Private Innovation in the Public Interest

Professor Thomaz Teodorovicz examines how investments by companies in the general education of low-income workers can lead to unexpected improvements in their lives, ultimately resulting in higher worker retention. He and Anita discuss how companies can support such investments at scale by partnering with city governments, citing the example of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Professor Dovev Lavie is dedicated to building new institutions that leverage our collaborative and altruistic instincts, rather than our competitive and exploitative tendencies. He believes that digital technology can provide the tools necessary to spark an epidemic of collaboration.

Professor Sergio Lazzarini of INSPER, one of Brazil's leading business schools, is deeply engaged in various sustainability initiatives. He believes that companies succeed in creating social impact when they act with justice. Achieving this, he says, requires listening to communities as they define the challenges they need help with.

Professor and Vice Dean Witold Henisz , who leads ESG initiatives at Wharton, describesthe polarized debate surrounding corporate social responsibility. His advice tostudents? Bring your best selves to the world’s most impactful organizationsand drive meaningful change from within.

Professor Sarah Kaplan , an expert on stakeholder engagement, views trade-offs between stakeholder needs as opportunities for innovation. However, navigating these challenges is far from easy. Her advice in the face of failure? Don’t give up – try something else.

Professor Sandro Cabral provides a profoundly simple answer to Anita’s pressing question: Why can’t governments solve public problems without assistance from the private sector? His response: Governments are structured for transparency and accountability, not for prototyping, experimenting, learning, revising, and relaunching. This creates a significant gap that companies and private organizations...

Professor Samina Karim describes two inspiring NGOs in Central America that succeed where local governments are unable to act.

Professor Olga Hawn explains how the CSR movement paved the way for its greenwashing downfall by relying on professional PR firms to promote achievements. She emphasizes the need for a systematic approach to measuring the genuine societal impact of corporate initiatives.

Civic leader and venture investor Kate Cummings joins Anita to talk about how little we teach in business schools about how governments operate.

Professor and Dean Emeritus Roger Martin encourages company leaders to address critical public problems by leveraging their strengths: scaling proven solutions into profitable and sustainable business models.

Professor Leo Pongeluppe discusses how online retailers charge higher prices in poorer areas of Rio’s favelas compared to wealthier neighborhoods just steps away. He’s optimistic that this can change – and gently demands that it should happen now.

Professor Subramanian Rangan highlights the transformative power of humility, good intentions, continuous learning, clarity of purpose, and, above all, decisive action.