Just wrapped up a retreat in Minneapolis with my cohort of 2024 Bush Fellows.

A year into this fellowship and I’m still deeply grateful for having been selected. My cohort is full of brilliant people with big hearts and good ideas. We greeted each other with joyful hugs, treated each other to stories of what we’re learning and how we’re adapting our plans as we grow.

We laughed a lot and cried more than a little. These are people who are hoping to make big changes in our own lives and in our communities, and who are willing to put in the work that those changes will take. The other Bush Fellows make me glad and give me hope.

I think we’re all also aware that there are a lot of other people out there who were just as worthy of this honor and support as we are. Which makes us keen to make the best use of what we have been given, and to make good things available to others as we grow as leaders.

  • The Bush Fellowship and the Bush Foundation that funds it are named for Archie and Edyth Bush, who left their wealth to see good ideas fostered and strong leaders encouraged and supported in the Upper Midwest. Since people often ask me: no, there’s no relation between the fellowship and the former U.S. Presidents.