18 March 2025, 6:30pm GMT (In-person and online)

Professor Jonathan Roberts' inaugural lecture: The mysterious art and science of doing good 

Private actions for public benefit - philanthropy, charity, voluntary action or social entrepreneurship - have long been at the core of societies, religions and human activity. Fuelled by increasing frustration at the perceived inability of governments, markets and NGOs to solve social and environmental problems, this arena of private action for public benefit is currently experiencing both resurgence and disruption.

New ideologies of doing good stress the importance of maximising the social impact of our altruism and seeking long-term solutions to social problems. Innovative mechanisms of financing and organisation mix business practice with philanthropy and charity, stretching from impact investing and venture philanthropy to the social enterprise and the purpose-driven corporation. These new institutions and approaches to private action for public benefit open valuable new windows for achieving social change. But they also create tensions, puzzles and discomfort. In his inaugural professorial lecture, Jonathan Roberts explores how we can navigate this complex and dynamic new world of doing good.

Register here

04 February 

Beyond Logic: Unlocking the Power of Intuition 

Join Jess Pryce-Jones in conversation with Christian Busch to discuss her newest book: Intuition at Work. Chaired by Stephan Chambers.

Intuition at Work: Using your Gut Feelings to Get Ahead

In today’s business landscape, data-driven strategies dominate the decision-making process, and quite rightly. Unfortunately, relying only on spreadsheets and analysis limits everyone’s thinking when it comes to generating new ideas, navigating uncertainty, and reacting in a crisis or in times that demand quick, accurate decisions in a fast-moving context. That’s when intuition is such an invaluable tool because it captures the full value, subtlety and range of human experience, something which AI or algorithms can never do.There’s plenty of solid research which shows that when leaders use intuition, they make better strategic decisions; problem-solve more effectively; assess and analyse risks better; and make more effective hires, to name a few critical activities. In essence, intuition helps to cut through to better outcomes and, just as importantly, stops people from selecting worse ones.This book was born out of Jess’s experience as an executive coach. She has found that many leaders get stuck when they fail to trust themselves or others, then corporate wheels spin unproductively, and people derail as a result. Drawing on published research in a wide range of disciplines, leaders’ personal stories and real-life examples, she provides an easy-to-read and complete approach for honing intuition at work.

Jess Pryce-Jones, Author, 'Intuition at Work'

Jess is an executive coach and author who over the last 25 years has acted as adjunct faculty in ten leading business schools. She’s also an honorary senior visiting fellow at Bayes Business School. With a reputation for pragmatism, she has just published her third book, ‘Intuition at Work’.Jess works mainly for multinationals coaching individuals and teams. She also designs and delivers leadership programmes. She’s delighted to be working on one for global palliative care leaders operating in the toughest of circumstances.One of her aims is to get senior leaders to talk more about intuition and to deliberately use it because that radically alters the tenor and depth of any conversation.A former investment banker and corporate escapee, Jess lives in France and works internationally.

Professor Christian Busch, Author, 'Connect the Dots'

Christian Busch, PhD, is the bestselling author of 'Connect the Dots: The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck', a “wise, exciting, and life-changing book” (Arianna Huffington) that “offers excellent practical guidance for all” (Paul Polman, former CEO, Unilever). He is a business professor at the USC Marshall School of Business, and cofounded Leaders on Purpose and the Sandbox Network. He previously co-directed the LSE's Social Innovation Lab, is a member of the World Economic Forum's Expert Forum, among Capital's "Top 40 under 40", a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and on the Thinkers50 Radar list of the management thinkers "most likely to shape the future." Christian previously worked in business and consulting in Mexico, Germany, the UK, South Africa, and the US, and guest-lectured at Peking University, Stanford University, and Kenya's Strathmore Business School. He received his PhD from the LSE.

Watch a recording of this event here

13 June

Power and Social Change: 5 ways we can challenge inequalities of power (LSE Festvial) 

How can we challenge inequalities of power?  As we seek to remedy social and environmental problems, how can we avoid imposing our power and worldview on others?  How can we empower those who have been marginalised?

Discuss these questions and more in this session with experts from LSE’s Marshall Institute, and uncover the complexity of power relations faced by those seeking to create social change.

