The year is off to a great start. With the precision that only Martha and Nikki could pull off, Eric Motley and I completed our annual barnstorming tour across the country to interview 60 candidates for the seventeenth class of Henry Crown Fellows. As always, our alumni have been our best nominators. We thank you for providing us with yet another rich pool of candidates from which we were able to put together another terrific new class. Click here to see the 2013 Class announcement.
While in NYC for interviews, we had a wonderful evening bringing Walter Isaacson together with Henry Crown Fellows Debi Coleman, Andy Cunningham and Christina Mace-Turner for an off-the-record conversation on Steve Jobs, expertly moderated by Anand Giridharadas. Some 40 Henry Crown Fellows attended at the beautiful Andaz Hotel — thanks to Mark Hoplamazian and Bill Mayer for hosting us — and stuck around for another two hours for dinner. We were joined by Aspen Institute Chairman Bob Steel, Institute Trustee Margot Pritzker, and Henry Crown Overseers Francis Hoffman and Keith Berwick. The dialogue reminded me yet again of the incredible richness of experience and leadership wisdom we’ve accumulated within this remarkable Fellowship.
Eric and I have set a goal of holding three to four similar events bringing together Henry Crown Fellows across the country each year. Our sights are now set on a May 15 event in LA: “Guns, Games and Reels” — this time focusing on leadership in Hollywood. Stay tuned for details!
By now, you should know about the Aspen Leaders Action Forum — formerly known as “Act II” — taking place in Aspen on July 29-August 1. The Action Forum is designed to (re-)connect, engage and inspire Fellows from across the Aspen Global Leadership Network — a Network that, in just a few weeks, will welcome the inaugural class of China Leadership Fellows.
Registration for the Action Forum opened on January 29, and there is very limited space remaining. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with your classmates — maybe schedule a reunion around it, meet other Henry Crown Fellows and, of course, learn about the great work of others from among the 1,600 Fellows we now have in 46 countries. Learn more and register at www.AspenLeadersActionForum.org.
If you’re thinking of coming, please register soon! And if finances are what is holding you back, please know that we have a generous pool of scholarship funds for those in need of support!
Hoping that spring gets here soon!
Peter
