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World Business Academy

World Business Academy

The World Business Academy is an American non-profit think tank based in Santa Barbara, California.

History

The World Business Academy was founded in 1987 by Rinaldo Brutoco and Willis Harman, with Jagdish Parikh, Robert Egelston and Ron Nater serving as founding trustees. It was officially incorporated on April 6, 1987.[1]

Organization

Name Position Notes
Rinaldo Brutoco Founder and President[2][3] Ethical Markets Media, Evolutionary Leaders, State of the World Forum, Gorbachev Foundation of North America, Chopra Foundation
Willis Harman Co-Founder[4] SRI International, Institute of Noetic Sciences, General Electric, United States Navy, University of Florida, Regents of the University of California, Educational Policy Research Center
Jagdish Parikh Co-Founder[1:1] Lemuir Group, TechNova Group of Companies, Travel Corporation India (TCI), Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Centre for Executive Renewal, Film Finance Corporation (FFC), Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM)
Robert Egelston Founding Trustee[1:2] The Capital Group
Ron Nater Founding Trustee[1:3] Stanford Research Institute (SRI)
Robert Shelton Vice President[5] Private Access, Klinefelter Syndrome and Associates (KS&A), H2C Safety Pipe, H2 Clipper
Viviana Gonzalez Executive Assistant to the CEO and Corporate Secretary[5:1] -
Bob Beth Special Advisor to the Clean Energy Moonshot[5:2] Algorithmic Hydrogen Alliance (AHA)
Karissa Garcia Digital Brand Manager, Content and Community[5:3] Optimist Daily
Paul Wellman Office Manager[5:4] Dorason, Omega Point Institute, Optimist Daily, Santa Barbara Independent
Amy Vossbrinck Executive Director/Executive Assistant (2004-2006)[6] State of the World Forum, Wikimedia Foundation, Kucinich for President, Foundation for Global Community, Center for Citizen Initiatives
Blaine Bartlett Board Member[3:1] Avatar Resources, Beijing Normal University (BNU), American College of Physician Executives, Tsinghua University, Transformational Leadership Council, Global Coaching Alliance (GCA)
Jerry B. Brown Board Member[3:2] Florida International University (FIU), Cesar Chavez, Business Executives for National Security (BENS), Floridians United for Safe Energy (FUSE)
Vaishali Chadha Board Member[3:3] California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), Asian Art Museum, Adventures for My Soul, Friends of Ridhwan
Diane Cirincione Board Member[3:4] Attitudinal Healing International, Jampolsky Outreach Foundation, California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), H2 Clipper, Mo-DV, Unstoppable Foundation
Bill Moses Board Member[3:5] Credibl AI, JRNYS Wellness, Wilde Brands
Merryl Snow Zegar Board Member[3:6] Zegar Family Foundation, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts
John D. Adams Fellow[4:1] Earthart Enterprises
Mark S. Albion Fellow[4:2] Harvard Business School, You & Company, Students for Responsible Business (SRB)
Verna Allee Fellow[4:3] Verna Allee Associates
Wally Amos Fellow[4:4] United States Air Force, Saks Fifth Avenue, William Morris Agency, Famous Amos, Uncle Wally's, Literary Volunteers of America (LVA), National Center for Family Literacy, Read to Me International, Communities in Schools, Chip & Cookie Read Aloud Foundation
Yul Anderson Fellow[4:5] African American Future Society, Global Commission to Fund the United Nations, World Academy of Art and Science, Futures Forum, Ethical Markets Media, Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Lifeboat Foundation, Federal Foresight Community of Interest (FFCOI), Public Sector Foresight Network (PSFN), Shaping Tomorrow, TechCast Global, Mixed Methods International Research Association (MMIRA)
Don E. Beck Fellow[4:6] Number 10 Policy Unit, Spiral Dynamics Integral (SDi), Center for Human Emergence (CHE), National Values Center, Spiral Dynamics Group (SDG), World Future Society, International Paleopsychology Project, Institute for Values & Culture, George Gallup Institute
Warren Bennis Fellow[4:7] University of Southern California (USC), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, Boston University, State University of New York at Buffalo, University of Cincinnati
Lester R. Brown Fellow[4:8] Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), Overseas Development Council (ODC), Worldwatch Institute, Earth Policy Institute, MacArthur Fellowship, Chinese Academy of Sciences, International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE)
Michelle L. Buck Fellow[4:9] Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, McGill University
Karen Wilhelm Buckley Fellow[4:10] Communicore Consulting, Conscious Leadership Guild, Global Learning & Exchange Network (GLEN), Verdant World, Greenwood School
Andy Chande Fellow[4:11] Parliament of Tanzania, Barclays Bank Tanzania, Organisation of African Unity (OAU), World Innovation Foundation (WIF), Stanford Research Institute (SRI)
Jim Channon Fellow[4:12] First Earth Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Esalen Institute
Ravi Chaudhry Fellow[4:13] CeNext Consulting & Investment, Tata Group, Government of Switzerland, Ethical Markets Media, L'avenir d'Auroville, Future 500 India
Cynthia Cherrey Fellow[4:14] Tulane University, Princeton University, A. B. Freeman School of Business, University of Southern California (USC), USC Rossier School of Education, International Leadership Association (ILA), James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership, Fulbright Program
Deepak Chopra Fellow[4:15] Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Chopra Foundation, State of the World Forum, Peace and Human Progress Foundation, Ad Hoc Panel on Alternative Medicine, Boston Regional Medical Center
Diane V. Cirincione Fellow[4:16] Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute (LPPI), Jampolsky Outreach Foundation
Harlan Cleveland Fellow[4:17] University of Oxford, Economic Cooperation Administration, World Academy of Art and Science, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
