as the launch for the inauguration of Laura Sparks as the incoming president of BUNNY AND CHARLES
the Cooper Union.) Artists interpreted the works of Hannah Arendt, James Baldwin, and BURSON & EDWARD
William Shakespeare. A collaboration between poet Elizabeth Alexander and tap-dancer
FELSENTHAL
Michelle Dorrance captured the cadence of Dr. Martin Luther King’s voice. And a reading THURSDAY, JULY 26
NJIDEKA AKUNYILI
of the watershed 1860 speech Abraham Lincoln gave in that same space at the Cooper
CROSBY & NAOMI
Union made history feel contemporary. That’s when Sandel turned things over to the BECKWITH
Laurence Genon
audience, asking, “When is it acceptable to lie?” Audience members hotly debated the THURSDAY, AUGUST 2
topic before ending the evening with a lively exchange between Sandel and Lithgow, who VIK MUNIZ &
described the critical value of fiction to reality. Art, Lithgow explained, is “a creative lens RENAUD PROCH
by which to see and understand an even deeper truth.” aspeninstitute.org/arts THURSDAY, AUGUST 9
ROBERT LONGO
CRITICAL DIALOG
THURSDAY, JUNE 14
Makin’ It
ESTEBAN DEL VALLE
& LIZ FERRILL
TUESDAY, JULY 3
Chairman’s Choice
Presentation
ENRIQUE MARTÍNEZ
CELAYA
MONDAY, JULY 9 – 10
Rebels in Paradise
HUNTER
DROHOJOWSKA-PHILP
& ROY DOWELL
THE CRITICAL DIALOG PROGRAM IS GENEROUSLY
UNDERWRITTEN BY PAULA AND JIM CROWN
REGISTRATION REQUIRED,
CALL 970-923-3181
Nick Kozak
Marget Long
OR GO ONLINE TO
Lithgow ANDERSONRANCH.ORG

NEW VIEWS FILM LEADS TO

MAJOR SEX-TRAFFICKING BILL
In partnership with Aspen Film, the Institute’s NEW VIEWS bipartisanship on Capitol Hill. The law is already having an impact
Documentaries & Dialogue series presented the film I Am Jane on sites like Reddit, which has changed its policies on paid sex
Doe last summer. The documentary chronicles the epic battle services, and Craigslist, which has shuttered its personal-ads
that several American mothers have been waging on behalf of section entirely. The film clearly has a profound effect on those
their middle-school daughters, all victims of sex trafficking on who see it. When those people are Institute leaders, the effect also
Backpage.com, the classified advertising website that for years leads to action. aspeninstitute.org/series/new-views
was part of the Village Voice. The screening was followed by a
moving conversation with a former sex-trafficked child victim
and her mother along with director Mary Mazzio and the Markle
Foundation’s Zoe Baird. Since being featured in Aspen, the film
has led to real changes in policy. “Aspen has been pivotal in so
much that we do,” says Mazzio, who notes that the screening led
to key relationships that helped get the film even more attention.
The Aspen NEW VIEWS documentary series also spurred a
key op-ed—Mazzio calls it “scathing”—by The New York Times’
Nicholas Kristof about Google’s role in all of this: “Google-
funded groups were supporting Backpage and its legal defense,”
Mazzio says. The film, along with the Kristof op-ed and tireless
advocacy by Aspen leaders, played a significant role in leading to
a Senate investigation and new legislation—vigorously opposed
by the tech industry—to stop the online marketing of child sex
trafficking in the United States. Then, in April, President Donald
Trump signed into law a new measure that will make it easier for
victims to hold websites accountable for knowingly facilitating
sex trafficking. “Trafficking is probably worse today than at
any time in our history,” Trump said during a rare moment of
INNOVATION, FAMILY-STYLE
The unemployment rate is lower than it has been for decades, This initiative, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,
and working parents are a key reason why. Almost half of all will develop strategies that strengthen employment options,
children today are raised in households in which each parent economic security, and health and well-being. For example,
works full-time—about twice the 1968 rate. Families, then, the Innovation Community will focus on supports, such as paid
must continue to thrive. In February, the Institute’s Ascend family leave, childcare programs, lactation facilities, flexible work
program launched the Aspen Family Prosperity Innovation schedules, on-the-job training, and transportation vouchers.
Community, composed of a group of talented leaders who will In addition to policy experts, parents will share their perspectives
reimagine US policies to ensure that they do. with the group. ascend.aspeninstitute.org

ST U N N I N G H I D E AWAY E STAT E | W E ST A S P E N | $ 1 4 , 9 9 0 , 0 0 0
73 Hideaway Lane | Tucked away in its own private and serene oasis yet close to everything, this special family estate boasts lush landscaping, breathtaking one-of-a-kind
views of Pyramid Peak and Aspen Highlands. The estate is set on approx. 4.5 acres with 6 bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms and borders 63 acres of open space. MLS# 145673
JOSHUA LANDIS
Broker Associate
O : 970.925.8810
M: 970.948.9485
joshua.landis@elliman.com elliman.com/colorado
630 EAST HYMAN AVENUE, ASPEN, CO 81611. 970.925.8810 © 2018 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.
INSPIRING SURROUNDINGS EXCEPTIONAL MEETINGS

With more than 1,000 acres on Maryland's Eastern Shore, privacy abounds on the grounds of
two estates with state-of-the-art conference facilities, 51 distinctive accommodations, farm-to-table
cuisine, striking water views and notable amenities.
FOR INSPIRING SURROUNDINGS AND EXCEPTIONAL MEETINGS, VISIT

WYERIVERCONFERENCECENTER.COM OR CALL 410.820.0909
HAMID WINS ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid was named the winner of the inaugural Martin, Arimah, Clemmons, and Upadhyay
2017 Aspen Words Literary Prize, a $35,000 award for a work of fiction
with social impact. Hamid’s book is a profound work about war, survival,
exile, immigration, and love. The winning author—along with the four
finalists, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Zinzi Clemmons, Samrat Upadhyay,
and Jesmyn Ward—was announced on April 10 at a ceremony in the
Morgan Library in New York City before a crowd of authors, publishers,
and literary enthusiasts. The evening included a talk with Arimah,
Erin Baiano
Clemmons, and Upadhyay moderated by NPR’s Michel Martin.
The jury for the prize included authors Phil Klay, Alondra Nelson,
Akhil Sharma, Stephen Carter, and Jessica Fullerton. The $35,000 or short-story collections published in English that address questions
award, endowed in perpetuity by an anonymous donor, is one of the of violence, inequality, gender, the environment, immigration, religion,
largest literary prizes in the United States and one of the few focused or race. The winner also receives a trophy designed by Michael Lorsung
exclusively on fiction with social impact; eligible works must be novels of the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, near Aspen. aspenwords.org
DREAM IT, BUILD IT

“We are raising our voices to define and build the Central One of the most powerful sessions was “The Human Library,”
America we dream of.” That was the mission of the Central which included one-on-one conversations between fellows
America Leadership Initiative’s “Voces de Cambio” meeting and people from a host of different communities: ex-gang
held earlier this year in San Salvador, El Salvador. Over 200 members, guerrillas, deported migrant workers, indigenous
fellows from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, leaders, and more. The exchanges challenged stereotypes so
Nicaragua, and Panama came together to reflect on leadership, that fellows could see through prejudices and build empathy.
creativity, and their commitment to making a positive regional “This event gives fellows the nudge they need to recommit
impact. The event included seminars, case studies in social to action,” CALI Executive Director Claudia Salmeron
change, and other activities designed to motivate fellows says. The next CALI gathering is scheduled for 2020.
from CALI, a part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. centralamericaleadership.net
Courtesy the Central America Leadership Initiative

THE FUTURE OF
AFRICAN WILDLIFE
IS UNCERTAIN
Erin Baiano
AFRICAN
ELEPHANT
POPULATIONS
THEN AND NOW*
The new ProjectPlay.us website
1500 26M
1913 10M
FAIR PLAY
1979 1.3M
2018 400K
TODAY,
THERE ARE
Project Play, an initiative of the Institute’s Sports & Society Program, launched a new 20,000
AFRICAN LIONS
website—ProjectPlay.us—devoted to youth sports. The site features original articles,
videos, research, advice for parents, and more. You can also find the Project Play Parent
A CENTURY AGO
Checklists, which each provide ten simple questions that parents should ask to create THERE WERE
a positive sports experience for their child. Accompanying the checklists are videos 200,000*
with advice from prominent sports figures, including hockey Hall of Famer Angela
Ruggiero, gold-medal swimmer Gary Hall Jr., gold-medal hurdler Benita Fitzgerald
Mosley, former baseball All-Star Harold Reynolds, and NBC Sports broadcasters BLACK RHINOS
Dan Hicks and Rebecca Lowe. Plus the Sports & Society Program’s newsletter is now ARE CRITICALLY
ENDANGERED,
publishing monthly. Email Jon Solomon at jon.solomon@aspeninstitute.org to learn more. DECLINING FROM
aspenprojectplay.org 65,000
IN 1970 TO
SOUND FILES 5,000-5,400

IN 2018*
Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at the Institute? Who’s examining higher
education? Who’s trying to bring peace to Syria? Who’s studying cybersecurity? Now you
can get closer than ever to the people doing the work. Aspen Insight is the Institute’s new
podcast; co-hosts Zach St. Louis and Marci Krivonen wander the Institute’s halls to learn
Courtesy the Central America Leadership Initiative
from the people working every day to improve the planet. Episodes explore issues ranging
from Native American communities to congressional partisanship. In “Speaking Up,” Aspen SUPPORT THE
Insight explored the #MeToo movement, and Institute Vice President Peggy Clark discussed ASPEN-AWF DIALOGUE
the significance of this moment for women. In “Survival Stories,” the podcast looked at the ON AFRICAN WILDLIFE
opioid epidemic through frank discussions with a mother who battles addiction and with CONSERVATION
For more information, contact
former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who co-chairs the Aspen energyandenvironment@aspeninstitute.org
Health Strategy Group. Episodes air every third Thursday of the month. Search for Aspen or visit www.aspeninstitute.org/
AfricanWildlifeConservation
Insight on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, RadioPublic, or wherever podcasts are streamed. * statistical sources: Great Elephant Census, Panthera, World Wildlife Fund
aspeninstitute.org/insight

F
TACKLING ONE HEALTH CRISIS AT A TIME U

Launched in 2015, the Aspen Health Strategy Group—an initiative Thompson
of the Institute’s Health, Medicine and Society Program—selects
a single issue every year for in-depth study. Each issue reflects an
urgent societal health challenge with clear opportunities to make a
difference. The strategy group emerges from this intensive study
process with a package of five transformative ideas. So far, it has
explored end-of-life care and the opioid crisis. Next, it will turn to
chronic-disease prevention.
The Aspen Health Strategy Group is co-chaired by Kathleen
Sebelius and Tommy Thompson, both former governors and
former secretaries of the US Department of Health and Human
Services. Alan Weil, the editor-in-chief of Health Affairs, directs
the project. They are joined by two dozen CEOs and other leaders
from industry, academia, health systems, and media. The group
meets every June in Aspen for two days of conversation. Prior to
each meeting, experts prepare a series of background papers that
fully examine the selected topic. The end-of-life deliberations
were informed, for example, by an exploration of ethical norms,
and the opioid-epidemic studies looked at both health and legal
solutions. An open invitation for breakthrough ideas also goes and Society Program Public Health Grand Rounds event and at a
out to the public ahead of time. Armed with this knowledge, the symposium for the Society of Fellows.
Aspen Health Strategy Group identifies the best tactics to pursue. The Aspen Health Strategy Group has also put its ideas into
The five big ideas, and the papers that support them, are then action, including in the home institutions of its members. For
published as bound, illustrated reports, which members distribute example, Judy Faulkner, the CEO of Epic Systems, one of the
to policymakers, researchers, and the media, as well as to their own largest US electronic health record companies, incorporated the
networks. The Institute also disseminates the findings. For example, group’s end-of-life findings into Epic. Toby Cosgrove, the CEO of
the group presented its end-of-life report at a Health, Medicine the Cleveland Clinic, promoted the end-of-life advance directives
among his staff. The group’s opioid-epidemic report reached the
Sebelius
President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the
Opioid Crisis, and the BBC’s website featured the five big ideas
on fixing the opioid crisis. And, though multiple factors drove
CVS Health’s move to limit the dosage and duration of opioid
prescriptions, that decision was reinforced by the participation of
the company’s CEO, Larry Merlo, who is a member of the Aspen
Health Strategy Group. Finally, planning is underway for an opioid-
strategy collaboration between the Health, Medicine and Society
Program and the National Academy of Medicine.
By selecting chronic-disease prevention for its next topic, the
Aspen Health Strategy Group is recognizing that messages about
physical activity and nutrition haven’t been enough to change
Americans’ behavior. Group members will look at the value of
ambitious strategies like imposing taxes on soda and banning
cartoons on certain junk-food packaging.
Mary Sue Bonetti
The Aspen Health Strategy Group reports, Improving Care at

the End of Life and Confronting Our Nation’s Opioid Crisis, are both
available online. aspeninstitute.org/health
FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING,
UNITE THE MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT
Inspiring Surroundings
Exceptional Meetings
Our thoughtfully designed,
40 acre campus, is the perfect place
for your organization to connect
stimulating ideas with attainable actions.
Mary Sue Bonetti
845 Meadows Road, Aspen

800.452.4240
www.AspenMeadows.com
Dan Bayer
Aspen Challenge in Dallas
“MY VOICE WILL BE HEARD”

In January, students from 20 Dallas Independent School second year in a row, hitting eight new schools and meeting
District high schools filed into the city’s Union Station to begin 152 new students. ACHIEVEability’s Jamila Harris-Morrison
their journey with Aspen Challenge. There, the students were challenged the Philadelphia high-schoolers to disrupt cycles of
challenged by successful national leaders to solve issues in their poverty, the Anti-Defamation League’s Randi Boyette challenged
own neighborhoods: 100 Resilient Cities’ Smita Rawoot and Eric them to create online spaces that combat bullying, and Mural Arts
Wilson challenged students to come up with new transportation Philadelphia’s Jane Golden challenged them to use art to promote
solutions, Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell asked restorative justice. Golden told students, “I know you’re inheriting
them to reimagine urban spaces, the Global Nomads Group’s Chris this tumultuous world, but I have faith you can make it better.”
Plutte asked them to work on issues of global citizenship, and The Eight weeks later, in March and April, students from Dallas
Dream’s Gaby Pacheco challenged them to solve immigration and Philadelphia reconvened to present their solutions to the
issues. Pacheco urged students to “design a program that fosters challenges—with trips to the Aspen Ideas Festival on the line. In
empathy and creates support for immigrants, regardless of Dallas, Emmett J. Conrad High School, Moisés E. Molina High
documentation status,” adding that since the nation’s political School, and Sunset High School took the top spots in the Aspen
leaders have proved unable to resolve the issue, young people—with Challenge, and John Bartam High School earned the distinction
fresh ideas, motivation, and energy—will have to move the needle. in Philadelphia. “Thanks to the experience of participating in the
“When I hear people like Gaby,” Valeria Hernandez, a Dallas Aspen Challenge and the dedication of their teachers and coaches,
high-school student and a recipient of the Deferred Action for our students are uniquely positioned to lead fundamental change
Childhood Arrivals program, also known as “DACA,” said, “I think: around issues like climate change, the school-to-prison pipeline,
‘I cannot keep quiet. Sooner or later, my voice will be heard.’” and poverty,” Dr. William R. Hite, the superintendent of the
In February, Aspen Challenge went to Philadelphia for the School District of Philadelphia, said. aspenchallenge.org

We hold ourselves to the highest standard.
F O RBE S’ 20 17 Top Wealth Advisors

F O RBE S’ 20 17 America’s Top Women Advisors
BA RRO N ’ S 20 17 Top 100 Independent Advisors
An independent perspective. A disciplined process.

