Common Good Management Forum 2026

On 22 October 2026, Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie Österreich (WGÖ) Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie Österreich (WGÖ) and the International Common Good Management Network (CGM Network), powered by STaR, hosted the first Common Good Management Fall Forum at WU Vienna.

Under the theme Making Business Better!, experts from business and academia discussed central questions: What role can businesses play in creating a fairer, more sustainable economy? And how can different approaches to ethically driven economic activity contribute to the common good? In other words, how can we align economic success with social and environmental responsibility?

The evening brought together diverse perspectives, both in terms of the panelists’ backgrounds and the audience, which filled the room and included WU students and faculty, alumni, Austrian business owners, and many others. The debate was heated, and the audience’s questions were provocative, in the best possible way. The discussion continued well into the evening during the networking session.

Expert panelists:

• Christian Felber – Initiator of Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie Österreich, which promotes an economy centred on human dignity, social justice, ecological sustainability, transparency, and participation.

• Johannes Gutmann – Founder and Managing Director of SONNENTOR, an award-winning Austrian family business producing organic teas, herbs, and spices with a focus on sustainability, fair partnerships, and social responsibility.

• Elisabeth Lennes – Managing Director, Economy of Communion and Dialog Hotel Wien Am Spiegeln, a hotel and seminar centre guided by the Economy of Communion principles of social, ecological, and economic responsibility.

• Brian Matthews – Postdoctoral researcher at WU Vienna and founder of the International Common Good Management Network, which promotes responsible leadership and sustainable management.

• Gabriela Maria Straka – Board Member of respACT Österreich, Austria’s leading business network for sustainable management, helping companies integrate responsible business practices into their strategies.

The discussion was moderated by Barbara Andraschko.

Event photos coming soon!