The Aspen Institute

Before we can learn to lead others, we must learn to lead ourselves. Stedman Graham, chairman and CEO of S. Graham and Associates, has been an advocate of this Identity Leadership mantra throughout his 30-year career as a businessman, author, educator, and coach. Join Stedman in conversation with co-moderators, Nely Galán, the first Latina President of Entertainment for Telemundo, and Brenda Velardi, Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship Alumna, for a conversation about transforming ourselves into leaders capable of progress. Through purpose, passion, and personal development, Stedman, Nely, and Brenda will discuss how now, more than ever in this lifetime, our chaotic world needs to find and encourage leaders who lead by example—and that there’s no better place to find them than by looking first within ourselves.

Download the Identity Leadership Speaker Brief Here

Download the Youth Lead Now! Identity Leadership Next Step Curriculum

Stedman Graham
Chairman and CEO of S. Graham and Associates

Stedman Graham is chairman and CEO of S. Graham and Associates, a management and marketing consulting firm. He is the author of 12 books, including two New York Times bestsellers and one Wall Street Journal bestseller. As a businessman, educator and speaker, Graham lectures and conducts training programs for corporations and educational organizations worldwide on the topic of Identity Leadership, based on the philosophy that one cannot lead anyone else until you first lead yourself. His proven Nine Step Success Process® drives his powerful message: the success process is based on the principle that it does not matter how the world defines you, it only matters how you define yourself.

Nely Galán
Media Entrepreneur

Nely Galán is a self-made media entrepreneur. She was the first Latina President of Entertainment for a U.S. television network, Telemundo, and an Emmy Award winning producer of over 700 television shows in English and Spanish, including the hit reality series, “The SWAN” for 20th Century Fox, which she produced through her multi-media company Galan Entertainment. Galán is the founder of the nonprofit The Adelante Movement, which seeks to train and empower Latina women to become entrepreneurs. Her New York Times bestselling book, SELF MADE: Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way, was inspired by the new revolution in women’s entrepreneurship led by multicultural women in the U.S. and emerging women around the world.

Brenda Velarde
Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship, Newark

Brenda Velarde is a 20-year-old Newark native. Brenda is currently a sophomore at Rutgers University and is pursuing a degree in Psychology while also minoring in Social Justice. She intends to enroll in graduate school and become a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. At Rutgers University Brenda is a part of the Honors Living and Learning Community, an innovative program that is revolutionizing honors, cultivating talent, and engaging communities. She is the coordinator for the Peer Mentoring program and also a member of the ImVisible team which aims to celebrate, connect, and heal our immigrant narratives. Brenda was a member of the inaugural cohort of The Aspen Institute’s Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship (AYLF) Newark.