AGENDA
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22: DAY ONE
OPTIONAL PROGRAM
12:00PM - 4:00PM
Meet at Remingtons Ballroom
Join us for lunch and a hike through the majestic red rocks of the Garden of the Gods. The bus will depart from the main hotel entrance at 1PM.
HOTEL CHECK-IN & DOWNTIME
4:00PM - 5:30PM
Cheyenne Mountain Resort
WELCOME RECEPTION
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Grand Rivers Terrace
DINNER
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Grand Rivers Ballroom
RETURN TO THE CAMPFIRE
8:00PM - 9:30PM
Cheyenne Courtyard
First Movers will have the chance to reconvene and reconnect within their classes.
MONDAY, OctOBER 23: DAY TWO
SUNRISE SESSION
7:00AM - 7:45AM
Morning Jog with Paloma Lopez (2016, The Rhizome)
Meet outside Main Entrance of hotel
Collective Dream Interpretation with Renata Greenberg (2013, The Populus)
Quail III
BREAKFAST
7:30AM - 8:45AM
Remingtons Ballroom
WELCOME & INTENTION SETTING
9:00AM - 9:30AM
Centennial Ballroom
Fellows will gather to set their goals for the days ahead.
NETWORK ACCELERATOR
9:30AM - 10:00AM
Centennial Ballroom
A fast, fun, and facilitated opportunity to connect with other Fellows.
REFLECTIVE COLLECTIVE
10:00AM - 10:30AM
Centennial Ballroom
In small groups, Fellows will forge deeper connections as they reflect on individual and shared priorities.
BREAK
10:30AM - 11:00AM
Centennial Gallery
DEEP DIVES
11:00AM - 12:30PM
Gather with other Fellows to engage on topics of shared interest:
Woke Capitalism and the ESG Wars with Judy Samuelson (Executive Director, Aspen BSP), Maury Wolfe (2021, Angry Optimists), and Phil Zabriskie (2021, Angry Optimists)
Gunnison Room
Corporate commitments and practices to manage environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are facing increased scrutiny—and outright attack. In this session, Fellows will share their perspectives on how the “ESG wars” are affecting their work and discuss what’s needed now to continue the important work ahead.
The Ethical and Equitable Side of AI with Caroline Barlerin (2013, The Populus) and Jason Scott (2020, The Unmutables)
Arkansas Room
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is being met with equal parts enthusiasm and concern. In this session, we'll explore the opportunities and challenges presented by AI and co-create practical AI principles for Fellows to take home.
Creating Positive Cultures to Drive Radical Outperformance with Matt Sonefeldt (2013, The Populus)
Platte Room
A supportive and positive culture is the number one driver of long-term outperformance for any team or company. In this session, we’ll learn how to translate ephemeral and fuzzy intentions into an easy-to-implement operational playbook for your team or organization.
Pause to Progress: Caring for Ourselves, Caring for Our World with Ashley Davis (2018, X)
Rio Grande Room
Creating positive change in complex and uncertain environments requires inner strength and clarity. In this session, we'll use nature, poetry, and light meditation to refill our inner wells, connect with our body’s intelligence, and reflect on the link between caring for ourselves and caring for the world.
LUNCH
12:30PM - 1:30PM
Remingtons Ballroom
BREAK
1:30PM - 2:30PM
QUICK CHANGE
2:30PM - 4:00PM
Centennial Ballroom
Dan Heath—co-author of four long-running bestsellers: Made to Stick, Switch, Decisive, and The Power of Moments will join us virtually to share insights from his latest research on how to make change in complex systems.
Introduction by Judy Samuelson (Executive Director, Aspen BSP)
BREAK
4:00PM - 4:30PM
Centennial Gallery
DEEP DIVES
4:30PM - 5:45PM
Gather with other Fellows to engage on topics of shared interest:
Storytelling for Innovators with Jeremy Neuner (2010, The Stand)
Gunnison Room
Since the dawn of humanity, stories have helped us make sense of the world. In this session, we’ll explore two fundamental styles of storytelling and how you can use them to make your next pitch, presentation, or watercooler conversation memorable and impactful.
Beyond Environmental Aspirations: Pursuing Real Impact with Josh Henretig (2012, Pioneer Species) and Matt Ellis (2012, Pioneer Species)
Platte Room
The ambitious climate targets set by business leaders have not been matched by the action necessary to meaningfully limit global warming. In this session, we will leverage participants’ insights to identify critical tipping points for addressing the climate crisis—and introduce a structured approach for using those tipping points to catalyze change.
Intrapreneurship During Economic Headwinds: Struggles & Strategies with Sarah Sasaki Tsien (2014, The Grasshoppers)
Arkansas Room
The world of corporate social change is facing stiff headwinds as economic distress, political pushback, and wavering executive commitments conspire to slow the forward momentum that once seemed unstoppable. In this session, we’ll reflect on the challenges posed by current economic and political conditions and work together to share and generate strategies that keeps our important work moving forward.
BREAK
5:45PM - 6:15PM
COCKTAIL RECEPTION
6:15PM - 7:00PM
Centennial Gallery/Terrace
DINNER
7:00PM - 8:00PM
Remingtons Ballroom
FAST FORWARD
8:00PM - 9:00PM
Remingtons Ballroom
A rapid-fire series of short talks covering leadership lessons and enduring questions, featuring Wachirachai Koonamwattana (2019, The Gentians), Jennifer Gootman (2016, The Rhizome), and Kamala Avila-Salmon (2022, Trembling Giants).