A commitment to putting clients first.
Dan Bayer
ASPEN | DENVER | 970 . 925 . 8747 | w w w.obe rm e ye r wo o d .co m

Rankings and recognition by unaffiliated rating services and publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he or she
will experience a certain level of results if Obermeyer Wood is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services, nor should it be
construed as a current or past endorsement of Obermeyer Wood by any of its clients. Rankings published by magazines, and others, generally base their selections
exclusively on information prepared and submitted by the recognized adviser. Rankings are generally limited to participating advisers.
Strong
MEDICAL TEAM Mark Purnell, MD Eleanor von Stade, MD Stanley Gertzbein, MD
Thea Wojtkowski, MD Tomas Pevny, MD Namdar Kazemi, MD Waqqar Khan-Farooqi, MD
MAKING YOU STRONGER

OrthoAspen’s team of experts is dedicated to improving and restoring
the health of patients who want to live life in motion. Our customized care
results in a high-quality experience that gets you back on your feet faster.
Sports medicine Knees Feet & ankles
Total & partial joint Hips Conservative back care
Visit two convenient locations:
replacements Shoulders Hands & wrists ASPEN 0401 Castle Creek Road BASALT 1450 East Valley Road
970.544.1289 | ORTHOASPEN.ORG
OA Aspen Ideas HP 2018.indd 1 4/3/18 8:49 AM

WELCOME TO THE
ANDE participants
ISAACSON CENTER
The Aspen Meadows Reception Center and
Pavilion has long been an important meeting
place for the exchange of ideas. Now, a
major renovation—fully funded in 2017—is
on schedule to be completed in June. The
center, built in 1958, will reopen as the Walter
Isaacson Center, in recognition of Walter
Isaacson’s service as Institute president and
CEO. The renovations will reflect designer
Herbert Bayer’s vision and classic Bauhaus
style. The center’s new features will add an
event and dining space to the main floor—
Victor Murithi
the Madeleine K. Albright Pavilion—and
will also include the Mercedes Bass Castle
WHAT IS IMPACT?
Creek Deck, the Bonnie and Kenneth Davis
Commons, the Diane L. Morris Lobby, the
Bren and Mel Simon Terrace, Limeslicers
Bar, Moderators Bridge, and the Laurie M.
Tisch Terrace and Gardens. The project was Nairobi, Kenya, is making a name for itself as a start-up and innovation hub in
spearheaded by Shaw Construction, Jeffrey Africa. There, many companies are committed to both making money and creating
Berkus Architects, and Jim Curtis, the a positive social impact on their communities. But how do you accurately measure
project manager for the renovations. The impact?
grand opening and dedication is scheduled To answer that, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs hosted
for this summer. its annual Metrics From the Ground Up conference with a special focus on sub-
Saharan Africa. In February, 125 entrepreneurs, investors, and business-support
organizations gathered at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi for two days to discuss
how entrepreneurship can create prosperity—and measure it. With support from
the UK Department for International Development, the gathering marked the first
time ANDE held the event outside of Washington, DC. Participants, two-thirds
of whom were African, engaged in discussions and workshops, and even addressed
their impact shortcomings at a Fail Fair.
“Impact must be enduring and persistent,” Sabrina Habib, the co-founder
of Kidogo, which provides affordable early childhood care and education
to low-income families in East Africa, said during a keynote conversation
with Karim Harji, the program director at the Oxford Impact Measurement
Courtesy Jeffrey Berkus Architects
Programme. “Impact is transformational and breaks intergenerational

poverty cycles.” ANDE equips local entrepreneurs with the tools they
need to improve impact measurement, so they can help break those cycles.
That’s more important than ever in sub-Saharan Africa, where the number
of poor has been rising despite an overall decrease in global poverty rates.
andeglobal.org
The Madeleine K. Albright Pavilion at the new Isaacson Center

Where you live shouldn’t determine
how long or how well you live.
Victor Murithi
However, one in five Americans live in low-income neighborhoods

that have limited job opportunities, affordable housing, or places to
play or exercise.
Learn how communities across the nation are putting healthier

choices within everyone’s reach, regardless of where residents live or
how much money they make, at www.rwjf.org/healthycommunities.
Courtesy of Jeffrey Berkus Architects
AMERICA’S
PREMIER SUMMER
CLASSICAL
MUSIC FESTIVAL
JUNE 28 – AUGUST 19
post-season recitals on
August 20 and 22
Enjoy more than 400 events
featuring hundreds of the
world’s best students, top
professional artists, five
Stacie McChesney
orchestras, two fully staged
operas, chamber music,
children’s events, lectures,
Artisan wares made by refugee women were sold at the Global Showcase.
and more!
WHEN REFUGEES
GO INTO BUSINESS
Each year, the TEDWomen conference hosts products handcrafted by refugee women
more than 1,000 innovative thinkers eager to from Syria, Mali, Afghanistan, Burundi,
explore the power of women and girls. And and other conflict areas across the Middle
each year, the Institute’s Artisan Alliance East and Africa. The pieces ranged from
Music Director invites TEDWomen participants to hear the traditional Palestinian embroidery to
ROBERT SPANO
stories of artisan businesses from across the Shibori-dyed scarves and woven baskets. The
President and CEO
globe. In November, the Artisan Alliance Global Showcase also featured a discussion
ALAN FLETCHER
hosted the "Global Showcase: Building with Peggy Clark, an Institute vice president
Livelihoods for Refugee Women," featuring 11 and the director of the Artisan Alliance;
World-Class artisan businesses that have created income- Anne-Marie Grey, the executive director
Concerts in a
Spectacular earning opportunities for more than 1,500 and CEO of USA for UNHCR; Mariette
Setting displaced women. While at the showcase, Chapel of Afrika Tiss; Enaam Barrishi of
the alliance also launched a partnership with the Jordan River Foundation; and Tahira
the UN Refugee Agency that will help build Afridi of Artisan Links. “We have to stop
INFORMATION sustainable livelihoods for refugees, too many looking at refugees as a burden and look at
AND TICKETS of whom are uprooted from their homes for them as contributors,” Grey says. Together,
970 925 9042 more than 20 years at a time. she adds, “we can build the resources and
www.aspenmusicfestival.com TEDWomen attendees at the showcase opportunities to create real change.”
were able to shop a special collection of artisanalliance.org
Moun
A medical school looking to Silicon Valley for inspiration? Well, Failure is an integral part of success, and no journey is as exhilarating
yes. But this is not just any medical school. It’s the Icahn School of as going out on a limb.
Medicine at Mount Sinai, with leaders who had the vision to see that the Naturally, we’ve hired some of Silicon Valley’s key players:
principles that changed people’s lives could be used to help save them. mathematicians, engineers, and computer and data scientists. In that
A lmost overnight, academic medicine’s traditional, old-school same spirit, we actively recruit multi-talented, multifaceted students
approach was no longer viable. A new model was essential – a model who are primed to challenge convention and change the world of
exemplified by tech companies in Silicon Valley. medicine. So let’s give credit where credit is due. In order to rewrite
So three thousand miles to the east, in New York City, we created the book on medicine, we took a page out of Silicon Valley’s book.
a culture of innovation that emphasizes creativity, disruptive
thinking, entrepreneurship and collaboration.
To say it’s a radical departure is something of an understatement. Yes,
two plus two still equals four. But rather than going step by step, 1-800-MD-SINAI
the goal is to make bold, conceptual leaps. Impatience is a virtue. mountsinai.org/myhealth
SILICON
Stacie McChesney
VALLEY IS SO INNOVATIVE,
WE’VE ADOPTED THEIR
PRINCIPLES AND RECRUITED
THEIR PRINCIPALS.
MountSInai_Silicon.indd 1 4/3/18 3:23 PM

Lori Severens
Hickenlooper
2GEN 2SUCCEED
“You’re never going to have a strong economy if you don’t have Reggie Bicha, an Ascend fellow, is transforming his $2 billion human
a strong community that supports families in poverty,” Colorado services system into one that serves families more effectively. “It
Governor John Hickenlooper said as he kicked off Ascend’s Solutions takes intentionality and active listening to create 2Gen solutions,”
Series in April with Anne Mosle, the executive director of Ascend. Bicha said at the event. His approach has proven results: better use of
The new series is dedicated to creating actionable policies that move data, a single entry point for families seeking assistance, innovations
children and parents to educational success and economic security. to help parents who owe child support get jobs, and partnerships with
The series may be new, but the relationship between Ascend agencies like Higher Education to use resources more efficiently.
and the state of Colorado is long term: the partners are dedicated Across the state, in Mesa County, Director of Public Health Jeff
to making Colorado the best place to have a child and raise a Kuhr, an Ascend Colorado fellow, has developed a moonshot proposal
family. This includes two fellowship programs—the national Aspen to double available childcare. The plan helps parents get work, helps
Ascend Fellowship and the Colorado-focused Children and Families the county recruit businesses, and helps children get ready for school.
Fellowship—and a statewide whole-family-focused action plan. All Last month, Ascend hosted a fellows forum in Mesa County to
of these efforts are built around the two-generation, or “2Gen,” discuss the childcare challenge there.
approach. As Hickenlooper put it, “If you’re not working with the Colorado is just one of 12 Ascend states working to create a cycle
parents, you’re never going to succeed with the kids, and if you’re not of opportunity for children and families. Stay tuned for upcoming
working with the kids, the parents won’t be successful.” events with Tennessee’s Governor Bill Haslam and the GOOD+
The hard work is paying off. Colorado Human Services Director Foundation’s Jessica Seinfeld. ascend.aspeninstitute.org

WORDS OF THE WISE
Aspen Words’ 21st Winter Words series hosted some of the world’s top authors—including
Pulitzer Prize winners, New York Times best-sellers, and the US Poet Laureate. Their works feature
distinctive voices and storytelling at its finest. Below are just a few highlights. aspenwords.org
“My worry is not that we don’t have enough literature—new literature

is coming all the time that can open our eyes and expand our experience
of the world, of what it is to be human. My worry is: who will be
required to read these books so that they can have that experience?”
—Alice McDermott, author, The Ninth Hour
“Poetry is language working hard to capture the inarticulable feelings,

understandings, and reactions that we live with.”
—US Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, author, Wade in the Water
Lori Severens
“Children get a lot of signals to become more serious as time goes on.
My parents were not so interested in those signals, quite honestly. They
encouraged my creativity for a long time.”
—Christina Baker Kline, author, A Piece of the World
“Memoir is a strange genre for a journalist. You end up reporting

out your own past and investigating your own memories. You have to
negotiate with people—what they remember versus what you remember.”
—William Finnegan, author, Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life
“Laughter is the virus that infects us with humanity.”

—Luis Alberto Urrea, author, The House of Broken Angels
THE WRITE STUFF

Aspen Words has been a force on the nation’s literary scene for over four decades. Much of the program's recent success is due to its partnership
with Isa Catto and Daniel Shaw, two tireless advocates for writers, whether young and aspiring or at the height of their careers. The Catto Shaw
Foundation recently renewed its support of Aspen Words, specifically to expand the Writers in Residence and Writers in the Schools programs.
This funding is central to Aspen Words’ ability to promote new voices and make great literature happen.

AS HEARD AT: TRACY K. SMITH
Smith at the Aspen Words event
THE VOICES
Nick Tininenko
YOU LIVE WITH
PULITZER PRIZE–WINNER TRACY K. SMITH, THE FORMER US POET
LAUREATE, SPOKE AT ASPEN WORDS’ WINTER WORDS AT PAEPCKE
AUDITORIUM THIS JANUARY. THE EVENT TOUCHED ON RACE, DEATH,
CHILDREN, AND THE SPACES IN BETWEEN EVERYDAY LANGUAGE.
SMITH SPOKE ABOUT HER RECENT MEMOIR, ORDINARY LIGHT , AND
HER NEW BOOK OF POETRY, WADE IN THE WATER .
Transcripts have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Smith
M
y book Wade in the A lot of the things that are the truest to another place that’s not connected
Water wrestles with a parts of me come out in the poems— in literal or linear terms. That distance
question, What would the darker questions or the unresolvable is a kind of silence, and there is a
it take to actually love matter that poetry helps me bring feeling that lives there. Poems gather
strangers in a truly closer to the surface. I have three young that feeling up.
generous way? A lot of the poems look kids, and that’s changed my view of Thoughtful and courageous
to history for examples of the many everything. I feel so bound in space with language is something that can turn
ways in which we seem consistently to these people on top of me. My sense of us inward. Even detached from their
fail to choose compassion. investment in these lives means that my contexts, poems are little views of the
Nick Tininenko
I was traveling in the Sea Islands in work is asking bigger questions, trying world that capture a sense of thought
Georgia and South Carolina. A huge to understand what we might be here or feeling that doesn’t go away once
part of the marvelous, rich history in for. I want to give them something that’s you’ve read them. There is a poem
that part of the country is rooted in the going to be useful to them in the world by Thomas James—it’s a poem about
history of slavery as an institution and that they have to claim when I’m gone. a mummy. A young girl is narrating
a philosophy. It’s poignant. I’d spent Probably a big part of that perspective what it feels like to be mummified, and
several days visiting a lot of places comes from having lost my own mother she says, I was so important, they did
named “plantation something” and a at a young age—and preparing for what all of these things to me. But at the
lot of unmarked sites of some really it will be like not to be here anymore. end of the poem, she is obviously still
awful reality. On the last night, I went Poetry is language that works dead; something happened to her. The
to a ring shout, which is a musical but hard to capture these feelings, last line of the poem swerves away
also a spiritual tradition in the African understandings, reactions. That’s why from the narrative of immortality,
American community with roots back poetry comes up when somebody dies, and she asks, Why do people lie to
to slavery and West African traditions. gets married, or is born. It’s that thing one another? That’s a question that
When I walked into the lobby, one of that wants to emerge but is hard- that pops up at strange times. My
the performers said, “I love you,” and pressed to find the right words. Poems lifetime of reading poems has given me
she gave me a hug. I didn’t know her. I bridge that gap. Of course, language thousands of those moments that are
broke down in gratitude that somebody is only language. So there is a sense of useful in unexpected occasions. So my
could offer that; I composed myself and space built into every poem. I’m really mission is to get out there with books
went into the auditorium. But I heard interested in all of the amazing feelings and say, “These are some of the voices
her say the same thing to the person and associations that language can that you can live with forever,” which
behind me. You would think that would create. Poems urge you to think quickly is really a way of saying, “These are
cheapen it, but it didn’t. It seemed to and to move deeply from one place some of the voices that can help you
get amplified or magnified by that. and then lift off from that place and go listen to yourself better.”
AS HEARD AT: THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL
Farrey, Hallenbeck, Foxworth, Lerner, Cantu
THE FUTURE
Laurence Genon
OF FOOTBALL
SPORTS & SOCIETY’S TOM FARREY TALKS TO FOUR EXPERTS ABOUT
THE DANGERS—AND MERITS—OF THE ALL-AMERICAN SPORT.
I
n January, the Institute’s Sports & Society Program looked FARREY: Should kids play tackle football before high
at one of the most fraught issues in sports: the dangers school? A recent headline in The Dallas Morning News asked:
of football. With mounting evidence about the nature “Is Football Over? Why Studies on CTE is Bad News for
and extent of brain trauma in football players, the sport the Game.” It’s a reference to a Boston University study on
is at a crossroads. Tom Farrey, the executive director of repetitive head contact and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
the Sports & Society Program, spoke to Dr. Robert Cantu, the We’ve seen research on how retired NFL players who played
co-founder of the CTE Center at the Boston University School football before age 12 performed significantly worse on verbal
of Medicine and a senior advisor to the NFL’s Head, Neck, IQ , executive function, and memory tests. The Concussion
and Spine Committee; Domonique Foxworth, a former NFL Legacy Foundation even began a campaign to make flag
cornerback, the ex-NFL Players Association president, and football the only football that can be played before age 14.
the author of The Undefeated; Scott Hallenbeck, the executive We’ve also seen laws introduced to ban tackle football before
director of USA Football; and Jennifer Brown Lerner, the policy the age of 12.
manager of the Institute’s National Commission on Social, We work with the Sports and Fitness Industry Association
Emotional, and Academic Development. Each has wrestled and know that, among 6-to-12-year-olds in 2009, 1.5 million
with the realities of tackle football—as a caregiver, a participant, children played football; now it’s fewer than one million.
a promoter, and a parent. Among 13-to-17-year-olds in 2009, it was 2.4 million; now it’s

