IABS 2026: Bringing Business and Society Conversations to Rhode Island
On a Friday afternoon, Janine Allenbacher (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf) and Joyce Treptow (UNU-MERIT/Maastricht University), members of the IABS communications team, had an engaging virtual conversation with this year's Conference Chair , Jegoo Lee (The University of Rhode Island), to talk about the upcoming IABS 2026 conference. Speaking from what he affectionately called his "hometown," Lee reflected on what attendees can expect when the IABS community gathers in Providence, Rhode Island, from June 4-7, 2026.
Exploring “the roads not taken”
For many members, IABS has long been more than a scholarly association. It is an intellectual home, a place where researchers, educators, practitioners, and students come together to challenge assumptions, exchange ideas, and build lasting friendships. That spirit remains at the heart of IABS 2026.
Continuity and new frontiers
Passing the baton from Maastricht, The Netherlands to Providence, Rhode Island, last year’s conference chair and IABS President-elect Abel Diaz Gonzalez reflected on the continuity that characterizes the association: “One of the strengths of IABS is that each conference continues conversations started in previous years while opening space for new voices and new ideas.”
This year’s IABS is hosted in collaboration with the College of Business at the University of Rhode Island, and carries the theme:
“The roads not taken: Exploring new frontiers in business and society”
The theme was deliberately chosen as a scholarly provocation to encourage the IABS community to look sideways toward overlooked questions, emerging theories, untested frameworks, and new and unconventional paths for scholarship and practice.
A timely theme for a changing world
At a time when business and society scholars are grappling with challenges ranging from generative AI and climate change to inequality and geopolitical uncertainty, the conference invites participants to question established assumptions and imagine alternative futures.
The conference is expected to attract a diverse community of scholars, educators, practitioners, and public leaders from around the world. Discussions will span responsible business, sustainability, governance, ethics, technology, social impact, and emerging societal challenges.
Opening Ceremony: A Keynote from Public Leadership
A highlight of the conference will be the Opening Ceremony, featuring a keynote address by Sabina Matos, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Rhode Island. Lieutenant Governor Matos is recognized for her leadership on housing, food access, small business development, and community well-being. She brings a perspective that connects public leadership with many of the questions explored by business and society scholars. Lee expressed enthusiasm about welcoming her to the conference:
Providence – a city of reinvention
Providence, often referred to as the Renaissance City of New England, provides a fitting backdrop for these conversations. “It is a place associated with reinvention, creativity, and bold experimentation. Even the conference venue, a restored historic landmark that has itself undergone transformation across generations, and the casino (with nothing to do with gambling) as the banquet venue “embody the idea that transformation can emerge from what once seemed unfinished,” Lee explained.
For Jegoo Lee, the theme is ultimately about intellectual courage:
"IABS has always been a community that values thoughtful dialogue, intellectual openness, and collegiality. We will continue that tradition in 2026, and this year's theme invites us to remain curious, challenge assumptions, and explore new possibilities for understanding business and society. "
The IABS Community experience
While the intellectual programme remains central, IABS has always been distinguished by something more than research presentations. It is a community that values engagement, debate, mentorship, and collaboration.
The conference will feature regular developmental activities, such as Writing Camp, Doctoral Consortium, paper sessions, a theme panel discussion, and the conference banquet, and excursions through Providence.
There are also new features including brainstorming sessions for mentorship and leadership sessions and networking and collaborative work space, which will offer additional opportunities to strengthen old friendships and form new ones.
And as many IABS members know, some of the most valuable moments occur between sessions, in hallways, over coffee, on walking tours and boat rides, during shared meals, and through conversations that spark future collaborations and lasting friendships.
An Invitation to Explore New Paths
Whether your work explores artificial intelligence, sustainability, inequality, governance, entrepreneurship, or questions not yet fully named, IABS 2026 offers an opportunity to engage with a community ready to explore questions beyond familiar paths.
As the conference approaches, more programme details will be announced on social media and the conference website.
See You in Rhode Island
For those joining us for the first time — welcome.
We cannot wait to meet you!
For returning members — welcome back.
We cannot wait to catch up!
For all community members, even those following the conversation from afar, together, we will explore the roads not taken and perhaps discover what lies on the other side.
Until then, the invitation is simple: Reconnect with colleagues, meet new collaborators, and join a community committed to exploring the evolving relationship between business and society.
Joyce Treptow
is a PhD student at Maastricht University / UNU-MERIT in the Netherlands. Her research covers entrepreneurship in non-Western contexts.