Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
Individuals may not apply to the program; Fellows must be nominated by a third party and selected by the Aspen Institute. For information on submitting a nomination, please contact Managing Director Amy Benziger, ([email protected]).
Please note that nomination is not a guarantee of selection. We aim to develop a robust pool of candidates from which we will select 20-22 only.
We look at several factors in assembling a class and selecting the right mix of Fellows is among them. Sometimes even the most qualified candidates will not be selected if they don’t fit into the “mosaic” of this year; however, unless we determine that they simply don’t meet our criteria, they will be considered for future classes.
Nomination FAQs
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR
Who is the ideal candidate?
We are looking for proven entrepreneurs and practitioners who have achieved significant success and are now at an “inflection point” – that is, at a point in their lives and careers where they are ready to take on a broader leadership role in shaping a technological future in service of humanity.
Being at an inflection point is different from being ready to change jobs. Fellows must be at a stage in their lives when they are ready to explore how to use their skills, experiences, resources, and networks to broaden and deepen their impact.
We are looking for people who make things happen. Not analysts or advisors. We are most interested in candidates who have risen to the top of their chosen field. Most members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network are founders of an organization, CEOs, executive directors, and senior executives.
COMMITMENT
What do you expect from Fellows?
The program requires each Fellow to commit to attending all seminars in their entirety (i.e., 4 seminars of 5-7 days each). On top of this is the time required to prepare for each seminar, as well as the time and energy to design and begin their impact journey or venture of the Fellow’s own choosing.
Participation will be without cost to the Fellows or their organizations, with the exception of incidental expenses and travel costs to the seminar sites.
PARTICIPATION
Is there flexibility in the requirement that the Fellow attend every seminar from start to finish?
No. Fellows must participate in all four seminars. An inability to commit to either eliminates candidates for the coming year. All of our Fellows are busy, but we do expect all of our Fellows to attend each and every seminar, from start to finish. No late arrivals or early departures. No ducking out for calls or meetings. We know this sounds difficult, but we now have more than 4,000 Fellows who have been able to respect this requirement of their Fellowship.
