2022 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellows

Meet 22 leaders from across the United States who are primed to transform systems so that our youngest children and families can thrive.

Erin Arango-Escalante
Founder & Principal
All Children Thrive
Wisconsin
Jovanna Archuleta
Early Childhood Community Outreach Director
LANL Foundation
New Mexico
Deana Around Him
Research Scholar
Child Trends
Maryland
Katherine Beckmann
Program Officer for the Children, Families & Communities program
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation
California
Chris Bennett
CEO & Co-Founder
Wonderschool
California
Rashida Brown
Program Director, Health and Human Services, Counties Futures Lab
National Association of Counties
District of Columbia
Nathan T. Chomilo
Medical Director, Medicaid and MinnesotaCare
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Minnesota
Mary Alice Cohen
Deputy Executive Director
Colorado Department of Early Childhood
Colorado
Twylla Dillion
Executive Director
HealthConnect One
New York
Ciara Garcia
President and CEO
Social Venture Partners Tucson
Arizona
Blythe Keeler Robinson
President and CEO
Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Centers
Georgia
Lucy Marcil
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Boston University
Massachusetts
Emily Miller
Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Division Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital
Rhode Island
Roxana Norouzi
Executive Director
OneAmerica
Washington
Adrián A. Pedroza
National Executive Director
Abriendo Puertas | Opening Doors
New Mexico
Teresa Ramos
First Assistant, Deputy Governor for Education
Office of Governor J.B. Pritzker
Illinois
Tonja Rucker
Director for Early Childhood Success in the Institute for Youth Education and Families
National League of Cities
Maryland
Kimberly Seals Allers
Founder
Irth
New York
Jessica Saniguq Ullrich
Assistant Professor
Washington State University
Washington
Leseliey Welch
Co-Founder
Birth Detroit and Birth Center Equity
Michigan
Layla Zaidane
President & Chief Executive Officer
Future Caucus
District of Columbia