Braddock Scholars Program - AGLN - Aspen Global Leadership Network

The Braddock Scholars Program

"Hearing challenges from entrepreneurs in different sectors and different parts of their journey can open up the mind to look at old challenges in new ways." - 2016 Braddock Scholar

Made possible thanks to the generosity of Aspen Institute trustee, Rick Braddock, the Braddock Scholars program supports Fellows of the Aspen Global Leadership Network who aim to have transformational impact on society by bringing their venture to significant scale. The program supports selected Scholars through a combination of mentorship, peerlearning activities, a grant to fund a key scale active of the scholars choosing, and enhanced connectivity across the Aspen Institute.

The program is built on the belief that entrepreneurs are great at starting businesses, but the skills needed to effectively scale these innovations are very different. The program aims to bridge this “scaling gap” by channeling the expertise of a senior mentor towards the challenges the Fellow faces. The mentorship is defined by this specific mandate to focus on key scale challenges identified at the outset of the relationship. Scholars and mentors commit to spending at least one hour per month, having “board level” conversation. The Scholar class meets at least once annually to mobilize the wider Scholar and Mentor network as a broader advisory community.

Selection Criteria

Members of the AGLN who meet the following selection criteria are encouraged to apply:

Have the ambition and ability to bring their organization to scale
Can articulate a compelling set of “scale goals” for their Aspen Venture
Can identify discrete “key initiatives” tied to these scale goals that will benefit from senior mentorship, and the support of the broader Aspen Global Leadership Network

Scholar Expectations

Beyond the baseline selection criteria, Scholars selected into the program are expected to:

Develop and track “key metrics” that are leading indicators of achieving relevant scale goals
Come prepared to mentor interactions (usually a monthly meeting either in person or over the phone) with updates on key initiatives and critical questions on which they seek insight and advice
Commit to monthly mentor meetings and two-in person Fellowship gathers
Be able to accept grant funding through their company of up to $25,000
Prepare quarterly memos updating the Braddock Scholars Program on progress against key initiatives and new critical questions

Program Supports

This program packages the most powerful parts of the Aspen Institute to support leading Aspen Global Leadership Network entrepreneurs, including:

World-class mentorship
Opportunities for peer-learning with other Braddock Scholars and program mentors
Grant to fund a key initiative of the Scholar’s choosing

Mentors who have participated in the program include: