Aspen Policy Academy

🚀  After 7 years, 105 Fellows, and dozens of impactful policy projects, we’re not slowing down. On Monday, we kick off our 2026 Science and Technology Policy Fellowship! 🌉  This year’s cohort brings together 15 STEM experts from across the country for a month-long bootcamp. They will learn the fundamentals of driving policy change, meet with leaders in San Francisco, and develop real-world policy solutions. 👀  Stay tuned this June for updates on what happens when engineers, professors, founders, and scientists get in the same room and work toward the same goal: crafting effective policy. 🫵  Are you a Fellowship alum? Drop your favorite memory or advice for the new cohort in the comments! #TechPolicy #SummerFellowship #PolicyImpact

🌟 Team Spotlight: Meet Roby Chatterji, our new Policy Advisor! 💡  Roby brings over a decade of experience to the Academy, spanning nearly every corner of the education policy space. From working on Capitol Hill as a congressional staffer to guiding research at national think tanks to consulting for edtech companies, he has an expansive understanding of the avenues for policy impact. He also brings a unique teaching background to our team. Roby began his career as a 5th grade public school teacher in Phoenix, AZ, and holds both a JD and a MEd in Elementary Education. 💬  “I’m thrilled to be working with the Academy to democratize access to policy knowledge and help people across the country be a catalyst for the changes they want to see in their communities,” Roby shared. 🎤  When he’s not driving policy impact, Roby spends his free time playing guitar, singing, cooking up fusion food, and practicing hot yoga. 🙌  We're so glad to have Roby’s leadership on our team. Stay tuned to see him guide policy projects and teach during our upcoming trainings. #TeamSpotlight #MeetTheTeam #PolicyLeadership #EducationPolicy

Are we change-makers, or are we chain-breakers? That is the question I have been challenging my team at the Dyslexia Tutoring Program to sit with this year. Both have their purpose in this work. But policy is how we break chains. I just completed the Aspen Policy Academy Building Nonprofit Advocacy Capacity program, alongside 56 other nonprofit leaders, learning how to build the kind of advocacy strategies that turn intent into impact. The week clarified for me what I already suspected — chain-breaking is not incidental to literacy work. It IS the work. Looking forward to bringing this back to my team. #NonprofitLeaders #Advocacy #PublicPolicy

🧩  How can California improve maternal health outcomes? Graduates of our 2026 Tech Executive Leadership Initiative, hosted in partnership with Tech Talent Project, say an answer could be in data integrations. ⚡  Anna Banchik PhD, Renata Bartlett, Nolan Green, Dorin Horsfall, MBA., Lee Howard, and Kashyap Sridhar propose that the California Department of Health Care Services create a secure “Enrollments” API. This software interface would share federal and state nutrition benefits enrollment data with in-network clinics. 🤝  “That way, managed care providers under Medicaid can have better access to real-time client eligibility data in their case management systems to more efficiently link beneficiaries with services during in-person appointments,” Nolan explains in a Route Fifty article spotlighting the proposal. 📚  Check out the new Route Fifty article: https://lnkd.in/eqbneEdD  🖇️  Read the team’s full project: https://lnkd.in/g2cHGS97 #AspenPolicyAcademy #HealthTech #TechPolicy

📣  Your voice belongs in government! 👉  That’s why we’re giving everyday people the practical skills to turn big ideas into real policy change. Ready to get started? Join 1 of our free webinars this June: ✅ Communicating for Policy | June 10, 9–10am PT Whether you are writing to your representatives or briefing an official in-person, our tips will help ensure your message comes across clearly. ✅ Scam Fighters Workshop | June 18, 9–10am PT Learn how to protect your community from scams and access free, 1:1 policy coaching sessions with expert Academy staff. Register today: https://lnkd.in/g6QhsFUi #Democracy #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment

🏆  Congratulations to the team at Appalachian Voices and their partners for winning a $1 million grant from the Alliance for Social Trust! 💪  Appalachian Voices will collaborate to support the West Virginia Community Development Hub, helping flood-impacted communities transform post-disaster volunteerism into long-term civic leadership. ⛰️  Last year, Appalachian Voices team members Matthew Allenbaugh MS, MBA, Kara Dotten, Austin Counts, and Emma Kelly graduated from our inaugural Environmental Policy Accelerator. We’re thrilled to see their organization continuing its impactful leadership and work with The Aspen Institute. 👏  Join us in celebrating this accomplishment! 👀  Read more about the Alliance for Social Trust grant and Appalachian Voices’ work here: https://lnkd.in/gw-WPsNu #AspenPolicyAcademy #AlumniAccomplishment #AllianceForSocialTrust #AppalachianVoices

⏳  Last call: Applications for our Environmental Policy Accelerator close tomorrow at 11:59pm PT! Hosted in partnership with The Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program (EEP), this program will help individuals and teams take a developing environmental policy idea and turn it into real policy change. 📅  Session dates (all Tuesdays): July 14, July 28, August 11, August 25, September 29, and November 3 ⏰  9-11am PT / 12-2pm ET 💻  Virtual and free The planet needs better policy, and it needs people like you to make it happen. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gfv5xDdj #AspenPolicyAcademy #CivicEngagement #EnvironmentalPolicy #ApplyNow

🎯 We have free 1-on-1 policy coaching available! Here’s how to access it: 💻  Join our Scam Fighters Workshops to learn how to protect your community from scams and cyber threats. Selected participants will then receive 3 personalized mentoring sessions over 3 months with Academy staff. These sessions will focus entirely on turning your ideas into real local policy solutions. 💡 If you've spotted a scam in your community and have an idea for how to fix it, don’t miss this opportunity for tailored support. 👉  Register for this Thursday’s workshop (May 21, 9-10am PT) to unlock your coaching eligibility: https://lnkd.in/gCHHuwGM #ScamFighters #OnlineSafety #CommunityImpact #Take9

☀️  A day in the life as the Strategy & Operations Manager at the Aspen Policy Academy! From writing grant proposals to updating our strategic plan, join Laura E. Franzini for a realistic Los Angeles co-working day at our policy nonprofit. 📈  Laura has been with the Academy for 2 years, overseeing our operations and helping scale our work. Interested in learning more about the Academy’s impact? Check out our recent reports and projects: https://lnkd.in/gg7u_6Wq  👀 #AspenPolicyAcademy #DayInTheLife #PolicyJob #NonprofitJob #NonprofitImpact