41:08 minutes
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May 28, 2026
#42 Spiritual Philanthropy
Beyond Metrics and Mandates with Geoffrey Jones
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About The Speaker
Geoffrey Jones is the Isidor Straus Professor of Business History at the Harvard Business School. He researches the evolution, impact and social and ecological responsibility of global business, and has written extensively on the business history of emerging markets. His recent books include Profits and Sustainability: A Global History of Green Entrepreneurship (Oxford University Press, 2017), Deeply Responsible Business: A Global History of Values-Driven Leadership (Harvard University Press, 2023 and (edited with Sabine Pitteloud) The Cambridge Companion to the History of Multinationals and Society (Cambridge University Press,2026). He is currently completing a book on the business history of the Global South over the last century entitled Underdog Capitalism. Professor Jones holds MA and PhD degrees from the University of Cambridge in the UK, honorary PhDs from Copenhagen Business School and the University of Helsinki, and is a Fellow of the Academy of International Business and an International Fellow of the British Academy.
Episode Description
What drives business leaders to give? Geoffrey Jones, celebrated business historian at Harvard Business School, challenges everything we think we know about philanthropy.
In this episode, we explore “spiritual philanthropy”—a concept rooted not in tax incentives or CSR mandates, but in deeply held values. Geoff reveals why leaders in emerging markets approach giving differently than their Western counterparts, how proximity to poverty shapes generosity, and what happens when business values get watered down by growth.
We also discuss what business history teaches us about capitalism, responsibility, and the skills leaders need in an increasingly complex world.
A conversation about fairness, purpose, and what it really means to do good.
Additional inspirations from Geoffrey Jones
His recent books
Profits and Sustainability: A Global History of Green Entrepreneurship (Oxford University Press, 2017),
Deeply Responsible Business: A Global History of Values-Driven Leadership
