The Aspen Institute Business & Society Program has hosted First Movers Summits since 2012. Those in attendance include First Mover Fellows, their colleagues, and invited experts from the fields of design thinking, leadership, corporate responsibility, innovation, and sustainability.
The Summits provide business leaders with a platform to gain the tools, skills and network they need to drive innovations that increase business value and make the world a better place.
THE FELLOWSHIP NETWORK
First Movers is the leading global network of corporate social intrapreneurs. Fellows are accomplished innovators inside companies who are creating new products, services and management practices that deliver financial value to their companies and positive social and environmental outcomes for the world.
As of 2023, the Fellowship network includes:
14 classes and counting!
275+ Fellows in the community
173 companies, 44 of which have more than one Fellow in the program.
THE FIRST MOVERS SUMMIT
The 2023 First Movers Summit will convene Fellows and other innovation experts from around the world for three days of connection, collaboration, learning, and inspiration.
Summit speakers were drawn from the First Movers community, the First Movers Design Team and invited guests from business, academia and the Aspen Institute's network who have a prominent connection to social intrapreneurship.
Summit Goals:
Connect: Build lasting bonds across the classes of Fellows and network with experts in the field.
Collaborate: Explore how Fellows working on similar challenges can share insights and work together for greater impact.
Learn: Reinforce skills acquired in First Movers seminars and gain experience with new ones. Engage in dialogue with peers, business leaders and academic experts to work through challenges.
Inspire: Strengthen the courage, motivation and support you need to grow personally and professionally.
Envision: Take time to reflect, prioritize and plan. Think deeply about the future of your career, your industry and the impact you want to have on the world.
“An incredible experience to connect with old friends and make new connections. It’s a testament to the program and the community...that when you meet people from other years, you instantly feel like you’ve known each other for a long time. Inspirational and powerful!”
THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The Aspen Institute First Movers Fellowship Program is an innovation lab and leadership development program for corporate social intrapreneurs. Founded in 2009, First Movers is designed around four core themes; innovation, leadership, reflection and community. It strengthens the capacity of Fellows to lead change within their company and industry – which collectively, over time, will redefine how business is done and how success is measured.
The First Movers Fellowship Program is housed within the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program (Aspen BSP) whose mission is to build the courage and conviction of business leaders to think long-term and act in the best interests of society.