You will learn five practical skills to challenge and reshape power dynamics:

• understanding social problems
• prioritising coproduction with communities and users
• considering organisational design
• leading systems change
• building (and sometimes not building) market-based solutions

 Listen to a podcast of this event here

29 May

The transformative power of education: in conversation with Safeena Husain

In 2007, Safeena Husain founded Educate Girls, a non-profit organisation in India committed to mobilising communities for girls’ education in India’s rural and educationally backward areas. Educate Girls combines advanced analytics with door-to-door community engagement to create new educational pathways for girls in India. The organisation has achieved remarkable success, mobilising over 1.4 million girls for school enrolment and supporting over 1.9 million students with remedial learning. The organisation works with over 21,000 community-based gender champions in some of the most marginalised communities in India to break the cycle of inequality and exclusion.

At this event, LSE President and Vice Chancellor Larry Kramer and LSE alumna Safeena Husain discussed why a girls' education is one of the best investments that a country can make and how Safeena intends to continue to scale up Educate Girls to improve millions of lives.

28 May

Impact Career Pathways: Career Transitioners

Watch this recording to discover how you can inject greater purpose into your work. Hear from Executive MSc Social Business and Entrepreneurship (EMSBE) alumni speakers who changed career direction after completing the course, working at the intersection of private action and public benefit.

Get ready to be captivated by their stories, insights and real-world experiences as they share how they’ve leveraged their skills and learnings from the EMSBE programme to create positive change in their organisations.

From making the leap to sourcing a new role, you'll gain valubale advice on how you can follow in their footsteps.

Click here to watch a recording of this event

14 May

Executive MSc Social Business and Entrepreneurship (EMSBE) Information Session

Making a profit doesn’t have to mean compromising social purpose. Watch this online information session to discover how you can make a lasting impact via our ground-breaking EMSBE programme.

9 May

Impact Career Pathways: Social Entrepreneurship 

In today's world where we increasingly prioritise ethical and sustainable business practices, more people than ever are pursuing a career that involves making a positive impact on society.

This webinar showcases the incredible journeys of our Executive MSc Social Business and Entrepreneurship (EMSBE) alumni speakers who are creating systemic change as social entrepreneurs.

Get ready to be captivated by their stories, insights and real-world experiences as they share how they’ve leveraged their skills and learnings from the EMSBE programme to create positive change in their communities and beyond.

Whether you’re an established entrepreneur or looking to progress into this field, this event is a valuable opportunity to gain top tips, learn from like-minded individuals and explore exciting career pathways in social impact.

Click here to watch a recording of this event

16 April

Reimagining Capitalism: Is there a moral limit on the role of markets in our societies? | Dr Jonathan Roberts and Dr Kerryn Krige

This webinar is a brief taster to our executive education programme Purpose and Profit: The Essentials of Social Business.

Capitalism is facing a crisis of legitimacy. It has shown remarkable capacity to create value, but too often that value has been captured by shareholders alone. At the same time there is an awareness that government, NGOs, and charities are failing too, and that they can improve their social impact by utilising the power of business mechanisms and the market. The interaction of purpose and profit creates both significant opportunities and demanding challenges. At its heart is not only a reformulation of the capitalist system, but also a reimagining of how we do good.

In this webinar, we’ll give you a taste of how you can go about understanding these challenges and leveraging these new opportunities to drive meaningful social impact. We’ll also outline some of the practical and political objections to mixing purpose and profit. We’ll introduce some new organisational structures – from the social enterprise to the purpose-driven corporation – and new forms of finance. We’ll consider whether it is really possible to make money while doing good.

Click here to watch a recording of the event

15 February

The Alternative: How to Build a Just Economy — Nick Romeo & Julian Le Grand

In this event, author Nick Romeo and the Marshall Institute's Professor Julian Le Grand discussed Nick's new book, The Alternative, and how we might create a path to a more sustainable, survivable economy.

A growing number of academic economists, business owners, policy entrepreneurs, and ordinary people are reshaping economies to reflect their ethical and social values. In The Alternative, journalist Nick Romeo, who covers the world’s most innovative economic and policy ideas for the New Yorker, takes us on an extraordinary journey through the unforgettable stories and successes of people working to build economies that are more equal, just, and liveable. Combining original, in-depth reporting with expert analysis, Romeo explores everything from fair pricing in the Netherlands to large-scale cooperatives in Spain to public sector marketplaces offering decent work and real protection to gig workers in California and demonstrates there is an alternative.

Click here to watch a recording of the event 

5 December, 3pm 

Executive MSc in Social Business and Entrepreneurship Info Session 

Online 

Making a profit doesn’t have to mean compromising social purpose. Join us at our upcoming online information session on Tuesday 05 December 2023 at 15:00 – 16:00 (GMT) to discover how you can make a lasting impact via our ground-breaking Executive MSc Social Business and Entrepreneurship (EMSBE) programme.

