The Business, Faith and Common Good Institute in the Heider College of Business at Creighton University contributes to the vibrant academic life of the university by bringing in a wide variety of nationally and internationally known thinkers who study, write and speak on topics related to Business, Faith, and the Common Good. Many of them are experts in Catholic Social Thought and business, but others represent a variety of protestant perspectives as well (Quaker, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Evangelical, etc).
The goal of the Institute is to help our students and community think about how business activities can be used for the purposes and aims of a life of faith. We seek to explore how faith can be fully integrated into business life and practice, so that our life of faith and business life are one and the same.
Videos of previous speakers can be found at this link or under the “Resources” tab on homepage.
Previous speakers brought to campus include:
Michael Naughton (St. Thomas University) 2016 Keynote on “Good Work” Michael Naughton holds an endowed chair in Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) as a full professor. He is the director of the Center for Catholic Studies, which is the oldest and largest Catholic Studies program in the world. He is the author and editor of nine books and over 40 articles. He was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Business Faith and the Common Good Symposium.
Ken Goodpaster 2015 Keynote on “Good Goods”: “From Career to Calling: Vocation of the Business Leader” Professor Emeritus University of St. Thomas, MN Ken Goodpaster is an Internationally known Catholic Business Ethicist, who has held positions at Harvard, Notre Dame, and U. of St. Thomas. He has written has published in a wide variety of professional journals, including the Journal of Philosophy, Ethics, Environmental Ethics, the Journal of Business Ethics, Thought, Business Ethics Quarterly, and the Harvard Business Review. Goodpaster taught moral philosophy at the University of Notre Dame throughout the 1970s before joining the Harvard Business School faculty in 1980. At Harvard, he developed the second-year elective course, Ethical Aspects of Corporate Policy, and the first-year module, Managerial Decision Making and Ethical Values (1989). In 1990, Goodpaster accepted the David and Barbara Koch Endowed Chair in Business Ethics at the University of St. Thomas (MN).
Daniel Finn is Professor of Theology and Clemens Professor of Economics at St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota. He is a former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the Society of Christian Ethics, and the Association for Social Economics. He led a successful affordable housing campaign among five cities in central Minnesota and has lectured widely in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. His Books include Distant Markets, Distant Harms: Market Complicity and Christian Ethics, Editor, Oxford University Press, 2014; Christian Economic Ethics: History and Implications, Fortress Press, 2013; The Moral Dynamics of Economic Life: An Extension and Critique of Caritas in Veritate, Editor, Oxford University Press. 2012.
Charles Clark (St. John’s University, NY) “Good Wealth” Our Keynote Speaker for the 2017 Business, Faith and Common Good Symposium was Charles Clark. Dr. Clark is Senior Fellow at the Vincentian Center for Church and Society and Professor of Economics at St. John’s University in New York. He writes frequently on the intersection of Catholic Social thought and economics, and has interests especially in the History of Economic Thought, Poverty and Income Inequality.
Robert Audi, the John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Management, University of Notre Dame, was our keynote speaker for 2013: “Religion in the Workplace: A Support for Ethics, or an Obstacle to Business?” Robert Audi is an internationally known philosopher and ethicist who has published more than130 journal articles and 16 books including Business Ethics and Ethical Business; Religion in the Public Square; Religious Commitment and Secular Reason; and Democratic Authority and the Separation of Church and State. He is the past president of the American Philosophical Associtaion, and of the Society of Christian Philosophers, and editor of the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy.
The Vice of Luxury” 6pm, Harper Center Ballroom A
David Cloutier teaches in the Theology department at Catholic University. He has written Love, Reason, and God’s Story: An Introduction to Catholic Sexual Ethics (2008), Walking God’s Earth: The Environment and Catholic Faith (2014) and The Vice of Luxury: Economic Excess in a Consumer Age (2015), in which he gives a historical account of the concept of luxury, shows why luxury is a problem, explains how to identify what counts as the vice of luxury today, and develops an ethic of consumption that is grounded in Christian moral convictions.
Gregory Beabout (St. Louis U.) “Is Pope Francis Critical of Capitalism?” Lunch talk at Harper Center (9/23/2017)(co-sponsored by Creighton’s Institute for Economic Inquiry)
Gregory Beabout is professor of philosophy, and author of over 40 articles and reviews and books including The Character of the Manager: From Office Executive to Wise Steward; Freedom and Its Misuses: Kierkegaard on Anxiety and Despair; Beyond Self Interest: A Personalist Approach to Human Action; and editor of A Celebration of the Thought of Pope John Paul II: On the Occasion of the Papal Visit to St. Louis and A Handbook of Virtue Ethics in Business and Management.