David Cooperrider Fellow[4:18] Weatherhand School of Management, Academy of Management, Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit
Linda Crompton Fellow[4:19] Citizens Bank, Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute (IRRCi), BoardSource, Leadership Woman, Citizens Trust Company, Woman to Woman Magazine, Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC), Ethical Markets Media
Gordon Davidson Fellow[4:20] Center for Visionary Leadership, Sirius Community, Social Investment Forum, Ceres, Soulight Consulting, Findhorn Foundation, Transformational Leadership Council
Riane Eisler Fellow[4:21] Fuji Declaration, Center for Partnership Studies
Eddie Erlandson Fellow[4:22] -
Mitch Ewan Fellow[4:23] Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), National Hydrogen Association (NHA), Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC)
John Fullerton Fellow[4:24] JPMorgan Chase, Capital Institute, Grasslands, Aquasafra, Savory Institute, Club of Rome
Jessica Fullmer Fellow[4:25] Mo-DV, Sustainable Business Institute (SBI)
Robert Fulmer Fellow[4:26] Duke Corporate Education, College of William & Mary, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), AlliedSignal, Academy of Management, Southern Management Association (SMA)
David Gershon Fellow[4:27] Evolutionary Leaders, Empowerment Institute, First Earth Run
Mark Gerzon Fellow[4:28] United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mediators Foundation, Conflict Transformation Collaborative, Global Leadership Network, EastWest Institute
Max Goldberger Fellow[4:29] Pioneer Research, Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council (HCEOC)
Daniel Goleman Fellow[4:30] Emotional Intelligence Services, Harvard University, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Amit Goswami Fellow[4:31] Dolphin Embassy, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Holmes Institute, UNIPAZ, Theosophical Society in America
Kirk Hanson Fellow[4:32] Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Business Enterprise Trust, Social Venture Network, Students for Responsible Business (SRB), American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley, Yale Divinity School, Harvard Business School
Stuart L. Hart Fellow[4:33] Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management, Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Base of the Pyramid Learning Laboratory, University of Vermont
Hazel Henderson Fellow[7] Ethical Markets Media, Club of Budapest, World Future Society, Office of Technology Assessment (OTA)
Gay Hendricks Fellow[4:34] University of Colorado
Peter Hoffmann Fellow[4:35] McGraw-Hill World News, International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE)
Jean Houston Fellow[4:36] Human Potential Movement, Foundation for Mind Research, Mystery School, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Club of Budapest, Evolutionary Leaders
Barbara Marx Hubbard Fellow[4:37] Foundation for Conscious Evolution, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Committee for the Future, Center for Soviet-American Dialogue (CSAD), World Future Society, Foundation for the Future, Association for Global New Thought (AGNT)
Dipak C. Jain Fellow[4:38] INSEAD, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, Hartmarx, John Deere, Northern Trust, Reliance Industries, United Airlines, Peoples Energy, Gauhati University, Sasin School of Management
Gerald G. Jampolsky Fellow[4:39] UCSF School of Medicine, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Attitudinal Healing International
Beth Jarman Fellow[4:40] Leadership 2000, Utah House of Representatives, Utah Department of Commerce, Arizona Department of Commerce, Utah Housing Finance Agency
Joseph Jaworski Fellow[4:41] Generon International, Global Leadership Initiative, Bracewell, American College of Trial Lawyers, Circle J Enterprises, American Leadership Forum (ALF), Shell, MIT Center for Organizational Learning, Society for Organizational Learning (SoL)
Zhouying Jin Fellow[4:42] Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS), Center for Technology Innovation and Strategy Studies, Beijing Academy of Soft Technology (BAST), Shanghai Academy of Systematic Science, Hohai University, Tsinghua University, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), 863 Program, Future 500 China, Millennium Project, American Council for the United Nations University, Club of Rome, IC2 Institute, World Future Society, World Innovation Foundation
Rosabeth Moss Kanter Fellow[4:43] Harvard Business School, Harvard Business Review, Goodmeasure, City Year, World Economic Forum (WEF), Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI)
WindEagle Kinney-Linton Fellow[4:44] Fuji Declaration, Ehama Institute, World Foundation for the Discipline of Peace
David Krieger Fellow[4:45] Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Fuji Declaration, World Future Council, International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES), Santa Barbara County Superior Court
Lorenzo Kristov Fellow[4:46] California Independent System Operator (CAISO), California Energy Commission, Fulbright Program
George Land Fellow[4:47] University of Minnesota, New York Academy of Sciences, Creative Education Foundation
Ervin László Fellow[4:48] Club of Budapest, WorldShift Network, General Evolution Research Group (GERG), World Wisdom Council (WWC), World Academy of Art and Science, International Academy of Philosophy of Science, International Medici Academy, World Futures
Michael Lerner Fellow[4:49] Tikkun, Network of Spiritual Progressives, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, University of Washington, University of California, Berkeley
Bernard Lietaer Fellow[8] Humanitad Foundation, Global Futures Forum, World Academy of Art and Science, Club of Rome
Amory Lovins Fellow[4:50] Rocky Mountain Institute, MacArthur Fellowship, Foresight Institute, Global Business Network
Kate Ludeman Fellow[4:51] World Ethic Corporation
