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The 92nd Street Y, New York and the Aspen Institute Announce Share Our America: The Summit

Hosted by Rainn Wilson, the inaugural digital summit features grassroots and well-known experts on how we can move from division toward a new unity.

New York, NY – On June 11, from 12-3 PM ET, The 92nd Street Y’s (92NY's) Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact and the Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project will present their virtual and inaugural “Share Our America: The Summit” event. The summit will be hosted by renowned actor and author Rainn Wilson, and will feature a diverse series of moderated panel sessions focused on how we can move from division to a new unity. Interested parties can register for the virtual summit here.

Share Our America: The Summit aims to reassure and inspire the many Americans across the country who fear that differences in personal and political opinion are irreconcilable, causing strain on community members who are no longer able to coexist. 92NY’s Share Our America Initiative recognizes that Americans have the means of resolving conflict and reducing polarization. Its network of members grows by the day — all with the same hope that discourse between people with opposing beliefs is possible and that rebuilding divided communities is within reach.

“This Summit is a call to reconnect in a time when so many people feel isolated and divided. By hearing directly from experts and everyday leaders who are building trust, fostering belonging, and strengthening their local communities, we want attendees to leave not just inspired, but ready to take real action—big or small—to build deeper connection in their own lives,” says Rebekah Shrestha, Executive Director at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact.

“Americans have a long history of showing up for each other in times of need. We can do it again, “ notes Frederick J. Riley, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project. “The Summit shows a quiet revolution is already underway in cities and small towns across the country. Neighbors are coming together across differences to meet local needs and create a thriving community that benefits everyone.”

The summit will kick off with opening remarks from Wilson at 12 PM ET, followed by a series of moderated sessions that focus on how people can show up for each other and lean into all that connects us to rebuild trust and collaboration, starting where we live.

Opening Remarks: Welcome from our host, Rainn Wilson
With humor, kindness and love, Rainn will host this summit to touch your heart and mind — and help all of us transform our shared nation from the inside out.

How our nation became so divided
Many Americans worry our differences are unresolvable. Panelists will explore the root causes of the crisis of community and connection in our country. Hear from leading thinkers about the dangers of the present moment and potential pathways toward a united, healthy future for our nation.

Panelists:

• Michael McCarter, Vice President and Opinion Editor, Gannett/USA TODAY Network (moderator)
• Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley
• Loretta J. Ross, Associate Professor, Smith College
• Niobe Way, Professor of Developmental Psychology, NYU

How we move forward
National organizations working in communities across America are rethinking their work to build on the shared values and principles that cut across our divides. In this panel, leaders share what’s working in neighborhoods, rural towns and cities and how they are helping people rebuild their trust in one another.

Panelists:

• David Brooks, Columnist, New York Times (moderator)
• Rich Harwood, President and Founder, The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation
• Jen Bailey, Executive Director, Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund
• Michael Smith, Former CEO, AmeriCorps

We need a new conversation and plan
For decades, America has been moving away from a culture of mutual care to a culture of self striving and individualism. Leaders of 92NY’s Belfer Center and the Aspen Institute’s Weave Project are working to help spur a cultural revolution that prioritizes our shared humanity. To achieve this, we need to change how we think, speak, and act and make community our priority.

Panelists:

• Frederick J. Riley, Executive Director, the Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project
• Rebekah Shrestha, Executive Director, 92NY’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact

Starting Where You Are: Small Steps for Big Impact
Join the hosts of the viral new series People You Should Know in conversation with Steve Holtz, founder of a veteran-run blacksmithing forge in Fredericksburg, Virginia. What begins with one person’s dedication to their community becomes something much bigger. Together, they’ll explore the series’ core premise that small, deeply human actions can spark national ripple effects.

Panelists:

• Mike Rowe, CEO, mikeroweWORKS Foundation (and Co-Host of People You Should Know)
• Sarah Yourgrau, Founder, Common Ground Studios (and Co-Host of People You Should Know)
• Steve Hotz, U.S. Army Veteran and Founder of Black Horse Forge

Stories from the people already weaving a new social fabric
Hear stories from Americans making change in their communities to bridge, connect and weave despite challenging contexts.

Panelists:

• Carla Canales, Former Senior Advisor and Envoy for Cultural Change, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (moderator)
• LB Prevette, grassroots organizer in Wilkesboro, NC
• Richard Young, Founder and Executive Director, CivicLex
• Shamichael Hallman, Author and advocate for libraries as public infrastructure

Closing Remarks by Rainn Wilson: What you can do
Hear how you can get involved and make change where you live.

The summit is part of the Newmark Civic Life Series of 92NY’s Recanati-Kaplan Talks and Gannett/USA TODAY Network is the exclusive media sponsor.

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About The 92nd Street Y, New York:
The 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a world-class center for the arts and innovation, a convener of ideas, and an incubator for creativity. 92NY offers extensive classes, courses and events online including live concerts, talks and master classes; fitness classes for all ages; 250+ art classes, and parenting workshops for new moms and dads. The 92nd Street Y, New York is transforming the way people share ideas and translate them into action all over the world. All of 92NY’s programming is built on a foundation of Jewish values, including the capacity of civil dialogue to change minds; the potential of education and the arts to change lives; and a commitment to welcoming and serving people of all ages, races, religions, and ethnicities. For more information, visit www.92NY.org.

About Weave: The Social Fabric Project:
Weave: The Social Fabric Project tackles the problem of broken social trust that has left Americans divided, lonely, and in social gridlock. Weave connects, supports, and invests in local leaders stepping up to weave a new, inclusive social fabric where they live. The project was founded by New York Times columnist and author David Brooks at 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.