Leadership Reflections from the 2022 Aspen Ideas Festival

Anne Mosle | June 25, 2022 | Ascend Fellowship, Convenings

I started off the 2022 Aspen Ideas Festival at Aspen Words Book Ball, a passion project of Isa Catto and Daniel Shaw. They have hosted 50 artists-in-residence, including esteemed authors such as Yolanda Wisher and Casey Gerald, giving them space and time to put pen to paper and nurture their spirit while creating art that all of us can take inspiration from.

At the event, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Jericho Brown lit up the room with his poetry, heart, and wit. I was struck by the importance of putting into words our dreams and hopes for the future. It is the antidote to pessimism that is easy to fall prey to. His poem, Crossing, perfectly captured Ascend’s drive to encourage leaders to make quantum leaps. It reads:

The water is one thing, and one thing for miles.
The water is one thing, making this bridge
Built over the water another. Walk it
Early, walk it back when the day goes dim, everyone
Rising just to find a way toward rest again.
We work, start on one side of the day
Like a planet’s only sun, our eyes straight
Until the flame sinks. The flame sinks. Thank God
I’m different. I’ve figured and counted. I’m not crossing
To cross back. I’m set
On something vast. It reaches
Long as the sea. I’m more than a conqueror, bigger
Than bravery. I don’t march. I’m the one who leaps.

His last lines gave me chills: I’m more than a conqueror, bigger than bravery. I don’t march. I’m the one who leaps. Those words make me think about each of our 98 Ascend Fellows on this 10th anniversary of the Ascend Fellowship. Their courage to make that leap for children and families defines our community.

You can come learn more about why we are looking forward to the future at our Leaders for Our Times, Solutions for Our Future event, in Aspen or Livestream on Tuesday, June 28 from 8 to 9:30 pm ET.

You can also follow along with me throughout this year’s festival. Each day on LinkedIn, I will share some of the groundbreaking and inspiring ideas gleaned from the powerful collection of thinkers, writers, artists, business people, teachers, and other leaders who are gathered in Aspen.

Related Posts

Over the last 10 years, the Institute’s Ascend Fellowship has seen 120 leaders from across the United States join together to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Ascend FellowshipAugust 22, 2022
In a recent article on EdSurge.com, Ascend executive director and founder Anne Mosle discusses the tighter focus of the 2022 Ascend Fellowship class.
Media MentionsAugust 17, 2022
Today, the Aspen Institute announced its 2022 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellows, 22 leaders from across the United States who are primed to transform systems so that our youngest children and families can thrive.
Ascend FellowshipAugust 8, 2022
In an op-ed for amNY.com, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez shares insights and reflections on how higher ed can make a difference for families by supporting student parents.
Media MentionsJuly 29, 2022
In an article in Early Learning Nation, the Ascend Fellowship and two Ascend Fellows - Joe Waters and Atiya Weiss - are highlighted for their leadership to combat the climate crisis and mobilize thinking and action for the next century and beyond.
Media MentionsJuly 26, 2022
In an op-ed for Chronicle of Philanthropy, Joe Waters highlights the Ascend Fellowship as an “example of an effective approach” to developing a new generation of global leaders in the climate and early-childhood movements.
Media MentionsJuly 19, 2022
Dr. Aisha Nyandoro, an Ascend Fellow, is one of three winners of the 2022 John P. McNulty Prize.
Media MentionsJuly 18, 2022
This year, the Aspen Idea Festival returns to in-person programming at our campus in the Rocky Mountains June 25 - July 1, 2022.
Ascend FellowshipJune 15, 2022
We have an abundance of talent that is ready to reimagine early childhood and well-being in America for our youngest children and families, but we do not have an abundance of leadership experiences that nurture, propel, and position them as the dynamic leaders our country urgently needs. Leadership that reflects the full diversity and genius …

Charting a New Future for Early Childhood Leadership in America Read More »

Ascend FellowshipMay 24, 2022
Joe Waters is the co-founder and CEO of Capita and a 2021 Ascend Fellow. In this Q&A, he answers questions from the Ascend team about why climate change is an important children’s issue and how we can help them navigate the crisis.
Ascend FellowshipApril 19, 2022
Image caption: Ascend Fellows at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 2018. Pictured left to right: Ann Kalass, Darius Tandon, Kirsten Lodal, Lori Severens, John Hudson III, Myla Calhoun, William Serrata, Dipesh Navsaria, Anne Mosle, Myra Jones-Taylor, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Laurie Miller Brotman, John Annis, Roxane White, Raquel Hatter, Sherece Y. West-Scantlebury, …

Making Black History and Forging Black Futures Read More »

Ascend FellowshipFebruary 23, 2022
Poverty is the result of poor policy choices. These choices reflect our national values and decide who deserves access to opportunity to achieve their dreams and who does not. This flawed mindset has led to persistent inequities and a hollowing of our shared humanity. Change is possible. The choice is ours.
Ascend FellowshipJanuary 21, 2022
Daniel Williams was featured in MiBiz discussing his long-term plan to help guide families from intergenerational poverty. “So often what happens is we provide early investments in folks — whether through career training or food benefits, for example. We support families on their front end of their journey, but instead of doubling down on that support, we remove it. They hit the benefits cliff. If they get a raise, they don’t get access to certain benefits,” he said. “We know there’s a gap from what workers are earning and family income to what it actually costs to live and thrive in our community.”
Ascend FellowshipJanuary 16, 2022
Melanie Bridgeforth was featured in Alabama NewsCenter for her work to boldly advance equity through statewide policy wins for women & their families. “It is definitely humbling to be considered as one of the thought leaders in our nation working to solve critical issues that affect communities and families,” Bridgeforth said. “To be in a room …

Leader of Women’s Foundation of Alabama chosen for prestigious Aspen Institute fellowship Read More »

UncategorizedDecember 11, 2021
The inaugural Aspen Leadership Impact Forum brought Aspen Institute Ascend Fellows and philanthropic leaders who share a commitment to courageous leadership for children and families together with the inaugural cohort of SOARFellows, leaders working to expand opportunities for women and girls.
BlogNovember 15, 2021