What We Never Talked About in MBA School--And Still Don’t

The timing to get a degree in international business couldn’t have been better. Globalization surged from 2000 forward, driven by the ease of connecting buyers and suppliers through platforms like Alibaba and the zeroing out of communication costs with VoIP technology. Free trade agreements sliced away barriers, and the adoption of a unified currency, the Euro, eliminated foreign exchange fees across much of Europe. Soon, companies were launching websites and software applications to support every business function, bringing unprecedented transparency and efficiency. Services could be delivered seamlessly by international teams 24/7. Smartphones quickly became ubiquitous, while social media gave everyone a voice--for better or worse--and made it possible to see the world without leaving home. The pace of change was rapid and exponential. This period is known as hyper-globalization.

Being an international MBA student during 1999-2000 was exciting. The world was on the brink of massive technological change, and we would be the creators and shapers of what was to come. We graduated with an abundance of confidence, ready to take on the world. But amid all the excitement, a crucial topic never made it into our lectures or discussions: the environmental cost of accelerated production and consumption.

It’s 2025, and unfortunately, most business programs are still anchored in the same profit-first ideologies that were taught when I was a student. These frameworks continue to fuel the planetary and social crises we now face. We have an escalating and massive plastic pollution problem across our shared air, land, and seas. We are generating a toxic amount of manmade chemicals and greenhouse gases from overproduction and overconsumption, heating our planet and promoting extreme weather events to the point where no place is safe from severe storms, droughts, fires, and floods. We are enabling a widening gap between the increasingly super-rich and the stagnating middle- and lower-income classes. Global peace and stability are deteriorating. This is not the future I set out to help build, nor the legacy I had hoped to leave. And I imagine many who are reading this feel the same way.

To change the game, each of us must reflect on what we can do differently--in our personal and professional lives. What values and behaviors need to evolve to help build the world we truly want and need? How can we do business and live in ways that are regenerative for the planet and respectful of one another? What paradigms need to change in what we learn and how we lead?

In 2023, Evolution University became an official United Nations Global Goals Partner, which led to me attending the Summit of the Future in New York in September 2024. Here, I heard Secretary General António Guterres say exactly what is on the mind of every sustainability-focused professor and practitioner.  

Next, I was surprised and thrilled to see Amani Joel Mafigi enter the stage for an intimate discussion with the Secretary General. Amani runs a sustainable incubator and entrepreneurial accelerator, Unleashed (Potentials in Motion), for people living in a Ugandan refugee camp--instilling hope and providing practical pathways for a life of purpose and meaning. He spoke eloquently as a young changemaker, representing how sustainable innovation and action can change people's lives while making the planet a better place.

Amani participated in a workshop I led with Unite 2030, and I, like many others, immediately recognized his bright light. I invited him to be one of the first people to participate in an EVOLVE Sustainability Learning Journey in 2023. With serendipity on my side, I crossed paths with Amani inside the UN after the talk, and we got to meet in person for the first time.

"I had the pleasure of participating in the EVOLVE Sustainability Journey pilot program, and it was truly a transformative experience. The program provided a comprehensive and engaging approach to understanding and contributing to sustainability. From the very beginning, I was impressed by the well-structured curriculum, thoughtful discussions, and support from the facilitators.

If we can do things better, why wouldn’t we? The truth is, we can--when we have leaders who are willing to do what’s right, even when it’s hard in the short term. It takes commitment and intention to transform systems that still reward outdated thinking and harmful practices. It takes courage and resilience to challenge those who profit at the expense of people and the planet. And it takes humility to admit that we’ve all played a role in enabling economic models that harm our shared home. 

Every action we take to make the world better creates a ripple effect of joy and compassion. It inspires meaningful work and deeper connections in our companies and communities. When we focus on solving the right problems and dare to imagine what great can truly be, we can co-create a cleaner, greener, more beautiful, and prosperous world.

I invite you to join me and members of Evolution University who are leading the change around the world.

- Joni Roberts
Founder and Chief Evolution Officer