Lori Severens is the director for leadership programs with Ascend at the Aspen Institute, where her creativity, coaching savvy, and knack for collaboration have been invaluable to the growth and impact of our Ascend Fellowship program. In her capacity managing the Fellowship program – a values-based leadership program for diverse leaders working across sectors that impact the vitality and wellness of families – Lori oversaw a significant ten-year expansion of our leadership development work. She has also played a key role in designing and managing the SOAR Fellowship.
In addition to her current work, Lori has co-designed and launched two leadership development programs for US and global leaders. Before joining Ascend, she was based in Tunis, Tunisia, where she managed projects for international organizations and businesses on climate change, violence against women, fragile states, and public health in sub-Saharan Africa. Lori has also served with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Cairo, Egypt and Washington, DC, where she was responsible for regional youth leadership, communications, and civil society programs in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. She began her career at the Center for Policy Alternatives, working with state legislators and advocates on women’s economic issues.
Lori received her B.A. in history and Spanish from Mary Baldwin College and her M.A. in international relations and economics from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. She is a certified professional coach and currently lives in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire with her husband and their pets. In her free time, she loves to paint, read, and hike.
