The 2019 Theme: Borders: Within and Around Us
BORDERS | 边界 | FRONTERAS | الحدود | גבולות | FRONTIÈRES | सीमा
Within and Around Us
Within and Around Us
There are borders within us all. The person we are today and the person we want to become. The balancing act between our families, our professional ambitions, and our self-care. The identity outwardly presumed and the authentic self we know to be true inside.
There are borders around us all. Walls between countries, religions, and cultures that decide what’s in and what’s not. Policies that can close or open, altering the spread of knowledge, resources, and transactions across sectors and nations. Man-made systems that construct and deconstruct our sense of seeing and being seen.
Whether literal or conceptual, all of these borders are real and powerful, and constantly evolving, especially as technology leapfrogs, political systems reorder, and business models disrupt. We now face renewed questions about the boundaries of human potential: What causes some borders to be drawn while others are erased? What cracks do you see emerging and where do you see bricks being laid? What borders preserve what you love and protect what you hold sacred? And which might be holding us back from realizing our shared horizons?
Around the seminar table, we break down some boundaries and reinforce others to explore the boundless frontier of human compassion, ingenuity, and leadership. We invite you to return to this space to ask: how is bordering impacting my world today? What might lie beyond the limits we have constructed? And what might transpire should we dare to leap across the edge?
There are borders around us all. Walls between countries, religions, and cultures that decide what’s in and what’s not. Policies that can close or open, altering the spread of knowledge, resources, and transactions across sectors and nations. Man-made systems that construct and deconstruct our sense of seeing and being seen.
Whether literal or conceptual, all of these borders are real and powerful, and constantly evolving, especially as technology leapfrogs, political systems reorder, and business models disrupt. We now face renewed questions about the boundaries of human potential: What causes some borders to be drawn while others are erased? What cracks do you see emerging and where do you see bricks being laid? What borders preserve what you love and protect what you hold sacred? And which might be holding us back from realizing our shared horizons?
Around the seminar table, we break down some boundaries and reinforce others to explore the boundless frontier of human compassion, ingenuity, and leadership. We invite you to return to this space to ask: how is bordering impacting my world today? What might lie beyond the limits we have constructed? And what might transpire should we dare to leap across the edge?
About the Action Forum
The Resnick Aspen Action Forum is one of the Aspen Institute's greatest platforms for sparking 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.
Have you never been, but are wondering if this is the year to go? We think that every Fellow in the Aspen Global Leadership Network can benefit from attending the Action Forum. First time participants should especially consider it if:
The event offers participants – most of whom are members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network – a chance to retreat from the spotlight, refresh their perspectives on their work and lives, and build relationships with other leaders from across the globe. Each year, more than 350 entrepreneurs gather from over 30 countries to delve into the most pressing global challenges at one of the Aspen Institute’s most diverse convenings. See who has attended the Resnick Aspen Action Forum here.
Those attending share a common thread: they are “doers” – men and women who have achieved great success in their careers as entrepreneurs and CEOs, and now are using their talents to make a dent in the universe. These participants are inspired by the Action Forum’s seminars, workshops, and topical dialogues, to make public “Action Pledges” which detail specific ways they will create positive change in their communities.
Have you never been, but are wondering if this is the year to go? We think that every Fellow in the Aspen Global Leadership Network can benefit from attending the Action Forum. First time participants should especially consider it if:
- You’re at a personal or professional inflection point and need a moment to step back and get clarity and perspective
- You have children between the ages of 10-18 who might benefit from an Aspen seminar experience
- You’re looking to reconnect with old friend or new leaders in the AGLN
- You're launching a venture and need help or support
The event offers participants – most of whom are members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network – a chance to retreat from the spotlight, refresh their perspectives on their work and lives, and build relationships with other leaders from across the globe. Each year, more than 350 entrepreneurs gather from over 30 countries to delve into the most pressing global challenges at one of the Aspen Institute’s most diverse convenings. See who has attended the Resnick Aspen Action Forum here.
Those attending share a common thread: they are “doers” – men and women who have achieved great success in their careers as entrepreneurs and CEOs, and now are using their talents to make a dent in the universe. These participants are inspired by the Action Forum’s seminars, workshops, and topical dialogues, to make public “Action Pledges” which detail specific ways they will create positive change in their communities.
The Experience
Dialogues and Workshops
Most sessions will be small group dialogues of no more than 25 - 30 people each, much like the Aspen Institute's AGLN Fellowship experience. Learn more about the 2019 program.Staying in Aspen
The Action Forum is held in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Learn more about how to prepare, where to stay, and what to see and do in Aspen.Youth Action Forum
The Youth Action Forum was created to make the Action Forum a family-friendly event. Give your kids the Aspen experience while you continue your own leadership journey at the Action Forum. Learn more about the Youth Action Forum.Moving From Thought to Action
At its core, the Resnick Aspen Action Forum is about moving leaders from thought to action. Action Forum participants are motivated and in positions to make a dent in some of today’s most intractable global challenges. To help facilitate this action, participants are invited to make an “Action Pledge,” or a public commitment to help tackle a specific challenge. Over 600 Action Pledges have been made since the 2013 Action Forum, ranging from supporting female entrepreneurs in Uganda to bringing a vaccine for the Zika virus to market.
Taking Action
Participants of the Action Forum share a common thread; they’re inspired leaders committed to using their platforms as a force for measurable change. Through their Action Pledges, they are tackling the most intractable challenges in their communities. Learn more about Action Pledges and how to make one.Supporting Action
Thanks to strong partnerships with the John P. McNulty Foundation and Paul Hastings, LLC, participants have the opportunity to apply resources in support of their pledges and ventures. Learn more about support for pledges and ventures:John P. McNulty Prize • Paul Hastings
The 2018 Action Forum: Fearless Leadership
Fearless Leadership: The need for fearless leaders has never been greater. Disruption of business models. Shifting global trade. Massive movements of people across borders. Degradation of civic and political discourse. Heightened attention to harassment and discrimination. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Add to that advances in automation and artificial intelligence, major generational shifts in the workforce, and medical advances that heighten humanity’s powers to tinker with fate. How do you lead when you don’t know what’s around the corner? As employees and consumers encourage you to take a stand, how best to respond? When friends and neighbors challenge your core values, how best to engage? As changes impact you, your family, and those you love, how to maintain your moral compass? In a world of relentless pressure, how do you maintain a calm presence when you’re deeply anxious inside? How do you nurture and preserve your compassion and humanity?
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
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
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
DAVID M. RUBENSTEIN
THE JOHN P. AND ANNE WELSH MCNULTY FOUNDATION
PAUL HASTINGS LLP
THE SKOLL FOUNDATION
CARE.COM
COGNIZANT
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
The 2019 Action Forum will take place from July 24-28. Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Action Forum? Contact Tommy Loper at Tom.Loper@aspeninstitute.org.