1.9 million. Meanwhile, NFL ratings are Multiple papers we’ve been a part of dangerous experience for the kids. We
down by about 10 percent; 1.6 million have shown, if you play tackle football need to reconcile that, and we need to be
fewer people are watching regular under the age of 12, you have a higher honest about that. No matter what age
season games than in the prior year. chance later in life to have cognitive we set—you can’t do tackle football until
This is a real pipeline issue, because behavioral and mood problems—and a you are 14—well, then when you are 14,
we know from ESPN research that kids greater chance to have brain atrophy— you’re exposing yourself to a number
who play a sport are three times more than if you started playing at a later of sub-concussive hits. So, I just want
likely to become avid fans of that sport. age. This is paralleled in boxing and to make sure that no one leaves here
One positive sign is that flag football is other sports, too. thinking, if we move to flag before age
up among 6-to-12-year-olds. It has gone Then, over the last several years, 14, we’ve solved the problem.
from 788,000 to 893,000 in one year. the elephant in the room reared its I loved football when I was a kid,
So, is flag the future? What if flag head: dose response. It’s like pack and I believe that football is a unique
and not tackle was the standard way of years and smoking cigarettes. Who sport. It saddens me that my son isn’t
playing football until high school? How is at highest risk for CTE? It’s the going to be able to experience that, but
much does the parent control the future person who took the brain trauma I am certainly not going to willingly
of football? over the greatest number of years put him in that situation. Part of the
and had the greatest number of total problem is that it’s essentially an arms
HALLENBECK: Absolute gatekeeper. hits to the brain—the highest dose race. Coaches care about winning and
Parents want information more than response. And if that’s not enough, our that’s fine, but they also believe that
ever, they want the research, they want group came up with an animal model whoever can practice more and practice
it synthesized so they can understand that shows causation of CTE from harder is going to be better. That’s true
it. They need more choices. It’s one repetitive brain hits in the absence of for 6-year-olds all the way up to the
of the reasons we have looked closely concussion. So a concussive hit counts NFL. That’s why some of things that
at the American Development Model, more than a sub-concussive blow, but we implemented in the NFL in the last
which many sports are adopting. ADM sub-concussive blows alone can cause collective-bargaining negotiations are
is the idea of giving more entry points CTE. About 20 percent of CTE cases restrictions: your practices can only be
for parents. Frankly, football’s behind don’t have recognized concussions for a certain amount of time, you can’t
Laurence Genon
have two a day, you can only have 14

padded practices throughout the course
“I want more people to play football. of the season.
I just want youngsters at the highest risk LERNER: Flag is the only option for my
not to get their head hit 200 times over the kids from kindergarten through eighth
grade. That’s what we’ve decided. The
course of an average season.” bigger question for parents is, Are you
comfortable with your child playing
tackle football beginning in high school?
the times; it basically only has flag during their lifetimes. I struggle with what the research is
and tackle options. So, we’re evolving. I want more people to play football. telling us. I’m thrilled that I have a K–8
We’re looking at five-on-five flag. Do I just want youngsters at the highest risk flag option for my kid to play football.
we explore the idea of nine-on-nine not to get their head hit 200 times over I’m going to think long and hard about
flag, where you actually can introduce the course of an average season. You what happens after that. I’m not sure
linemen? You might even introduce couldn’t do that to your child and get for my own child that it’s going to be
a little bit of blocking and defeating away with it, and yet they can do it to tackle. I hope we can move flag all the
blocks; you might introduce some themselves on athletic fields. I want very way up. I know people play in college,
contact. It can be a progression, or it much for football to be played in a safer and maybe it’s not competitive enough
can be individual entry points; parents form: flag. But it’s the parents who are for folks, but I hope that’s the model we
can decide. Because without a positive driving the bus. move toward.
experience, it’s game over. Football is uniquely American, and
FOXWORTH: I’m not in favor of I want my kids to be able to understand
CANTU: For over 50 years, we’ve abolishing football. I also don’t want to the game, to be able to play in some
been diagnosing and managing come across as radical—but I don’t know form. My family has a pickup game
concussions. In 2007 and 2008, we that we need football. Talking about over the holidays. I don’t want my kids
started to accumulate athletes’ brains, making it safer is important, but it’s still to be like, “What’s a first down?” That’s
and our experience with CTE grew. a progression that leads to a proven almost un-American.

IMPACT
Khaldi and Delamatta
Ephrata Dereje
Mohamed Abdel-Kader
ONE VIRTUAL CLASS, TWO CITIES BY MOHAMED ABDEL-KADER
W
inchester, Virginia, is 75 miles west of some cases, are going hungry?
Washington, DC, in the Shenandoah In Beirut, Lebanon, 5,849 miles from Winchester, Lubaba
Valley. Founded in 1752 and historically Khaldi, a determined high-school biology teacher, prepares for
significant to several Civil War events, the day’s lesson. Khaldi teaches in one of Beirut’s many public
Winchester was the first town south of schools and also serves as an adviser to Lebanon’s minister of
the Potomac River to install electric education. Like most teachers, she also works hard to keep her
lights, and in 1917, it was connected to a railroad that brought students focused on the day’s lesson and not on social media or
in tourists and supplies. Beyond the technology and commercial recess. Outside the halls of Khaldi’s school exists a contradiction
ties, however, lies a stark economic reality: despite being close to similar to the one in Winchester: despite Beirut’s recent business
northern Virginia, one of the richest regions in the country, a boom, many residents face a daily struggle with hunger, not to
significant number of Winchester residents live below the poverty mention the recent influx of refugees from Syria who have placed
line and regularly face hunger. Almost 60 percent of Winchester’s additional stress on an already strained environment.
public-school children are on free and reduced lunch. Khaldi and JoEllen Delamatta, a teacher from Winchester’s
In recent years, recipients of public support are eager to John Handley High School, were recently connected by the Inter-
demonstrate positive outcomes and impact as increased at- national Education and Resource Network (iEARN), a partner of
tention has been paid to metrics and evaluation. But how can the Stevens Initiative—an international public-private partner-
learning take place when so many children walking through a ship housed at the Aspen Institute that aims to broaden the field
school’s hallways aren’t receiving their proper nutrition or, in of virtual exchange. As many students face barriers in studying

abroad and learning about other cultures and people, the Stevens
Initiative, a collaborative learning experience with peers in other FROM MYTH TO MEDICINE
countries, helps deliver the skills many employers seek—skills that BY JORDAN MORRISEY
are necessary to navigate the diversity in our own neighborhoods.
Delamatta and Khaldi are collaborating on a project to teach
their students about hunger, in both a global and a local con-
text. “My students had no idea this was even happening here in
their backyard, in Virginia!” Delamatta says. She describes the
experience as transformational for many of her students. Not
only did they learn about hunger, they also developed a stron-
ger ability to communicate and collaborate with their peers in
Beirut. In the process, the students were able to connect, learn
about each other, and better understand the challenges they
face in each of their communities.
As part of the project, the classrooms connected synchro-
nously using technology once a week. Those sessions were fol-
lowed by an intensive discussion about everything from the
root causes of poverty and hunger to understanding the food
supply chain. This experience culminated for students in each
school with a simulation called a “Hunger Banquet,” in which
participants were divided into facilitated groups and then giv-
en rations of food based on their income rather than their
level of hunger—quite a paradigm shift for many students.
Recently, the teachers met face to face for the first time in
Marrakech, Morocco, as they participated in a workshop hosted
by iEARN and supported by the Stevens Initiative. After ex-
changing warm greetings, the two began working with other
Ephrata Dereje
educators, sharing best practices, and coaching younger teach-
I
ers as they think about integrating similar virtual-exchange ac- Bangura
tivities into their classes.
Mohamed Abdel-Kader
“My students saw [virtual exchange] as an authentic and n Bumban Kakaindayka, a community in Sierra Le-
real connection,” Delamatta says. “Not just the technology part one, most pregnant women prefer visiting nearby el-
but what they learned. They had to collaborate with their peers derly “grannies” when they are ready to deliver their
in a way they never have. They were forced to look at statistics babies instead of visiting the area’s health clinics. Local
on poverty in their own neighborhoods and compare it with lore holds that the herbs given to them by these gran-
their peers in other countries. My students were also impressed nies remove “excess water” in their bodies, thereby
with how articulate and smart their peers in Lebanon were. cleaning the child in the womb. Unfortunately, this kind of folk
This sparked some friendly competition between the classes and wisdom is one of the reasons why Sierra Leone’s maternal- and
forced the students at Handley to up their game.” child-mortality rates rank among the world’s highest. “Chang-
Teachers often wonder if the classroom learning experience ing ancient traditional beliefs cannot happen overnight,” Beni-
will inspire a student to act or contribute to his or her commu- to Conteh, a community health worker, says. “However, with
nity. During the month of Ramadan, a few of Khaldi’s students, training, mentoring, and supervision, we can identify danger
now more aware of the cyclical dynamics of poverty and hunger, signs in pregnant women and newborns, provide timely refer-
began taking meals to the hungry in their own neighborhoods. rals, make household visits, monitor health behaviors, and sup-
“Through this virtual exchange, they as students know they can port outreach and immunization interventions.”
change the world,” Khaldi says. Similarly, as the temperatures The Aspen Management Partnership for Health, or AMP
turned frigid in Winchester, Delamatta was thrilled to hear that Health, works with ministries of health in sub-Saharan Africa
a few of the students in her class, inspired by their classroom to scale up national networks of community health workers—
experience, also took action. One student volunteered with the lay people who have been trained to deliver the basic life-saving
local Salvation Army, playing his trumpet to help them raise services Conteh describes—in an effort to reach the hundreds
money. Others students volunteered with a local soup kitchen. of millions of rural people around the world with little or no ac-
Perhaps most telling was after Delamatta asked her students cess to modern health care. As a peer supervisor in a program
about their experience with a virtual exchange: they asked, supported by AMP Health, Conteh is also trained to supervise
“Can we do it again?” ten other community health workers in rural Sierra Leone.
The value of this work became startlingly clear in 2014,
Mohamed Abdel-Kader is the executive director of the Stevens Initiative. after the devastating Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. Com-

IMPACT
Courtesy SEIU Local 2015

Ephrata Dereje
Bangura and Uzo Osikhena, the regional head of AMP Health
munity health workers were on the front lines of the fight coverage,” Bangura says. Organizing 15,000 people to do any-
against Ebola—detecting, reporting, and responding to one of thing is challenging, but it’s even more difficult to accomplish in
the planet’s worst public-health crises. Without these trained a resource-strapped environment. Luckily, AMP Health was able
personnel, many more people might have lost their lives. In to leverage private-sector leadership and management know-how
the years since, and with the assistance of AMP Health, Sierra on behalf of the country’s health ministry. “The day-to-day work
Leone’s Ministry of Health and Sanitation has committed to is very adaptive,” Tendo explains. “It’s innovative in the sense
building a more resilient health system with a dedicated na- that we are trying to tackle the problem at the source: building
tional hub to help its community health force reach more than people’s capacity to solve problems.”
seven million people. After the innovation comes the actual training of 15,000
Of course, health coverage is just one benefit of the part- community health workers, which requires a lot of intense “lo-
nership. Community health workers are among the most cost- gistical work,” Tendo says, like creating a database for keep-
effective public health investments a country can make. Thanks ing track of “who’s going to be trained, how are they selected,
to the increased productivity of a healthier population, the where are they selected from, all of that information.” In fact,
reduced risk of an epidemic, and higher employment rates, Tendo believes the major problem in Africa is insufficient man-
community health workers can provide a ten-to-one economic agement. Corruption and a lack of resources, he explains, are
return on investment. This is vital in countries with high ma- just “symptoms” of the management problem. This theory is
ternal- and child-mortality rates. “That is why we are throwing why Tendo left his job as an assistant vice president at Barclays
so much effort into the program,” Alpha Philip Bangura, the in South Africa: he wanted to “be part of the solution to the
national coordinator for community health workers in Sierra management problem on the continent.”
Leone, explains. “If you identify the concentration of maternal Now that 15,000 community health workers are on hand,
and infant deaths, you discover that most happened because of AMP Health is committed to equipping them to do the crucial
a failure to refer, a failure to access community health facilities, work of expanding health care across Sierra Leone. Next up
negligence, tradition—lots of preventable reasons.” A robust for AMP Health is helping the teams secure smartphones, an
system with enough community health workers to cover the en- easy-to-use app, and other digital tools to improve data quality,
tire country can combat these challenges and stimulate Sierra workflow, and decision-making. Conteh is on board. “From the
Leone’s economy. day I was identified as a community health worker,” he says. “I
Kiribakka Tendo, an AMP Health management partner, vowed to serve my community.”
spends his days in the city of Freetown working closely with Ban-
gura to strengthen the team’s leadership and management ca- Jordan Morrisey is the program associate of the Aspen Management Part-
pacity. As Tendo puts it, this “usually means doing things faster, nership for Health. AMP Health is currently working in Malawi, Sierra
more efficiently, learning from other countries, and collaborat- Leone, Ghana, and Zambia. It is supported by a network of partners, in-
ing with other partners across the continent to get better results.” cluding Gavi, GSK, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Margaret
Recently, with AMP Health’s help, Bangura and his team, with A. Cargill Foundation, Merck for Mothers, the Office of the UN Special
Tendo’s support, were responsible for training 15,000 community Envoy for Health, Pfizer, the Sall Family Foundation, and the US Agency
health workers in just one year. “We are talking about nationwide for International Development.

Courtesy SEIU Local 2015
Ephrata Dereje
Butler marches in the 2017 Labor Day demonstrations in Los Angeles.
BETTER JOBS, BETTER COUNTRY

BY MAUREEN CONWAY AND MARK POPOVICH
A
decade has passed since the country’s deepest Opportunities Program promotes better job quality in order to
economic slide since the Great Depression. progress toward a more equitable future as businesses, workers,
While recovery arrived for some soon after the investors, government, and others come together to improve the
2008 crisis, those at the bottom 60 percent of workplace and create more good jobs. Through the program’s sup-
the income distribution continue to see erod- port of the Job Quality fellows, it has become clear that these local
ing wages, fraying benefits, and evaporating job leaders can shape the future of work.
security. Too few jobs today are a real route to an economically During their yearlong fellowship, which includes three meet-
stable life. ings and work-between sessions, fellows exchange ideas and lessons
The Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program has long fo- learned. Poor job quality is not inevitable. And, whatever employ-
cused on addressing these issues. In July 2017, the program ex- ers may assume, poor job quality is not a sure path to financial
tended the Institute’s leadership and dialogue model to launch the gain. As these fellows and their peers demonstrate, action by gov-
Job Quality Fellowship, with support from the Prudential and Ford ernment, businesses, communities, and consumers should not be
Foundations. From 177 applicants, the program selected 16 local hampered by the misperception that wages, benefits, and working
leaders who are actively improving job quality for the people and conditions can be changed only through a trade-off that harms
communities they serve. businesses. Three fellows—a corporate retailer, a home-care union
Fellows come from all regions and from many disciplines: eco- leader, and a state government workforce- and business-develop-
nomic development, workforce development, community- and ment official—describe the impact of their fellowship experience.
business-development lending, employers, unions, worker ad-
vocacy, higher education. They span the private, nonprofit, and J.D. L aROCK
public sectors. In gender, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic President and CEO, Commonwealth Corporation
class, fellows are as diverse as the country. The bright thread linking My career has long focused on education and training issues in
them is their success in leading strategies that create higher-quality Massachusetts and beyond. I’ve spearheaded workforce develop-
jobs—often in ways that also improve business performance and ment and education policy and legislation for Senator Ted Ken-
the ability to compete and survive in challenging marketplaces. nedy, helped Governor Deval Patrick create more innovative K–12
Most of us spend one-third or more of our lives at work. Cer- schools, and assisted the president of Northeastern University on
tainly, sufficient and stable wages to cover living expenses and his new book about the future of work. In 2017, I was appointed to
build some assets, safe working conditions free from harassment lead the Commonwealth Corporation, a public-private authority
or discrimination, a manageable schedule, and benefits are core working with Governor Charlie Baker’s administration to grapple
to defining job quality. So too are meaningful work, having a voice with the challenges businesses and workers face, including job
in the workplace, and being valued and respected. The Economic quality. We have an annual budget of $55 million and award $20

IMPACT
“A MILLION
WORKERS IN
MY STATE HOLD
LOW-WAGE JOBS.
WE CAN AND
SHOULD EXTEND
LADDERS OF
OPPORTUNITY
TO THEM.”
Laurence Genon
Laurence Genon
LaRock
million in competitive grants each year to help firms train incum- create partnerships between companies and organizations that
bent workers to advance in their careers and to create new jobs. deliver training and education to advance job quality with the
We particularly focus on people facing extended unemploy- grants we administer.
ment and poverty. A grant to the city of Brockton, for example,
is engaging people from the substance-abuse community to be- LARA SHOCK
come certified recovery coaches through training, employer-based Senior Director, Associate Experience, Walmart, Inc.
internships, and mentoring. The program helps both job seekers When I started as a Walmart cashier a dozen years ago, I imagined
and their employers extend services in an area with high rates of it would be pit stop on the way to something better. I didn’t think
addiction. I’d have a career here. Where I thought I’d find a commitment to
For me, the fellowship is a unique forum to learn from lead- the status quo, I found a dedication to innovation. I found great
ers grappling with similar opportunities, to brainstorm, and to people doing really good work. The company, the world’s largest
build new initiatives for Massachusetts. A million workers in my retailer, offered great opportunities for my career over the decades.
state hold low-wage jobs. We can and should extend ladders of Today, I have the privilege of leading the team that is developing
opportunity to them through education and building skills as well and deploying flexible scheduling options for our front-line hourly
as partnering with employers to boost workers’ earnings, benefits, associates. This is part of Walmart’s $2.7 billion commitment to
retention, and economic stability. enhancing the associate experience through increased education,
Based on fellows’ ideas, the Commonwealth Corporation is wages, and training.
doing more with our fund to improve job quality. Thanks to my It is complicated but essential to offer associates options that
peer fellow Anjali Sakaria, who spearheads it, we have a new allow them to have fulfilling career experiences. For example, full-
partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, which time workers prefer consistent scheduling and a predictable pay-
brings us research and a meeting place. MIT Professor Zeynep check; students at a local college might want to pick up hours that
Ton identified retail industries that improved business processes, fit their changing class schedules through their mobile devices;
leading to cost savings that were invested back into the workers; associates with school-age children want flexible schedules based
we’re interested in expanding these approaches into more busi- on their families’ changing needs. Businesses can do scheduling
nesses. Through our partnership with the Boston Fed, we can in a way that benefits workers and improves the customer experi-
share practices and data from firms in industries like retail and ence as well as the company itself. So far, we’ve implemented the
food service or hospitality with other employers. And we’ll also Core Hours program—consistent schedules—in our neighbor-

Laurence Genon
Laurence Genon
Shock Butler
hood markets. The technology has also spread to supercenters I bring the worker perspective and lessons hard won through the
and other facilities. successful campaign for a $15 minimum wage. Home-care health
In 2018, the company raised starting wages to $11 an hour, pro- workers are excluded from the federal minimum wage and other
vided $1,000 bonuses, and expanded paid paternal and maternity worker protections. Because the likelihood for improvements in
leave for hourly associates. In the fellowship, I offer the employer federal law is dim, we’re pushing for state and local changes.
perspective—noting the rapid pace in retail and the imperative to Here’s one example of a specific idea from the fellowship
move from talking about options to acting. Most of my peers in the that we’re running with at SEIU Local 2015: during our first
fellowship offer ideas for understanding and meeting the expecta- fellowship session, Sean Daniel Murphy, the director of the ICA
tions of an incredibly diverse workforce. That is directly applicable Fund Good Jobs, and others talked about the importance of
to Walmart, and I’m bringing those ideas back for consideration to wages from jobs. They also said that getting beyond poverty and
the central headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. into a secure quality of life depends on community development
and asset building.
LAPHONZA BUTLER At our union, we latched on to the idea of starting a new busi-
President, SEIU Local 2015 ness to deliver home-based health care, maybe as a workers’ co-
I’ve been president of the SEIU local in California for eight years. operative. There aren’t big barriers like bonding requirements, an
We’re working on behalf of 350,000 workers who are employed in expensive building, or extensive regulations to begin offering these
home care, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted-living centers. This services to the elderly and disabled. Good caregivers are the key.
group has faced discrimination and disadvantage. As work condi- And we have those great workers. If we start a new service, we’d
tions, hours, and job-safety laws were passed to protect American of course offer good jobs. But can we also influence community
workers, home-care jobs were excluded, because they were family- development and build workers’ assets? We contacted an investor
or home-based—and most of the work was done by women and and philanthropist to gauge their interest. So far, the discussions are
minorities. encouraging. And that’s just one example!
Our goal is to be a 21st-century worker organization that
builds partnerships and embraces education and innovation so Maureen Conway is the vice president for policy programs at the Aspen
that these workers have quality jobs with livable wages, retirement Institute and the executive director of the Economic Opportunities Program.
security, respect, and the right to a union. That will also ensure ac- Mark Popovich is the director of the Good Companies/Good Jobs Initiative
cess to quality care for seniors and others. To my fellowship peers, at the Economic Opportunities Program.

Porterfield with students

The students
Dan Porterfield
would soon, and
reluctantly, be
leaving give a
preview of the
leadership style
he brings to
the Institute.
By Corby Kummer
PERSONAL
LEADERSHIP
“I’ll be with you in five minutes,” Dan Porterfield says on the campus of Franklin
& Marshall College. He’s almost late for another appointment but promising me
a debrief of a day of meeting with students, partly to explain why he is leaving a
job he loves to be president and CEO of the Aspen Institute. That five minutes
turns into nearly 30, because so many students stop “Dr. P,” as everyone calls
their college president, for their own personal debriefs every couple of steps along
what is a very, very short walk from a science classroom building to the coffee
Michael Milville
shop, newly contracted out to a local operator, that is the constantly humming
heart of student life.

The delay isn’t really Porterfield’s fault. Or not entirely. page 55). “I’ve known Dan for 35 years,” says Bart Moore, the
From the day students arrived on the F&M campus in the vice president for advancement at Georgetown University,
small city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania—and, in many cases, where Porterfield both taught English—an oversubscribed
////
a good deal before—he made it clear that he would be course he designed was called “Those Who Teach, Lead”—
available to them and take an interest in their careers during and served as senior vice president for strategic development.
and after college. Without exception, students I stopped, “He’s so authentic, and so effective at a person-to-person
usually to ask directions, described their own encounters with level, that people might miss that Dan is a long-term strategic
Dr. P. Like taking a selfie with him the first day of class and thinker and problem solver. What gets overlooked is that it’s
being startled a few weeks later to hear the president jovially exactly the combination of his people skills and his strategic
shout a greeting and get their name right. Like surprise at acuity that produces results.”
how active and responsive he is on social media. Like the far One example: in the late 1990s, Porterfield partnered with
deeper involvement of an impromptu but intense meeting John DeGioia, now Georgetown’s president, to find a new
when the decision of which major to declare provokes a bout footing for its hospital, which was struggling to adapt to the
of soul-searching, or of the president’s office quickly finding changed health-care economic landscape. The two leaders
funds for emergency trips home and buying a ticket for a devised a multiyear strategy that enabled the renowned
roommate when emotional support is required. medical school and hospital to remain with the university.
As Porterfield walks ever so slowly down the path; or “Dan sees problems,” Moore says, “he conceives solutions,
breezes in and out of his office to see which student or faculty and then he knows that it’s all down to the execution.”
member is raiding the well-stocked ice-cream freezer that That vision led him to concentrate early in the 2000s on
is his trademark and one he plans to bring to the Institute the looming crisis of access to elite higher education and
(assistants make semi-monthly runs to come back loaded to head up national conversations and action. The trick to
with “indecent amounts” of ice cream, and the expressions Porterfield’s success, Moore says, is his ability to “motivate
of sneaky guilt and childlike pleasure on the faces of people people to execute plans and accomplish things they wouldn’t
who make forays into it could inspire a revival of Candid have thought possible.”
Camera); or heads with his hot drink to the dead-center Porterfield’s signature accomplishment at F&M (of
coffee-shop table where he is likeliest to be interrupted; or many; see “Initiatives and Achievements,” page 56) was
chats with every third student and exchanges fist bumps, it’s in fact that work on access—and it just happened to be in
clear that he is in his element. close concert with the Institute. Working with the Institute’s
This constant contact with seemingly the entire College Excellence Program and its director, Josh Wyner,
student body is what everyone on campus will gladly, and Porterfield conceived and led the American Talent Initiative,
unprompted, talk about. Those who have worked more a program designed to increase by 50,000 the number of
closely with Porterfield point to the far-thinking tactician and high-achieving, low-income students enrolled at colleges.
change-maker (see “On Dan Porterfield and Leadership,” F&M’s own results attracted 102 leading institutions, from
Recognizing talent, expanding

opportunity, and creating the next
generation of leaders are key elements
to his national reputation.
Melissa Hess
Porterfield gives a lecture at

Franklin & Marshall College.

ON DAN PORTERFIELD & LEADERSHIP
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
“Dan Porterfield is one of our nation’s most dynamic leaders. He “Dan Porterfield is an inspired choice as the next
has a proven track record of not only being successful but also of leader of the Aspen Institute. In higher education, he
making a positive impact on the organizations he leads and the articulated an innovative talent strategy that embraced
communities they serve. As a college president, Dan has been and developed first-generation college-goers, advancing
held in the highest regard by students, faculty, and board members the field in a meaningful way. Dan also has the kind of
because he is public-spirited and dedicated to making a difference. character and nature that make him pure joy to work
The world needs strong, thoughtful, and engaging leaders such with. All I can say is, Lucky Aspen!”
as Dan. He is the right person at the right time for the Aspen –Katherine Bradley,
Institute.” Founding Chair, CityBridge Education
–Madeleine K. Albright,
Aspen Institute Trustee; former Secretary of State
“Dan is an extraordinary leader. Creative, open to new ideas,
and caring. I worked with him for years. He cares deeply
“Dan is a smart and passionate leader who cares deeply about about our country’s future and the young people who will
our country and the young people who are its future. Our lead us. Expect fresh ideas, enthusiasm, and integrity from
foundation has worked with him to ensure that family income this gifted new president of the Aspen Institute.”
doesn’t stop high-achieving students from attending great –Donna E. Shalala,
colleges, and we’re looking forward to finding new ways to former President, University of Miami;
collaborate with him and the Aspen Institute.” former Secretary of Health and Human Services
–Michael R. Bloomberg,
Founder, Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies; former
three-term Mayor of New York City “When Dan and I first became friends in our student
days, I was inspired by his passion for learning and
commitment to public service. It has been even more
“I can think of no one better prepared to lead the Aspen inspiring to see how he has put that passion to work
Institute than Dan Porterfield. Dan is a visionary leader. over decades of leadership and service—with his energy,
Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a deep enthusiasm, and good humor stronger than ever. The
commitment to higher education and to promoting the Aspen Institute is lucky to have Dan at the helm.”
common good for our society. His work is strategic and
–George Stephanopoulus,
thoughtful, focused on bringing together thought leaders to
Chief Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent, ABC News;
build institutions and craft solutions to some of our world’s
former White House Communications Director
most complex problems.”
Melissa Hess
–John J. DeGioia,
President, Georgetown University “For over 30 years, I’ve admired Dan’s sharp intellect,
deep compassion, unwavering integrity, embracing
warmth, and keen sense of humor. While he has become
“Dan Porterfield uniquely and powerfully combines vision, an inspirational public leader, Dan has always been a great
execution excellence, and superb listening and learning skills friend and teacher: patient with others—believing each
that make him a natural collaborator. He will be a superb asset voice matters—but impatient about the need for inclusive
to the Aspen Institute and your urgent mission.” progress at a pace that produces impact for all.”
–Kenneth B. Mehlman, –Kevin Thurm,
Member, KKR & Co.; CEO, Clinton Foundation
former Chairman, Republican National Committee

INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
////////////////////// SEVEN YEARS AT FRANKLIN & MARSHALL UNDER DAN PORTERFIELD ////////////////////////
PHILANTHROPY
In 2014, F&M launched its first capital campaign in more than 15
years, with an eight-year goal of $200 million. In under four years,
NEXT GEN
Through expanded financial aid, enhanced student recruitment, and
the college has already raised $122.6 million, setting records for total new partnerships with leading school networks and programs, F&M
gifts and pledges in 2016 and 2017. dramatically increased the number of students of color as well as
Pell Grant-eligible and first-generation students, while also raising
the overall academic profile of the student body.
TEACH FOR AMERICA

AMERICAN TALENT
In 2017, F&M was ranked the nation’s No. 1 contributor to Teach
For America among liberal arts colleges and smaller schools; it was
No. 2 the year before.
F&M partnered with the Aspen Institute and Bloomberg
Philanthropies to create the American Talent Initiative, in which 100
DIVERSITY
top US colleges and universities—including the entire Ivy League
and many flagship state schools—have set a goal of enrolling
50,000 more high-achieving Pell Grant students by 2025.
The class of 2021 comprises 27% US students of color, 20%
STEM POSSE
Pell Grant recipients, 20% first-generation college students,
and 14.5% international students. Compare that with the 2012
incoming class, which comprised just 11% students of color, 5%
Pell Grant recipients, and 9% international students. In addition to the ten Posse scholars from New York City that
F&M recruits every year, the college also recruits ten scholars from
Miami to study in STEM fields. F&M is the first liberal arts college
NEW BUILDING to create a STEM Posse.
LOAN REDUCTION
In May, F&M broke ground on the $28 million Susan & Benjamin
Winter Visual Arts Center, designed by renowned architect
Steven Holl. Plus, the multisport Shadek Stadium opened last F&M countered national trends and decreased average student debt
fall, and the College built a new Student Wellness Center in at graduation, from $33,200 for the class of 2012 to $27,040 for the
partnership with Lancaster General Health. class of 2017.
to the whole of the Ivy League, to share results rather than program abroad; she heard him give a talk and took his card
compete (see “Staying In,” page 62). Sparking social impact after a brief conversation. That conversation turned into
through organizational development and collaboration is two years of occasional correspondence, including a copy of
work he is eager to continue on the Institute’s international a commencement address Porterfield sent. In essence he was
canvas. recruiting her, and it worked.
Recognizing talent, expanding opportunity, and creating How did I happen to hear this story? The first morning I
the next generation of leaders—these are all key elements visited the F&M campus, I stopped the first student I saw to
to Porterfield’s national reputation. I thought, then, that ask if she knew where the president’s office was. Yes indeed,
observing and speaking with the students he would soon, she replied.
and reluctantly, be leaving would provide a preview of the If students I randomly met all had Dr. P stories, the ones
leadership style he would bring to the Institute. It took no he and his staff assembled for an informal but elegantly
Laurence Genon
time at all to see—and keep seeing—rich evidence. presented lunch in his office had even closer, college-long
Mihika Miranda met Porterfield for a few minutes at collaborations with him. Jabari Benjamin, a graduating
Georgetown as a Mumbai high-schooler taking a summer senior who changed his major to economics when he found

that he liked working with social-service agencies enough to longtime friend I had never seen at an Institute event. Tim
head one, served as president of IMPACT, a campus group O’Shaughnessy, now the president and CEO of Graham
///// that provides peer mentorship for undergraduate men. At Holdings, co-founded LivingSocial, an e-commerce and
the lunch, he spoke of volunteering for a local youth-service marketing company whose sales grew under his leadership to
agency in Lancaster, one part of his activities as an official nearly $2 billion. He was just three years out of Georgetown’s
off-campus study ambassador—activities he took seriously business school when LivingSocial launched. (He also set a
enough that he got a job to stay on working with Lancaster record as the business school’s youngest commencement
youth after graduation. “I’m not done with this place,” he speaker.) The secret to his success? An encounter with Dan
said. Later that evening, as I was writing notes in an off- Porterfield, he told me, as a Georgetown undergraduate.
campus ice-cream shop, Benjamin strolled in and pulled up a “Dan helped turn me from a couch potato,” he wrote me,
chair opposite me to ask how my day had been and to discuss “into a person who suddenly believed that ideas could be
his evening’s volunteer work. As he walked me to my car, he turned into reality and that every person can create lasting
told a story I by now recognized as typical: at his Brooklyn change in the world. He can quickly cut through a person’s
high school in the “not integrated at all” neighborhood of facade and bring out the true talents that lie beneath—and
Sunset Park, Benjamin’s teachers encouraged him to go to convince you to use those talents. Dan believes in you so
college, and helped pull together train fare for him to visit much that you can’t help but believe in yourself.”
three colleges south of New York City. His first stop was It’s that kind of encouragement Porterfield means to unlock
F&M, where he heard Porterfield talk about educational across the Institute and across the country, as he told a group
equity. He took the next train home without visiting the of students at the end of the afternoon. They came to F&M
other two colleges and applied early decision the next day. as Cooperman Scholars, a program that supports students
The kind of change Porterfield has made in student lives from Essex County, New Jersey, with summer programs and
became unexpectedly clear to me when, at an opening event mentoring in addition to scholarships. Porterfield hadn’t met
for the Institute’s new Washington headquarters, I greeted a the students formally as a group and sat in on a class, inviting
questions about their experience. The
subject came around to him. Rasheed
Adewole, a young man who works in the
“Dan helped turn me from a couch potato into a president’s office three days a week, asked
how Porterfield would stay involved with
person who suddenly believed that ideas could be the college after he left.
turned into reality and that every person can “I’m calling myself an honorary alum,”
Porterfield began, saying that 12-hour
create lasting change in the world.” workdays ought to count for something.
He described programs at the Institute
for which he hoped student leaders
Porterfield at the Institute’s
Summit on Inequality & Opportunity
would later be eligible and mentioned
the American Talent Initiative. Then he
became reflective. “I do feel a measure of
sadness about leaving,” he said. “Just as
you’ll feel sadness in leaving something
you love. But you’ll also be called to do
more in the spirit of what you’re doing.
Precisely because I love kids so much, I
want to make more of a difference for
more kids. I loved living on campus at
Georgetown and teaching. I gave that
up to be president of F&M, and I loved
it. I still enjoy kicking around ideas with
kids. Now I have to give up something
I love and feel the fulfillment of more
campuses being strong. I hope you’ll see
me advocating for better public education
and more resources for students to pursue
what they’re passionate about in college.”
He swallowed. “I hope you’ll see me
Laurence Genon
and say: ‘There’s my president. There’s

my mentor. There’s my friend.’ ”

Bayer-inspired kaleidoscreen

When building and designing its new DC headquarters,
the Institute looked to its past—and its future. By Nicole Corea
T
he first thing you notice when walking into the Aspen
Institute’s new Washington, DC, headquarters is the
light that streams in. Windows bathe the office in sunlight
and offer panoramic views of the city. Gazing down at
Rock Creek Park, Dupont Circle, and Georgetown, you
almost feel as if you are standing on an urban mountaintop.
That’s exactly what the planners were looking for. The new
90,000-square-foot space at 2300 N Street NW was designed by
OTJ Architects and built by Davis Construction. After visiting the
Aspen Meadows campus in the summer of 2016, the designers
found inspiration in the aesthetic of Bauhaus architect Herbert
Bayer. They chose to mimic Bayer’s modernist style using his art
and the primary colors he was so fond of.
“We wanted to bring the Aspen campus to DC,” Cindy
Buniski, the vice president of administration and facilities at the
Institute, says. “This space took us out of the thick of the city and
made for a more retreat-like setting.”
Despite its serene location, the offices inside 2300 N Street
hum with activity. Screens around the building broadcast live
coverage of the day’s events. Notes from back-to-back meetings
adorn the whiteboard walls. And every day, staff members have
Riccardo Savi
serendipitous conversations that lead to new programming,

Common workspace
initiatives, and aha moments.

Glosserman Room
“Having the ability to work in different parts of the office studio to interview Institute experts. “The studio allows us
gives me the chance to reset my thoughts,” Tony Mastria, to immediately communicate with our external audiences
the digital communications associate for the Economic and directly respond to things happening in the news,” Sam
Opportunities Program, says. “It also helps me run into Abdelhamid, the Institute’s video production manager, says.
coworkers I don’t see often and develop a broader view of all Despite these additions, the project came in under budget,
the work we’re involved in.” thanks to close monitoring by the executive vice president of
Sarah Sims-Pokropski, the project lead for the move and finance and administration, Namita Khasat, and her colleagues.
director of office administration and conference services, notes While the Institute had to expand its footprint multiple times in the
that it was difficult at first to find a space that could grow with design process, additional costs were covered through fundraising.
the Institute. “We had to keep in mind the number of events Support from donors like Michelle Smith and the Penner
we host each week and the complexity of our programming,” family made the entire venture possible. “The beautiful
she says. The office was designed to provide an exceptional office elevates the Institute’s profile,” Smith says. “It creates a
gathering space for its seminars, policy roundtables, and public welcoming atmosphere for guests and encourages collaboration
events.When envisioning the layout of the office, the Institute among the Institute’s staff.” In addition to workspaces and
team looked to its past—and its future. conference rooms, staff members have access to building
This was the job of the 21st-century workplace committee, amenities like a rooftop deck, café, and fitness center. The
Above: Riccardo Savi (left), Katherine Eklund (right); Across: Riccardo Savi
chaired by Sims-Pokropski and Tricia Kelly, the managing director building is also currently seeking LEED certification. “I couldn’t
of the Communications and Society Program. The committee have imagined the overwhelming bond and significance this
asked staff members to envision what the “office of tomorrow” space and design would have on me,” Sims-Pokropski says. “It’s
might look like. They used the Institute’s methodology to think like being married with no husband, children, or bills!”
deeply about solutions to complex problems. “The Institute’s Former Institute CEO Walter Isaacson advocated for a new
leadership was not only humble enough to invite staff from all location where staff members could be together in one building.
levels to participate in this process but also had the courage to The move marked one of his last major initiatives as head of
embrace our ideas and vision,” Kelly says. the organization. “I truly believe that our new home symbolizes
One staff-driven addition to the headquarters was a state- the Institute’s mission, which has always relied on the power of
of-the-art studio equipped with professional-quality lighting, place and the beauty of architecture to foster conversation and
audio equipment, a studio switcher, and three cameras. The connections between people,” Isaacson says. “I can think of no
studio is 4K-enabled, and will soon be able to deliver live greater legacy of my time here than leaving behind a space that
remote interviews to the broadcast networks via LTN, a smart- does just that.”
cloud service. Thanks to its soundproofed walls, it is also where
Aspen Insight, the Institute’s latest podcast, is recorded. Outside Nicole Corea is the managing editor of IDEAS: The Magazine of
organizations and programs like PBS NewsHour have used the the Aspen Institute.

LEAD DONORS
Michelle Smith
Carrie Walton Penner and Greg Penner
WITH EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT FROM

Patricia Alper Cohn
Henrietta Holsman Fore
Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn
Marilyn and Michael Glosserman
Sheila and Patrick Gross
Ann and Tom Korologos
Diane Morris
Tina and Albert Small Jr.
Steelcase
Roof deck
Above: Riccardo Savi (left), Katherine Eklund (right); Across: Riccardo Savi
Eighth-floor common area

L
ife wasn’t going exactly as Sam Khalid had planned
after he graduated from high school. Living in an
apartment, he and his wife were barely eking out
a living. He worked long hours in retail. She worked as
a nurse’s aide. Bills were piling up. The idea of a college
education seemed distant, if not impossible. “Somewhere
along life’s highway, I took the wrong exit,” he says. “The
more I tried to get out of it, the deeper I got lost.”
Then the news hit that his wife was pregnant with
twins. They already could scarcely afford rent. The
electric company cut off their power. “I knew that if I did
not fight now in this difficult time, I would spend the rest
of my life fighting,” he recalls.
So Khalid decided to take a leap: he quit his job and
enrolled full-time at Mott Community College in Flint,
Michigan. From a young age, he always wanted to be a
doctor, so he decided to pursue an associate of science
degree.
He aced his classes, but it wasn’t easy. His wife had to
stop working for health reasons. One of his twin daughters
was born with a medical condition that required her to
remain in the hospital for months. At night, he studied by
the neon lights of her hospital room.
Courtesy Lake Area Technical Institute

Three graduates of Lake Area Technical
Institute in Watertown, South Dakota,
celebrate at graduation. The school was
the winner of the 2017 Aspen Prize for
Community College Excellence.
Getting in to college is hard. But creating the conditions that let students
finish is even harder. The Institute’s College Excellence Program shows
students who never thought higher education was for them what they are
capable of—and shows colleges of all kinds how to keep them.
By Caroline Broder

Courtesy Broward College
He kept working. Not just for himself but for others. He Since its inception, the College Excellence Program has
started the school’s first biology club, served in the honors grown from a single project—the Aspen Prize for Community
society, and spent more than 50 hours tutoring children of College Excellence, which former President Barack Obama
incarcerated parents. dubbed the “Oscars” for community colleges—to a multifaceted
People noticed Khalid’s hard work and success. The set of more than ten initiatives designed to influence college and
Siemens Foundation, working in partnership with the Institute’s university practice across the United States. Perhaps the most
College Excellence Program, named him a Siemens Technical prominent is the American Talent Initiative, a collaboration
Scholar and awarded him a $3,500 scholarship. The Siemens with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Ithaka S+R, a nonprofit
program is designed to recognize an exceptional group of dedicated to higher education. It has built a coalition of 100
diverse students from across the country who exemplify what top colleges and universities—including the entire Ivy League—
can be accomplished by those who complete an excellent dedicated to adding 50,000 to the number of lower-income
technical program in a science-related field. For Khalid, this students enrolled (see “Personal Leadership,” page 52). Another
meant graduating from Mott with honors in 2016 and landing is the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College
a good job in medical transcription. Excellence, an intensive yearlong fellowship for 40 aspiring
At a time when the opportunity to move into the middle community college leaders; after just two years, the fellowship
class is in question, Khalid’s story is an example of the role has attracted 22 community college presidents at institutions that
colleges can play in delivering the kind of skills needed collectively educate more than 300,000 students. And a third is
to develop talent from every neighborhood—talent our Tackling Transfer, a multistate project designed to dramatically
nation and employers desperately need. But some colleges improve outcomes for the roughly 40 percent of undergraduate
accomplish those things more often than others. students who complete college at a different school from where
they started—students who on average lose 43 percent of all the
COLLEGE EXCELLENCE: course credits they have earned every time they transfer schools.
WHAT IT MEANS AT THE INSTITUTE
This is where the Institute’s College Excellence Program BETTER ACCESS ISN’T ENOUGH
comes in. Founded in 2010, the program is focused on a Over the past half century, the United States has dramatically
simple idea: the practices, policies, and leadership at colleges increased access to higher education, largely through the
matter deeply to students’ success—both while they are in expansion of community colleges and regional public
college and after they graduate. And while many institutions universities. The good news? Two out of every three high-
of higher learning are working hard to improve student school graduates in America attend college, more than just
success, most could do better. about anywhere else in the world.
Opposite page: Students at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, celebrate at graduation.
Broward was named a finalist with distinction for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College
Excellence. This page: Sam Khalid
A college’s work isn’t done when

a student enrolls. Research shows
that just over half of all college
students graduate and that rates
Courtesy Mott Community College
are much lower for the growing

number of low-income students and
students of color in US schools.
But here’s the rub. A college’s work isn’t done when a American Association of Community Colleges. It gathers
student enrolls. Research shows that just over half of all the presidents of colleges in the American Talent Initiative
college students graduate and that rates are much lower for as well as their leadership teams to exchange specific ideas
the growing number of low-income students and students about how they reach the initiative’s 50,000-by-2025 student
of color in US schools. Moreover, evidence strongly suggests goal. Based on deep research into highly effective transfer
that many college graduates lack some of the critical practices nationally, College Excellence has put together
thinking, communications, and other skills needed to enjoy multiday workshops for leadership teams from more than
fulfilling careers and become lifelong learners. 50 community colleges and universities in Ohio, North
In the end, students don’t go to college just to learn or Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
just to complete a degree. Those things matter. But, like Sam Khalid’s story exemplifies what an excellent college
Khalid, they also want a better life after they graduate. education can deliver. After some time spent working in
The Aspen College Excellence Program is focused on medical transcription, Khalid still wanted to chase his
helping colleges deliver what students, communities, and the dream of becoming a doctor. He applied to the University
country need. Community colleges—including winners of of Michigan, an American Talent Initiative member
the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence—show institution, where he received a full ride and completed his
the way for other schools to ensure that many more students pre-med courses. In August, he will attend medical school
graduate and that degree programs are aligned with what at the American University of Antigua, where he plans to
comes next in students’ lives. The highly selective colleges in pursue internal medicine.
the American Talent Initiative show other top colleges how Khalid gets emotional when he thinks about all he has
they can deliver stronger educational quality by becoming accomplished. He thinks about how his family prayed for
more socioeconomically diverse—specifically by activating him and how his professors supported him. It brings him
and including talented students from every community. to tears. His experience in community college built the
The lessons garnered from the Institute’s research at high- confidence he needed to succeed beyond graduation. Now
performing institutions form the basis of its higher-education he wants to give back.
change agenda. The program teaches aspiring college “I know I can do anything in the world if I want it bad
presidents in its fellowship the practices of prizewinning enough,” he says.
community colleges. It also incorporates that learning into
professional-development programs run by others—from
doctoral programs in college leadership at North Carolina Caroline Broder is the senior communications manager of the College
State University to continuing education programs at the Excellence Program.

