Experiencing purpose first-hand

Our first projects of 2025 saw us supporting IE Business School’s bid to give 400 of its Master’s students a sense of purpose. 

The university’s ‘Purpose in Action’ experience is a fundamental building block of its ‘Purpose Accelerator’ objective. 

Over four days in January, 200 MIM students built a learning and growing garden for children at Collegio Julian Besteiro, which supports disadvantaged families. 

At the same time, elsewhere in the city, a further 200 IMBA students built a garden featuring pods and boardwalks at an educational centre for vulnerable or marginalised young people in Madrid. 

Concepcion Galdon, Vice Dean, Business with Purpose, IE Business School, explained why giving their students the chance to experience purpose first-hand is so important to their Master’s programmes: 

“It’s absolutely critical for business leaders to have a strong sense of purpose.  

“Feeling a sense of purpose as a professional, you’re going to be a better professional , but it’s also important for society. 

“Business is a critical stakeholder in this world and, with every decision they make, business leaders are building the future for all of us, so we must hope they are purpose driven.” 

Here’s what the participants said:  

Marco:  

“It made me realise that it’s not only the way you think but the way you act which makes us different, so the message to take home is to find the common goal rather than look at single differences.” 

Pauline, said:  

“Everyone felt that feeling of purpose, together. It’s amazing and unique that IE provided us all with the opportunity to do something with purpose that had social impact.”