Brad Batemen, author of Keynes's Uncertain Revolution (University of Michigan Press, 1996) and co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to Keynes (Cambridge University Press, 2006), will examine the life and intellectual legacy of John Maynard Keynes, perhaps the most influential economist of the twentieth century. Keynes's General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936) offered an influential explanation of the causes of the Great Depression and helped develop the tools with which policy makers have fought recessions ever since.

Small business entrepreneurs are the world’s frontline risk takers, job creators and problem solvers, but too many world-changing enterprises fail due to a lack of effective, early stage support. Agora Partnerships’ Accelerator identifies promising, impact-focused entrepreneurs in Central America & Mexico. They create a global network to help the entrepreneurs build scaleable business models, provide them with tools to grow their business and their impact, coach them in the capital raising process, and connect them to impact investors. Co-sponsored by the Center for Enterprise Research and Education and the BB&T Center for the Study of Capitalism.

In Rwanda, “real problems,” generated by longstanding competition and tensions between ethnic groups in two tiny African countries, Rwanda and Burundi, has led to civil fighting, wars, and genocide. Eighteen years later, Rwanda’s face has changed and strengthened, and it has become one of the top destinations for business leaders and international tourists. Success stories on political, social, and economic levels are behind this transformation. Mr. Nyagahene’s story is about opportunities and challenges he faced in his devastated country of Rwanda, and the reconciliation between neighbors and former enemies sharing common interests today: healing people, business ventures leading to wealth creation, and economic transformation.

Dr. Peter Temin, author of Lessons from the Great Depression (MIT Press, 1991), will examine recent economic events in light economic historians’ research into the causes of the Great Depression – warning that we have and are in the process of repeating many of the same mistakes.

Cosponsored with the Department of Economics.

Stuart Hart is one of the world's top authorities on the implications of environment and poverty for business strategy. In 1999, he was the recipient of the Faculty Pioneer Award from the World Resources Institute for his ground-breaking work in sustainable enterprise.

He has served as consultant, advisor, or management educator for dozens of corporations and organizations including Dupont, S. C. Johnson, General Electric, Baxter Healthcare, Wal Mart, the World Economic Forum, and the Clinton Global Initiative. He is an internationally recognized speaker and has delivered over 100 keynote addresses on the topic of sustainable business around the world. Professor Hart has also published more than 70 papers and authored or edited seven books with over 5,000 Google Scholar citations in all.

"Capitalism with a Conscience"

Join us as Walter Robb outlines how Whole Foods Market embraces both profitability and social responsibility. He will then join John Allison, retired Chairman and CEO of BB&T and Professor at WFU Schools of Business, in a lively discussion about the social responsibility of business. Moderated by Aman Singh, Editorial Director of CSRwire.com.

Daniel Vasella, M.D., is Chairman of the Board of Directors
for Novartis AG. He served as CEO and executive member of
the Board of Directors for 14 years following the merger that
created Novartis in 1996.


Before the Novartis merger, Dr. Vasella was CEO of Sandoz
Pharma Ltd. and a member of the Sandoz Group Executive
Committee. From 1988 to 1992, he was with Sandoz
Pharmaceuticals Corporation in the US, prior to which he held a number of
medical positions in Switzerland.


Dr. Vasella is Chairman of Alcon and member of the Board of Directors of
PepsiCo, Inc. He is also a member of the International Board of Governors
of the Peres Center for Peace in Israel, the International Business Leaders
Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai, the Global Health Program
Advisory Panel of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is a foreign
honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.