Fellows from across the Aspen Global Leadership Network, all of whom will have attended both the Challenge of Leadership Seminar as well as the Aspen Seminar, are currently in Costa Rica for the Leading in an Era of Globalization seminar.

In the Challenge of Leadership Seminar, Fellows were asked to reflect on the attributes of “effective, enlightened leadership”; in the Aspen Seminar, they reflected on the concept of the Good Society. In the San Jose seminar at the Marriott hotel, they will explore the challenges placed at their feet as leaders in a period of increasing interconnectedness.

The Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN) is comprised of highly successful entrepreneurial leaders with a focus on values and sights on creating a better society.

Because of their demonstrated leadership accomplishments and abilities, they have been selected to be part of one of 14 geographic or sector-specific Fellowships around the world. The network is comprised of more than 2,100 Fellows from 49 countries with a focus on values and with sights on creating a better world.

The Fellowships are designed for proven, entrepreneurial leaders who have reached an inflection point in their lives and careers when they would like to “paint on a broader canvas” as leaders and could benefit from an opportunity to think through how to do that with a diverse group of peers with whom they would not ordinarily interact.

Candidates must be nominated by a third party who knows him or her well and is prepared to speak candidly and objectively about the candidate’s qualifications. Individuals cannot apply for the Fellowships or nominate themselves.

Each fellowship program is modeled after the highly successful Henry Crown Fellowship, launched in 1997. The program requires each Fellow to commit to attending approximately 26 days of seminar meetings (i.e., 4 seminars of 5-7 days each) – in their entirety. On top of this is the time required to prepare for each seminar as well as the time and energy to design and launch a leadership project of the Fellow’s own choosing. This project is a requirement of the Fellowship and an opportunity for Fellows to truly stretch themselves in their leadership.

In the past, The Costa Rica Star has reported on the Aspen Institute as it honored food engineer and industry executive Gisela Sánchez, the pioneer behind the line of fortified food products, Nutrivida, designed to eliminate malnutrition, particularly in children. The products are sold throughout Costa Rica by a variety of vendors and partners from local saleswomen to NGOs and major super stores.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.