Wed, July 23 | 9:00-9:30 AM MT

Community Welcome

From Dar Vanderbeck, Vice President, Aspen Global Leadership Network

Wed, July 23 | 3:15-4:30 PM MT

Courage, Vision, Impact: The 2025 John P. McNulty Prize

In partnership with the McNulty Foundation

The Winners of the 2025 John P. McNulty Prize are fearless leaders forging innovative solutions in an era of conflict and uncertainty. Their work spans healing trauma and fostering youth entrepreneurship, to restoring biodiversity through community-led conservation, and bridging partisan divides to strengthen democracy. 

Join for a conversation with the 2025 Winners – leaders who are daring to pursue innovative solutions in an era of conflict and uncertainty. They’ll share the pivotal moments that propelled their journeys and their bold visions for leading transformational change in their communities. 

The program includes:

The premiere of three short films, each telling the story of the Winners’ leadership and impact;

A dialogue between Patrick Awuah, Founder & President, Ashesi University, 2009 McNulty Prize Winner (Africa Leadership Initiative – Ghana) and Margot Pritzker, Chair of the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees;

And a discussion between 2025 Winners, Mohamed Ali Diini, Founder, Itfin Global, (Aspen Global Innovators Group) and Dr. Krithi K. Karanth, CEO of Centre for Wildlife Studies, (Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship) on their courage, impact, and the pivotal moments that pushed them to act moderated by Stace Lindsay (Henry Crown Fellowship), Executive Vice President for Leadership and Aspen Institute Moderator.

Thu, July 24 | 9:00-10:30 AM MT

Conviction & Consequence: Lessons from Leading with Humility and Courage

The most effective leaders share a paradoxical skill: they can hold deep moral convictions while maintaining genuine openness to the possibility that their decisions—even those made with the best intentions—might need revision.

As algorithmic echo chambers and accelerating social change amplify our natural tendency toward staying stuck in our views, this panel explores how consequential leaders develop “ideological humility”—the capacity to look back at their choices with clear eyes, distinguish between timeless values and time-bound tactics, and evolve their thinking without abandoning their purpose. Through personal stories of growth, recalibration, and hard-won wisdom, our panelists will share practical frameworks for navigating the tension between moral clarity and intellectual flexibility.

In a world that increasingly demands we choose sides, this conversation asks: What does it mean to lead with both conviction and the courage to keep learning?

Speakers:

John Deasy, President, Bezos Family Foundation (Pahara Fellowship)

Ruchi Gupta, Executive Director, Future of India Foundation (Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship) 

George McGraw, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, DigDeep (Civil Society Fellowship)

Vanessa Xu, Executive Chairman & CIO, VS Partners (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. (China Fellowship Program)

Moderated by: Kaya Henderson, Executive Vice President and Executive Director, Center for Rising Generations, Aspen Institute (Pahara Fellowship)

Fri, July 25 | 4:00 – 5:30 PM MT

The Action Imperative | Closing Plenary

Close the week with commitments to action and opportunities for continued collaboration year-round.

We begin with a powerful conversation on the theme of this year’s program which returns to core questions about values, purpose, and moral clarity—particularly: When and how do we act? 

Followed by a panel with creators from Nothing to See Here: Watts exploring the power of action at its most real and acute level. And then closing with Commitments to Action from our global leaders as they navigate the complexities of global challenge and change. We walk away from our time at the Resnick Aspen Action Forum asking the question: When do you act, and when can you afford not to?

Action Spotlight | Nothing to See Here: Watts – Creators Dialogue: A powerful conversation with the team behind the revolutionary documentary that became a catalyst for healing in South Los Angeles. When cameras were placed in the hands of students, former gang members, police officers, and activists, their authentic storytelling turned longtime rivals into allies and sparked a historic peace pledge that led to a 90% reduction in homicides. The project was powered by a collaboration of AGLN Fellows and led directly by community members in Watts.