Setup
Featured Ideas Festival Scholars include Lashon Amado, María Teresa Kumar, Michael McAfee, and Eshauna Smith. Fueling today’s highly charged political environment is the growing sense that opportunity is elusive and inequality is rising because our national economic policies unfairly disadvantage the middle class. Millions of Americans believe they’re pawns in a game they can’t win—a sentiment familiar to generations of men and women living in poor urban and rural communities. But as discontent grows across racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and educational lines, and becomes the pervading sentiment of many Americans, the hunt for solutions becomes more urgent. Join us for a conversation with some of the country’s savviest national and local social entrepreneurs, policy leaders, community activists, and critical thinkers to discuss the challenges and learn more about the innovative solutions they are deploying in communities across the United States.
Explore More
Society
Young people in America are struggling. The causes are varied and may not be entirely clear, but the results are unfortunately unmistakable. Many of our youth feel lonely, iso...
Many more Americans are struggling to survive and make ends meet than is typically portrayed in the media and public policy debates. And when poverty is depicted, harmful and...
Friends, partners, children, families, coworkers — these connections profoundly shape our lives, and even in the best of times, navigating them takes real work. It also means...
New York Times columnist and bestselling author David Brooks is known for bringing his thoughtful reflections on politics and culture, but at this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival,...
Jump in by watching our 15 most popular talks of all time. From black holes to jazz and civil rights to psychology hacks, we've collected the talks that remain audience favori...
America’s “second founding” came on the heels of the Civil War, when the architects of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments thought long and hard about how to enshrine civil rig...
Finding the national and global headlines understandably bleak lately? Whether you need mental distraction or stimulation, engross yourself in compelling topics and get a gli...
The United States spends $4.3 trillion—almost one fifth of the nation’s GDP—on health care. As the scale of the medical enterprise expands, venture capitalists are pursuing th...
Today's kids are coming of age against a backdrop of political, social, technological and economic upheaval. While these circumstances are shaping a precocious generation that...
Hope seems like a simple concept, but the feeling can be difficult to hold onto. And when times are difficult and chaos swirls around us, it’s more important than ever. How do...
Advocates, healthcare providers, legislators, researchers, and venture capitalists are bringing the unique health needs of women to light – from vigorous policy debates on iss...
Ethical dilemmas, stakeholder pressure, building trust — leading organizations requires wisdom and stamina from the top. Who wouldn’t want some advice?
It’s been decades since the United States has updated its immigration policies in any sort of comprehensive way, and the problems and suffering at the southern border have per...
What makes us happy — really? How can we raise resilient and empathetic children? What does it mean to be truly connected in our increasingly digital world? Can we re-instill...
In a time of growing wealth disparity and changing societal values, can capitalism adapt? How is the economy being transformed by investments in infrastructure, AI, energy, an...
Whether they publicly tout it or not, U.S. technology companies play a powerful role in politics, cultural issues and the way we live. Founder and investor Peter Thiel is one...
Our need for human connection is profound and deep. Yet, today, one in two adults are living with measurable levels of loneliness – and the numbers are even higher among young...
The 2024 presidential election is only months away, and the past few weeks alone have brought shocking headlines that change the political ground we stand on — an attempted a...
Sizable electorates around the world are flocking to populist candidates who promise power, domination and a return to better times. The global experiment in liberalism seems...
Conflict and suffering can bring out the worst in people, but it can also bring out the best. This is one of the lessons New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has learned...