Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) is pleased to announce social justice activist and founder of the Center for Ethical Leadership, Dr. Bill Grace and Nobel Laureate in Economics Dr. Joseph Stiglitz as speakers for its 2009 Commencement Ceremony on June 7th, 2009.

BGI's MBA in Sustainable Business and Certificates in Sustainable Business and Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship 2009 graduating class chose these two incredibly unique and inspiring individuals to be their speaker for the 2009 Commencement. Both have previously spoken at BGI and have deeply moved and inspired the students.

"As business responds to climate change, financial system distress and our societies growing concern with poverty, our students need to combine a strong moral compass with pragmatic leadership. Dr. Grace and Dr. Stiglitz are great examples of leaders that walk that line and can inspire all of us to do the same." said Gifford Pinchot III President and Co-founder of BGI.

Dr. Bill Grace is a social justice activist, a traveling teacher, storyteller, and an architect of ideas. From 1976 to 1991, Bill served in higher education, promoting ideas related to moral and civic responsibility, service learning and global citizenship. In 1991 Bill founded the Center for Ethical Leadership and served as Executive director for 14 years. The Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the common good through ethical leadership, civic responsibility and collaborative problem solving. His current research and writing focuses on understanding Deep Hope, Moral Courage and Wisdom from the Margins-as well as other sources of motivation that have inspired transformational
leaders to courageously pursue justice.

Dr. Grace promotes leadership that is grounded in spiritual development and compassion both of which deepen our commitment to pursue a just, peaceful and sustainable world. He touches audiences deeply with a heartfelt commitment to global justice, peace and sustainability. Seminar participants and audience members report being inspired by Grace's passion, authenticity and humility.

Dr. Stiglitz has taught at Princeton, Stanford, MIT and was the Drummond Professor and a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He is now University Professor at Columbia University in New York and Chair of Columbia University’s Committee on Global Thought. He is also the co-founder and Executive Director of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue at Columbia. In 2001, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics for his analyses of markets with asymmetric information, and he was a lead author of the 1995 Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr. Stiglitz was a member of the Council of Economic Advisers from 1993-95, during the Clinton administration, and served as CEA chairman from 1995-97. He then became Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President of the World Bank from 1997-2000. In 2008, he was appointed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to chair a Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Economic Progress.

Dr. Stiglitz helped create a new branch of economics, "The Economics of Information," exploring the consequences of information asymmetries and pioneering such pivotal concepts as adverse selection and moral hazard, which have now become standard tools not only of theorists, but of policy analysts.

Commencement will be held Sunday June 7th,at 4:00 pm at The Great Hall at Union Station.

BGI's MBA in Sustainable Business was Ranked #1 in Net Impact's "Business as Unusual 2008" - A Student Guide to Graduate Business Programs FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW. BGI has also been selected by BusinessWeek last year as one of the top design and
innovation schools in the world. With the graduation of its 6th MBA and Certificate classes BGI's reputation and reach continues to grow.

The mission of Bainbridge Graduate School is to prepare students from diverse backgrounds to build enterprises that are financially successful, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.

Bainbridge Graduate Institute

Bainbridge Graduate Institute

BGI was born when co-Founder and President, Gifford Pinchot, a renowned business consultant, realized the nation's graduate business schools were churning out one-dimensional MBA graduates with solid short-term profit-maximization skills, but lacking a deep understanding of how to integrate social and environmental issues into business decisions.

The Institute's pioneering MBA and certificate programs prepare a diverse group of leaders to build enterprises that are economically successful, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable. The innovative curriculum preserves the rigor of a traditional MBA program, while infusing sustainability - including both environmental and social responsibility - throughout every course.

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