A Letter to Fellows

Why Aspen's Finance Leaders Fellowship: A Letter to Fellows

Joining the Aspen Institute is a privilege and a pleasure. After decades on Wall Street, I’m being asked, “how could I do this?" Over the years, I’ve been working to drive capital towards a more regenerative and inclusive global economy. I’ve been seeking to help achieve scalable change. Change that can address climate action, healthier food and water systems, better access to healthcare and education, protection of the oceans and the worlds species, access to broadband and financial services, and social justice and equity. And it can all seem unattainable.

But it’s been said that “only those who can see the invisible can achieve the impossible.” This notion is the fulcrum of the Aspen Institute: to truly see the invisible and discover the impossible, we must “ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world.” Aspen appreciates the necessary, compelling, difficult, but ultimately achievable work of seeing the invisible—one powerful organizing principle of many behind Aspen’s world of inspiration, world of innovation, world of values-driven leaders bringing their extraordinary abilities for constructive dialogue and daring action.

As for our Finance Leaders Fellowship, deploying the levers of finance offers an irresistible vision for a more free, just and equitable world.?

And as for me, having spent my career Wall Street asking questions, challenging assumptions, and fighting against the status quo, I now get the opportunity to take this to the next level with one of the world's most enlightened and impactful institutions, one of the industry's most capable community of changemakers. The opportunity to work with exceptional executives from across the ecosystem of the global financial markets has me hope-filled and hungry for all we can achieve together. We can now sharpen the lens of sustainability and impact to both the investment world and the corporate world. We can help infuse a deep sense of humanity and connectedness into the financial services sector.

So, to the question of “how could I do this,” my answer is simple: “how could I not?”

From Strength to Strength,?

Erika Karp, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Finance Leaders Fellowship