The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Often called a “tank of thinkers”, the mission of the Aspen Institute is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues through seminars, young-leader fellowships around the globe, policy programs, and public conferences and events to provide a forum for people to share ideas. The Lauder family has been a longtime supporter of the Aspen Institute; Gary’s father, Leonard, served on the board for nearly 30 years, Laura joined the board in 2014.

In 2012, Laura was seated in the 3,500-seat Music Tent at the Aspen Ideas Festival, listening to 4-Star General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal, Former Commander of the U.S. Forces Afghanistan, speak about leadership. When asked what could transform American citizenship, General McChrystal responded that all young people should serve their country, doing either military or community service for a minimum of one year. A standing ovation ensued. Deeply inspired, Laura immediately went to work with Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute, to help create the Franklin Project: which seeks to improve citizenship by giving every young person in America the opportunity to do a fully paid, full-time year of service anywhere in the country. The Franklin Project is named after Benjamin Franklin, who believed that service by citizens was central to our democracy.

In 1996, Laura and Gary helped the Aspen Institute launch the Socrates program with an invitation to 350 Silicon Valley young leaders to come to Aspen and engage in a Socratic seminar — Dilemmas of the Digital Age: The Impact of Technology on Democracy in America. The seminar was a hit and since then, the Socrates program has blossomed into a popular permanent program at the Institute. The program brings emerging leaders together to tackle contemporary issues through expert-led, Socratic dialogue. These values-based seminars facilitate an open exchange of ideas across day-long urban salons and weekend retreats in Aspen or abroad. Since its inception, Socrates has engaged over 10,500 emerging leaders from 45 countries through 350+ seminars, with topics ranging from polarization in the news media and the ethical dilemmas of AI to the arms race with China and the American justice system.

Learn more at the Aspen Institute’s website.