The 20th Aspen Ideas Festival is a place for "bright minds in dark times"

The globe's foremost thinkers, doers and leaders are gathered this week in Aspen to prove the staying power of conversation in the era of the soundbite.

Why it matters: The premise of the Aspen Ideas Festival as a place where culture shapers and soul savers mingle with decision makers and wealth builders is more important than ever as the event marks its 20th year.

Driving the news: This year's theme — "bright minds in dark times," as curator Tina Brown puts it — certainly sets the stakes, the festival's executive director Graham Veysey tells us.

• The opening session today dives into the pitfalls and promise of the moment, with a conversation about women's freedom in Iran and an interview with the most powerful woman in space, Space X president Gwynne Shotwell.
• Other sessions uplift new ideas and creative arts to give hope for the future.

What they're saying: "Being able to sustain a convening across 20 years … is a reminder that people hunger to come together to share ideas, to learn together," adds Daniel Porterfield, CEO of the Aspen Institute.

The big picture: The Ideas Festival is the most public-facing work from the institute, which launched 75 years ago as a humanistic studies venture that soon focused on "thought leading to action."

• The institute now boasts a global presence , with its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and its work ranging from the arts to community efforts in Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley.
• The 40-acre Aspen campus is "kind of a crossroads for our programs," Porterfield says.

Zoom in: This year's festival, which goes through Saturday, June 29, is designed as a 360-degree experience that celebrates all different genres of thinkers. Among the sessions:

• A culinary exploration of plant-based foods with Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown.
• A discussion with former U.S. climate envoy and Secretary of State John Kerry about who will pay most for climate change and what's needed to stop global warming.
• A conversation with Dina Kawa, the U.S. ambassador to Jordan, about Middle East diplomacy after the Hamas attack on Israel .
• A live presidential debate watch party June 27 with a panel of experts.

Pro tip: A great part about the Ideas Festival: You can watch for free at home.

How it works: Most of the sessions are filmed and broadcast on the Aspen Institute's YouTube page a few days afterward.

• Check the schedule for the session and link to the video.

Dig in: If you can't wait, dig into the archives from the past 20 years — just search by topic .

• Or check out the "Aspen Ideas To Go" podcast to listen to excerpts from the big discussions.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show Ethan Brown is the CEO of Beyond Meat (not a New York chef).

Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Denver.