Get to know our fellows:
Introducing the My ALI Journey series
Pictured (Left to Right) 2021 ALI fellows: Lillian Sparks Robinson, Tim Merrill, Margarita Rosa
The Harvard ALI community is a vibrant network comprised of current and past ALI cohorts, Harvard students and faculty, and other collaborators both on and off-campus. At the heart of this community is the cohort of Fellows and Partners who join ALI each year. A new series of short videos titled My ALI Journey will highlight individual members of ALI’s 2021 cohort—sharing their stories, perspectives and aspirations for social impact. 

Hear more from our 2021 fellows Lillian Sparks Robinson, Tim Merrill, and Margarita Rosa as they share why they decided to join the ALI program at this stage of their career, what they are discovering on campus—from new insights to unexpected connections—and how they plan to apply their learnings to create social impact in the future. 

Take a look at these short interviews, and stay tuned for more videos in the series! 
The Points North Institute/Camden International Film Festival
Documentary films can be a powerful tool for creating social change. They use multi-media storytelling to bring complex or under-recognized issues to life, mobilizing greater public awareness and support. The Camden International Film Festival is recognized as one of the top 25 documentary film festivals in the world and the largest in New England. Hosted by the Points North Institute every September in the scenic coastal town of Camden, Maine, it features a vibrant program of cutting-edge documentaries and dialogues among filmmakers, industry leaders and others. ALI Coalition members Steven Koltai (2018) and Ben Thompson (2018) have been active in CIFF/PNI leadership, welcoming ALI colleagues and friends to visit the festival in past years.
 
This year, the 17th Annual Camden International Film Festival will take place both in person (September 16-19) and virtually (September 16-26), so that anyone can attend regardless of location. The Festival will mobilize support for documentary artists through its Filmmaker Solidarity Fund, which last year supported 64 filmmaking teams. Friends of the ALI community are warmly welcome to participate in person or virtually to support this exciting event. For more information, visit the website.
Fellows News
Linda Dakin-Grimm (2020) is featured on the Law, Policy & Markets: Milkbank Conversations podcast. She discusses her pro bono work which includes guiding immigrants through the legal system, and working with unaccompanied children.

Haifa Al Kaylani (2017) is featured on the Nama Women podcast Conversations with Leading Women. She discusses her 20 years of work empowering women both in the MENA region, and globally.

Brett Perlman (2016) and the Center for Houston's Future held a three day hybrid conference on the Future of Global Energy which highlighted the opportunity for the Houston region to become a leader in the energy transition.

Bruce and Mary Louise Cohen (2014) and their organization Talent Beyond Boundaries reached a new milestone with a partnership with the United Kingdom government. Featured in the London Times, this pilot project enables skilled refugees, who have had to flee their homes, with a safe and legal way to enter the country with 5-year visas.

Eric Jacobsen and Howard Fischer (2013) of Gratitude Railroad co-hosted a convening with Native American CDFI leaders in Red Lodge, Montana to listen, learn, and understand the issues faced by Indigenous communities. They are now in the process of identifying ways impact investors can be supportive in a respectful, but mutually resonant, manner.
Faculty & Staff News
ALI Faculty Chair Meredith Rosenthal (SPH) says there is a growing problem of out-of-pocket costs and affordability even with employer-sponsored insurance for most US residents. In a newly published journal for JAMA, she describes her research and concerns about underinsurance and the need to better deliver affordable health care.

ALI Founding Chair & Director Rosabeth Moss Kanter (HBS) says employers must go beyond the basics of pay and benefits to deal with current labor shortages. In an opinion piece for CNN, she mentions five important factors employers should be thinking about such as offering flexible schedules, opportunities for skill growth, chances to volunteer, and more. 

ALI Faculty Board Member Andrew Crespo (HLS) recently launched the Institute to End Mass Incarceration at Harvard Law School. Professor Crespo will be Faculty Director of the new institute that will work to dismantle our system of mass incarceration, root and branch. Their goal is not simply to pursue decarceration, but also address the structural problems that led to this crisis to begin with.