Introducing the Inaugural Bezos Scholars Alum Council

The inaugural Bezos Scholars Alum Council entered this year’s retreat ready to build a strong foundation for its first year. Spending four days together—beginning with our BSP Alum Council retreat, followed by a morning at the TED Fellows Fest and culminating in the TEDNext conference.

We deepened connections, clarified vision, and aligned on how we want to support and activate the wider Alum Network. Each of these experiences built on the last, fueling our momentum and showing us how the BSP Network fits within the broader ecosystem of leaders using ideas to spark connection and drive meaningful change.

A central focus of the BSP Alum Council retreat was defining the alum community we want to build. We identified the need for intentional touchpoints that reconnect alums across cohorts and life stages, and for virtual and in-person events that feel easy, welcoming, and meaningful. We also emphasized the importance of gathering input directly from alums, so our work reflects what the community values most.

Council members shared reflections that grounded this vision in practice. Events Chair, Imane Bounana (2014), shared a lesson she carries from her Scholar experience in Aspen: Practice twenty seconds of courage each day, a reminder that community often grows from a small act of reaching out. Cohort Ambassador Co-Chair Saifeddine Lahmar (2021) added that “everyone has a story to tell,” encouraging us to create spaces where those stories can surface. These perspectives guided the design of the BSP Alum Survey, which takes five to ten minutes and will help us shape programs that reflect the interests, needs, and experiences of the network.

TEDNext and Fellows Fest reinforced the urgency and promise of our work. Being surrounded by people who lead with curiosity, generosity, and purpose highlighted that the Alum Council is part of a broader ecosystem of leaders who believe in the power of ideas and community. Our work is not only about staying connected, but it is also about creating places where we can collaborate, lead, and connect. As a Council, we ground our time together in person in our purpose statement, to connect the BSP network so that alums can advance a shared legacy of impact, and look forward to shaping what comes next, together.