TUESDAY, OctOBER 24: DAY THREE
SUNRISE SESSION
7:00AM - 7:45AM
Morning Jog with Diana Simmons (2011, Rigabamboo)
Meet outside Main Entrance of hotel
Grounding + Centering with Ashley Davis (2018, X)
Quail III
BREAKFAST
7:30AM - 8:45AM
Remingtons Ballroom
DEEP DIVES
9:00AM - 10:30AM
Gather with other Fellows to engage on topics of shared interest:
Next Level Leadership with Shari Cohen (FM Design Team member and coach)
Arkansas Room
Tackling new challenges in your work and career requires regularly setting new leadership goals and mapping a pathway for attaining them. In this session—working on your own and with a peer—you will articulate a new stretch goal for yourself and create a plan for achieving it by designing your own "Leadership Growth Map."
Strategies for Institutionalizing Change with Abbey Carlton (2019, The Gentians) and Jack Soos (2020, The Unmutables)
Rio Grande Room
Being a voice for change is much easier than effectively operationalizing and sustaining that change inside of your company. In this session, we'll share victories, setbacks, and lessons learned from institutionalizing change inside of our organizations and in our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.
Creating Inclusive Products and Services: A Workshop with Sally Madsen (2010, The Stand)
Platte Room
Companies often fail to design products or services for those beyond a familiar market, effectively limiting their reach and impact while further marginalizing already marginalized groups. In this session, we'll dive into approaches for effective, inclusive design—such as business model innovation and inclusive product testing—and learn how to apply these approaches to your current challenges.
BREAK
10:30AM - 11:00AM
Grand Rivers Gallery
DEEP DIVES
11:00AM - 12:15PM
Gather with other Fellows to engage on topics of shared interest:
Regenerative by Design with Chris Grantham (2017, The North Stars)
Arkansas Room
Our economies and organizations are largely built on linear and extractive models that deplete resources and generate harmful externalities. In this session, we’ll explore the ideas of value and growth through the lens of the living system—and learn about the dividends that come from feeding the systems that feed us.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Insights for Professional Transitions with Meredith Kellner (2013, The Populus)
Rio Grande Room
Our professional life is central to our day-to-day happiness and our overall sense of fulfillment. In this session, we'll explore the internal and external factors that should be considered by anyone contemplating a professional transition.
Empowering Intrapreneurs for System Change Leadership with Erin Fitzgerald (2009, Bare Force) and Emily Alati (2020, The Unmutables).
Gunnison Room
As experienced change leaders, First Mover Fellows are uniquely qualified to transcend their organizational limits and ignite change across systems. In this session, we'll expand horizons, uncover stories, share struggles, and provide practical advice to empower you to shape the future of your organization—and your entire sector.
DEI Leadership and Practice – Where to From Here? with Ellen McGirt (Editor-in-Chief, The Design Observer Group)
Platte Room
The recent SCOTUS decision on affirmative action and subsequent challenges to race-based initiatives are threatening to derail inclusion efforts. In this session, we'll explore what’s needed in this moment, what courageous leadership looks like now, and how we might use recent events to learn to tell a new story about inclusion.
LUNCH
12:30PM - 2:00PM
Remingtons Ballroom
SEEING SILENCE: INSIGHTS FROM NATURE
2:00PM - 3:00PM
Remingtons Ballroom
Native Coloradan and National Geographic photographer Peter McBride will share images and insights from over ten years of remote expeditions and local explorations.
Introduction by Safir Bellali (2014, The Grasshoppers)
FIELD TRIPS
3:00PM - 5:30PM
We’ll split up to experience Colorado Springs. Fellows are invited to choose between:
North Cheyenne Cañon Park: choice of easy or moderate hike through stunning mountain scenery.
Manitou Cliff Dwellings: a tour inside replica Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings.
BREAK
5:30PM - 6:00PM
REFLECTIVE COLLECTIVE & RECEPTION
6:00PM - 7:00PM
Centennial Gallery/Terrace
Fellows will reconvene in small groups over drinks to share insights gathered and lingering questions.
DINNER
7:00PM - 8:30PM
Remingtons Ballroom
DANCE PARTY
8:30PM - 12:00AM
Remingtons Ballroom
Self-explanatory, right?!
WEDNESDAY, OctOBER 25: DAY FOUR
BREAKFAST
7:30AM - 8:45AM
Remingtons Ballroom
MAKING WORK MATTER FOR YOUR COMPANY AND CAREER
9:00aM - 10:00AM
Centennial Ballroom
A conversation with experienced intrapreneurs Karin Reiter (2013, The Populus), Eric Myers (2013, The Populus) and Jenny McColloch (2015, Flat Stanleys), to surface key insights on how to drive lasting change inside your company—and your career.
BREAKING THROUGH: REASONS FOR HOPE AMIDST THE CRISES
10:00aM - 10:45AM
Centennial Ballroom
Yemi Mobolade is the first Black man and immigrant to be elected mayor of Colorado Springs. In an interview with Ellen McGirt, Yemi will share his remarkable story—and his insights on imagining and pursuing a positive path forward.
Introduction by Toby Gannett (2014, The Grasshoppers)
BREAK
10:45AM - 11:00AM
Centennial Gallery
LOOKING AHEAD
11:00aM - 12:00PM
Centennial Ballroom
Plenary and small group conversations to surface personal goals and strategies for the road ahead.