Upcoming Events

New York, NY

40th Annual Awards Dinner
Thursday, November 7
7:00-9:00 p.m. ET. The Aspen Institute is delighted to welcome friends and supporters to the 40th Annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, November 7 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. It is a joy to applaud the significant work of the Aspen Institute and celebrate the work of Henry Crown Leadership Award honoree Alice L. Walton, and Arts Leadership Award honoree Ava DuVernay. The evening will also feature a special appearance from Aspen Institute artist-in-residence Hank Willis Thomas and other soon-to-be-announced speakers.
Purchase tickets here

Aspen Society Salon: Tour of Hank Willis Thomas’s Studio & Conversation with the Artist
Friday, November 8
3:00-5:00 p.m. ET.  Join us for a private studio tour with Aspen Institute 2025 Harman Eisner Artist in Residence Hank Willis Thomas. This unique opportunity will provide an intimate glimpse into the artist’s creative process and artistic environment. After the tour, For Freedoms co-founders, Hank Willis Thomas and Eric Gottesman, will share insights into the work, artistic vision, and themes that drive their projects.
Register here

Washington, D.C.

Susan and John Klein Book Series featuring Mickey Bergman on In the Shadows: True Stories of High- Stake Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad 
Thursday, November 21
5:00-7:00 p.m. ET. Join us for a conversation with Mickey Bergman, Founder and CEO of Global Reach, on his new book, “In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad”. In In the Shadows, Mickey Bergman reveals the gripping, behind-the-scenes struggles of negotiating the release of Americans imprisoned abroad, shedding light on the intense, high-stakes diplomacy that operates far from the public eye.
Register here

Susan and John Klein Book Series featuring Dan Porterfield on Mindset Matters: The Power of College to Activate Lifelong Growth
Monday, December 11
5:00-7:00 p.m. ET. Join us for an evening discussion featuring Dan Porterfield, President and CEO, The Aspen Institute;  Markera Brown, Registered Psychology Associate, Harmony Holistic; and Darryll J. Pines, President, University of Maryland. Panelists will delve into the key themes of Porterfield’s new book, Mindset Matters, exploring the role of higher education in today’s rapidly changing world and the transformative power of a growth mindset in fostering academic excellence and personal development.
Register here

Aspen, CO

Aspen Community Programs: Our Society Reimagined
October 16, October 23, October 30, November 6
6:00-8:00 p.m. MT. Our Society Reimagined is a four-week discussion series that brings community members together to explore timely domestic issues that shape our modern society. Participants are given reading materials that will be used as background for lively, moderated discussions each week. Using the practice of civil dialogue, moderators will facilitate conversations that will help participants gain perspective on the underlying values and ideas that we hold as individuals and as a society and will explore how these tenets shape our lives.
Register here

Aspen Community Programs: Sharing Shakespeare
October 21, November 18, December 16, January 13, February 10, March 10
6:00-8:00 p.m. MT. Back by popular demand, the Aspen Institute presents Sharing Shakespeare, a moderated, roundtable discussion series that takes place one night a month for 6 months. Beginning in October, the 2024-25 session will explore one of Shakespeare’s most significant works, Hamlet. New this year, we will focus the entire six-month series on one play, and by doing so, participants will read one act per month and share their insights and questions to reach a deeper understanding of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved and performed plays. Volunteer moderators will lead participants through lively discussions dissecting the intriguing scenes and characters in Hamlet while uncovering themes that still resonate today. Expert Shakespeare moderators, Carol and Ken Adelman, will join the series to kick off this exciting new format, and will moderate the final session.
Register here

Aspen Community Programs: Teen Socrates Seminar
Friday, November 8 – Sunday, November 10
The Aspen Institute offers its Teen Socrates Seminar each year to teens between the ages of 15-17 from the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys, and beyond. Students convene to take part in this transformational experience and come away with a new perspective on their lives, their futures, and society.  The three-day seminar is dedicated to enhancing leadership, problem solving, and critical thinking skills for high school students in a setting conducive to thought and fellowship. Students are challenged to think more critically and deeply about their values and ideas, and those that make the good society. Our proven method of text-based dialogue offers participants a neutral forum in which to reflect on timeless human values, pursue common ground, and cultivate a richer understanding of the human condition. Participants emerge from the seminar with a new perspective as they confront the difficult choices of our ever-changing world. Each seminar convenes a dynamic group of students for lively, intensive roundtable discussions led by expert moderator Allyson Breyfogle. Classic and contemporary texts reflecting the breadth of human civilization form the starting points of a rich conversation in which the questions posed by the group are frequently as illuminating as the varied, timeless wisdom of the texts.
Register here

Annual Aspen Institute Holiday Party: How Sports Shape and Reflect Democratic Values
Friday, December 27
In collaboration with the Aspen Institute’s Sports and Society Program
4:00-6:00 p.m. MT. Celebrate the season with an evening of holiday cheer and meaningful conversation. Join Jena Griswold, Colorado Secretary of State, and Tom Farrey, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, as they explore the powerful role athletes, teams, and sports culture play in uniting communities and fostering democratic values. This festive gathering is designed for all ages, offering a unique opportunity for multi-generational engagement. Families are warmly welcome to join in the celebration! Additional speakers will be announced soon.
Register here

Socrates Program: 2025 Spring Seminars
Friday, March 28 – Monday, March 31
Three unique thematic seminars on subjects ranging from “Who Knows What’s Best for You?”, “Will We Ever Trust the News Again?”, and “Can Democracy Survive the 21st Century?”
Visit Socrates Program for more information.
Register here

San Francisco, CA

Aspen Policy Academy: Policy at the Speed of Tech
Thursday, November 14
4:00-5:30 p.m. PT. The third event in the Action and Impact series: Policy at the Speed of Tech, will feature a panel discussion with major influencers in the policy and tech space, tech policy presentations from our alumni, networking opportunities, and a celebratory reception. You can view the event schedule here.
Register here

Virtual

Aspen Society New Member Orientation: Winter 2025
Thursday, January 9
7:00-8:00 p.m. ET. This will be an opportunity for you to meet members of our team, meet other members who have recently joined, and become better acquainted with the Aspen Society. This conversation will take place on Zoom, so that all attendees can participate face-to-face.
Register here

Aspen Society New Member Orientation: Spring 2025
Tuesday, April 29
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET. This will be an opportunity for you to meet members of our team, meet other members who have recently joined, and become better acquainted with the Aspen Society. This conversation will take place on Zoom, so that all attendees can participate face-to-face.
Register here