Marc Luyckx Fellow[4:52] Forward Studies Unit, Vision 2020, European Commission, World Academy of Art and Science, Club of Rome
Joseph J. Mangand Fellow[4:53] Radiation and Public Health Project (RPHP)
Peter Matthies Fellow[4:54] Conscious Business Institute (CBI), Apax Partners, Andersen Consulting, Goethe Business School (GBS), Climate Prosperity Alliance, Evolutionary Leaders
Dorothy Maver Fellow[4:55] National Peace Academy, Fuji Declaration, River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, Norwich University, Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace, Global Silent Minute, Peace Alliance
William McDonough Fellow[4:56] Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, NASA Sustainability Base, Expo 2000, McDonough Innovation, William McDonough + Partners, MBDC, GreenBlue, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, Make It Right Foundation
Corinne McLaughlin Fellow[4:57] Center for Visionary Leadership, Sirius, President's Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD), American University, University of Massachusetts, Findhorn Foundation, Transformational Leadership Council
James Milojkovic Fellow[4:58] KnowledgePassion, TeleLearning, Rowen Communications, Creative Directions, Stanford Leadership Academy, Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
Terry Mollner Fellow[4:59] Calvert Impact, Calvert Social Investment Fund, Trusteeship Institute, Ben & Jerry's, Unilever
Greg Mortenson Fellow[4:60] Central Asia Institute
Ron Nahser Fellow[4:61] Corporantes, Institute for Business and Professional Ethics (IBPE), Presidio Graduate School, Nahser Agency, Oxford Leadership Academy
Ruben Nelson Fellow[4:62] Queen's University, University of Calgary, World Academy of Art and Science, Meridian International Center, Foresight Canada, Rotary International, Lifeboat Foundation, Great Transition Initiative, Enviros Wilderness School Association, Creating Tomorrow Foundation, Alliance for Capitalizing on Change, Square One Management
Tom Oliver Fellow[4:63] Tom Oliver Group (TOG), Alliance Manchester Business School, World Peace Foundation, World Peace Festival
Marc-Andre Olivier Fellow[4:64] Society for Organizational Learning (SoL)
Harrison Owen Fellow[4:65] H.H. Owen and Co.
Helen Palmer Fellow[4:66] -
Robert Quinn Fellow[4:67] Stephen M. Ross School of Business, State University of New York at Albany
RainbowHawk Fellow[4:68] Ehama Institute, World Foundation for the Discipline of Peace
John Raisian Fellow[4:69] Hoover Institution, Unicon Research Corporation, Bureau of Labor Statistics Office of Research and Evaluation, United States Department of Labor Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP), President's Task Force on Food Assistance
Michael Ray Fellow[4:70] Stanford Graduate School of Business
Paul H. Ray Fellow[4:71] University of Michigan, American LIVES
Thomas Ray Fellow[4:72] -
N. Mohan Reddy Fellow[4:73] Weatherhead School of Management, Brush Engineered Materials, Keithley Instruments, Smith Industries, Dealer Tire
Karl-Henrik Robert Fellow[4:74] Great Transition Initiative, The Natural Step (TNS)
Peter Russell Fellow[9] Club of Budapest, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Findhorn Foundation
Elisabet Sahtouris Fellow[4:75] American Museum of Natural History, University of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Evolutionary Leaders, Vision Project
Lance Secretan Fellow[4:76] 1997 Special Olympics World Winter Games, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Manpower, York University, McMaster University
Jim Selman Fellow[4:77] ParaComm International, Transformational Leadership Council
Peter Senge Fellow[4:78] Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Society for Organizational Learning (SoL)
Rajendra Sisodia Fellow[4:79] Bentley University, Center for Marketing Technology (CMT), Conscious Capitalism Institute, Journal of Asia-Pacific Business, adAlive, Mastek, Conscious Capitalism
Larry Spears Fellow[4:80] Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium (GPPC), The Philadelphia Center (TPC), Friends Journal, National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE), World Future Society, National Society for Experimental Education (NSEE), American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)
David Steindl-Rast Fellow[4:81] Mount Saviour Monastery, Cornell University, Center for Spiritual Studies, A Network for Grateful Living
Patrick Kenji Takahashi Fellow[4:82] Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI), Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR), Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel (HTAP), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Ames Research Center, University of Hawai'i College of Engineering, Hawaii Geothermal Project, Puna Research Center (PRC), American Solar Energy Society (ASES)
Mikela Tarlow Fellow[4:83] -
Philip Tarlow Fellow[4:84] -
Richard Tarnas Fellow[4:85] California Institute of Integral Studies, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Esalen Institute
John B. Taylor Fellow[4:86] Independent Institute, Hoover Institution, Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), United States Department of the Treasury, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)
Jim Thompson Fellow[4:87] Positive Coaching Alliance, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Ashoka, Stanford Continuing Studies Program (CSP)
Justine Willis Toms Fellow[4:88] New Dimensions Radio, Millionth Circle, Joyful Noise! Gospel Singers, World Prayers, SummerTree Institute, New Dimensions Foundation
Lynne Twist Fellow[4:89] Soul of Money Institute, Jane Goodall Institute, A Network for Grateful Living, Pachamama Alliance, Fetzer Institute, The Hunger Project (THP), Youth for Environmental Sanity (YES)
Margaret Wheatley Fellow[4:90] Berkana Institute, Peace Corps, Marriott School of Management, Cambridge College
Diana Whitney Fellow[4:91] Corporation for Positive Change, Taos Institute, United Religions Initiative (URI), Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center
Gary Zukav Fellow[4:92] Fuji Declaration