Register now to have your questions answered by the Director of the Marshall Institute Professor Stephan Chambers. In addition, receive advice, guidance and information from Head of Programme Delivery Anna Townsend, on everything from submitting your application to student support.

31 October, 6:30pm 

Towards a world of good relationships 

In person and online (Sheikh Zayed Theatre, Cheng Kin Ku Building) 

How are we to heal divided communities, to respect difference, trade fairly, care for the displaced, respond to crises, or share the natural world? How are we to live together? More than ever, the big questions that we face are all about relationships. Their substance and quality will determine the direction and quality of our lives.

In this event, David Robinson, Kirsty McNeill, and Gemma Mortensen discussed new trends in our understanding of relationships, and how meaningful relationships could be the central operating principle for social innovation. 

This event was chaired by The Marshall Institute's Stephan Chambers. 

Watch a recording of the event here

6 June, 6pm 

Social Entrepreneurship and Technology: How can we use it better?

The Marshall Institute's Stephan Chambers, Jonathan Roberts, and Kerryn Krige chaired a discussion on the best and worst tech ideas in social entrepreneurship.

23 May, 6pm 

How Can Regenerative Business Heal the World? | An Evening with Esha Chhabra

Esha’s work has seen her bring to light the inspiring stories of businesses and social entrepreneurs across nine industries, all of whom are moving beyond ‘sustainability’ into a new era of regeneration and restoration.

In conversation with Kindred’s Founder and LSE EMSBE alum, Anna Anderson, Esha discussed her book, Working to Restore: Harnessing the Power of Regenerative Business to Heal the World, and the incredible businesses she has discovered on her journey, opening up a conversation about the role, opportunity and duty of business in today’s world.

This event was hosted in partnership with Kindred, a new West-London members' club with community and human connection at its heart.

22 May, 6.30pm 

What We Owe the Future: In Conversation with William MacAskill 

In person and online (Old Theatre, Old Building) 

Does what we do today determine the happiness or misery of trillions of people in the future? In this event, William MacAskill will discuss his recent book What We Owe the Future, and his argument for ‘longtermism’, which proposes that positively influencing the future is the moral priority of our time. MacAskill proposes that by making wise moral decisions today, we can navigate a multitude of crises – bioengineered pandemics, technological stagnation, climate change, and transformative AI – more fairly for generations to come.

Watch a recording of the event here 

South Africa Social Entrepreneurship Meetups 

Social Entrepreneurship Meetups: Johannesburg (8 May) and Cape Town (17 May)

LSE Marshall Institute's Kerryn Krige convened a group of entrpreneurs for an opportunity to say hello, talk to peers and colleagues, and connect with the South African social entrepreneurship community.

6 March, 2pm 

The Changing Policy Landscape for Social Entrepreneurship 

Part of the Marshall Institute Futures Series #MIFutures 

Dr Chantal Line Carpentier and Stephan Chambers 

The UN Conference on Trade and Development's Chantal Line Carpentier joins Stephan Chambers to discuss recent changes in policy and the implications for the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). In the discussion they will explore the policy documents, laws, and regulations that have been introduced, the value that they bring to the sector, and the change that we should see in the short to long term as a result.

Click here to watch a recording of the webinar.

3 February 2023

Social Entrepreneurship post-Davos 2023 

Part of the Marshall Institute Futures Series #MIFutures

Dr François Bonnici and Stephan Chambers

Schwab Foundation Director Dr François Bonnici joins LSE Marshall Institute's Stephan Chambers to discuss his predictions of how the field of social entrepreneurship will develop in 2023. Following on from January’s Davos meeting, this webinar is an opportunity to explore the impact of decisions taken at the global summit. Is the “Decade of Action” at risk of becoming the “Decade of Uncertainty?” How will global social entrepreneurship policy decisions affect the field? And how can those in the sector best respond?

Watch a recording of the event here

24 January 2023

Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy in Africa: Reflections & Predictions 

Part of the Marshall Institute Futures Series #MIFutures

Dr James Mwangi and Stephan Chambers 

Dalberg's James Mwangi joins LSE Marshall Institute’s Stephan Chambers to talk philanthropy and social entrepreneurship in Africa. Where should African philanthropists focus their attention in 2023 and why? Who is doing what, well? And what can we expect as the African Union develops its social entrepreneurship strategy?

The online discussion covered highlights of 2022 and outlined expectations for 2023, with a specific focus on philanthropy and social entrepreneurship in the African context.

