A man who was great because he lived out humbly the two greatest commandments

By Brian Grim, President

The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation offers prayers and condolences on the passing of Pope Francis today. His papacy, which began the year before RFBF’s founding, shaped the narrative on the purpose and responsibilities of business and business leaders for a new generation.

While his most famous encyclical, LAUDATO SI’ / Care for Our Common Home, addressed the responsibility of all sectors of society to care for one another and our planet, other business-oriented documents, such as the re-launch of the Vatican’s Vocation of the Business Leader occurred during his pontificate. This document as well as his encouragement to the Economy of Communion movement, embodies an approach to business that puts human dignity and integral human development at the heart of every economic endeavor. His prayer intention for this month was that Technology Should Benefit Everyone.

In my own encounters with Pope Francis, I was always inspired by his humility. I was in the Vatican the day that his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI resigned. A few months later I stayed in the same guest house where Pope Francis had returned to pay his own bill after being elected pope. I stayed there during first TEDx event held at the Vatican, where, while I was still at the Pew Research Center, I gave a TEDx talk on the rising tide of government and social restrictions impeding the free practice of every religion or belief in every country worldwide.

This rising tide of restrictions on religion and belief in all forms across the world led me to leave Pew in 2014 and start the RFBF with the mission to invite businesses to be part of the solution.

We have lost today a great champion not only for religious freedom and ethical business, but a man who was great because he lived out humbly the two greatest commandments that Jesus said sum up everything: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22: 37-40

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces faced unprecedented challenges, requiring them to become resilient and cultivate healthier, more honest cultures. Amidst this backdrop, Patrick Regan OBE embarked on a quest to rethink organisational wellbeing. Engaging in insightful conversations with leading experts across various disciplines, Patrick identified a pressing need for practical solutions that would empower organisations and their people. Brighter Days offers innovative training programs designed to address the evolving demands of the modern workplace.

With Patrick’s vision and expertise, Brighter Days has become a part of the solution, helping organisations and their people navigate uncertainty, develop resilience, and foster cultures that prioritise wellbeing and authenticity. We are reshaping the future of work, one brighter day at a time.

Patrick Regan OBE is an activist who is passionate about speaking on themes such as resilience, courage and wellbeing. He has founded two award-winning charities; XLP, a Schools and Community Charity which he ran for 22 years and pioneered Kintsugi Hope which has Wellbeing Groups all over the UK to help people in the area of their mental health. He is a mental health first aider, a campaigner on issues of social justice and was awarded an OBE for his services to young people by the late Queen Elizabeth II. He is an Honorary Fellow of the South Bank University for his contribution to Justice and Wellbeing and recently was awarded CEO of the year 2023 for mental health training.

Busch School of Business Dean Andrew Abela will keynote the first general plenary of Dare to Overcome 2025.

Each year, our most popular keynote has been by the Busch School’s Dean Andrew Abela. This year promises to be the best yet, as he unpacks the ancient yet modern secrets to a successful life (and business).

Everyone registered gets a free copy of his new book, Super Habits: The Universal System for a Successful Life.

Harvard’s Arthur C. Brooks says, “A rich blend of social science and ancient wisdom, Andrew Abela’s Superhabits shows how strengthening our virtues leads to well-being. This beautiful book is a must-read for anyone in pursuit of the better life.”

The Keynote Plenary will also include a special corporate panel to discuss the way forward in a changing environment.

Most corporate faith initiatives are situated in the People and Belonging departments of Fortune 500 companies. As these departments are undergoing transformations in response the changes in political environment, companies are finding the their faith initiatives can offer insights on the way forward.

The Keynote panel will wrap up with invitations from Dare to Overcome’s sponsors to attend their special sessions over the coming two days.

By Brian Grim

Glasgow, 23 April

On 23 April in Glasgow, Scotland, I’ll be presenting on best practices in creating workplaces that are faith-and-belief friendly, where everyone belongs. One effective way to achieve this is to give people of faith an official voice within their organisations through company-sponsored, employee-led, faith-oriented business resource groups (ERGs) and networks.

If you are in the area or have colleagues, they can register here to join us. The gathering is held at OVO’s beautiful downtown Glasgow offices and facilitated by Louise Bailey, Belonging Lead at OVO. Also speaking is Tim Macavoy, Head of Product, Radius Networks. Radius develops, connects and empowers employee networks around the world, maximising their potential and impact, wherever they are in their journey.

