The Atlantic Council is convening twenty-one exceptional rising leaders from around the world this week in Washington, DC for the formal launch of the Millennium Fellowship. The fellowship seeks to connect innovative  leaders under thirty-five years old who will shape the twenty-first century and empower them to pursue transformational change with a global vision.

The inaugural class includes entrepreneurs, diplomats, human rights advocates, investors, senior government advisors, development professionals, urban leaders, and military officers and veterans from fourteen countries across five continents. “We’re searching for innovators and transformational leaders under thirty-five years old who are committed to changing the world and poised to make a global impact now,” said Atlantic Council Chairman Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. Through this unique two-year program, these fellows will join a network of outstanding peers from around the world, have unparalleled opportunities to engage at flagship Atlantic Council events, learn directly from top experts and world leaders, and collaborate on projects with global impact. Fellows won selection through a highly competitive process with over 850 applicants from 109 countries.

During the inaugural program week, fellows will attend the Council’s Global Strategy Forum and Distinguished Leadership Awards dinner and meet with senior leaders including former Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Philip Breedlove, Academy Award®-winning producer and director Gerardine Wurzburg, Deputy US National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, US Senator Christopher Murphy, Governor Huntsman, and former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright, among many others. Fellows will also deepen their leadership skills and substantive understanding through executive master class sessions and site visits across at leading institutions. In November, the inaugural class will meet again at the Council’s Energy and Economic Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

The fellowship is the cornerstone of the new Millennium Leadership Program and a central pillar of the Council’s mission to promote constructive global leadership and build enduring relationships capable of addressing the shared global challenges of the twenty-first century. It builds on over fifty years of engaging exceptional rising leaders for innovative programming and high-profile events, including alongside seven previous NATO Summits.

For a list of the 2015 fellows and biographies, pleae click here. For further information or to arrange an interview with one or more of the fellows, please contact press@atlanticcouncil.org.