Think tank · Policy · Washington, D.C. · Est. 1949
The Aspen Institute is a Washington, DC–based nonprofit “global convening and leadership organization” that brings together leaders from government, business, civil society, and academia to advance public understanding and catalyze action on complex societal challenges. Its stated purpose is to ignite human potential “to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world,” and its work is organized around leadership development, convenings (seminars, conferences, and events), and published insights across multiple issue areas.
The Institute’s operating model emphasizes structured dialogue and values-based leadership—often using long-form seminars, fellowships, and multi-year initiatives—to translate discussion into practical follow-through through networks, partnerships, and program design. Institutionally, Aspen serves as a high-visibility platform for convening cross-sector coalitions and leadership communities, including through flagship public-facing convenings and issue-focused programs (for example, its education-oriented work, technology/AI leadership programming, and retirement/financial security convenings). In 2024–2025 it also expanded its institutional footprint with the Center for Rising Generations (supported by the Bezos Family Foundation) and continued to build out dedicated campus programming via the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies (supported by gifts associated with the Resnick family and foundation). As of September 18, 2026, the Institute is in a leadership transition: Maria Laura Acebal is Interim President and CEO through October 2026, and Ángel Cabrera is set to assume the role on November 1, 2026.
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What role should states play in expanding employee ownership? Increasingly, they’re serving as testing grounds for new ideas. Across the country, policymakers and advocates are exploring new ways to help businesses transition to employee ownership, from financing strategies and t
Whose Belief Counts as ReligionWho gets to decide what counts as religion? Religious pluralism depends on protecting beliefs even when they fall outside the American majority's understanding of faith. When outsiders are permitted to determine which beliefs are genuinely religious, the freedom of all religious
Could Sovereign Wealth Funds Improve U.S. Households’ Financial Security?Sovereign wealth funds are a systemic and potentially scalable solutions to support Americans’ financial security in the face of rising wealth inequality and a declining labor share of income. The post Could Sovereign Wealth Funds Improve U.S. Households’ Financial Security? appe
Economic Opportunity is a Human Challenge, Even in the Age of AIAt last week’s Aspen Ideas: Economy in Tulsa, the tension between AI’s potential benefits and the pitfalls for economic opportunity was unavoidable. The post Economic Opportunity is a Human Challenge, Even in the Age of AI appeared first on Aspen Institute .
Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 AnalysisThis publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that ben
In rural Missouri, a student-run coffee shop brews belonging across generationsStudents work at Firehouse Coffee Shop in St. James, Mo., as volunteers, and donate the shop’s profits to nonprofit causes. The post <strong><strong>In rural Missouri, a student-run coffee shop brews belonging across generations</strong></strong> appeared first on Aspen Institute
Building the Future of Science: A Policy Playbook for Infrastructure, Governance, and Trust in the Age of AIAs we highlighted in our September 2026 report, AI for Discovery: New Frontiers, Challenges, and Opportunities for Scientific Research, artificial intelligence is reshaping the practice of discovery. Researchers are using AI to accelerate their work across all parts of the scient
Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy GrimesEconomic security shouldn’t be a lottery. Yet for millions of working families, stagnant wages and precarious jobs collide with the daily grind of managing money on shaky ground — leaving stability feeling less like a plan and more like a gamble. Fixing that takes more than one l
What Employee Ownership Means to WorkersInsights from Focus Groups with Employee Owners The post What Employee Ownership Means to Workers appeared first on Aspen Institute .
The Solutions Bringing Us Closer to a Whole-of-Ecosystem Response to ScamsA new wave of solutions are rapidly accelerating the U.S.'s effort to stop fraud and scams. The post The Solutions Bringing Us Closer to a Whole-of-Ecosystem Response to Scams appeared first on Aspen Institute .
Aspen announced the inaugural Global Retirement Futures Exchange (GRFX), co-hosted with defined contribution and retirement-sector partners, with support from BlackRock, PGIM, TIAA Nuveen, and Tata Consultancy Services.
More Than 20 School Districts Unite to Put One Million Students on a Path to Advanced CourseworkAspen announced the inaugural cohort of the Social Mobility Leadership Network, in partnership with the College Board, selecting districts across multiple geographies to work toward increased access to advanced coursework (AP/IB/dual enrollment).
Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions Surpasses $50 Million Grantmaking Milestone in Communities Nationwide with $2 Million in New InvestmentsAspen announced $2 million in new regrants through the Opportunity Youth Forum, bringing the forum’s grantmaking milestone past $50 million and supporting multiple community collaboratives.
Aspen Institute Financial Security Program Launches Pilot Program to Protect Families From EBT TheftAspen announced a pilot program with support from JPMorganChase and AARP Foundation aimed at modernizing state safeguards against Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card theft.
Aspen Conexión and Flamboyan Foundation Launch Groundbreaking Pilot Fellowship for Puerto Rican LeadersAspen announced the Aspen Puerto Rico Fellowship (Spanish-language), in partnership with Flamboyan Foundation, designed to convene emerging Puerto Rican leaders and offer leadership seminars and action-oriented capstone projects.