The event is convened by Business in the Community (BITC), the UK’s largest and most influential responsible business network, supported by His Majesty The King for over 40 years. BITC inspires, engages and challenges purposeful leaders to take practical action to mobilise their collective strength as a force for good in society.

Edinburgh, 24 April

On 24 April in Edinburgh, Daryl Watson, at trustee of the FoRB Foundation, is organising a series of meetings with Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to discuss how business is a powerful force for building freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all.

Directly after the First Minister’s Questions (FMQs), we will have a lunch meeting with John Mason MSP, convener (chair) of the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Freedom of Religion or Belief (CPG FoRB). Other MSPs joining the meeting include Murdo Fraser, deputy convener of CPG FoRB, and Stephen Kerr, a CPG FoRB member.

Last year we launched a report on this in Westminster with the All Party Parliamentary Group on International FoRB (APPG FoRB). I’m hoping the Scottish Parliament will be equally interested.

Dr Brian Grim will present the 2025 UK Faith-Friendly Workplace Awards to the most religiously accommodating workplaces in the UK, according to this year’s REDI Index. A record number of organisations have participated. Stay tuned for the results!

To join us in person on 29th April, register here.

Paulette Cohen MBE is a senior consultant for Radius Networks with decades of corporate experience. She will build the business case for Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) by bringing together case studies, statistics and insights from the 2025 Radius Global ERG Impact Report.

The report builds a compelling business case for employee resource groups. Featuring some of the world’s biggest brands, this landmark report evidences the trailblazing achievements of employee networks at companies such as EY, Google, HSBC, Tesco, BBC and Ericsson. It shines a light on the vital role ERGs play in future proofing organisations, driving EDI strategy, developing talent and building belonging.

Paulette Cohen has over 30 years’ experience working in leadership roles in the private and not-for-profit sectors. She has been an active member on multiple Boards and led teams, large and small, global and regional, including at Barclays.

To join us in person on 29 April, register here.

Lord Wajid Khan will keynote the 2nd annual UK Faith@Work Summit, 29 April, London.

To join us in person on 29 April, register here.

Speaking at the 2nd annual Faith@Work Summit, 29 April, London, top experts on workplace culture will discuss the latest data on faith and work.

Emma Pace, Partner and Chief People Officer at Baringa Partners, will hold a fireside chat with Professor Binna Kandola OBE, Business Psychologist, Senior Partner and co-founder of Pearn Kandola. Over the past 35 years, Binna has worked on a wide variety of projects for public and private sector clients both in the UK and overseas.

Professor Kandola will share insights gains from Pearn Kandola’s Antisemitism and Islamophobia at Work (2024) report and their their groundbreaking Religion At Work (2023) report. The 2024 report is a comprehensive study in which over 1000 Muslim and Jewish employees participated, either through in-depth focus groups or their survey, to shine a light on their experiences of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the workplace since October 7th 2023. The 2023 report, the largest of its kind, explored the experiences of people of faith in the workplace, highlighting the difficulty for employees of any religion to express their faith at work.

His latest book, Designing for Diversity, describes how some of the initiatives undertaken in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) don’t help to achieve meaningful change and may in fact hinder progress towards fairer and more effective organizations.

To join us in person on 29 April, register here.

Speaking at the 2nd annual Faith@Work Summit, 29 April, London, senior business leaders will share the business case for faith-and-belief friendly workplaces from both an organisational and personal perspective.

Oliver Pawle, Chairman of Korn Ferry Board Services Practice, will moderate this discussion featuring Bruce Owen, president of Europe, Middle East and Africa for Equinix, Adrian Bettridge, Managing Partner of Baringa Partners, and Sonya Branch, General Counsel for the Bank of England.

To participate, register here.

Many Black Americans want to bring their faith to work but face discrimination. 

Black Americans are more likely than other racial groups to express their faith in the workplace. Researchers found that when Black Christians mentioned their faith at work, they feared they would be discriminated against because of both their race and their religion. Read more about the study by Denise Daniels, Christopher P. Scheitle, and Elaine Howard Ecklund here on RNS.