Gene Laczniak (Marquette U.) “The 2016 Jesuit Task Force Report on ‘Justice in the Global Economy’: Analysis, Implications and Actions for Jesuit Business Schools” (Fall 2016)
In 2012, Gene Laczniak received a lifetime achievement award from the American Marketing Association for his contributions to marketing ethics, corporate social responsibility and public policy scholarship. Laczniak currently serves as President of the Macromarketing Society, and from 1998 to 2002, he was the Associate Vice-President/Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at the Marquette. Laczniak was a member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Marketing for 15 years and continues to serve on two academic journal review boards. He is co-author of five books on business ethics with his most recent being Ethics in Marketing: International Cases and Perspectives (Routledge, 2012).” He has been a member of the board of directors of four non-profit organizations with 18 years of aggregate service. He has taught executive development classes in the U.S., Europe and Asia winning several teaching awards. Laczniak has published over 150 journal articles and papers.
Amy Uelmen Uelman was the founding director of Fordham University’s Institute on Religion, Law & Lawyer’s Work from 2001 to 2011 and is a visiting lecturer at Georgetown Law and a research fellow at Georgetown’s Berkley Center. Her scholarship focuses on how Catholic social thought might shed light on tort law, legal ethics and legal education, and how principles of dialogue might inform debates about religion in the public square. Books authored include: Education’s Highest Aim: Teaching and Learning through a Spirituality of Communion (2010) and Focolare: Living a Spirituality of Unity in the United States (2011),
Angus Sibley: Angus Sibley is a retired actuary and former member of the London Stock Exchange. He has written extensively on finance, economics, Catholic theology, and other topics. In 2015 he published Catholic Economics: Alternatives to the Jungle in 2015. and in 2011, The Poisoned Spring of Economic Libertarianism. Angus runs Equilibrium Economicum
John Denniston, Founder and Chairman of Shared-X (lunch talk) John is Chairman of GSV Shared-X LLC, a Latin America-focused agribusiness company designed to operate as a shared exchange of agricultural best practices for growing and selling high-value crops that will both generate strong returns for our investors and substantially increase incomes for the indigent farmers who collaborate with Shared-X. Previously, Mr. Denniston co-ran the $1 billion Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Green Growth Fund as former Partner. And Previously Head of Technology Investment Banking for Western U.S., Salomon Smith Barney.
John McNerney is a researcher in and lecturer in business ethics and philosophy.He has been Head Chaplain/Student Adviser at University College in Dublin, Ireland.He recently published a book, Wealth of Persons: Economics with a Human Face
John Gallagher, professor of management at Maryville College 
and and Jean Buckeye associate professor of ethics and business law are co-authors of the book Structures of Grace, about EOC companies in the U.S.
Photo: Bonnie Wilson Bonnie Wilson (St. Louis University)
“Economics: A Theology of Scarcity or Something More?” (Sept. 7, 6pm Harper 4053)
Bonnie Wilson combines a strong concern for Jesuit mission with her interests in Public Choice theory, Macroeconomics, International Economics, and Financial Economics. She will kick off this year’s speaker series speaking to us about Jesuit Values, Economics, and Free Choice. Vita
Mary Hirschfeld (Villanova) “Rethinking Economic Inequality” (September 21, 6pm Harper 3027)
After getting her Ph.D. in economics from Harvard, Professor Hirschfield taught economics for 15 years, but eventually was drawn to Catholicisim, quit her tenured position, and got a Ph.D in theology from Notre Dame. eventually getting a position at Villanova in Economics and Theology. She has worked on developing an approach to economics that is grounded in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. The results have applications to questions about consumption economics, economic justice, the common good, the nature of practical reason, and economic methodology.
Gary Chartier (La Sierra University)
“Achieving Social Justice through Liberty” (September 28, 6pm Harper 3023)
Gary Charier is Distinguished Professor of Law and Business Ethics and Associate dean at the business school at La Sierra University in Riverside, California, a 7th Day Adventist intstitution. As a legal scholar and philosopher he identifies as a “left-wing market anarchist”, he is pro-free-market although critical of much of capitalism as it stands today. As a Christian and a libertarian, he holds positions which make him a unique thinker. Always gracious but also intense, he will provide a lively talk for our series this year. Gary on Wikipedia
Graham McAleer (Loyola, Baltimore)
“Why does Harry’s pal Hermione keep much of her money in Panama?”: The Ethics of Wealth Management” (Thursday October 12, 6pm Harper Auditorium)
Born and raised in the north of England, Graham McAleer is a full professor at Loyola University Maryland, and is known for his teaching excellence and rapport with students. He teaches for the philosophy department and the Sellinger School of Business. Educated at universities in England, Canada, Belgium, and the United States, he is the author of three monographs: Ecstatic Morality and Sexual Politics(Fordham, 2005); To Kill Another (Transaction, 2010); and Tolkien and Lord of the Rings: A Philosophy of War (Amazon, 2014). McAleer was Loyola’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year 2014 His most recent work is on the Ethics of Fashion.
Richard P. Nielsen Boston College
(Oct 26, 6pm Harper 3029) “The Quakers: Friends of Business”
Professor Nielsen comes to us from the Organization Studies Department, Carroll School of Management, Boston College, and is past president of the Society of Business Ethics. He is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). He works in the areas of ethics engagement, communication, and leadership methods, having published more than 75 articles in journals such as Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Executive, Business Ethics Quarterly, Business and Society, and the Journal of Business Ethics. He was born in New York City and is married with two children.
Lloyd Sandelands (U. Michigan)
“On the Inhumanity of Profit-Seeking” (November 2, 6pm, Harper 3027)
Lloyd Sandelands has taught organizational behavior and management at the Ross School of Management for nearly three decades. Widely published, in his recent book, Being at Work, he unites the metaphysics of Aristotle and Aquinas and the social teachings of the Catholic Church to describe how business leaders can help people in their organizations become more truly and fully human, and his previous book God and Mammon developed a comprehensive management ethic with a concern for how humans should be the focus of business when we bring God into our business practices. (Talk on November 2, 2017, 6pm)
David Ozar (Loyola, Chicago) “The Common Good: Insights from Aristotle and John Stuart Mill” 6pm, Harper Center Harper Ballroom A
David Ozar was Professor and Co-Director of Graduate Studies in Health Care Ethics in the Department of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago, and from 1993 to 2006 was Director of Loyola’s Center for Ethics. He has taught and done extensive work in John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism and Aristotle’s virtue ethics. He was the founder and first president of the Professional Ethics in Dentistry Network and has held offices in the Society for Health and Human Values, the American Philosophical Association, and other professional organizations. His publications are wide-ranging, including articles on whistleblowing in dentistry, whether or not corporations have moral rights, and what should be done with unused frozen embryos.
October 4th Gene Veith (Patrick Henry College) 
” “Vocation and Economics” (Fall, 2016)
Dr. Gene Edward Veith was until recent retirement Provost and Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry College. Dr. Veith is the author of 20 books on topics involving Christianity and culture, classical education, literature, and the arts, and including books on Christian God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life and his 2016 book, Working for Our Neighbor: A Lutheran Primer on Vocation, Economics, and Ordinary Life .
Neil Nyberg Was Ethics and Compliance officer for Kelloggs Corporation for many years. In retirement he was interim president of Trinity College in Deerfield Illinois. He serves on multiple boards in the Michigan/Chicago area.
Omar Guttierez Deacon Guttierez lives in Omaha, and has presented on the Social Teaching of the Church many times and continues to receive invitations to speak on the subject. He is a regular guest on Spirit Catholic Radio which broadcasts throughout Nebraska. Omar has a radio program titled “Regnum Novum: The New Evangelization through Catholic Social Teaching” through DiscerningHearts.com. Omar has been published in the National Catholic Register, The Catholic Answer, Catholic World Report, The Wanderer and in several other periodicals. His old blog, Regnum Novum, was regularly picked up by trusted Catholic portals including New Advent, Pew Sitter and the National Catholic Register site. He currently writes regularly for the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Omaha The Catholic Voice.
Jeff Slobotski, Router Ventures
Daniel Lawse (Verdis Group) As Chief Century Thinker, it is my job to help organizations think long term and develop practical strategies that help them thrive today and for generations to come. I do this by helping organizations develop Sustainability Master Plans and implementing sustainable strategies as well as advising organizations who have existing green teams, and leading teams through a Regenerative Leadership Workshop.
Tom Deall, Chick-fil-A Is the Owner/operator of a multi-million dollar Chick-fil-A franchise in Bellevue, Nebraska. He supervises and leads more than 85 team members and directors, providing oversight of the store, with a budger of more than $300K per month. He has wideranging experience in the fields of public policy, marketing and communications, and was stationed in Quatar, Georgia, Colorado and Louisiana before settling with his family in Bellevue.
Ben Spence, Firespring
Lori Hogan, Home Instead
Business, Faith, and the Common Good Institute 