Can Business Be a Force for Good?

Washington and Lee University Alumni Engagement Lifelong Learning W&L at Home Webinars Can Business Be a Force for Good?
Lifelong Learning

Can Business Be a Force for Good? Webinar Series

January-February 2026 (7:30-8:30 PM ET)

The Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics sets Washington and Lee apart, preparing students to navigate business and politics with a strong ethical foundation. As concerns about corporate misconduct grow, many entrepreneurs and leaders are working to show that business can be a force for good, creating financial, social, and environmental benefits simultaneously.

The Business as a Force for Good webinar series features four Williams School faculty exploring the relationship between business and goodness. Megan Hess introduces conscious capitalism; Jayson Margalus discusses entrepreneurship for good; and Joel Adams and Emily Landry debate whether business can prioritize sustainability and the public interest. The series leads into the Institute for Honor Symposium and is co-sponsored by the 2026 Entrepreneurship Summit.

Megan Hess, January 20, 2026

Megan Hess
Megan Hess
Megan Hess, the Class of 1960 Professor of Ethics and Accounting, will introduce us to the ideas behind the conscious capitalism.

Jayson Margalus, January 27, 2026

Jayson Margalus
Jayson Margalus
Jayson Margalus, Johnson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership and director of the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship, will take on entrepreneurship as a force for good.

Access Professor Margalus’s Entrepreneurship for Good presentation.

Joel Adams and Emily Landry, February 10, 2026

Emily Landry
Emily Landry
Joel Adams
Joel Adams
Joel Adams and Emily Landry, assistant professors of business administration, will debate the primary premise that business can have priorities that include sustainability and public well-being.

Register for the Webinar: Business as a Force for Good with Joel Adams and Emily Landry