The Aspen Institute is a nonpartisan forum for values-based leadership and the exchange of ideas. They provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, D.C. and has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on Maryland?s Eastern Shore. The Aspen Institute was founded in 1950 by Walter Paepcke, a Chicago businessman who sought to create a place where leaders could reflect on the good society and discuss solutions to the world?s most pressing problems.