Impact Innovation Circles (IICs) bring together small, nimble circles of institutions to prototype practical changes in business education and leadership development—then "pay the learning forward" by sharing tools and insights openly across the ecosystem (not behind paywalls).
Contact: tippingpoint@grli.org
The world, humanity and all living things is faced with a complex, convergent interplay of environmental degradation, climate change, social inequality, and economic instability.
How do we learn to live and make a living on this planet without destroying it?
Without significant changes in how future leaders are educated, economic disparities will continue to widen, planetary boundaries will be further breached, exacerbating global instability. For nearly a century, business schools have focused on maximizing profit and growth, often neglecting the consequences of exploiting finite resources and ignoring the social costs of unchecked expansion. While innovative theories and practices that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility have been developed, they are not being implemented at the scale necessary to make a meaningful impact. The slow pace of change in business education is due to entrenched bureaucratic processes and a focus on traditional, profit-driven models, with limited coordination across institutions to align curricula with the pressing needs of society and the planet. To address these challenges, it is crucial to rethink and rapidly update business education. This transformation is essential to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.
While some institutions have made strides in integrating sustainability and social responsibility into their curricula, these efforts are often isolated and slow to scale. Similarly, initiatives aimed at systemic transformation of business education are equally challenged and under-resourced.
By engaging business school change makers in a rapid and radical revision of course content, and the commitment to pay their learning forward to at least two other schools we're aiming to have at least 800 business schools globally (more than 1/3rd of internationally accredited schools) engaged in broad and fundamental transformation of business and business education by 2030. A tipping point!
By fostering a shift in mindset and operational models alongside course content, we aim to reorient business and education towards global responsibility. The ultimate measure of success will be widespread and systemic change in how business is taught and practiced globally, and the adoption of regenerative business models as the norm.
Be the Tipping Point is a field-facing platform and convening space hosted by GRLI, GMI, IAJBS and oikos International, that helps institutions move from ambition to implementation — supporting collaboration, experimentation, and shared learning that accelerates responsible transformation in management education and leadership development.
Impact Innovation Circles (IICs) are collaborative peer-learning circles (around ~9 institutions per Circle) designed as "acupuncture projects" for the field. They convene people already experimenting with transformative practice to prototype changes in programmes, pedagogy, and institutional practice—and then share what they learn so others can adapt and scale what works.
In other words: a global platform for tangible, systemic, and responsible institutional transformation with field-level sharing / replication — a scaling mechanism that spreads usable practices beyond the participating schools.
Business schools play a pivotal role in shaping leaders and industries for a sustainable, regenerative, and globally responsible future. Transformation in — and through — business education is essential to create positive tipping points for people and planet.
This is a peer-to-peer, light-touch but high-impact journey hosted by GRLI and Be the Tipping Point, led by participants as activators inside their own institutions.
Each Circle runs on an adaptive, iterative roadmap designed to move from exploration → experimentation → integration and sharing.
Three online sessions per Circle over approximately ~6 months = 10 hours in total
The first intake runs from February 2026 to June/July 2026
Support faculty and institutional leaders to design and prototype practical innovations in teaching, learning, and institutional practice. Identify what helps "tipping points" emerge in business schools – and what gets in the way. The frameworks and outputs must be flexible to diverse institutional, national and regional contexts and evolving global needs.
Success relies on radical collaboration and shared ownership among all participants. Create trusted, small-circle spaces where people can speak candidly, learn from each other, and co-create new approaches.
Move beyond isolated initiatives towards changes that influence curricula, faculty development, governance, partnerships and student experience. Whole institution!
Commitment to transparently share stories, tools, and resources via the BE the Tipping Point platform and GRLI network so that others can adapt and scale what works.
The IICs is catalyzed by GRLI, bringing together a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders committed to change.
GRLI (Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative)
Be the Tipping Point Team (GMI, IAJBS and oikos International)
AACSB
EFMD
Ateneo de Manila University; Católica Porto Business School; Deakin Business School; ESADE Business & Law School; Kühne Logistics University; University of Bristol Business School; University of Exeter Business School; University of Gothenburg – School of Business, Economics & Law; University of South Wales; University of St. Gallen; UTS Business School; Woxsen University (and others).
Business schools, faculties, universities, and corporate learning institutions ready to commit to deep change
Deans, presidents, vice-chancellors, and institutional leaders who can champion prototypes
Faculty and students engaged in curriculum redesign, new learning models, and operational change
Corporate partners, policymakers, and community leaders collaborating on future competencies and impact metrics
If your institution is actively transforming practice — and willing to pay the learning forward to accelerate the transformation of business practice by transforming business and management education — we'd love to hear from you!
Contact us about IICsEmail: darija.miletic@grli.org or tippingpoint@grli.org