Judy Samuelson Discusses Corporate Purpose on DB|BD Podcast at Aspen

Judy Samuelson, founder of the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program, remains a prominent voice on corporate purpose and capitalism as a force for good. In 1998, she established the program, and she later played a key role in the Business Roundtable’s 2019 shift from shareholder primacy to a stakeholder model. Seven years on, Samuelson continues to oppose short-termism and advocates for business as a catalyst for positive change. Her efforts in corporate redesign earned the Business and Society Program a place on Design Observer’s inaugural DO20 list. In a conversation with DB|BD host Ellen McGirt, Samuelson assesses the statement’s impact and its ongoing relevance, sharing anecdotes from gatherings with powerful business leaders aimed at defining the corporation. The episode is part of a DB|BD season focused on radical collaboration, recorded at the 2026 Aspen Business & Society Summit, where McGirt interviewed designers, leaders, and thinkers about collaborating across divides. The podcast is produced by Design Observer.