On the twenty-ninth of October, Spartan Global was lucky to host Professor Catheryn Baird of Regis University, Colorado. Professor Baird is the creator and CEO of the Ethics Game, an innovative program, which provides its students with an understanding of their own ethical dispositions and offers the training required to evolve them.

One of SGDF’s primary projects as a non-profit is to support and develop a norm of ethical international business, specifically by ending inequitable trade relationships. We do so by providing funding to entrepreneurs via interest-free microloans. Our founder and faculty advisor, Professor Stenzel of MSU’s Broad School of Business, became friends with Professor Baird through their shared interest in international business ethics–a connection that made our relationship with Professor Baird possible.

During her visit, Professor Baird put our student team through a series of impromptu scenarios she has used to teach ethical business within her program. Her questions were challenging, requiring members to truly evaluate their commitments to certain principles. Questions of ethics are often difficult to answer–they force us to ask ourselves why we believe what we believe and make sacrifices for the greater good. However, it is vital that business-people participate in this activity. It’s easy in today’s world to commit to the “profit-at-all-costs” mindset, often not through choice, but lack of discernment. Interrogation of one’s commitments, asking yourself the hard questions, is the cure. The fact is, sometimes for the greater good, productivity and profit must take a backseat to other priorities. This is the message that both Professor Baird and SGDF seek to share with the world. We will continue our work, challenging ourselves and showing that sometimes the dollar can’t be king.

Best regards,

SGDF