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Gustavson School of BusinessExecutive Programs
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Where strategy meets inspiration A monthly virtual lunch and learn for leaders and professionals

Lunch & Learn Sessions

Join us for our monthly virtual lunch and learn series. Enjoy your lunch while learning from one of our expert facilitators. Our Executive Lunch & Learn sessions are designed for individuals and those who crave sharp insights, fresh perspectives and meaningful connections. Each month, we spotlight a timely topic in leadership, innovation or organizational strategy, delivered by thought leaders and industry experts.

The Dangers of Best Practices Leading to Mindlessness

Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Dale Christenson

Synopsis: Best practices are a powerful tool, but only when applied with intention and awareness. This session will explore how project dynamics, context, and complexity influence the effectiveness of widely accepted methodologies. Using a proven systems thinking and sense-making model, you'll learn how to adapt practices to fit your project’s unique needs. We'll also examine how over-reliance on best practices can lead to a “mindless” approach that diminishes situational awareness—the very skill that often determines project success. Leave with strategies to apply best practices more mindfully and elevate your impact as a project leader.

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Regenerating Communities through Place-based Social Enterprise

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Natalie Slawinski

Synopsis: Around the world, rural and urban communities alike face growing socio-economic and environmental challenges. Confronted with mounting threats of climate change, food insecurity, resource depletion, and inequality, local leaders are increasingly leveraging place-based strategies to reimagine and reshape the future. This talk will draw on an edited volume Revitalizing PLACE through Social Enterprise of engaged research on and with place-based social enterprises in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. It will discuss the PLACE Framework, a set of practices from this research designed to help tackle challenges and revitalize places, highlighting the importance of Promoting community leaders; Linking divergent perspectives; Amplifying local capacities and assets; Conveying compelling stories; and Engaging both/and thinking.

Register now