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Longer Tables Fund Awards Grant to Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellowship, Enabling Groundbreaking Partnership with GW’s Global Food Institute

Substantive investment to empower emerging leaders in food to collaborate on building a fair, sustainable, and healthy food system

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 19, 2025 — Food & Society at the Aspen Institute today announced a transformative gift of over $1 million from José Andrés’ Longer Tables Fund to help grow its Food Leaders Fellowship. This investment will significantly expand the fellowship’s capacity to develop emerging leaders and enable a new strategic partnership with the Global Food Institute (GFI) at the George Washington University, creating unprecedented opportunities for collaboration between practitioners and academics advancing innovative and practical food system solutions.

“We need bold new ideas to meet the challenges facing our food system, and I’m proud to support the Aspen Institute’s Food Leaders Fellowship as they train and empower the next generation of leadership across government, non-profits, and the private sector,” said Chef José Andrés, founder of the Longer Tables Fund and the Global Food Institute. “These fellows—in partnership with the Global Food Institute—will deliver the research, innovation, and policy solutions that harness the incredible power of food to build longer tables where everyone can eat.”

The Food Leaders Fellowship unites the country’s most promising early-stage food system leaders to ignite personal transformation and scalable change. Drawing on the Aspen Institute’s history of successful leadership fellowships, the program has established itself as the foremost community of leaders working to create a fair, sustainable, and healthy food system since launching with its inaugural cohort in 2022.

The new partnership with the Global Food Institute represents a mutually beneficial arrangement designed to bridge the gap between academic research and on-the-ground practice. Fellows are invited to collaborate with faculty and students on projects, speak at GFI events, and share their insights through coverage in Planet Forward, creating a dynamic exchange of knowledge and expertise.

“The Aspen Institute is grateful for and inspired by this generous investment from the Longer Tables Fund,” said Dan Porterfield, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute. “The Food Leaders Fellowship and our partnership with the Global Food Institute exemplify our commitment to bringing together leaders across geographies, sectors, and viewpoints to develop solutions to our world’s most pressing challenges. Through this partnership, we’re investing in a future where food leaders have the resources, connections, and platforms they need to drive lasting impact.”

The fellowship motivates participants to support and challenge one another to think bigger, increase their individual and group capacity for change, and find new collaborators to work with toward lasting impact. This approach aligns perfectly with the spirit of the new GFI partnership.

“The Global Food Institute’s partnership with the Aspen Institute is more than a collaboration—it’s a catalyst. By connecting Aspen fellows with the GW faculty and students, we are building the academic-practitioner community that is needed to transform our food system into one that is more just and sustainable,” said Stacy Dean, GFI’s Carbonell Family Executive Director. 

The Longer Tables Fund’s investment comes at a critical time when food system challenges—from sustainability and environmental resilience to affordability and access—require innovative leadership and cross-sector partnerships. This donation is the cornerstone investment in a $10 million, 10-year campaign that will enable the fellowship to expand its reach, deepen its programming, and create lasting connections between emerging leaders and established institutions. 

“The Food Leaders Fellowship has always been about the power of collaboration, bringing together a broad range of voices and perspectives to tackle our most pressing food system challenges,” said Corby Kummer, executive director of Food & Society at the Aspen Institute. “This partnership with the Global Food Institute takes that to the next level, creating relationships that will generate new insights, innovations, and solutions. We’re hopeful that this is just the beginning of all we can accomplish together.”

The Food Leaders Fellowship will open applications for its fifth cohort this fall. The 18-month, 18-member program begins at the Institute’s Aspen, Colorado, campus, where fellows critically examine their beliefs and personal missions using the Institute’s time-tested seminar method. Through subsequent in-person and virtual gatherings, including site visits, guest-led discussions, and peer mentorship, fellows identify and hone their ability to make significant change throughout their careers. Fellows design and implement their proposals for this impact through an action plan that builds on the work they’re already doing and the reflection, knowledge, and support they gain through the program. 

 

Candidates must be based in the United States, Mexico, or Canada. Fellows will be selected on their merits and to assemble a cohort with varied backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences. For more information about our current fellows, visit our website. 

About the Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellowship The Food Leaders Fellowship is part of the Aspen Institute’s Food & Society program. It represents the foremost community of emerging leaders working to create a fair, sustainable, and healthy food system. The fellowship draws on the Aspen Institute’s proven track record of developing transformational leaders through its signature leadership and policy fellowship programs.

About the Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

About the Global Food Institute Founded by the George Washington University and José Andrés, the Global Food Institute is dedicated to transforming food systems to improve population health, promote sustainability, and advance equity worldwide. Drawing on GW’s academic expertise and Washington, D.C.’s policy influence, the Institute brings together leaders from science, business, policy, and advocacy to develop innovative solutions to the most pressing food challenges of our time. Through research, education, and cross-sector collaboration, the Global Food Institute works to ensure a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food future for all.

About the Longer Tables Fund The Longer Tables Fund is Chef José Andrés’ philanthropic initiative to drive transformative global change, rooted in his belief that food has the power to solve the world’s most urgent and complex challenges. The Longer Tables Fund supports bold ideas—big and small—ranging from launching transformative institutions like the Global Food Institute to providing small grants that unlock the potential of local food economies. Guided by a long-term vision but driven by immediate action, the Fund invests in solutions that strengthen food systems, rebuild crisis-affected communities, and empower the next generation of food leaders, from culinary arts and hospitality to food policy. With work spanning communities across the world, José and the Longer Tables Fund are investing in local leadership, innovation, and scalable solutions to build a future where everyone has a seat at the table. For more information, visit longertablesfund.org. 

 

Media Contact: Nicole Corea, [email protected]