About Aspen Global Innovators Group
The Aspen Global Innovators Group (AGI) is dedicated to identifying, supporting, and connecting innovative global leaders who drive positive change in health and development. With a vision centered on equity, justice, and values-based leadership, we strive to build a world where every individual has access to equitable opportunities for health and development.
Vision
Our vision is to create a world that centers equity, justice, and values-based leadership across all sectors, accelerating advancements in health and development. We know that true impact extends beyond merely discussing ideas to translating them into tangible actions that drive meaningful change. We understand that impactful ideas must be coupled with real-world applications to effect lasting transformation, and we endeavor to bridge the gap between innovative concepts and tangible outcomes, thus ensuring lasting transformations.
Our Approach
At AGI, we operate across three key areas to promote power-shifting and amplify voices from communities most affected by pressing challenges. Our approach involves:
1. Elevating Local Leadership:
We prioritize elevating the voices of local leaders who are at the forefront of global movements for change. By supporting and connecting these leaders, we enable them to spearhead equitable transformations in health and development within their communities.
2. Compelling Change Through Storytelling:
We know the power of storytelling to elevate the voices of marginalized communities and advocate for their needs globally. Through storytelling, convenings, and advocacy campaigns, we aim to bring attention to overlooked challenges and solutions, influence policies promoting equitable healthcare access, address systemic inequalities, and compel meaningful change.
3. Sustainable Global Impact:
We are committed to ensuring that our initiatives have a lasting and sustainable impact on global health and development. We are committed to advancing equitable access to care that respects and honors culturally-informed values. Our efforts focus on removing the harmful vestiges of colonialism from healthcare systems and ensuring that all individuals receive dignified and culturally sensitive care.
By fostering cross-sectoral collaborations, advocating for evidence-based policies, and investing in long-term capacity building, we strive to create sustainable solutions that address systemic inequalities and promote health equity worldwide.
Through this comprehensive approach, the Aspen Global Innovators Group catalyzes positive change and promote equitable development worldwide.
Theory of Change
The Aspen Global Innovators Group (AGI) cultivates the next generation of leaders who champion equity and justice in health and development worldwide. Through fellowship, strategic partnership, and advocacy tools, we are catalyzing transformative change via values-based leadership
The Aspen Global Innovators Group (AGI) cultivates the next generation of leaders who champion equity and justice in health and development worldwide. Through fellowship, strategic partnership, and advocacy tools, we are catalyzing transformative change via values-based leadership.
Core Problem:
Local leaders have limited access to resources and support to address systemic challenges effectively. Persistent inequities and injustices in health and development are rooted in systemic barriers and discrimination.
Our Solution:
Our approach includes capacity building, peer learning, on-the-ground support, and catalyzing investment in local leaders to address systemic challenges and drive sustainable impact. We strive to equip Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) leaders, women, and leaders from overlooked communities to address systemic drivers of health inequity.
Activities:
Capacity Building Programs: AGI conducts capacity-building programs to support local leaders with the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to drive change in their communities.
Values-Based Leadership Development: AGI invests in values-based leadership development to promote equity and justice in health and development, fostering a culture of ethical leadership and accountability.
2023 Results:
• In 2023, AMP Health engaged 14 partner teams of local public sector health leaders across 11 African countries, covering eight programmatic areas, and three languages.
• Healthy Communities Fellows (HCF) welcomed 10 new fellows in 2023 from Alaska, Oklahoma, and Texas. These Fellows received 130 person-hours of training over 10 training sessions.
• AGI welcomed the inaugural class of 10 Fellows from Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone to the Impact West Africa program. AGI provided 36 person-hours of training in 2023 over six training sessions.
• All AGI fellows including NVF, Healthy Communities were welcomed in to an online alumni networking platform that enables them to better support each other in implementing their bold ideas.
Core Problem:
Disparities by race, gender, class, and geography persist around the globe. Currently, progress towards overcoming these disparities is often stalled because decisionmakers rarely incorporate the expertise of those most proximate to the challenges and solutions.
Our Solution:
By embracing locally-led solutions and lifting overlooked voices, we can create a future where everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources, leading to healthier and more prosperous communities globally.
Activities:
Storytelling and Advocacy Campaigns: AGI runs storytelling and advocacy campaigns to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and advocate for their needs globally.
Convenings for Advocacy and Diffusion: As part of our ecosystem approach, AGI harnesses the power of convenings to advocate for new paradigms and amplify overlooked challenges and solutions.
2023 Results:
• HCF Fellows produced six op-eds, received five awards, and spoke at 33 events. Alumni of the Healthy Communities Fellowship spoke at 10 events.
• Impact West Africa Fellows spoke at seven events in 2023 and published one article.
• Over the last year, alums of the New Voices Fellowship produced 200 op-ed articles, received 38 awards, and spoke at over 351 events.
• Through opportunities like the Aspen Ideas Festival, Aspen Ignites, and conversations at the United Nations General Assembly, AGI serves as a platform for advocacy, particularly focusing on themes of gender equity and justice. These convenings bring together diverse voices, fostering dialogue, and action towards transformative change.
Core Problem:
Short-term interventions and lack of long-term investment in local capacity and community-driven solutions exacerbate health disparities. Moreover, siloed approaches and lack of collaboration hinder progress in effectively tackling pressing health and development issues.
Our Solution:
AGI believes in building sustainable impact through long-term investments in local capacity and community-driven solutions. This involves building the capacity of local leaders, fostering partnerships, and ensuring that AGI's impact is lasting and meaningful.
Activities:
Cross-Sectoral Collaborations: AGI facilitates cross-sectoral collaborations to tackle complex health and development challenges more effectively, leveraging the expertise and resources of diverse stakeholders.
Long-Term Capacity Building: AGI prioritizes long-term capacity building and sustainability, investing in the continuous support of local leaders and communities to ensure lasting impact.
2023 Results:
• Over 5 years, HCF fellows raised 6 millions for their innovative health solutions.
• AMP Health supported health teams in 15 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.
• As a result of their fellowship, our alumni have continued to expand their impact, supporting and transforming millions more lives.
Assumptions:
Interconnectedness of Outcomes: AGI assumes that the above outcomes are interconnected and mutually reinforced. Supporting local leaders, amplifying voices, fostering collaboration, promoting equity and justice, and building sustainable impact are all essential to catalyzing equitable transformation.
Assumptions:
Positive Feedback Loops: AGI anticipates that achieving progress in one outcome area will create positive feedback loops contributing to advancements in other areas. For example, supporting local leaders may lead to increased collaboration and amplification of voices, further driving progress toward equity and justice.
Assumptions:
Adaptability to Context: AGI acknowledges that the effectiveness of its approach may vary depending on the context in which it operates. Therefore, AGI remains flexible and adaptable, continuously revisiting and updating its Theory of Change to reflect evolving realities and contextual factors.
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