Anne Mosle

Anne Mosle is a vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of Ascend at the Aspen Institute. She is an innovative and inclusive leader in building pathways to opportunity for low-income children, women and families. With more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy, policy, and practice, Mosle is a noted expert on how those sectors can intersect to be a more powerful force for progress. She has been recognized as a Washingtonian of the Year, Ms. Magazine Woman to Watch, and Visionary Philanthropist. Mosle founded and leads Ascend, a policy program of the Aspen Institute. Ascend serves as the national hub for breakthrough ideas and proven solutions that move low-income children and their parents towards educational success and economic security. Under Mosle’s leadership, Ascend has become a leading force in catalyzing a two-generation approach to breaking the cycle of poverty. She has launched two groundbreaking Ascend initiatives that have transformed the two-generation policy landscape into a game-changing approach for families. The first is the Ascend Fellowship, a national fellowship program that identifies and amplifies the impact of multi-sector leaders with "quantum leap" ideas to break the cycle of poverty. Mosle also launched the first national Two-Generation Innovation Fund focused on promising programs and policy innovations. From its inception, Ascend at the Aspen Institute has embraced a commitment to racial equity, a gender lens and engaging the voices of families. Ascend’s policy expertise and cross-sector collaboration approach is well respected and has been highlighted in White House forums and hundreds of communities across the country. Mosle is an active contributor to the Aspen Institute policy leadership team committed to tackling the issues of inequality and opportunity in the United States. She has authored and contributed to numerous publications, including the Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink; Two Generations, One Future; First Focus Big Ideas; and Top 10 for 2Gen Policy Ideas and Principles to Advance Two-Generation Efforts; and she is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. Prior to the Aspen Institute, Mosle served as a vice president and officer of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), where she was on the executive team and oversaw $140 million in investments annually. Mosle led the creation of WKKF’s Family Economic Security Portfolio and launch of their Mission-Driven Investing program. In addition, Mosle was responsible for the Civic and Philanthropic Portfolio and New Mexico place-based investments. Mosle is recognized as an innovator in the women’s philanthropic movement. Beginning in 2000, she served as the president of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, spearheading seven years of record growth and driving a national effort to elevate the role of women philanthropists in communities. She was also the lead architect of their nationally recognized grantmaking initiative, Stepping Stones, to build the financial independence of women and families. Earlier in her career, Mosle served as senior vice president at the Center for Policy Alternatives, developing leadership and policy programs for state elected and community leaders. She has organized major summits at The White House and 10 Downing Street as well as numerous state and community forums. Mosle currently serves on the Executive Governing Board of the American Public Human Services Association, National Trustees Council of America’s Promise, and Leadership Council of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. She lives with her family in Washington, DC.