The first edition of the Paradigm Shift program will take place in June. Executives will be able to deal with the organizational Sustainability subject and tension management that this implies.

The first edition of the Paradigm Shift Executive Education program, created under the recent Gulbenkian Chair of Impact Economy, of the Nova School of Business & Economics, has been scheduled to take place on June 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th.

Aimed at Executives (Chairmen, CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CMOs, Human Resources and Sustainability Directors, etc.), this three-day program will foster debates where the challenges faced by the organizations that seek a balance between corporate performance and the progress of the society in which it operates, always having in mind the Sustainable Development Goals.

The main goals of the Paradigm Shift are on one side, support the organizations in identify a potential path of impact, integrating the balance between performance and progress of society in their mission. On the other side, raise awareness of the potential of the mindset and of the Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Social Investment in the transformation processes of organizations.

To improve the way this process is conducted, the teaching model was adapted. Two interviews with each organization, a pre-training, and a post-training will allow defining an action place for each participant. The panel of speakers will have international and Nova SBE’s academics, practitioners, and students, enabling a holistic view on the sustainability theme.

In order to fill in the twenty vacancies with a diverse group, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will provide seven scholarships to organizations that have a high transformation potential, aimed specifically at employees of social companies/, micro-enterprises/small businesses, startups, and PMEs.

According to Daniel Traça, Dean at Nova SBE, “it is with enormous pride that Nova SBE is part of this partnership with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, integrating what we have been doing in attracting and developing national and international talent in the entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship areas. Promoting the discussion of the challenges organizations face that when seeking a balance between corporate performance and the progress of the society in which they operate, always having in mind the Sustainable Development Goals, will certainly correspond to the competencies that we want to promote through these problem-based and action-oriented programs. Paradigm Shift is a real example of what we want to develop together”.

According to the President of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundations, Isabel Mota, “with the Paradigm Shift Executive Education program, developed under the Gulbenkian Chair on Impact Economy, we want to influence current and future leaders by giving them new tools and showing them other paths that may include social and environmental impact factors in their decision-making processes. In the end, we want to turn these leaders into social innovation and investment catalysts of influence in their organizations.”