The Corporate Activist

Welcome to this episode of The Corporate Activist.

Today, we're joined by Dr. Christopher Marquis, a leading voice in business sustainability and social entrepreneurship. 

We explore the provocative insights from his latest book, The Profiteers, which sheds light on how companies privatize profits while socializing costs, often leaving the public to foot the bill. 

Join us as we unravel the complexities of corporate social impact and discuss actionable steps businesses can take to foster a more equitable and sustainable future.

Here are the highlights:

(2:21) How companies externalize costs to society while profiting

(7:43) Corporate social responsibility and sustainability

(13:39) Reversing short-termism in business through policy changes and collective action

(19:33) Corporate sustainability, regenerative business models, and accountability

(25:21) Businesses' impact on society and the environment

(35:38) Cultural shifts towards prioritizing people over profits

(40:18) Sustainable business practices and social impact

Guest Bio

Christopher Marquis is the Sinyi Professor of Chinese Management at the University of Cambridge and author of The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profits and Socializes Costs. His research examines business sustainability and social entrepreneurship, and he has written two prior award-winning books, including Better Business: How the B Corp Movement Is Remaking Capitalism and Mao and Markets: The Communist Roots of Chinese Enterprise. Marquis is passionate about how academic research can help people around the world address some of the biggest crises of our day — including climate change, inequality, and racism. Before Cambridge Marquis worked at Cornell for 6 years, and Harvard for 11 years. He has a PhD in sociology from the University of Michigan and previously worked for six years in the financial services industry, most recently as a Vice President at JP Morgan Chase.

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In today’s episode, we're diving into the gaming industry’s role and responsibility in corporate activism and social impact with Sophie Vo, a seasoned game executive and founder of Rise and Play. 

Sophie shares her journey and vision for a more inclusive, socially responsible gaming world. 

Through her work, she aims to create a balance between economic success and positive social change, advocating for a human-centric approach to game development. 

Join us for a compelling conversation on how the video game industry can overcome some of its inherit challenges and be a force for good.

Here are the highlights: 

(1:35) Gaming industry leadership and social impact

(11:10) Sexism and inclusion in the gaming industry

(16:22) Ethics and responsibility in the gaming industry

(21:53) Value-driven gaming startup and its approach to connecting people

(34:51) Gamification and social impact with industry expert Sophie

Find out more: 

Welcome to another episode of The Corporate Activist. 

In this episode I speak with organisational psychologist Dr. Philip Mirvis. Dr Mirvis was inspired by the social and labor activism of 60s and 70s which led him to advocating for employees and better treatment for workers within corporations. This evolved into later helping Ben & Jerry's develop their advocacy work, and led to a long career in teaching and advising on corporate activism. He also authored several books and articles on the topic, including his most recent book, Sustainability to Social Change, Lead Your Company From Managing Risk To Creating Social Value.

We discuss how corporate activism is becoming more necessary, and more tricky, for both employees and corporations within today's contentious political and social environment. 

Join us for a great conversation through the practicalities and possibilities of corporate activism.

Here are the highlights: 

(1:23) Social impact and corporate activism

(15:31) Corporate social responsibility and leadership

(24:04) Measuring social impact in business

(35:59) Businesses making a positive impact on society 

(45:10) Prioritizing environmental impact alongside profit

(50:36) Creating a safe space for employees

Find out more about Dr Philip Mirvis:

In this episode I speak with Jeremy Brown about his efforts to bring together social impact practitioners through his platform, Social Impact World and his efforts to help companies be a force for social good.

Jeremy has a rich background in social enterprise and he shares some practical steps that businesses can take to challenge the status quo and inspire a new wave of socially conscious businesses and leaders.

Here are the highlights:

(1:22) Social impact and volunteering in the tech industry

(5:20) CSR vs. Social Impact in the business world

(8:55) Social impact in business and leadership

(13:19) Social impact leadership and company involvement

(19:53) Corporate social responsibility and taking a stand on social issues

(30:45) Corporate social responsibility and political neutrality

(35:57) Social impact in business, including revenue generation

(45:15) Social impact, podcasting, and remote work

Guest Bio

Jeremy Brown is the Founder of Social Impact World, a global community of social impact leaders focused on turning the corporate world into a force for good. He's also the Host of the Behind the Impact podcast where he explores how companies use their people, products, and capital for good. With a decade of experience in the tech industry and almost just as much time in social impact, Jeremy has spent most of his career helping startups grow while encouraging them to contribute meaningfully to society.

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This week's episode is a re-visit to an episode from Season One , where I am joined by Edward Sullivan.

Edward is the CEO and Managing Partner at Velocity Coaching.

His 20-year career as an executive coach and political consultant has taken him around the globe coaching and advising start-up founders, fortune 500 CEOs and heads of state of foreign nations. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes and more. 

In this episode from last year, we explore why corporate values should be a reflection of our personal values, how the role of the CEO is evolving and how living by our values can ultimately help the bottom line.

Here are the highlights:

(07:11) How more emotionally connected conversations can lead to living richer lives

(14:26) Why it’s hard for an organisation to have a sense of purpose if the leader doesn’t

(20:15) How the role of the CEO is evolving

(28:12) Why corporate values should be a reflection of personal values

To contact Edward: