The lineup
Who spoke at Aspen Ideas Festival 2026?
The full announced lineup for Aspen Ideas Festival 2026. Names without a full profile are open to claim.
Alberto Gonzales Former U.S. Attorney General; Dean and Doyle Rogers Distinguished Professor of Law, Belmont University College of Law, Belmont University College of Law; Former U.S. Attorney General
Amy Webb Founder and CEO, Future Today Strategy Group; Professor, NYU Stern School of Business, Future Today Institute
Ariel Ekblaw Founder and CEO, Aurelia Institute, Aurelia Institute
Benedict Macon-Cooney Chief AI and Innovation Officer, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Tony Blair Institute
Brendan Carr CEO, Mount Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai Health System
Bryan Doerries Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Theater of War Productions, Theater of War Productions
Carl Bernstein Investigative Journalist; Author
Carolyn Tisch Blodgett Founder and CEO, Next 3; Governor, Gotham FC; Co-owner, New York Giants, Next 3; Governor and Lead Owner, Gotham FC, National Women's Soccer League
Catherine Price Speaker; Consultant; Co-Author, "The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World", author
Chrystia Freeland Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Canada, Government of Canada
David Brooks Staff Writer, The Atlantic; Senior Presidential Fellow, Yale University Jackson School of Global Affairs, New York Times
David Leonhardt Editorial Director, The New York Times, The New York Times
David Risher CEO, Lyft, Lyft
Derek Wang Creative Enterprise Fellow, The Juilliard School, The Juilliard School
Diane Brady Executive Editorial Director, Fortune, Fortune
Elizabeth Dunn Professor, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Duke University
Ethan Mollick Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Rowan Fellow, Management Professor, and Co-Director, Generative AI Labs, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania
Fareed Zakaria Journalist; Host, "Fareed Zakaria GPS," CNN; Columnist, The Washington Post; Author, The Washington Post
Francis Fukuyama Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University
Gillian Tett Columnist and Editorial Board Member, Financial Times; Provost, King's College, Cambridge University, Financial Times; King's College, Cambridge University
Gina Raimondo Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce; Former Governor of Rhode Island; Distinguished Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations.png&w=3840&q=75)
Greg Jackson Host, "History That Doesn't Suck!" Podcast; America 250 Professor, Center for Constitutional Studies, and Senior Fellow, Center for National Security Studies, Utah Valley Univ..., Octopus Energy
Heather Gerken President, Ford Foundation, Ford Foundation
Ida Rademacher Vice President; Co-Executive Director, Financial Security Program and Co-Chair, Aspen Partnership for an Inclusive Economy; Aspen Institute, Financial Security Program; Co-Chair, Aspen Partnership for an Inclusive Economy; The Aspen Institute
Jane Wales Vice President and Executive Director, Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation, Aspen Institute, Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation, The Aspen Institute
Janet Echelman Artist, Studio Echelman
Jason Bordoff Professor of Professional Practice and Founding Director, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs; Co-Founder and Dean E..., Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University
Jennifer Wallace Journalist; Founder, The Mattering Institute; Co-Founder, The Mattering Movement, The Mattering Movement
Joanna Smith-Ramani Co-Executive Director, Financial Security Program, Aspen Institute, Financial Security Program, Aspen Institute
Joe Preston President and CEO, New Balance, New Balance
Jonathan Capehart Co-Host, MS NOW's "The Weekend", “The Weekend,” MSNBC
Karen Brunwasser Co-CEO, FeelBeit, Mekudeshet; Leader, FeelBeit
Kate Bowler Host, "Everything Happens;" Author, "Joyful, Anyway;" Associate Professor of American Religious History, Duke University, Duke Divinity School
Katie Couric Journalist; Co-Founder, Katie Couric Media
Kelly Corrigan Author; Podcast Host, "Kelly Corrigan Wonders", PBS / NPR
Ken Burns Documentary Filmmaker; Harman Eisner Artist in Residence, Aspen Institute
Lauren Hirsch Reporter, The New York Times, The New York Times
Laurie Santos Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology, Yale University; Podcast Host, "The Happiness Lab", Yale University
Manoush Zomorodi Author, "Body Electric"; Host, "TED Radio Hour," NPR, Note to Self
Matt Helmer Director, Job Quality and Worker Well-Being, Economic Opportunities Program, Aspen Institute, Job Quality and Working Well-Being, Economic Opportunities Program, Aspen Institute
Melissa Lott Partner, Energy Technology, Microsoft, Energy Technologies, Microsoft
Michael Soenen CEO, Nothing to See Here: Productions; Creator, "Nothing to See Here: Watts", “Nothing to See Here: Watts”; Director, FIGS
Paolo Benanti Professor, Moral Philosophy, Luiss Guido Carli University; Professor, Technology Ethics, Seattle University, LUISS Guido Carli University
Paul Bloom Psychology Professor, University of Toronto; Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Yale University, Yale University
Penny Pennington Managing Partner, Edward Jones, Edward Jones
Peter Thiel Partner, Founders Fund; Founder, Thiel Fellowship and Thiel Foundation
Priscilla Sims Brown President and CEO, Amalgamated Bank, Amalgamated Bank
Ronald Rael CEO Muddy Robots; Eval Li Memorial Chair in Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Berkeley
Rye Barcott Co-Founder and CEO, With Honor, Carolina For Kibera
Sarah Johnson Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology, Georgetown University; Visiting Scientist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Planetary Environments Lab, Content-first Design.jpg%3Fwidth%3D800&w=3840&q=75)
Sasha Stiles Poet and Artist
Shavar Jeffries CEO, KIPP Foundation
Skye Perryman President and CEO, Democracy Forward, Democracy Forward
Steven Johnson Author; Editorial Director, Google Labs
Steven Olikara Founder and CEO, Bridge Entertainment Labs; Senior Fellow, University of Southern California Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy; Founder, Future Caucus, Millennial Action Project
Suchi Reddy Founder and Principal, Reddymade Architecture and Design, Reddymade Architecture and Design
Tom Farrey Executive Director, Sports and Society Program, Aspen Institute, Sports and Society Program, The Aspen Institute
Tyrone Riley Sr. Head Boys' Basketball Coach, Jordan High School; Former Gang Member, Grape Street Crips; Filmmaker, "Nothing to See Here: Watts"
Walter Hood Founder and Creative Director, Hood Design Studio, Hood Design Studio
Yancey Strickler Founder, Artist Corporations
Frequently asked
- Who spoke at Aspen Ideas Festival 2026?
- 304 speakers, including Alberto Gonzales, Amy Webb, Ariel Ekblaw, Benedict Macon-Cooney, and Brendan Carr.
- What did Aspen Ideas Festival 2026 cover?
- Topics include Journalism & Nonfiction, Communication & Influence, Design Thinking, Economics & Society, Generative AI & LLMs, and Geopolitics & International Relations.
- When and where was Aspen Ideas Festival 2026?
- Jun 25 - Jul 1, 2026 in Aspen, United States.
What this lineup's speakers cover
The topics this edition's speakers are known for.
Industries represented
The sectors this edition's speakers come from.
Similar events
Other editions that drew the Aspen Ideas Festival 2026 crowd
Explore more events
Other conferences held in Aspen