Aspen Historical Society, Chamberlain Collection
ELIZABETH PAEPCKE BROUGHT ART, MUSIC, MIND, AND SPIRIT TO ASPEN,

MAKING IT THE INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION IT IS TODAY.
SHE ALSO HELPED FOUND THE INSTITUTE.
BY GITTA SCHNEIDER-SICKERT
WITH ALISON DECKER AND SACHA ZIMMERMAN

Aspen Historical Society, Chamberlain Collection
Elizabeth Paepcke at the International Design Conference in Aspen, 1986

IT’S THE MOST
BEAUTIFULLY
UNTOUCHED
PLACE IN THE
WORLD.
Aspen Historical Society, Duke Collection

Above: Joan Trumbull Wright, Maud Banks Duke, and Elizabeth Paepcke standing at the bottom of Aspen Mountain. Opposite page: Paepcke in Aspen (left); Paul Klee, Artistic Comedy,
1932, one of the paintings Paepcke donated to the Art Institute of Chicago (right)
Before Aspen, Colorado, became an American cultural and important figures in Chicago’s cultural and social scenes. “Her
intellectual Mecca, its raw beauty captured the imaginations style was to hold strong opinions and to raise expectations
of Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke. The couple singlehandedly to her standard,” David McLaughlin, a former Institute
put the town on the map and visualized its animating chairman, once wrote. Among other organizations, Elizabeth
principle: the Aspen idea. But while much has been written was involved with the Art Institute of Chicago, the Goodman
about Walter Paepcke, the businessman who dreamed up the Theatre, the Lyric Opera, and the Chicago Symphony
Aspen Institute, the other half of this vibrant duo, Elizabeth, is Orchestra. She also collected modern art, including works
not as well studied—though she played an equal and powerful by groundbreaking artists like Pablo Picasso, Herbert Bayer,
part in the founding of both the Institute and the town as an Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, and Paul Klee. She herself
international capital. designed projects for Marshall Field’s and the University of
Elizabeth Paepcke grew up surrounded by artists and Chicago International House.
intellectuals. Her father, William Albert Nitze, was the It was a 1939 ski vacation to a remote village in Colorado
chairman of the department of romance languages at the that would come to define Elizabeth Paepcke’s legacy. Aspen
University of Chicago. Her mother, Anna Sophia Hilken, was a deserted and unassuming mining town. But Elizabeth
cultivated a circle of friends and arts supporters that allowed saw the potential for much more: the ideal location, in the Ferenc Berko (left); Art Institute of Chicago (right)
Elizabeth and her brother, Paul, to grow up surrounded by heart of the Rocky Mountains, for aesthetic and intellectual
debates over the biggest ideas of the day. Paul Nitze would pursuits far from the everyday stresses of city life. “Walter,”
later become one of America’s most notable statesmen and a she told her husband, “You simply must see it. It’s the most
chief architect of its Cold War defense policy. beautifully untouched place in the world.”
Elizabeth, or “Pussy,” as everyone called her, was known Walter waited until 1946 to make a trip to Aspen. But when
for her passion and her willpower. She attended Foxcroft, a he did, he was just as moved by the pristine mountain town.
girls’ boarding school in Virginia, before returning to the In 1949, he planned a festival in Aspen to celebrate the 200th
Midwest to study painting and interior design at the Art birthday of German poet and playwright Johann Wolfgang von
Institute of Chicago. She first met Walter Paepcke in 1911 Goethe. Away from urban distractions, Walter reasoned, people
during a vacation in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, and married him would come together and focus on the life of the mind. The
in 1922. The couple shared a love of art and ideas, and became Goethe Bicentennial was more than a celebration of a single

artist and philosopher. It was also a chance to focus on humanism the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.
and the human goodness and reason it emphasizes. Prominent After Walter died, in 1960, Elizabeth continued to devote
contemporary artists and thinkers including Thornton Wilder, the majority of her time in Aspen to the many projects she had
José Ortega y Gasset, and Albert Schweitzer came from across launched. Before her own death, in 1994, Elizabeth came to
the globe for a celebration filled with performances, lectures, be known as “the Grand Dame of Aspen,” renowned for her
and debates that lasted more than three weeks. devotion to the town and her passion for preserving its historic
The festivities were such a success that the next year buildings, fostering its expansion, and nurturing its politics.
Walter Paepcke founded the Aspen Institute to continue the To those who knew her, Elizabeth’s mere presence could
conversations he and Elizabeth had started at the Goethe make ordinary life extraordinary. According to The New York
event. Through the Institute, the Paepckes hoped to promote Times Magazine, Elizabeth was celebrated for “her hospitality,
the ideals of a Good Society, in which the synchronicity of her ability to listen, for her love of a good bawdy joke.” Friends
body, mind, and spirit can nurture a whole person, community, say she ascended a ladder every Christmas to light the candles
country, and planet. on her tree and shoveled her own walk every winter well into
Aspen Historical Society, Duke Collection
Advancing the Good Society became Elizabeth’s life’s her eighties. On hikes in the countryside, she packed a little
work. Even leisure “should concern itself with those things sipping whisky—and a pair of gloves so that she could pull
we do to replenish the spirit,” she wrote, such as “taking thistles and weeds. Caring for the town was a job that was
part in discussions of politics and ideas. It is the opposite of never done.
killing time.” To this end, Elizabeth founded many of the
cultural landmarks still on offer in Aspen today, including
the Aspen Music Festival and School and the International Dr. Gitta Schneider-Sickert is a German doctor of psychosomatic
Design Conference. Later in life, she became interested in medicine and a member of the Association of Friends of the Aspen
environmental programs as well, joining and contributing to Institute Germany.
Ferenc Berko (left); Art Institute of Chicago (right)

The future of energy
starts with ideas
Southern Company believes in the power of energy and the value of ideas.
As America’s premier energy provider, we deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to
customers while innovating solutions that solve the energy challenges of tomorrow, today. Imagine
Smart Neighborhoods™, a LEED Platinum® certified sports stadium and hospitals that are always on.
Our imagination and ideas are the foundation of how we’re building the future of energy.
For the seventh year in a row, Southern Company is leading the conversation at the Aspen Ideas
Festival. Learn how the right ideas and capabilities make the impossible possible.
Southern Company is a proud underwriter of the 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival.
Alabama Power Georgia Power Gulf Power Mississippi Power Southern Linc
Southern Nuclear Southern Power Southern Telecom Southern Company Gas Atlanta Gas Light
Chattanooga Gas Elizabethtown Gas Elkton Gas Florida City Gas Nicor Gas
Virginia Natural Gas Pivotal LNG Pivotal Home Solutions Sequent Energy Management PowerSecure
southerncompany.com
©2018 Southern Company

The Aspen Journal of Ideas offers thought-provoking analysis and
issue-defining information from the programs and partners of the Institute.
72 WORK REIMAGINED
Robots, drones, and online innovations have forever
changed US employment. Unfortunately, automation has
also left millions stuck in an economic model that no longer
works. US Senator Mark Warner argues that there’s a
way for all Americans to participate in the economy.
74 HOW TO REIGNITE DEMOCRACY

America’s sense of pluralism is waning, faith in the news
media is crumbling, and belief in government is at a nadir.
Jane Wales looks at four Institute programs that are
taking up the challenge of restoring trust in our nation’s
fundamental precepts, including our trust in one another.
76 ON TRACK
Once defined by guarded isolationism, India’s Track II
diplomacy has given the nation entrée to the world stage.
The Ananta Aspen Centre’s Pramit Pal Chaudhuri
describes how the center has become a Track II dialogue
leader, paving the way for a new geopolitical era in India.
78 RELIGIOUS INCLUSION
America was built on religious freedom. Yet religious
inclusion seems to be flagging. The Justice and Society
Program decided to examine pluralism as an American
ideal. Zeenat Rahman and Allison K. Ralph discuss
how to combat religious bias and promote an interfaith
society.

WORK REIMAGINED
New technology is creating new jobs and eliminating others. The nation
needs a plan to retrain and educate its workforce in a shifting economy.
By Mark R. Warner
A
lexa, what does a 21st-century economy These changes are happening faster than our government can
look like?” adapt to. Americans are increasingly concerned about the impact
Government leaders in the United States of groundbreaking but disruptive technology on the nature of
and around the world are wrestling with work. In a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 72 percent
that question. Cars and trucks are driving of Americans were “worried” about a future in which robots and
themselves. Robots are delivering takeout. computers serve as substitutes for humans. Another survey found
Alexa and Siri are household names, and the artificial-intelligence that more than half of the American workforce is not certain that
technology that powers them is being used to pick optimal stock their jobs will even exist in 20 years.
portfolios, diagnose diseases, and discover new planets. In some industries, these are not recent developments.

zx
Of the nearly 12 million jobs created between 2010 and 2016,

more than 99 percent were filled by workers with at least some
post-secondary education.
Manufacturing workers, in particular, have been living with this will prioritize investment in machines over people, further tilting
uncertainty for decades. Since 1973, manufacturing output has the tax code’s bias in favor of investing in physical capital over
nearly doubled, in large part due to productivity gains from the human capital.
computing industry. But this increase has been accompanied by a Having spent more time in business than in politics, I recognize
dramatic decrease in manufacturing employment. Between 2000 that our current economic system is not working for enough people.
and 2010 alone, 5.6 million manufacturing jobs were lost. And all With my colleagues in the Senate and in the House, I introduced
evidence seems to suggest automation will continue to disrupt the legislation to provide the same treatment for investments in
manufacturing sector, along with other industries. workers that we provide for those in research and development.
For an example of how automation is changing today’s Our goal is to create a new tax credit, modeled on the popular
workplace, look no further than the food industry. In 2017, Research & Development tax credit, for employers who make new
Wendy’s and McDonald’s announced major efforts to replace investments in training their low- to moderate-income workers,
cashiers with self-service kiosks. You can now order a cheeseburger allowing them to acquire skills that are in demand.
from a burger-flipping robot in California, dumplings from an Another idea is for policymakers to support lifelong learning
automated restaurant in Chicago, or cocktails from mechanized and training accounts. Both workers and their employers would
bartenders in Las Vegas. contribute to these portable, tax-advantaged accounts to help
It is hard to know how quickly automation will spread, but the workers pay for training to advance their careers or to retrain for
cost savings to companies are clear: you don’t have to give a robot new jobs in response to displacement. Other countries and states
Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, or a 401(k). have already adopted policies that provide lifelong learning to their
All of these mounting changes to the nature of work, driven workers. Singapore recently established and funded individual
by technology, are creating a pressing problem for Americans: learning accounts for each citizen over the age of 25 to spend
growing income insecurity. on training programs. France is overhauling its training system
The best way to address this is by investing in human capital. and will give workers 5,000 euros over their careers to spend on
Of the nearly 12 million jobs created between 2010 and 2016, training courses of their choice, including up to 8,000 euros for
more than 99 percent were filled by workers with at least some those who start with no qualifications. Maine and Washington
post-secondary education. The unemployment rate for those with have experimented with lifelong learning account options; other
college degrees is currently 2 percent—half the rate for those with states have introduced learning-account legislation.
no more than a high-school diploma. Student debt is now at a Unfortunately, the United States is already behind the curve.
record level, $1.4 trillion, preventing a high number of students It is clear that new technologies will continue to simultaneously
from completing two- and four-year degree programs. American create and eliminate jobs, while changing the nature of many
families can’t be left to bear this burden alone. existing jobs. The most urgent challenge we face is helping
For years, conventional wisdom has held that the most workers transition to the jobs of the future by accessing education,
productive approach for the government was to invest in plants training, and re-employment services throughout their careers.
and equipment over people. The terminology made it clear: To get this right, we have to reframe the political debate.
plants and equipment were assets; people were a cost. Once you These are not Republican or Democratic ideas. Our new
got a job, your employer—not the government—would continue governing philosophy must focus on not leaving those millions
to train you and reward your hard work for the rest of your life. of workers behind, stuck in an economic model that no longer
In an era when workers change jobs an average of once every works for the 21st century. In the end, Americans want an
three to five years, however, businesses have fewer incentives to economy that works for them. It is time we give them peace of
invest in training their workforce. Workers—especially low- and mind about their future.
middle-wage workers—may not have trouble getting that first job,
but they have no way to move up the economic ladder.
The truth is that Congress missed an opportunity to realign
business incentives when it passed deeply flawed tax legislation last Mark R. Warner is the senior United States Senator from Virginia and
December. The law now makes it even more likely that a company Honorary Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative.

