When business matches purpose, impact and economic success, it truly is a force for good. LMU College of Business Administration sees business as central to creating a world that advances economic, social and environmental flourishing, where business plays a key role in collaborating on sustainable development goals for the betterment of the global community.
As part of this commitment, LMU is one of nearly 500 schools across the globe affiliated with AIM2Flourish, an initiative started by the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Using the UN Global Goals as their lens, students research and identify a positive business innovation and interview a business leader about it. Their stories live on the AIM2Flourish.com platform as sources of inspiration for others.
Professor Jeff Thies and students from his “Business Ethics and Sustainability” course were recognized by AIM2Flourish as 2021 Flourish Prize Honorees. Their innovative stories were chosen as two of the 17 best stories exemplifying how business is a force for good and demonstrating progress toward the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). The 2021 global competition included 585 submissions, 77 finalists and only 17 winners (one for each Global Goal).
Congratulations to the following teams:
- Soap for Change – featuring Pacha Soap Co. (Global Goal #3: Good Health and Well-being), written by students Hope Georgiou, Bryson Gardner, Julian Longmire, Ashley Hollis and Trevor Grinsell, under the direction of Jeff Thies
- Disrupting Alternative Digital Banking Solutions – featuring Dave — Banking for Humans (Global Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities), written by students Alicia Berger, Caleb Cremin-Endes, Chiara Armstrong, Cassidy Collins and Morgan Brooks, under the direction of Jeff Thies
“AIM2Flourish helps our students see ‘business as a force for good’ in action,” said Thies, director of LMU Institute for Business Ethics and Sustainability. “Having our students engage in conversations with ethical and sustainable businesses not only creates a deeper understanding of economics but a real-world connection to critical business concepts.”
AIM2Flourish complements other initiatives and activities in the college that look at business ethics and sustainability, such as the International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition (IBESCC) and the Business as a Force for Good Annual Ethics Symposium.
“Given our CBA mission and our commitment to PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education), I couldn’t be prouder of these students for the work they have done in advancing the SDGs and finding companies that represent best practices in these areas,” said Dayle M. Smith, dean of LMU College of Business Administration. “Bringing home not only one – but two – awards this year is truly wonderful and is a testament to the quality of our submissions and passion for business for good.”
The 2021 Flourish Prize Honorees will be recognized and celebrated at the Fowler Center’s Fifth Global Forum for Business as an Agent of World Benefit, to be held virtually on October 19th-28th, 2021.
