Developing Entrepreneurial Sustainability Thinking and Action at ‘The World Café’

This paper uses a case study approach to explore how collaborative initiatives can be developed and used to stimulate inspiring conversations that lead to innovative actions that contribute to meeting the 2030 sustainability goals. As the challenging 2030 targets get closer the need to germinate and incubate innovative ideas and actions becomes a key responsibility for a wide range of stakeholders. As anchor institutions in their communities universities, globally, have the opportunity to play a key role in stimulating ideas and championing actions. This case study focuses on one initiative developed by the Liverpool Business School (LBS) in Liverpool John Moores University, UK. Using an appreciative inquiry approach (Cooperrider and Srivastva in Research in organization change and development. JAI Press, Greenwich, CT, pp. 129–169, 1987; Cooperrider and Srivastva in Research in organization change and development. JAI Press, Greenwich, CT, pp. 81–142, 2017) the LBS ‘World Café’ (Brown and Isaacs 2005) was developed and launched in 2022. This café aims to develop promising and impactful ideas, practices or provocations that spark co-created learning, innovation and action. Based on multi-stakeholder dialogues, wide-ranging debates are facilitated to germinate and incubate innovative ideas in safe and supportive spaces. In this paper, the themes of ideas and actions developed are explored in detail based on a content analysis of the programming to date. Reflections from co-creators and key learnings, both expected and unexpected, are provided. Details for future sessions and multi-stakeholder developments are presented and commitments for action identified.