Watch a recording of the event here

13 December 2022

Impact Investing & Innovative Finance: Reflections & Predictions for 2023

Part of the Marshall Institute Futures Series #MIFutures

Aunnie Patton Power and Professor Stephan Chambers

Join LSE Marshall Institute’s Stephan Chambers for an end of year wrap of the impact investing and innovative finance field, with LSE Visiting Fellow Aunnie Patton Power. Aunnie will be sharing her thoughts on the highs and lows of 2022, and her predictions for 2023. What can we expect in impact investing over the next 12 months: is the VC slowdown really evidence that the "market" is not always right and we need to continue to develop our own ways of thinking (and doing) impact finance? Will we see ripples – or waves - from the crypto implosion? What innovations are shaping the field?

Click here to watch a recording of the webinar.

12th May 2022

Connect the Dots: the art and science of creating good luck

Dr Christian Busch, Michael Fraccaro, Lord Hastings, Riya Parabi, Sylvana Q Sinha

How can we set ourselves (and others) up for success and “smart luck” in a world full of uncertainty? How can we create a career that combines money and meaning—even today, when we cannot know which jobs will still exist tomorrow? Three exceptional leaders will discuss how they got where they are, how they engineered serendipity (“smart luck”) in their lives, and what we can all learn from it. This event marks the LSE launch of the international paperback version of Christian Busch’s book Connect the Dots: The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck.

More information

27th October 2021

The Role of Philanthropy in a New Social Contract

Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Shaline Gnanalingam, Professor Hyun Bang Shin, Baroness Minouche Shafik, Professor Stephan Chambers

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28th September 2021 

The Social Instinct 

Professor Nichola Raihani, Professor Stephan Chambers

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15th June 2021

The Privatized State and Government Outsourcing of Public Powers

Dr Chiara Cordelli, Dr Kate Vredenburgh

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26th April 2021

Irrationality - A History of the Dark Side of Reason

Professor Justin E.H. Smith, Professor Richard Bradley, Professor Sir Julian Le Grand

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22nd Feb 2021

Philanthropy - from Aristotle to Zuckerberg

Paul Vallely, Professor Rob Reich, Fran Perrin and Professor Stephan Chambers

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3rd Feb 2021

The Epic Potential of Empowering Women

Professor Linda Scott and Professor Stephan Chambers 

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02 December

10½ Lessons from Experience

 Dame Minouche Shafik and Sir Paul Marshall

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29 September

Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire

Professor Rebecca Henderson and Professor Nava Ashraf

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10 September

The Serendipity Mindset: the art and science of creating good luck

Dr Christian Busch and Prof Connson Locke

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06 July

Impact: reshaping capitalism to drive real change

Sir Ronald Cohen and Prof Nava Ashraf

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18 May

Move fast and fix things: what the pandemic should teach us about entrepreneruship for the public good

Prof Stephan Chambers and Dr Jonathan Roberts

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10 March

Under the Influence: putting peer pressure to work

Professor Robert H Frank & Professor Sir Julian Le Grand

• Listen to the audio

02 March

Power, Philanthropy and Inequality 

 Dr Luna Glucksburg, Sonia Medina & Stephan Chambers

Part of the LSE Festival 2020: Shape the World 

• Listen to the podcast

Social Integration and Inequality in London

Afua Hirsch, Sadiq Khan & Stephan Chambers

• Listen to the podcast

ESELA Annual Conference 

The conference convened lawyers, investors, entrepreneurs and academics for an in-depth look at the role of law and lawyers in the impact revolution. 

• Watch the video

Faith & Philanthropy: Is religion a force for good? 

Revd Canon Dr James Walters, Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand & Iqbal Nasim

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How relationships change the world, and where to go with what we know

David Robinson, Hilary Cottam, Jon Cruddas and Stephan Chambers

• Watch the video

• Listen to the podcast

A Better World is Possible – the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Social Progress

Lord Sainsbury and Stephan Chambers 

• Watch the video

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Beveridge and Voluntary Action for the 21st Century

Dr Jonathan Roberts, Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett and Kawsar Zaman 

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The Five Giants and the Ministers who Made a Difference

Sir Julian Le Grand and Nicholas Timmins

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Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is failing democracy and how it can do better

Stephan Chambers and Rob Reich

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The V-Day Movement

Stephan Chambers & Eve Ensler

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A Social Entrepreneur’s Story: The future of resilient identity

Stephan Chambers & Tey Al Rjula

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Film Screening of 'Bending the Arc'

Stephan Chambers & Cori Stern

The Nature of Business - what can natural systems teach us about creating a healthy economy?

Stephan Chambers & Tom Rippin

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In Conversation with Michael Sandel: Capitalism, Democracy, and the Public Good

Professor Michael Sandel and Tim Besley

• Listen to the podcast