Every summer, the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program’s annual summit gathers 200+ leaders from the worlds of business, science, government, design, and the arts at the Institute's Colorado campus. They convene for three days of panels, spontaneous conversations and knowledge sharing- all driven by a shared belief that business can shape and contribute to the health of our world. 

The 2025 Summit took place in July. And of course, DB|BD host Ellen McGirt was there. This year she got to do something special. Over the course of a 9-5, Ellen interviewed nine different leaders on mic from the worlds of law, technology, academia, food and the UN. And we are bringing excerpts from all nine of those conversations straight to the DB|BD airwaves. Consider it inside access to this invite-only summit. 

Over the next two episodes of DB|BD you will hear from powerhouse leaders on what’s keeping them up at night and how they’re dealing with it. 

Today, we’re covering that first part. Times are tough. A hostile administration, unstable geopolitics and shifting technologies are just a few of the changes disrupting the way we live and do business. In this episode, leaders from different countries and industries explain just how their work has been impacted.

Leaders featured in this episode:

• Justina Nixon-Saintil: Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Chief Impact Officer, IBM
• JennyYang: Former EEOC Commissioner, Partner, Outten & Golden LLP
• Rachel Godsil: Co-founder, Perception Institute, Distinguished Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Scholar at Rutgers Law School
• CécileBeliot: CEO, Bel Groupe
• SandaOjiambo: Assistant Secretary-General, CEO and Executive DirectorUN Global Compact
• Tim Mohin: Partner & Director, BCG
• WitoldHenisz: Vice Dean & Faculty Director, Impact, Value and Sustainable Business Initiative, The Wharton School

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