Episode 16: Shared Prosperity – the Role of Business in Society

This episode of Let's Talk Poverty discusses financial and social prosperity, perspectives on how businesses may intervene, influence or shift policy, and insights into why we need to have the ability to generate income and wealth, while also investing in and sustaining social relationships in order to create a sense of belonging, a sense of well-being, a sense of community, and a sense of place.

In this episode

• Learn more about BCA’s Define the Decade road map, a vision for long-term prosperity in Alberta, and why it’s about making life better for all Albertans.
• Notions about what the role of business is in society and how that role is evolving. A conversation about shared prosperity and how BCA articulates the connective tissue between business and a healthy society, balancing ideas related to profit and people and financial and social prosperity.
• Insights about the social contract of if my neighbour’s doing well, I’m doing well, and why that’s an important aspect of the overall health of our community.

Three key takeaways

• Why we need to have the ability to generate income and wealth, while also investing in and sustaining social networks, social relationships, and social interactions that create a sense of belonging, a sense of well-being, a sense of community, and a sense of place.
• Thoughtful reflection about how, over the long term, we need to see a role of business in society that’s a balance of focusing on the health of the company from a profit, investment and return standpoint, but also in ways that companies look to the future at a wide angle that looks at strategies and investments for its employees, communities, stakeholders, and the environment – moving beyond the often singular and significant metric of financial performance.
• Curiosity around the influence of business on policy and some perspectives on how businesses may intervene, influence or shift policy.

About Adam Legge

Adam Legge is the President of the Business Council of Alberta, an organization of business leaders advocating for shared prosperity and a better life for Albertans. Adam has spent over two decades building and leading high-performance teams and organizations in business, public policy, and economic development. He is a life-long student of economics and history and believes strongly in the ability of a team to create something remarkable. He was the 18th President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber where he transformed a struggling organization into a national and international award-winning entity. He was previously a Director at the Haskayne School of Business, and Vice President and Chief Economist at Calgary Economic Development. He is the author of Making Remarkable. Adam serves on the boards of the Calgary Counselling Centre and Vibrant Communities Calgary and sits on the boards of several Calgary-based private companies.

About the Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta is a non-partisan, for-purpose organization dedicated to building a better Alberta within a more dynamic Canada. They are not just a think tank; they are an action tank. They focus on the long-term solutions to the greatest challenges that face Albertans. Their goal is to increase shared prosperity—the opportunity, security, and belonging of all Albertans. They focus on two key areas: jobs and opportunity and a competitive and sustainable economy.

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