Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing | About

The Initiative focuses on developing and implementing programs both internally at NYU and externally in industry that meet our goal of developing curricular materials for both academic and organizational settings. Our program practice area includes the following work:

• Coursework: The Initiative serves as a home for courses at NYU Stern that focus on the themes of purpose and flourishing, targeting both undergraduate and graduate students. 
• Professional Education: With support from our Advisory Boards, the Initiative serves as an incubator for custom programs and engagements for organizations and individuals focusing on building self-awareness, purpose, and flourishing. 
• Strategic Partnerships: We develop partnerships with like-minded organizations to co-create content, programs, and events. These partnerships enhance our impact, provide unique learning opportunities for students, and expand our reach within the business and academic communities.
• Visiting Scholars and Fellows: Each semester, the Initiative invites scholars and practitioners to engage with the Initiative to facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration and contributing to our ongoing program development.

Guided by recommendations from the advisory boards, our research agenda will focus on areas that push forward the mission of the Initiative. Through both research conducted in partnership with organizations and formal academic publications, the Initiative serves as a convening ground for these research activities.

A core components of this work is to support faculty from across NYU and other leading institutions to engage as affiliates, contribute to research projects, publications, and support knowledge dissemination. Affiliates will be essential in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and ensuring a global perspective.

Each year, a theme is selected as a core research question. In 2025, we will be focusing our research around purpose and flourishing within a multigenerational workplace. 

Ongoing research questions explored from the Initiative include:

• Purpose and Flourishing at Work: Investigating how organizational practices, leadership styles, and culture contribute to individual flourishing and a sense of purpose in the workplace.
• Leadership and Self-Awareness: Exploring the link between self-aware leadership and sustainable organizational success, with a particular emphasis on the role of purpose-driven leaders in fostering positive environments.
• Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Purpose: Conducting comparative studies to understand how individuals from different cultural contexts experience and define purpose.

The Initiative serves as a convening ground for business scholars, leaders, practitioners and academics. 

• Annual Convening: The annual convening will serve as the centerpiece of our event calendar. The Initiative will bring together leading scholars, business leaders, practitioners, and students to explore pressing issues around purpose and flourishing, share research, and collaborate on developing actionable solutions.
• Seminars: The Initiative organizes a series of seminars focused on bridging theory and practice. These smaller gatherings will facilitate intimate discussions, deep dives into specific topics, and allow for direct collaboration between scholars and practitioners.
• Lecture Series: Prominent experts from around the world deliver lectures at NYU, offering students and the broader community exposure to leading-edge research and practical applications in purpose-driven leadership and well-being.