HOW TO REIGNITE
DEMOCRACY
Four Institute programs are leading the effort to reclaim
trust in government and each other. By Jane Wales

T
rust is a democracy’s most valuable asset. with the Knight Foundation to form the Knight Commission
It provides the societal glue on which self- on Trust, Media and Democracy. At its two meetings over the
government relies. Without it, we cannot manage past year, a diverse number of experts and leaders have pointed
the dangers we face nor steward the resources we out that the media’s loss of authority is in part a function of the
share. Without it, we cannot solve large problems proliferation of news sources. And now that more Americans
together. get their news from platforms like Facebook and Twitter, which
Yet trust is at an all-time low. Most Americans report that they aggregate stories from multiple sources, the relationship of trust
do not trust the institutions of national and international gover- that existed between the consumer and the producer of news
nance, and—even more concerning—they do not trust one an- is severed. When algorithms drive the dissemination and con-
other. Moreover, the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that sumption of news, bias is both reflected and reinforced, hard-
the trust deficit is a global problem. Citizens living in democracies ening views and deepening divides. The solution, the experts
are among the disaffected; nearly 50 percent of citizens across and leaders say, lies in the responsibilities and social obligations
the United States and Europe believe their governance systems that producers, distributors, and consumers of information will
are failing. undertake—and the commission will make recommendations
The United States has a singular asset to bring to bear: a ro- for each.
bust civil society and a tradition of citizens banding together to The charitable, or voluntary, sector—civil-society organiza-
solve shared problems. In the process, they can build social capital tions and the philanthropies that support them—has long been
and citizen agency—the antidotes to distrust and dysfunction. a vehicle for knowledge-sharing, consensus-building, and collec-
Seized by the danger posed by the decline in trust, several tive action. The majority of Americans regularly interact with
Institute policy programs have worked to build consensus among at least one nonprofit; almost a third volunteer in a given year.
key participants on an aspect of the problem and their role in These experiences have a bonding effect. When citizens come
its solution. While they launched their efforts independently, the together around a problem at the community level, they build
programs now see an opportunity to bring together their respec- social capital, reinfcorce citizen agency, and establish the basis for
tive communities for a conversation that crosses disciplines and trust. As a result, the charitable sector is the most trusted of those
ideologies. And they have drawn clear conclusions. First, success covered in recent surveys. It remains a recognized mainstay of
requires a citizenry that is engaged, informed, and effective— liberal democracy.
willing to embrace its responsibilities and exercise its rights. Sec- The Institute’s Program on Philanthropy and Social Inno-
ond, to succeed, citizens will need to operate in the context of an vation hosts the Aspen Philanthropy Group, foundation CEOs
open society. who share a commitment to enhancing the efficacy of nonprof-
Yet Americans’ commitment to pluralism appears to have its and the philanthropies that support them. In recent meetings,
waned in the face of economic, social, and demographic change. the group has explored the underlying causes of the trust defi-
Eric Liu’s Citizenship and American Identity Program focuses cit and strategies for contributing to its solution. Some members
on the “challenge of sustaining a coherent national identity.” advocate strengthening the mechanics of democratic decision-
Through workshops, forums, and seminars, the program explores making, without prescribing the policy outcome. Others identify
the values, systems, and skills needed for effective citizenship and issues on which to build bipartisan consensus and pool resources,
seeks to instill the “spirit of common cause, mutual responsibility, even if philanthropies agree only on those issues. These grantors
and reciprocity vital to a republic.” The program argues that citi- and their grantees see transparency as a value in its own right in
zens not only have rights but responsibilities: it is their obligation an open society—and a means to accelerate learning and impact.
to wield their citizen power effectively. The program also includes a working group of data aggre-
Meryl Chertoff, who leads the Institute’s Justice and Society gators that has successfully advocated for making available US
Program, notes that trust “along the poles of religious diversity” government data on the charitable sector in real time, at no cost,
are essential aspects of American pluralism. Yet fears of the other and in machine-readable form. The information not only pro-
are often experienced and expressed in terms of religious differ- vides evidence of social impact. It reveals the significant role the
ences, resulting in Islamophobia, resurgent anti-Semitism, or the nonprofit sector plays as a job creator and community builder.
stigmatization of different strains of Christianity. Justice and So- Finally, the program offers leadership initiatives for emerging
ciety’s Inclusive America Project has convened a cross-disciplin- nonprofit leaders and creates neutral forums for philanthropists
ary panel to explore threats to religious pluralism (see “Religious to find solutions to societal problems.
Inclusion,” page 78). Such collaborative problem-solving is a hallmark of Insti-
The independent media has been an authoritative source tute policy programs. It is also a hallmark of a well-functioning
of information on which to base shared decision-making and a democracy.
sense of common purpose. Yet the authority of the traditional
media—an essential civil-society actor—has been diminished
by the advent of the information age. In response, Charlie Fire- Jane Wales is the executive director of the Institute’s Program on
stone’s Communications and Society Program has partnered Philanthropy and Social Innovation.

ON TRACK
For India, an emerging player on the world stage, Track II diplomacy has
identified solutions to the most intractable problems.
By Pramit Pal Chaudhuri
I
n 2002, the India-US relationship was still emerging Since then, the India-US dialogues have covered everything
from a Cold War fog. The two countries were eager from Afghanistan to China, from warships to space technology,
to find a new economic footing, but it was slow and from the election of Narendra Modi to that of Donald
going. Bureaucrats in both governments were stuck Trump. Last year, India-US Track II diplomacy held its 22nd
in geopolitical ruts: Indian and American strategists round. There, serious concerns about climate change gave
experienced deep skepticism about working together, rise to a separate dialogue focused solely on energy and the
and mutual misconceptions made progress difficult. It was time environment. Also last year, the Ananta Aspen Centre added
for the Ananta Aspen Centre to step in. a more formal India-US Forum, an annual meeting of 100
When global politics become too tense or sensitive for leaders in various fields from both countries.
government officials to successfully navigate, outside groups As with the United States, the Japan dialogue has been a
specializing in conflict resolution are often called on to host talks particular pathbreaker for India. Today, Japan is probably
between fractious parties. The Aspen Institute has a long history India’s number-one strategic partner: Japan is set to become
of such “Track II” diplomacy, offering nation-states neutral India’s largest foreign investor, its most significant foreign-aid
forums and subject-area experts to help identify solutions to the donor, and its main military partner in Asia. What’s more, the
planet’s intractable problems. In India, the Ananta Aspen Centre initial discussions with Tokyo often included a US delegation
is a leader in Track II diplomacy—currently hosting strategic and, as such, soon became a precursor to what are now official
dialogues between India and a number of foreign countries, trilateral talks on defense and policy.
including the United States, Japan, China, Singapore, Israel, Not all Track II efforts have been successful. Dialogue with
and South Korea. It is easily the largest collection of Track II Malaysia quietly faded away. Talks with Ankara were tabled
talks handled by a single Indian organization. after domestic turmoil in Turkey made diplomacy untenable.
Working with the US-based Aspen Strategy Group, the And discussions with Bhutan ended when it became clear there
Ananta Aspen Centre’s first Track II dialogue in 2002 emerged weren’t really any major strategic problems between Bhutan
from conversations between Ananta founder Tarun Das and and India.
then–US ambassador to India Bob Blackwill. Together, they Still, for a newly emerging international player like India,
helped secure financial backing from the Confederation Track II diplomacy has given the nation entrée to the world
of Indian Industries and a number of US firms. The first stage. Once defined by its guarded isolationism, India had at
delegation heads were India’s leading businessman, Ratan one time built protectionist walls around its economy, and for
Tata, and America’s leading foreign policy strategist, Henry decades its foreign policy was simply one of nonalignment. As
Kissinger. Das described the delegations at the time as a mix a result, India’s diplomatic corps was tiny, and its policymaking
of former ambassadors, service officers, media leaders, think- was centered around security threats that required immediate
tankers, business professionals, scientists, and members of tactical responses; grand strategy was a nascent concept, treated
parliament. almost as an intellectual luxury. In the early 2000s, then, Track
The nature of the dialogues allowed the two sides— II meetings became the perfect means to test new ideas and to
unencumbered by the requirements of official diplomacy—to recreate India’s place in the international order.
candidly discuss policies and the direction of future relations. And so they have.
Among other results, the dialogues marked the first time that If the transcripts of the Ananta Aspen Centre’s Track II
the possibility of a bilateral nuclear agreement was raised. The dialogues were ever published, they would provide an essential
suggestion then became a reality during the George W. Bush history of the evolution of India’s strategic interests.
administration, ending decades of US sanctions against India.
The accord also broke the distrust that had developed between
New Delhi and Washington during the Cold War. Pramit Pal Chaudhuri is head of strategic affairs at the Ananta Aspen Centre.

RELIGIOUS
INCLUSION:
Never More Threatened, Never More Important
At a moment when religious diversity in America is treated as a weakness,
the Justice and Society Program explored how to change that perception
and create an interfaith society that represents the nation’s founding ideals.
By Zeenat Rahman and Allison K. Ralph
I
n May 2016, an Islamic center in downtown Houston Americans collectively make it possible for foreign operatives to
was the site of a protest to stop the “Islamization” of manufacture conservative- and liberal-leaning falsehoods that
Texas. A group called the Heart of Texas was the online they all too readily believe about their own neighbors. When
organizer. To counter the protest, another online group Americans pull out of engagement with local faith communities,
called Save Islamic Knowledge set up a second protest. they pull out of engagement with entire neighborhoods, as the
Turns out both of these groups were Russian internet sociologist Robert Putnam argues in American Grace and the
troll groups, listed in Robert Mueller’s indictment of Russians political scientist Charles Murray argues in Coming Apart.
attempting to tamper with the US presidential election. Inclusive America, a project of the Institute’s Justice and Society
The Russians did not create these fissures between Americans Program, recently published Pluralism in Peril: Challenges to an American
of different faiths: they were amplifying what was already there. Ideal, a report that highlights best practices and practical solutions
Their message resonated because Americans have a problem for combating religious illiteracy and bias. It also recommends
engaging with religious diversity. Citizens can and must act now engaging with interfaith civil society, including secular humanists
to set a different course to protect religious pluralism. and atheists, in order to build strong and resilient communities.
Religious pluralism is embedded in the First Amendment’s Here are some ways the report says to take action:
guarantees of free exercise and non-establishment of any one Just as young people learn about history and world cultures,
faith. It is a proud part of the nation’s history. In his letter they must also acquire basic religious literacy. Advocate
to a Hebrew synagogue, George Washington assured the for teaching religion in your local public school, 4-H Club, and
congregants that “the Government of the United States gives YMCA. Yes, teaching religion is constitutional. It also works to
to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” Thomas prevent the rise of bigotry in your community. And it affords
Jefferson, who owned his own copy of the Koran, wrote in the young people a critical base they will need to navigate an
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, “[O]ur civil rights have increasingly global world.
no dependence on our religious opinions.” Strong personal relationships are the foundation for
Of course, America’s history of religious pluralism is not trust in communities and a critical source of community resilience
perfect. But religious intolerance has never before been so when disaster strikes. If you are a member of a local government,
easily exploited by a foreign adversary. The nation’s religious school board, or sheriff’s office, reach out to your local interfaith
diversity, often used against its citizens as a weakness, should networks. If you’re a member of a faith community, get involved
be considered one of the country’s greatest strengths and a in lay leadership and advocate for participation in local interfaith
bedrock of democracy. service projects. Reach out to your local government. The time to
A significant number of American citizens would disagree exchange business cards is now, not in the hours after a tragedy.
with that. Some have concerns about people of different faiths Be a strong advocate for pluralism. Pluralism means
and their intentions. Others consider religious faith a sign of more than tolerating a lot of difference. It means thriving, engaged,
backwardness. Americans often prefer to avoid talking about big-tent diversity. As the counter-extremism expert J.M. Berger
religion in public spaces, in part because their feelings about explains in the Justice and Society report, the best hope of battling
it—positive or negative—are so deeply held. In this reticence all types of extremism lies in supporting a diverse, pluralist society.
to discuss religion in public life, Americans have ceded the America’s adversaries will continue to seek to exploit existing
territory to extremists on both ends of the spectrum. and potential fissures in the national community. Working
The American aversion to discussing religion has contributed together, citizens can act to make sure that the unique strength
to overwhelming religious illiteracy that turns a unified national of the nation’s religious diversity does not turn into its greatest
narrative of “us” into “us vs. them,” argues Diane Moore, a liability.
Harvard professor and the author of Overcoming Religious Illiteracy.
Moore posits that ignorance about the basic tenets of the world’s Zeenat Rahman is the program director for the Inclusive America Project.
major religious traditions adds fuel to the fire of the culture Allison K. Ralph is the co-editor of Pluralism in Peril: Challenges to an
wars, increasing religious and racial bigotry. In other words, American Ideal.

FACES: Aspen in NY, Tisch Award and SOF
Ambassador Charles Rivkin, Shery Ahn Laurie Tisch
Angeli Gian
Candice Cook, Charles Rivkin
l Landrieu, Rick Luftglass

Jonathan Tisch, Mitch Landrieu, Chery
Don Baker
Jackie Breckenridge, Lauren Callaghan
Ben Rosen, Roy and Merilee Bostock, Donna Rosen
Susan Klein
Joanne Lipman, Hayley Romer Robert Cochran

Erin Baiano and Courtney Collins
Erin Baiano
Stanford Warshawsky, Suz

anne Cochran, Margo Dra
kos
FACES: Aspen Words Literary Prize
Michel Martin, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Zinzi Clemmons, Samrat Upadhyay Rebecca Saletan, Alex Mar, Idra
Novey
Phil Klay, Elliot Gerson
Akhil Sharma
Jaimie Field, Leslie DeRosa, Tara Carson
Dan Porterfield, Jamie Kra

vitz, Adrienne Brodeur,
Rebecca Saletan
Sarah Burnes, Linda Holmes
Tessa Ramsay, Taylor Escajeda, Christopher

Omachi, Caroline Tory
Erin Baiano
Amy Crockett and Anne McNulty
and Dan Porterfield

Peter Waanders, Karen Herrling
FACES: Receptions with Dan Porterfield
Michael Eisner, Dan Porterfield
Jim Crown, Dan Porterfield Ricardo Ernst, Tom Kor
ologos
Jerry Hosier
Dan Porterfield, Zoë Baird Budinger Jackie Bezos
Porterfield Mike Klein, Dan Porterfield,

John and Marlene Herrling, Madeleine Albright, Dan Thelma Duggin
Laurence Genon and Dan Bayer

quintessentially aspen. undeniably one-of-a-kind.
and the smartest way to own the town.
Exquisitely sophisticated, supremely private and endlessly seductive,

Dancing Bear Aspen has defined the effortless luxury one seeks in a
Private Residence Club. From its intoxicating rooftop lounge to the
sumptuous spa, it is creative, intimate and endlessly energizing, and
surely the intelligent way to own in Aspen. Visit us today at the corner
Laurence Genon and Dan Bayer
of Durant and Monarch in downtown Aspen, overlooking Wagner Park.

