Aspen Policy Academy

We are pleased to announce a new bipartisan Civic Innovation Advisor-in-Residence program to increase collaborative civic engagement and raise up the next generation of policy leaders. The first Advisors joining the Academy as Advisors-in-Residence will be London Breed, former Mayor of San Francisco, California, and G.T. Bynum, former Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

This program will annually place two former mayors from diverse geographic and ideological backgrounds in a six-month partnership with the Aspen Policy Academy to advise up-and-coming policy leaders. Inaugural advisor Breed was mayor of San Francisco from 2018 to 2025 and led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic while championing issues including public safety, economic recovery, and housing. Advisor Bynum served as mayor of Tulsa from 2016 to 2024 and used data and innovation to unite the community and boost global competitiveness, with a focus on fiscal responsibility, public safety, infrastructure, and equal opportunity for all Tulsans.

“Mayors bring distinctive insights to the work of policymaking given their proximity to the people and communities they serve,” said Dan Porterfield, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute. “As inaugural advisors in this exciting new program, Mayors Breed and Bynum will be an invaluable resource to future policy leaders, and I am grateful to Mayor Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies for their vision, support, and partnership.”

The Civic Innovation Advisors will play a critical role in teaching, coaching, and mentoring Academy Fellows as they design and implement policy projects. In addition to supporting Fellows, Advisors will represent the Academy in public engagements and develop policy projects on topics of their own interest.

Academy Fellows are emerging leaders in technology, science, civic engagement, and the environment who leverage their unique skill sets to address a spectrum of policy challenges. This mentor partnership will ensure robust bipartisan collaboration among up-and-coming policy leaders across sectors.

“Now more than ever, we must rise above divisions and equip the next generation with the courage, clarity, and tools to lead,” said Breed. “As someone who has governed through crisis and change, I know the power of policy to uplift lives and transform communities. This program is about more than learning how government works—it’s about inspiring a new era of civic leadership that is bold, innovative, inclusive, and rooted in service to the people.”

“I’m excited to work alongside the Policy Academy and former Mayor Breed to equip the next generation of civic leaders with tools to create great policy,” said Bynum. “We will be focused on what really matters to most people: getting things done and making a difference in the communities we serve.”

The Aspen Institute’s Policy Academy helps community leaders and experts across the political spectrum elevate their voices, influence key decisions, and strengthen democracy from the ground up. The Academy’s innovative training programs and resources equip people across sectors – from tech to the environment, science to civic engagement – with the skills to shape critical policy efforts. Its aim is to build an America where everyone is engaged in the democratic process—and has the power to make a difference.

“This groundbreaking program will ensure Aspen Policy Academy alumni have much-needed skills and tools to make a difference in their communities,” said Betsy Cooper, Director of the Policy Academy. “I’m delighted to be working with Mayors Breed and Bynum to empower people across the country to have a say in the government decisions that affect them.”