A tradition of thoughtful conversation
A conversation worth carrying forward.
The Fleck Forum continues an Aspen tradition begun around a lunch table nearly four decades ago: bring thoughtful people together, introduce an interesting idea, and give everyone a chance to participate.
Small gatherings. Serious subjects. Open-minded conversation.
Hosted by Pam Fleck and Alan Greenwald
Aspen, Colorado · By invitation
The idea at the table
Some conversations stay with you.
The most meaningful conversations rarely happen on a stage. They happen around a table, when people have enough time to think out loud, ask better questions, hear a different perspective, and discover that disagreement can be constructive.
The Fleck Forum is a private Aspen gathering for people who are curious about the world and willing to engage with it thoughtfully. Our subjects range widely, from business and public affairs to medicine, technology, education, culture, philanthropy, science, and life.
The common thread is not a particular profession or point of view. It is a willingness to listen, participate, and remain open to changing one’s mind.
One subject. One table. Many perspectives.
A typical luncheon brings together 25–55 engaged members of the Aspen community. A host or guest opens with remarks drawn from personal experience, professional knowledge, or a question worth exploring. Our speakers do not simply deliver a speech. They become part of the conversation.
Questions are encouraged. Different viewpoints are welcomed. Every participant has an opportunity to contribute. The goal is not consensus. The goal is understanding.
A prepared subject
Each luncheon begins with a question, idea, or issue that deserves more than a quick opinion.
A small room
The group is intentionally limited so that the conversation remains personal and every voice can be heard.
An open discussion
Opening remarks give way to a conversation in the round. Participants are invited to ask questions, offer perspective, and listen carefully.
A continued thread
Afterward, approved notes and relevant resources are shared privately with members, allowing the conversation to continue beyond lunch.
Our story
From a Lunch Table to a Community Tradition
People often ask how the Fleck Forum began. The answer goes back more than 30 years.
Aaron Fleck believed that some of life's best conversations happened around a lunch table - not in a boardroom or on a stage. He started a weekly lunch at Pour La France with just eight friends. There was no formal organization, no membership dues, and no agenda beyond one simple idea: bring together interesting people, introduce a thought-provoking topic, and have a conversation where everyone participated.
Read the full story
Aaron would open each lunch with remarks on a topic that interested him. Some weeks it was philosophy or ethics. Other weeks it was business, economics, leadership, politics, science, medicine, history, technology, education, psychology, current events, or the changing world around us. Nothing was off limits, provided the conversation remained thoughtful and respectful.
One rule, however, was non-negotiable: everyone had to contribute.
Aaron believed the value of the lunch came from hearing every voice around the table - not just the loudest or most accomplished. If someone attended two consecutive lunches without participating, he would gently let them know there was a waiting list and their seat would be offered to someone eager to join the conversation. It wasn't about putting people on the spot; it was about creating a community where curiosity and engagement mattered.
Word spread.
What began with eight people at Pour La France eventually outgrew the restaurant. The lunches moved to the Maroon Creek Club, where attendance grew to about 21 people. As interest continued to build, they moved again to the Aspen Community Center, regularly welcoming around 40 participants each week.
Then came COVID.
Like so many gatherings, the lunches moved to Zoom. The setting changed, but the spirit stayed the same. After the pandemic, Aaron welcomed everyone into his home, where the conversations continued around his own dining room table.
When Aaron passed away in 2024, it felt as though an extraordinary tradition might come to an end. But the lunches had meant too much - to him and to so many others - to let that happen.
In 2024, Alan and I revived the tradition as the Fleck Forum. While we've expanded the format by inviting leaders from business, government, medicine, science, education, and the arts to spark conversation, the heart of the Forum remains exactly what Aaron envisioned three decades ago: bringing thoughtful people together around a table to learn from one another.
Since reviving the Forum, we've been honored to welcome an extraordinary group of speakers, including Paul Anderson, a Ben-Gurion University speaker, Dick Butera, architect Charles Cunniffe, Mara COO Alison Ford, Aspen Airport Director Jackie Francis, health expert Ashley Grimmel, Jazz Aspen founder Jim Horowitz, Alex Kelloff, Skippy Mesirow, art gallerist Albert Sanford, menopause and hormone specialist and author Dr. Alan Altman, Aspen City Councilman Bill Guth, AI strategist Alicia Dahling, relationship expert Rachel Greenwald, and Aspen Valley Hospital CEO Dr. Richard Becker. We've also hosted an Aspen Mayoral Candidates Forum.
Today, the Fleck Forum continues to bring together 25-55 engaged community members for thoughtful conversations about the issues shaping Aspen and the world beyond. We believe the best ideas don't come from everyone agreeing - they come from people who are willing to sit at the same table, ask good questions, listen with curiosity, and engage respectfully.
Aaron believed stronger communities are built one conversation at a time. That simple idea continues to guide the Fleck Forum today.
How we gather
The quality of the room matters.
Listen first
We come to understand before we come to persuade. Questions are welcome. Interruptions are not.
Participate generously
The forum is not a performance or a panel discussion. The quality of the room depends on people willing to contribute thoughtfully.
Disagree with respect
Different viewpoints are expected and valued. Disagreement should remain specific, civil, and directed at ideas rather than people.
Stay curious
No one arrives with the complete picture. We make room for questions, uncertainty, new information, and the possibility of changing our minds.
Protect the room
Respect the privacy of the people at the table and the sharing boundaries set for each gathering.
Continue the connection
The best conversations do not end when lunch does. They become invitations to think further, follow up, and stay in touch.
For members
The calendar, gathering details, and approved notes stay inside the private member space. Sign in to continue the conversation.
Membership
Curiosity is the common ground.
Membership is intentionally personal and limited. We bring together people from different fields, not to create a room of people who agree, but a room where different experiences can meet. Curiosity, generosity, and participation are what make someone right for the table.
If this sounds like the kind of room you would value, tell us a little about yourself. A host reads every request personally and writes back if there is a gathering, and a seat, that feels like the right fit.
A few sentences are plenty. Tell us where you are based, what subjects interest you, or what drew you to the forum.
A question for the hosts?
Your request is private and available to Pam, Alan, and the forum’s authorized coordinators and administrators. It does not create membership automatically. Member names, private gathering venues, guest lists, and private notes are not published publicly. Read our privacy note.
Rooted in Aspen. Open to the world.
Build longer tables, not higher walls.
We gather in Aspen, but our conversations move across disciplines, generations, and points of view. A seat at the table is an invitation to listen, contribute, and keep the conversation going.
Request an invitation