970.236.1144 | www.dancingbearaspen.com/idea
Aspen Bachelor Gulch Cabo San Lucas Jupiter Kaua‘i Kiawah Island Maui Napa Scottsdale Snowmass Sonoma Southern California Steamboat Springs Tuscany U.S. Virgin Islands Vail
This advertisement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase to residents of any state or country where registration is required and is not yet complete.
FACES: San Francisco Spring Board Meeting Torie Crown, Paula Crown
ard Lauder, Bill Nitze
Ann Nitze, Judy and Leon Elisabeth Muhr, Bill Mayer
Saamra Mekuria-Grillo, Pamela Rorke Levy Bob Steel, Charlie Firestone Anne McNulty, Peter Rei
ling
Young
Tatyana and James Beldock, Alice
Paul Anderson, Margot Prit cson

zker Jim Spiegelman, Walter Isaa
Eric Motley, Troy Carter
Larry Braitman, Pearl Nguyen Troy Carter, Dan Porterfield,

Hans Peter Brøndmo, Molly
Mitchell Baker Wood,
Frank Fennema/Orange Photography

J U L Y 2 5 - 2 8 , 2 018
F E A R L E S S L E A D E R S H I P
For over 60 years, the Aspen Institute has convened the world’s leaders
to pause and reflect on the critical issues of our time. The Resnick Aspen
Action Forum is one of the Aspen Institute’s greatest platforms for spark-
ing real and measurable change in the world. Since its inception five
years ago, the Action Forum has successfully provided a space for over
1,000 high-integrity, action oriented leaders to come together, pause,
reflect, refresh, and recommit to doing their part to build a better world.
Those attending share a common thread: they are “doers” – men and
women who have achieved great success in their careers as entrepre-
neurs and CEOs, and now are using their talents to make a dent in the
universe. Learn more about how they are moving the needle by visiting
ResnickAspenActionForum.org
2018 RESNICK ASPEN ACTION FORUM SPONSORS
ENDOWED FUNDING PROVIDED BY

THE RESNICK FAMILY FOUNDATION
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

DAVID M. RUBENSTEIN
THE JOHN P. AND ANNE WELSH MCNULTY FOUNDATION

PAUL HASTINGS LLP
THE SKOLL FOUNDATION
CARE.COM
COGNIZANT
Frank Fennema/Orange Photography
GILLIAN AND ROBERT STEEL

MARGOT AND TOM PRITZKER
MASTERCARD CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH
MICHAEL KLEIN AND JOANY FABRY
THE DANNY KAYE AND SYLVIA FINE KAYE FOUNDATION

HEALTH INNOVATORS FELLOWSHIP
LIBERTY FELLOWSHIP
NIKE
FACTS
Dan Bayer
Dan Bayer
Aspen Ideas Festival 2017
SEMINARS LEADERSHIP
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP SEMINARS THE ASPEN GLOBAL LEADERSHIP NETWORK
Executive leadership seminars explore the tensions among values The Institute cultivates entrepreneurial leaders and encourages them
that form our conception of a Good Society and effective leader- to tackle the great challenges of our time through social ventures.
ship. Using moderated, text-based dialogue, groups of 18-20 hold Each Aspen Global Leadership Network program encourages a
interactive roundtable discussions to identify and explore their pro- new generation to move from success to significance by addressing
fessional values and leadership styles. Themed and custom seminars the foremost challenges of their organizations, communities, and
are also available. countries. Today, there are 14 different Fellowships with over 2,500
aspeninstitute.org/seminars Fellows in more than 50 countries.
aspeninstitute.org/agln
THE SOCRATES PROGRAM
The Socrates Program provides a forum for emerging leaders from CENTER FOR URBAN INNOVATION
a wide range of professions to explore contemporary issues through The Center for Urban Innovation harnesses the innovative power of
expert-moderated roundtable dialogue. cities to make them great places for all residents—especially those in
aspeninstitute.org/socrates underserved neighborhoods—to live, work, and flourish. The center
connects leaders from a range of disciplines to better understand the
needs and challenges of urban innovators.
THE SOCIETY OF FELLOWS
aspeninstitute.org/center-urban-innovation
The Society of Fellows is a community of Institute friends whose
tax-deductible support advances the mission of the Aspen Institute.
Fellows enjoy unparalleled access to Institute programs, including
exclusive receptions, luncheons, and multiday symposia. Fellows
are the first to know of Institute offerings, and they receive special FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE SEMINARS,
invitations to events across the country. PLEASE CONTACT KALISSA HENDRICKSON AT
aspeninstitute.org/society-fellows KALISSA.HENDRICKSON@ASPENINST.ORG.

FACTS
Dan Bayer
Dan Bayer
The Aspen Meadows campus
POLICY PUBLIC
POLICY PROGRAMS EVENTS
Policy programs and initiatives serve as nonpartisan forums for The Institute hosts hundreds of public conferences and events to
analysis, consensus-building, and problem-solving on a wide variety provide a commons for people to share ideas. Flagship annual events
of issues. Currently there are 29 policy programs spanning nine like the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Washington Ideas Forum, Aspen
overarching themes: Business and Society, Communications Words, the Arts Program, and the Aspen Security Forum occur side
and Culture, Education, Energy and Environment, Health and by side with ongoing year-round programs in New York, Washington,
Sport, Justice and Civil Identity, Opportunity and Development, San Francisco, and Aspen.
Philanthropy and Social Enterprise, Security and Global Affairs aspenideas.org
aspeninstitute.org/policy-work aspenwords.org
aspeninstitute.org/arts
aspensecurityforum.org
POLICY FELLOWSHIPS
aspeninstitute.org/events/newyorkevents
Born from the Institute’s policy programs, Policy Leadership Programs
aspeninstitute.org/community
empower exceptional individuals to lead in their chosen fields. The
aspeninstitute.org/events
New Voices Fellowship cultivates compelling development experts.
The Ascend Fellowship targets diverse pioneers who are breaking the
cycle of intergenerational poverty. The First Movers Fellowship helps
corporate “intrapreneurs” give financial value to their companies and INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
positive outcomes to the world. The Colorado Children & Families The Aspen Institute has international partners in Prague, Czech
Health & Human Services Fellowship invests in leaders who are Republic; Paris, France; Berlin, Germany; Rome, Italy; Bucharest,
making the state the best place to have a thriving family. Romania; Madrid, Spain; New Delhi, India; Tokyo, Japan; Mexico City,
aspennewvoices.org Mexico; and Kyiv, Ukraine. These centers host seminars, workshops,
aspeninstitute.org/ascend conferences, and policy programs for high-level leaders to encourage
discussion and debate on foreign policy, defense, and trade issues.
aspeninstitute.org/firstmovers
aspeninstitute.org/colorado-fellows aspeninstitute.org/international

FACTS
CONNECT
DONATIONS, SPECIAL EVENTS,
AND BENEFITS
Director of Development Events
and Donor Relations
Desirée Beebe // 212.895.8079
desiree.beebe@aspeninstitute.org
HERITAGE SOCIETY
To learn more about planned giving
opportunities, please call
Stephenie Maurer // 202.736.3852
aspeninstitute.org/heritagesociety
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Managing Director, Communications
and Public Affairs
W E D D I NG S • EVEN T S • EVERY DAY Pherabe Kolb // 202.736.2906
300 PUPPY SMITH ST, ASPEN 970.920.6838 pherabe.kolb@aspeninstitute.org
SASHAE.COM @SASHAEFLORAL
OFFICE HEADQUARTERS
2300 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
202.736.5800
ASPEN CAMPUS
1000 North Third Street
Aspen, CO 81611
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
WHY YOU SHOULD CALL CAROL NY, NY 10022
Carol was inducted into the 212.895.8000
PRIVATE OFFICE PRESIDENTS CIRCLE
of ENGEL & VÖLKERS
on March 6, 2018 and also honored E-NEWSLETTER
as NUMBER 20 out of 2,739 Advisors Sign up for the Aspen Institute’s biweekly
in North America. e-newsletter.
She knows how to get the job done. aspeninstitute.org/newsletter
She doesn’t horse around - she likes to win
stently One Of and just does it. You’ll love the attention!
PEN’S TOP
ODUCERS
Call Carol
ur Expert Guide.
Where Opportunity
Takes Root
We are a family-led foundation working
to create access to opportunity for people
and communities
waltonfamilyfoundation.org | WaltonFamilyFdn
FACTS
CALENDAR JULY 7
SOCRATES BENEFIT DINNER
This dinner, chaired by Laura and Gary Lauder and Bill Resnick and
Michael J. Stubbs, will recognize Jane and Marc Nathanson for their
MAY 31–JUNE 3 longtime support of the Socrates Program and feature a conversa-
tion with Sue Desmond-Hellmann, the CEO of the Bill & Melinda
SOCRATES TOKYO Gates Foundation, moderated by Institute CEO Dan Porterfield.
Unlocking the Potential of Artificial Intelligence Please call 202-736-3503 for dinner tickets.
Dai-Ichi Hotel Ryogoku | Tokyo, Japan Doerr-Hosier Center, Aspen Meadows Campus | Aspen, CO
JULY 6–9 6:00–9:00 pm
SOCRATES SUMMER SEMINARS AUGUST 4

• Blockchain and the Rise of the Open Sector
25TH ANNUAL SUMMER CELEBRATION
• US, Israel, and the Middle East: Past and Present CONVERSATION AND GALA
• Fulfilling the Promise of Capitalism Please contact the Wheeler Opera House for public
• Illegal Is Not a Noun conversation tickets, and call 202-736-3503 for dinner tickets.
• Has Conservatism Failed? Aspen Meadows Campus | Aspen, CO
• American Values Seminar Conversation: Paepcke Auditorium, 5:00–6:15 pm
Aspen Meadows Campus | Aspen, CO Benefit Dinner: Doerr-Hosier, Center, 6:15–9:00 pm
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 O’Connor Conversation Series
www.garfieldhecht.com | 970.925.1936 ph | atty@garfieldhecht.com
FP A
Current Board Chair of
Aspen Public Radio
Sponsor APR coverage of the

McCloskey Speaker Series
Two-term President of the

Aspen Board of Realtors
Former Realtor of the Year
Aspen Institute Society of

Fellows Member
Former President of Aspen Valley

Ski/Snowboard Club
Let me be your real estate connection to our community!
Penney Carruth
970.379.9133
Penney.Carruth@sir.com
PenneyCarruth.com
FP Aspen Idea Summer 2018.indd 1 4/9/18 11:01 AM

PARTING SHOT
Riccardo Savi
BREATHING ROOM
We are concluding a season of change at the Institute. Change is necessary: it provides an incentive for innovation.
But with a new office, new leadership, and new initiatives, the pace can feel unwavering. Our new president, Dan
Porterfield, understands the importance of this interlude: “The Institute is committed to taking great ideas, allowing
those ideas to breathe, and then moving from ideas to action.” So we pause and we search for answers to the world’s
complex problems in those in-between spaces.
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) 736-3541. Postmaster: Please send address changes to The Aspen Institute C ommunications Department, Ste. 700, 2300 N St NW, Washington, DC 20037
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.
Asp
Presented by:
THE BINEAU TEAM
Rocky Mountain High

776 Divide Drive, Snowmass Village
An elegant Snowmass Mountain home brings the harmony of ski-in/ski-out access at the highest point in the Divide. It is a superior
lot and rests at a convergence of two different ski runs. It has the best ski-in, ski-out access. The unpretentious character of the
home unfolds in interiors that gracefully meld rustic and refined elements. Conceived by architect, T. Michael Manchester, and built by
Mark Norris and Associates, the residence was oriented on the mountain to maximize the views sweeping across the landscape. Five
bedrooms/six baths, Personalize this home with updates and an addition of up to 1,627 sq. ft. $7,950,000
We Understand Aspen/Snowmass
When you work with us, you’re not only getting area expertise,
Riccardo Savi
negotiation skills, and administrative support – you’re getting it all, times two.
We have unparalleled experience and knowledge in this area; we live here, we

work here, and we know the ins and outs like no other real estate agents.
Our process is all about redefining what you think of when you hear the term
“full-service.” Understanding the market and providing exemplary service are
not only nice-to-haves, they are non-negotiable when it comes to buying or
selling some of the finest properties in the country.
Call us to see this home or to help you fulfill your real estate dreams.
THE BINEAU TEAM
ANITA & JIM BINEAU
970.688.0609
thebineauteam@masonmorse.com
www.aspengloballuxury.com
The Source for Real Estate in Aspen | 970.925.7000 | masonmorse.com
AspenIdea JAB Sum 18.indd 1 4/6/18 10:17 AM

Influenza viruses are cunning. They constantly change survive. If proven effective, it would not only protect against
their structure to avoid being recognized and destroyed by the all flu viruses, it would be a once in a lifetime experience.
human immune system. Meaning that in the months it takes Yes, viruses are cunning. But scientists at Mount Sinai are
to mass-produce a vaccine against any one version of the flu, working to outsmart them.
it could become obsolete. But a universal flu vaccine would
target the parts of the influenza virus that do not change 1- 8 0 0 -MD-SINA I
from year to year, the parts that the virus depends upon to mountsinai.org/myhea lt h
ONLY
MOUNT SINAI WOULD THINK
OF A FLU SHOT AS A
ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE.
MountSInaiFlu_Ideas.indd 1 4/2/18 9:23 AM

Ideas Summer 2018

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ideas Summer 2018

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MEET

FW180131-07_Apsen_Ideas_Ad_F.indd 1 3/23/18 5:10 PM

NE WPORT BE ACH | ASPEN | PALM BE ACH | 866. 584.2666 | LUGANODIAMONDS.COM

4 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

How Will You

Courtesy Lake Area Technical Institute

74 | HOW TO REIGNITE DEMOCRACY

Once defined by guarded isolationism, India’s Track II diplomacy has

6 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

oyster perpetual DATEJUST 41

rolex oyster perpetual and datejust are ® trademarks.

10 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

DANIEL R. PORTERFIELD, PhD

ERIC L. MOTLEY, PhD

are at last possible in the LIFETIME TRUSTEES

12 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

Keeping a team of expert clinicians, state-of-the-art facilities

Consider a gift to Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation to allow

IDEAS SUMMER 2018 15

THE OBAMAS HOST THE BRIDGE

16 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

THE NINTH ANNUAL

Socrates seminar participants in Otsu

Courtesy Aspen Institute Japan

IDEAS WORTH TEACHING AWARDS

18 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

79 Winter Way 69 Herron Hollow

40 Spruce Court 645 Hunter Creek

Wendalin Whitman (970) 544-3771 whitmanfineproperties.com

DAVID BROOKS JOINS THE INSTITUTE

WEST MEETS EAST AT IDEAS ABU DHABI

LeCun explored the possibilities and limits of artificial intelligence.

20 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

JONATHAN FEINBERG • PJ BORY • ASHLEY CHOD • COLTER SMITH • NICK LINCOLN

Start searching properties now at

AA_company-stat_AI-18.2.indd 1 3/1/18 12:51 PM

REACHING THE SUMMIT:

22 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

2018 New Voices Fellows

24 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

Landrieu and Isaacson

IDEAS SUMMER 2018 25

NEW DATA ON NEW GIGS

THE RIGHT PL ACE FOR AN ARGUMENT

social-impact campaign by NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment.

26 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

IDEAS SUMMER 2018 27

NEW VIEWS FILM LEADS TO

28 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

INSPIRING SURROUNDINGS EXCEPTIONAL MEETINGS

FOR INSPIRING SURROUNDINGS AND EXCEPTIONAL MEETINGS, VISIT

HAMID WINS ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE

DREAM IT, BUILD IT

Courtesy the Central America Leadership Initiative

30 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

SOUND FILES 5,000-5,400

IDEAS SUMMER 2018 31

TACKLING ONE HEALTH CRISIS AT A TIME U

The Aspen Health Strategy Group reports, Improving Care at

845 Meadows Road, Aspen

“MY VOICE WILL BE HEARD”

34 IDEAS SUMMER 2018

F O RBE S’ 20 17 Top Wealth Advisors

An independent perspective. A disciplined process.