Stanford Leadership Forum 2026: Opening

Why It Matters

The institute creates a pipeline of leaders equipped with interdisciplinary tools to steer businesses and governments through AI disruption, sustainability pressures, and geopolitical volatility, directly impacting future strategic decision‑making.

Key Takeaways

• Stanford launches Leadership Institute to address AI, sustainability, geopolitics.
• Institute builds interdisciplinary hub linking research, teaching, and real‑world convenings.
• Over 100 faculty projects funded, 40+ conferences on critical societal issues.
• New “Insights in Bytes” program brings cutting‑edge research directly to students.
• Forum emphasizes dialogue across perspectives to shape responsible corporate and governmental leadership.

Summary

Stanford Graduate School of Business opened its new Stanford Leadership Institute (SLI) during the inaugural Leadership Forum, signaling a formal commitment to equip future leaders for an era of rapid technological and societal change.

Ken Schatz highlighted the institute’s mission to blend scholarly rigor with practical experience, creating an interdisciplinary hub that tackles AI, sustainability, volatile markets, and geopolitical tensions. The institute expands the Business Governance Society Initiative, already funding over 100 faculty research projects and hosting more than 40 conferences on pressing topics.

He cited concrete programs such as “Insights in Bytes,” where faculty deliver cutting‑edge research to students, and thanked foundational donors Andreas and Diane Halverson. The day’s agenda includes a conversation with Dean Sarasoul and former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, underscoring the institute’s high‑level engagement.

By fostering dialogue across diverse perspectives and linking academic insights to real‑world challenges, SLI aims to shape responsible corporate and governmental leadership, influencing how organizations navigate the complexities of the next decade.

Original Description

Ken Shotts, the Vélez Reyes Director of the Stanford Leadership Institute and the David S. and Ann M. Barlow Professor of Political Economy, Stanford Graduate School of Business, opens the Stanford Leadership Forum 2026, a gathering focused on the leadership questions shaping the future of business and society. This event marks the formal launch of the Stanford Leadership Institute.

Part of the 2026 Stanford Leadership Forum: Shaping the Future, hosted by the Stanford Leadership Institute at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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