Management Conference

Robins School Faculty Join Global Dialogue on Business’s Role in Addressing Society’s Grand Challenges

August 22, 2025
Faculty from the Robins School of Business traveled to Palermo, Italy, to take part in a global gathering of scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders at LUMSA University.

In late May, faculty from the Robins School of Business traveled to Palermo, Italy, to take part in a global gathering of scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders at LUMSA University. The conference, “The Strategic Role of Business in Addressing Unsolved Grand Challenges: Firms, Platforms & Ecosystems,” held May 21–23, brought together 225 participants from 40 countries to explore how business can play a transformative role in addressing some of the world’s most urgent and unsolved problems.

The conference highlighted four grand challenges—Climate Change and the Environment, Immigration and Refugees, Poverty Alleviation, and Artificial Intelligence. Strategic management researchers and speakers encouraged the academic community to engage in crafting novel, stakeholder-responsive solutions that balance innovation with equity.

The Robins School delegation played a central role in the event. Professor Jeff Harrison served on the conference’s organizing committee, where he managed the entire paper review process and designed the three-day academic program. The Robins School also earned special recognition for its sponsorship of the conference, including support for the gala dinner, which became one of the week’s most memorable occasions.

Alongside Harrison, Richmond faculty Doug Bosse, Violet Ho, Marina Astakhova, Joyce van der Laan Smith, Daniel Paik, and Carlos Hurtado attended the conference, contributing as paper reviewers, session chairs, and presenters. Michelle Montague-Mfuni served as track chair for the poverty track, and Trey Sutton assisted with reviews during the paper selection process—roles that helped ensure the quality and rigor of the academic program.

The Robins School faculty showcased diverse research at the conference:

  • Carlos Hurtado presented “Innovation, Startup Growth and Community Impact.”
  • Joyce van der Laan Smith and Daniel Paik co-authored “Does Corporate Social Performance Influence a Firm’s Choice of Product Recall Strategy?”
  • Violet Ho and Marina Astakhova presented “Are CEOs Genuine Champions for Poverty Alleviation? It All Depends on Their Passion for Work and Serving.”

Each presentation underscored the Robins School’s commitment to exploring how business can create value for society while addressing difficult tradeoffs in practice.

In his opening remarks on behalf of the organizing committee, Harrison emphasized the need for conferences like this one to serve as springboards for real change. “This conference should serve as a springboard to finding new ways to address poverty,” he said, “which applies just as well to the other Grand Challenges.”

By the close of the event, it was clear that the Robins School faculty had represented the University of Richmond with distinction—both through their scholarship and their active roles in shaping the program. More importantly, their presence contributed to an international dialogue that underscored the urgency of collaboration across borders, disciplines, and perspectives.

The Palermo conference demonstrated that while societal grand challenges remain deeply complex, they also offer opportunities for innovation, responsibility, and hope. For the Robins School faculty, the experience was not only a chance to share research, but also to help shape the global conversation on how business can respond to humanity’s toughest questions—and, in doing so, help chart a path toward transformation and abundance.