Weaving a Global Tapestry: Reflections on SparkLab 2025 in Paris

The Aspen International Partners team recently held the inaugural SparkLab in Paris - a workshop bringing together communications and programme staff from across the global Aspen network. Pip Souness, Marketing Manager at Aspen NZ, had the opportunity to attend and represent Aotearoa. Hosted by Aspen Institute France, the three-day gathering offered a unique opportunity to share strategies, strengthen relationships, and explore how deeper collaboration can expand our collective impact. Below, Pip reflects on the experience and what it means for our work here in NZ.

Since stepping into my role with Aspen Institute New Zealand, I’ve often imagined how valuable it would be to connect in person with colleagues in similar roles from across our global network. Last week, that vision became a reality at SparkLab 2025: a first-of-its-kind workshop that brought together communications and programme staff from across the Aspen International Partners network for three days of learning, collaboration, and connection in Paris. 

Hosted by Aspen Institute France in their beautiful, historic offices just off the Champs-Élysées, SparkLab was a rare opportunity to step outside of our individual contexts and look at the bigger picture, to explore how, by working more closely together, we can amplify our shared mission and strengthen our collective impact. 

The workshop began with an Aspen-style seminar led by Tommy Loper, Vice President of Enterprise Development, using Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to reflect on leadership, perception, and truth. It set the tone for what would become a series of thoughtful discussions about the role of communications in shaping how people understand and connect with our work. 

Over the course of the programme, we explored language and messaging, including the new Aspen Institute website, and the importance of weaving our efforts into a more interconnected global strategy. Partners from across the network - Ukraine, Romania, Germany, Central Europe, Italy, France, UK, Mexico, Colombia, Kenya and India - shared their communications strategies and programme highlights, offering both inspiration and practical takeaways.

A standout for me was Tommy Loper’s interactive session Weaving it Together: Building Aspen Institute’s Interconnected Global Community of Leaders, which reinforced the importance of intentional collaboration and demonstrated what’s possible when we focus on relationships as well as outcomes. It reframed the way I think about impact, focusing not only on quantifiable outcomes, but also on the quality of relationships we build along the way. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be Paris without a bit of magic. A river cruise on the Seine gave us a chance to see the city’s landmarks from a new perspective and enjoy some unstructured moments to connect and learn more about one another, reminding us that often the most valuable insights come in between the sessions. 

SparkLab was a rare chance to connect with international colleagues in person, to learn from one another, strengthen relationships, and align more closely as partners. I left with a renewed sense of clarity and connection, and a strong belief in the value of spaces like this, where people can come together to both share what they’re doing and to imagine what we might do, or achieve, together. 

For Aspen NZ, it was a reminder of the strength of the global network we’re part of. Hearing firsthand how partners are supporting democratic resilience, building societal trust, and fostering values-driven leadership - often in complex and high-stakes environments - highlighted just how much there is to learn from one another. It reinforced for me that the reach and relevance of this network is not to be underestimated, and that staying closely connected helps us bring sharper perspective and deeper purpose to our work here in Aotearoa.

Huge thanks to the International Partners team for bringing this long-imagined idea to life, and to Aspen Institute France for their warmth and generosity in hosting us all. I look forward to building on the momentum from Paris, and bringing that energy into new opportunities here at home.