Symposium. Reimagining Ownership in the Modern Economy: Addressing Societal Challenges & Promoting Human Values

How ownership is structured is foundational for any economy: ownership shapes the exchange of goods and services between buyers and sellers, grants access and control over capital and resources, and mediates the governance of economic enterprises. This session will shift away from the common view of ownership as a static condition, and instead consider it a strategic choice made by business leaders in order to further their firm's goals and interests. Panelists will reflect on the full range of ownership structures operating in the modern global economy — including publicly traded, family ownership, employee ownership, trust controlled, and mutuals among others — and explore their strategic potential for advancing the common good. Panelists will discuss how pluralist ownership structures allow business leaders to address the grand societal challenges facing the global economy and to root their operations in key human values like dignity and fairness. The session will invite audience questions on the topic and encourage a dynamic conversation on the themes of redefining success in business and structuring ownership to achieve goals that stretch beyond profit maximization.