Resnick Aspen Action Forum

It’s been five years since we first launched the Resnick Aspen Action Forum. The idea, from the start, was to provide an opportunity for high integrity, action-oriented leaders to come together and recommit to doing their part to build a better world. 
 
Each element of the Action Forum is meticulously planned to help exercise Fellows’ muscles for action. So after five years, how are we doing? Below we take a look at a few ways we’ve seen the Action Forum’s impact.

ACTION PLEDGES: 
The cornerstone of the Action Forum’s impact is the Action Pledge – a public commitment made by leaders to address significant societal or environmental challenges. Since 2013, over 1,000 Action Pledges have been made, and like stones thrown in a pond, the ripple effects spread out to communities across the world. Fellows have been making headway on a number of issues - from health and well-being to environment and energy. Here, we catch up with a few Action Pledges from over the years.


Featuring: Kristen Palmer (Rodel Fellowship), KC Hardin (Central America Leadership Initiative), Ann-Gel Palmero (Health Innovators Fellowship), Bonnie Chan Woo (China Fellowship), Manoj Kumar (Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship), and Maria Pacheco (Central America Leadership Initiative)


ACTION WORKSHOPS 
A key benefit of being part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network is having a personal board of directors as a resource to help get you through tough challenges. At the Action Forum, we add to that capacity by providing a space for Fellows to get open and honest feedback from their peers that they would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. These workshops allow Fellows to take leaps they otherwise wouldn’t or think about things in new ways. 


Featuring: Lisa Skeete Tatum (Henry Crown Fellowship), Hildy Teegan (Liberty Fellowship)


2GEN YOUTH CAMP
Introduced in 2015, the Action Forum Youth Camp provides the opportunity for Fellows’ families to engage in the time-honored, text-based dialogue for which the Aspen Institute is known. This year, 75 youth from 20 countries will take part in our third annual Youth Camp. Below, we hear from a few parents on what the experience has meant for their families. 


Featuring: Alissa Hsu Lynch (Henry Crown Fellowship), Joe Betancourt (Health Innovators Fellowship), Kristen Palmer (Rodel Fellowship), Sy Dragon (Daughter of Kriste Dragon - Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship)