The World Came to LMU—and Sparked Global Conversations for a Better Future

The FIFA World Cup wasn't the only reason the world came to Los Angeles this summer. For one extraordinary week in July, LMU College of Business Administration welcomed more than 250 educators, faith leaders, business executives, and students from around the world to explore a timely question: How can business education and cross-sector collaboration better prepare leaders to solve the world's most pressing challenges?

The World Comes to LA brought together three landmark events: the 31st Annual International Association of Jesuit Business Schools (IAJBS) World Forum and Colleagues in Jesuit Business Education (CJBE) Annual Meeting; The Convening: Tri-Sector Innovation; and the 8th Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) North America Chapter Biennial Meeting. Together, they created a global forum where educators, business leaders, policymakers, and nonprofit professionals exchanged ideas, forged new partnerships, and reimagined the future of business education.

"Business schools have a responsibility not only to prepare future leaders, but to bring people together to address the challenges shaping our world," said Dayle Smith, dean of LMU College of Business Administration. "This week showed what's possible when educators, business executives, and civic leaders learn from one another and work toward the common good."

The week opened with a celebration of faith and purpose. His Eminence Cardinal Peter Turkson of the Vatican presided over the Opening Mass before delivering the World Forum keynote the following morning, challenging attendees to view business as a vocation grounded in human dignity, ethical leadership, and service to the common good. His message established a powerful foundation for the conversations that followed.

Throughout the World Forum, internationally recognized scholars and practitioners explored the theme "Disruption as a Catalyst for the Common Good," through plenary sessions focused on mission-driven scholarship, the Inspirational Paradigm 2.0, and implementing Laudato Si'.

"Each of us comes from a different university and a different context, but we are united by a shared mission," said Dominic Chai, S.J., associate dean for strategy and mission at LMU College of Business Administration. "Taking time to reflect, discern, and learn from one another strengthens our ability to serve the common good."

The World Forum concluded with Closing Mass presided over by Archbishop José H. Gomez, followed by a gala recognizing the conference's best papers and honoring John Wholihan, CBA dean emeritus and one of the founding fathers of IAJBS, for his extraordinary legacy and lasting impact on Jesuit business education.

Beyond the conference, attendees experienced Los Angeles's culture, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit firsthand. A signature excursion included an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Sony Pictures studio lot in Culver City before exploring iconic downtown landmarks, including Olvera Street, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Angels Flight, and Grand Central Market. The excursion showcased Los Angeles as both a global innovation hub and a city rich in history, culture, and creativity.

The spirit of collaboration expanded during The Convening: Tri-Sector Innovation, presented in partnership with the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the World Trade Center Los Angeles. Leaders from business, government, and nonprofit organizations came together to explore how cross-sector partnerships can address society's most pressing challenges. Keynote speaker Jens Molbak challenged participants to rethink traditional boundaries between sectors, while interactive Firestarter sessions on healthcare, talent development and the future of work, and sustainable cities encouraged attendees to develop practical strategies for creating lasting social impact.

The week concluded with the PRME North America Chapter Biennial Meeting, where faculty, administrators, and students explored how responsible management education can prepare future leaders for an increasingly interconnected world. Through keynote presentations, workshops, poster sessions, and student-led discussions, participants shared innovative approaches to embedding sustainability, ethics, and social impact throughout business education.

"The most valuable outcome of gatherings like this isn't what happens during the conference-it's what happens afterward," said Jeff Thies, director of LMU's Institute for Business Ethics and Sustainability. "The relationships formed here will lead to new collaborations, new research, and new ways of preparing students to lead responsibly in an increasingly interconnected world."

By convening diverse voices around a shared mission, LMU College of Business Administration demonstrated the power of collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and borders. More than a series of conferences, The World Comes to LA became a global exchange of ideas-one that generated new partnerships, inspired innovative thinking, and reinforced a shared commitment to educating leaders with the moral courage, creative confidence, and collaborative mindset to build a more just and sustainable world.

The World Comes to LA was made possible through the generous support of IRS Demo, D.K. Kim Foundation, L.A. Care Health Plan, United Airlines, King's Hawaiian, The Toothaker Family, The Spyra Family, Global Academic Ventures, Transamerica, and Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City. LMU College of Business Administration gratefully acknowledges these partners for helping bring this global convening to life.