Entrepreneurship & innovation

The U.S. faces many societal challenges. Here, two generations argue for a solution: the embrace of an entrepreneurial spirit. Business can be part of the solution, and there are specific actions we can take to encourage and accelerate the positive effects new businesses bring to society.

In The Stakeholder Podcast, Professor Ed Freeman interviews Bill Shelton, who leveraged his success for social good. They discuss race in business, sports in society and how the habits of elite athletes can translate into career performance. Shelton’s EOS helps female athletes translate their success into corporate careers and sponsorships.

Change the world through subtraction: New research examines subtraction neglect — the human inclination to improve by adding to what exists, rather than to subtract and simplify. Here’s advice on how to add subtraction to your cognitive toolkit, which can have distinct benefits in work and life.

November was a big month for climate, with excitement around renewed talks at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and Biden’s signing of the U.S. infrastructure bill. Yet recent commitments made by governments may not be enough to avoid the inevitable disruption that will be experienced around the world due to global warming.

Professor Michael Lenox, who also serves as senior associate dean and chief strategy officer at Darden, delivers his expertise on climate action and says that success will depend on greening energy sources, reducing emissions from industrials, agriculture and buildings, and electrifying transportation.

Professor Jeanne Liedtka calls out 10 specific biases that cause especially serious problems for innovators. Design Thinking’s ability to fight these common biases accounts for its ability to help us test our ideas successfully.

Solutions to many challenging problems, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, require technological coordination and collaboration at the global level. Professor Ting Xu’s latest research identifies bilateral investment treaties (BITs) as a useful policy lever to promote the globalization of innovation.

With the world on the brink of pandemic, a business was asked to make masks. How should it balance an ethical imperative against the risks of entering a new market? And what direction should it take when the crisis receded? Public-private partnerships can combine the strengths of diverse entities, driving rich, broadly beneficial results.

The glass ceiling exists around the world. In this podcast, Professor Gaurav Chiplunkar discusses his new research on the barriers faced by female entrepreneurs in developing countries, how their challenges harm the entire economy, and what business leaders and policymakers can do about it.

Professor Mike Lenox and Senior Researcher Becky Duff at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business talk with the Batten Institute’s Sean Carr about their new book on what it will take to decarbonize the economy. Not just one sector. Every sector. And their insights have big implications for every business leader, investor and policymaker