THE Aspen EXCHANGE

Bridging divides and reducing polarisation through open discussion.

We bring together the leaders of tomorrow to address complex and polarising topics, challenging them to expand their worldviews and engage with people they wouldn’t usually meet.

Our events combine leading thinkers (and good food) with professionally moderated group discussions, forming an inclusive environment where young leaders, from diverse backgrounds, tackle challenging topics in politics, ethics, business and technology.

Why

In both the UK’s political and social life, polarisation is on the rise. This worrying trend is accelerated by our increasing isolation from opposing points of view and our tendency to satisfy biases through modern media channels.

The Aspen Exchange exists to challenge this trend. In keeping with Aspen UK’s values, we believe in the power of civil disagreement as a catalyst for professional collaboration.

How

We convene open but structured discussion over food and drinks. We invite relevant young leaders in their 20s and 30s to participate, handpicking participants to maximise diversity of opinion and background.

The moderation of Aspen Exchange, built on the world-famous Aspen dialogue method, is designed to encourage participants to change their mind or at the very least deeply understand and explain opposing points of view.

Topics combine big philosophical debates around issues like free will, free speech and sovereignty with pressing, polarising modern issues like inequality, migration and technological change.

The Exchange has convened representatives from YouTube with top journalists to discuss free speech, policy experts from KPMG with leading authors to discuss the future of work, and scientists with religious thinkers to discuss genome editing.

What people say

John Howkins, bestselling author and business executive:

‘’I enjoyed the event tremendously, especially the members’ open-mindedness and fluency in challenging old ideas and coming up with new ideas. It was an excellent testing ground for new ideas. A good mix of experience and radical thinking.’’

JOIN THE ASPEN EXCHANGE NETWORK

Interested in participating, or partnering with the Aspen Exchange? Email Louis Wilson at [email protected] for more details.