About Aspen Ideas

At Aspen Ideas we are very much of the belief that ideas should not exist in isolation, even if such a thing were possible. We’ve devoted two decades to gathering the most incisive, paradigm-shifting bits of insight, and having them presented by (and to) the most active, engaged thinkers in the world.

We’ve found that when great ideas come together — and when great minds come together to receive them — they become something grander. Ideas become more than possibilities, or promises, or mere changes in perspective. In the minds and lives of our participants, they become a new vision for the world as it could be.

Imagine some of the world’s most incredible thinkers and doers all gathered in a single place, ready to teach, inspire, question, and challenge. They’re here to interact with you — an audience of intellectually curious people who have stepped back from your day-to-day routines to delve deeply into a world of ideas, thought, and discussion.

The flagship gathering of the Aspen Institute, the Aspen Ideas Festival brings brilliant leaders and thinkers from around the globe to discuss the ideas that will shape tomorrow and help us understand today. 

From sunup to sundown, we explore critical issues of the day as well as uncover ideas that spark wonder. Attendees have exceptional opportunities to interact with public officials, artists, scientists, authors, business executives, scholars, economists, foreign policy specialists, entrepreneurs, and leaders of all kinds — on footpaths and sidewalks, over lunch in the pavilion or coffee at the espresso bar, in auditoriums and in small seminar rooms. The intimacy of the Festival gatherings renders the experience unique and unforgettable. 

With its unsurpassed rich and creative programming, Aspen Ideas: Health is not your ordinary health conference. Our global community of innovative thinkers and doers – including healthcare and public health practitioners, researchers, business leaders, policymakers, advocates, artists, and journalists – gathers each summer on the Aspen Institute’s awe-inspiring Colorado campus to elevate and accelerate bold approaches to better health for all.

The 3-day event is designed to engage you in challenging conversations, introduce you to extraordinary innovations, and guide you on deep dives into the transformations that lie ahead across the health ecosystem. 

We take the view that to mitigate the worst effects of climate change and adapt our society to these unsettling conditions, we need to develop and deploy climate solutions on a planetary scale, with speed and efficiency. Importantly, we need the public to embrace ideas.

Enter Aspen Ideas: Climate, where a number of the world’s most ambitious climate problem solvers participate in a major public event in Miami Beach, Florida, an area that’s ground zero for climate change and a locus of innovation and adaptation in the face of the crisis. Aspen Ideas: Climate gathers hundreds of leaders and innovators with the public to showcase climate solutions with the potential to reshape our world. Participants leave the event more prepared to engage this formidable challenge with a deeper appreciation for what is necessary — and possible.