Business Matters 2024 Watch Party

The CIC is pleased to invite you to an Open House Watch Party of Business Matters 2024: Hope for Work and Enterprise, the Acton Institute’s premier virtual conference on business, ethics, and faith on Thursday, February 22, 2024 (1:00-4:00 pm) — after the CIC’s daily Mass.

Walk-ins are welcome—but please do register if you plan to attend. We will email you the link to view the conference talk, “First Principles for Virtuous Business,” by James Otteson of the University Of Notre Dame. Refreshments provided.

ABOUT BUSINESS MATTERS 2024:

Amid a volatile and unstable world, there are timeless principles that always stand true. Join top business leaders and entrepreneurs February 22 as they provide you with practical advice and moral principles to help you navigate an ever-changing business world. Discussion topics include the challenges of AI, the future of work, and disruptive technology. These experts will also explore how businesses can help local communities thrive. You don’t want to miss this virtual conference—you’ll leave encouraged by a message of hope for the future of enterprise and innovation.

Don’t miss what past attendees have described as “an eye-opening event,” “interesting, inspiring … and formative,” and an “excellent use of technology.”

SCHEDULE:

After the CIC’s Noon Mass (approx. 12:45PM): Open house begins in the CIC bookstore. Please check in.

1:00 PM Panel: “AI, Disruptive Technology, and the Future of Work”
Brent Orrell – American Enterprise Institute, Mark Johnson – Michigan Software Labs, Dan Churchwell – Acton Institute, Mate Csak – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
There is no question today that new technology is changing the way we think about and experience work. Speculation abounds about how the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies will affect the workplace. Worries about machines replacing human jobs are common. Others, however, are optimistic about the way AI is changing how we work, for they see AI as an important tool to promote better efficiency and productivity in the workplace. How will AI change the way work is done? How will it affect the workforce? How will it affect the economy? Join panelists for a lively discussion on the implications of AI, Chat GPT, and other disruptive technologies for the future of work.

2:00 PM Book Talk with David Bahnsen: “Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life”
David L. Bahnsen – The Bahnsen Group, Eric Kohn – Acton Institute
In this session, David Bahnsen will be interviewed by Acton’s Director of Marketing & Communications, Eric Kohn, about his new book Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life. In his book, Bahnsen makes the case that our understanding of work and its role in our lives is deeply flawed – we are unmoored from what he calls “created purpose.” He argues that the time has come to stop tiptoeing around the issues that matter, that separating one’s identity from what they do is demonstrably false, and that this era of alienation is for many a direct result of a low view of work.  It is in work — effort, service, striving — of every kind that we discover our meaning and purpose; a significant and successful life is one rooted in full-time productivity and cultivation of God’s created world.

2:30 PM Talk: “Case Studies of Entrepreneurship and Innovation”
Jose Quintana – Advent GX Corporation
In this talk, Jose Quintana, the founder of Advent GX, shares important lessons on building a successful business. Jose will discuss his company’s business and technology incubator, Innovation Underground, while sharing practical knowledge about start-ups, including the importance of developing a business’s core values. Finally, Jose will explore four case studies from the Innovation Underground that highlight successful start-ups his organization has cultivated. Join us for a talk full of practical wisdom that no entrepreneur or businessperson will want to miss.

3:00 PM Panel: Beyond Efficiency: How Business Can Help Communities and Families Flourish
Stephanie Slade – Reason Magazine, Anne Bradley – The Fund For American Studies, Stephen Dr Barrows – Acton Institute, Douglas Gebhardt – F.A. Wilhelm Construction Company
Does business help or harm local communities? Answering this question is pivotal to addressing the current crisis of communities concentrated in certain regions of the country. Many have critiqued free markets for disruption in community life when factories close or jobs shift overseas. This panel will grapple honestly with some of the negative impacts of global trade and markets on certain groups and communities while also showing the positive role business can play in aiding families and communities hurting the most. As just one example: on a micro-level, businesses can creatively solve problems that communities face and provide employment that sustains families. Join panelists Anne Bradley, Doug Gebhardt, and Stephanie Slade for an engaging and enlightening conversation about the role business plays in community flourishing.

4:00 PM: Conclusion