Partners

Partners of the World Business Academy include:

The Vision Project listed the World Business Academy on its list of "visionary websites."[12]

  1. Brutoco, R. S. Founding the World Business Academy. World Business Academy. Retrieved August 26, 2025, from https://web.archive.org/web/20200928214132/https://worldbusiness.org/founding-the-world-business-academy/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Research Advisory Board. Ethical Markets Media. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from http://archive.today/2010.05.05-180316/http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/about/research-advisory-board/ ↩︎

  3. Our Board of Directors Archives. World Business Academy. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://web.archive.org/web/20250820224756/https://worldbusiness.org/team-category/our-board/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Fellows Archive. World Business Academy. Retrieved August 21, 2025, from https://web.archive.org/web/20250821200209/https://worldbusiness.org/fellows/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. Our Staff Archives. World Business Academy. Retrieved August 21, 2025, from https://web.archive.org/web/20250821000144/https://worldbusiness.org/team-category/our-staff/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. Experience | Amy Vossbrinck. LinkedIn. Retrieved December 30, 2023, from https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyvossbrinck/details/experience/ ↩︎

  7. Hazel Henderson. Club of Budapest. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from https://web.archive.org/web/20080221054402/http://www.clubofbudapest.org/p-amb-henderson.php ↩︎

  8. People. Humanitad Foundation. Retrieved September 21, 2023, from https://web.archive.org/web/20230921175912/https://www.humanitad.org/people/ ↩︎

  9. Peter Russell. Club of Budapest. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from http://archive.today/2008.02.21-054727/http://www.clubofbudapest.org/p-amb-russell.php ↩︎

  10. Home. Ethical Markets Media. Retrieved December 16, 2023, from https://web.archive.org/web/20231216211824/https://www.ethicalmarkets.com/ ↩︎

  11. Weiss, M. A. (2013, May 21). GUD’s 10th Anniversary Update, 2001-2011. Global Urban Development. https://web.archive.org/web/20220122023356/https://globalurban.org/GUD_10-year_Update.pdf ↩︎

  12. Visionary Websites. The Vision Project. Retrieved July 8, 2007, from http://archive.today/2007.07.08-220907/http://www.thevisionproject.org/visionary_websites.html ↩︎