When is business at its best? That was the question on everyone\u2019s mind during the Shared Value Summit \u2013 held 12-13 May in New York City \u2013 which gathered over 400 of the world\u2019s thinkers and doers to deliver the \u201chow-to\u201d of building an inclusive strategy to improve both business and lives. Participants ranged from nonprofits to for-profits and discussed everything from global activism to operational impact.<\/p>\n
The summit, organized by FSG\u2013a mission driven consulting firm\u2013 kicked off with a focus on the \u201cwhy\u201d of shared value, with insights offered from Michael Porter, the summit\u2019s keynote speaker and Bishop William Lawrence, University Professor at Harvard Business School. Porter asked participants to \u201clook at business in a different way and see a different kind of potential.\u201d Rather than thinking of inclusive development as the combination of economic development and social progress, Porter and the Shared Value Summit focused on the rationale that the private sector can play a fundamental role in moving social development agendas forward. Other summit speakers included: Hikmet Ersek, President, CEO and Director of Western Union; Rani Deshpande, Director of YouthSave, Save the Children; Matt Lonner, Global Social Performance Manager at Chevron;\u00a0 Karl Hofmann, President and CEO of PSI.<\/p>\n