Organized by the Yale Program on Stakeholder Innovation and Management, or Y-SIM, the Artificial Intelligence Association at SOM, and the Data & Trust Alliance, the event is expected to feature over 400 in-person participants and an additional 300-400 virtual attendees. Participants will include members of the Global Network for Advanced Management, or GNAM, representing 32 leading business schools worldwide. The goal is to build a cross-sector, cross-disciplinary foundation for unlocking AI’s value while safeguarding public trust.

“The conference is about the practicalities of this moment — not just ‘what is going on’ but ‘how do we all move forward,’” said Saira Jesani, executive director of the Data & Trust Alliance. “The members of the Data & Trust Alliance, some of the largest users of data and AI in the world, are in action mode — and learning from each other on what it looks like to put aside the hype and make smart, valuable, responsible moves.”

The event will include panelists from organizations such as Microsoft, IBM, Pfizer, SAP, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T and Anthropic, among others. Sessions will cover themes like Building Trust and Social License in the AI Era, Operationalizing Responsible AI and Designing a New Workforce for the AI Economy.

The conference opens with an invite-only fireside chat between John Maeda of Microsoft and Jon Iwata, founder of Y-SIM and former chief brand officer at IBM. Their session, “Value Extraction for Top-Line and Bottom-Line Growth,” uses the metaphor of becoming an “AI chef” to reimagine how CEOs and institutions can drive impact from emerging AI tools.

“We should not think about AI through one perspective but many — and that’s how the conference has been designed,” Iwata said, “AI’s impact is so vast, and so are the risks. We have to get it right. I expect we’ll have not just a great discussion, but a good debate.”

A Yale-focused session will follow, moderated by Jennifer Frederick, Yale’s associate provost for academic initiatives and executive director of the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. It will examine Yale’s own $150 million investment in AI curriculum, infrastructure and ethics, featuring faculty leaders from Yale SOM and the Computer Science department.

“Generative AI tools can democratize access to learning support and relieve staff from routine tasks,” Frederick said in an interview ahead of the event. “But we must continue to rethink pedagogy and assessment to equip students for an AI-infused world.”

Frederick emphasized the importance of inclusion. “We need to embrace the idea of ‘AI for everyone,’” she said, “or we risk repeating patterns that benefit only a narrow slice of humanity.”

For Jade Nguyen Strattner, managing director of Y-SIM, the integration of AI into business strategy must begin with accountability.

“AI can help companies make better decisions and deliver value,” she said. “But to realize those benefits, businesses must be transparent, and take responsibility for the results.”

Strattner added that companies must invest early in public trust. “Think of it like insurance — building that trust allows organizations to innovate with fewer roadblocks,” she said.

The conference is co-chaired by students from the Yale School of Management’s Artificial Intelligence Association. Co-President and Conference Co-Chair Ash Duong SOM ’25 and Conference Co-Chairs Chloe Lei SOM ’25 and Rui Li SOM ’25, are helping lead the initiative.

“From research to prototyping, AI shortens the time it takes to go from idea to execution,” Li said, “That lowers the barrier for innovation and opens the door to more voices, just like YouTube did for creators.”

Still, Li believes the biggest challenge lies in public understanding. “As AI systems grow more autonomous, we need strong oversight and widespread AI literacy,” she said, “People must engage critically with these tools — not blindly trust them.”

Collectively, the speakers emphasized that meaningful progress on AI requires communication and collaboration across disciplines and sectors.

“I hope students leave the conference thinking outside traditional boundaries,” Frederick said, “This convening is just one step — we all need to be accountable for continuing the conversation.”

Strattner reinforced that point. “Being able to translate complex ideas across audiences is essential,” she said, “That’s how you drive better decisions and stronger support.”

Responsible AI in Global Business 2025 will take place on April 3 at Edward P. Evans Hall. Registration is open via the Yale School of Management website.

Update, March 26: The article has been updated to reflect that Kenvue, CrowdStrike, Salesforce and Bridgewater Associates will no longer participate in the conference.

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Yale-NUS opened in 2013 as a partnership between Yale and the National University of Singapore. In July 2021, NUS President Tan Eng Chye GRD ’89 announced that Yale-NUS College would merge with the NUS University Scholars Programme, an existing interdisciplinary initiative, and be renamed “New College.” Yale’s name will be removed from the institution. 

President of Yale-NUS Joanne Roberts acknowledged the significance of this decision, reflecting on the impact Yale-NUS has had on the academic landscape. Alumni like April Hu ’84 and Kyle Kegang Wang ’85, who have been actively involved in discussions surrounding the closure, are navigating the emotions tied to the end of an institution that has played a pivotal role in their educational journeys. 

“Why did the closure of Yale-NUS college happen?” Hu said. “It could be a breakdown of communication of shared vision or something else, but instead of looking backwards, I think we should move forward and sincerely support more global collaborations between the world’s finest academic institutions.”

The original affiliation between Yale and NUS allowed either party to withdraw from the collaboration in 2025. The school also frequently came under scrutiny for issues of free expression since its creation. 

Roberts, the Yale-NUS president, reflected on the impact and legacy of Yale-NUS, highlighting the college’s achievements since welcoming its first class in 2013.

She emphasized the college’s significant contributions to the academic landscape, noting that Yale-NUS graduates have excelled in diverse fields such as astronomy, international policy, technology and public health, among others.

Roberts also underscored the efforts to share Yale-NUS’ educational model globally, including organizing a symposium in January 2024 and participating in international conferences. She pointed out that the new NUS College, or NUSC, formed in part through the contributions of Yale-NUS leadership and community members, draws heavily on the curriculum and experiences developed at Yale-NUS.

“There is great interest in strengthening and deepening liberal arts and sciences education in Singapore, and this interest will undoubtedly continue in the years to come,” she said.

Wang said that the initial agreement between Yale and the Singaporean government involved significant financial commitments from the Singaporean government, who primarily funded the institution, without clear long-term benefits to the local economy. He pointed out that Yale-NUS’ model of admitting a large number of international students who often left after graduation did not align with the goal of contributing to Singapore’s workforce.

“Every cost had to be paid by Singaporeans, locals and the Singaporean government,” Wang said. “Then they had the quota to educate students from outside, then after those students are educated, they leave. This didn’t help benefit or contribute to the Singaporean economy in terms of workforce.”

Wang added that although the college faced challenges, it remained a valuable educational experiment that showcased Yale’s commitment to high standards and cultural exchange.

Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis, who is also Yale-NUS’ founding president, voiced his disappointment over Yale-NUS’ closure and emphasized Yale’s commitment to the school.

“Yale was fully committed to the partnership and was happy to keep doing it for five, 10 more years,” Lewis said. “I worked very hard to try and negotiate a continuation. It was a unilateral decision on the part of NUS … We were disappointed because we were hoping to continue the partnership.”

Lewis did not support the dissolution of the school when it was announced in 2021. Regarding why Yale-NUS closed, Lewis told the News that NUS and “maybe Singapore in general” wanted more direct control of the program.

On adapting to the end of the partnership, Lewis explained that Yale is actively working to increase its options.

“We are trying to expand our study abroad programs for our undergraduates,” Lewis said. “It’s become much harder to create a bricks-and-mortar campus, so we now rely a lot more on partnerships where our students will travel to another university, but we won’t be involved in the governance in the same way.”

Reflecting on the college’s legacy, Roberts mentioned several community-led projects, such as the Yale-NUS Legacy website and upcoming commemorative events, which aim to celebrate and document the college’s history.

She expressed pride in the enduring network of Yale-NUS alumni, who continue to build lasting bonds and keep the spirit of the college alive through the newly formed Yale-NUS Club, an official society registered in Singapore.

A reception, one of the last events held on the campus, will be hosted in partnership with the Yale International Alliance and the Yale Alumni Association, providing an opportunity to commemorate the legacy of the institution alongside Yale alumni and Yale-NUS leadership

The reception will be on Nov. 8 in Singapore.

Karla Cortes contributed reporting. 

Corrections 9/23: This article has been corrected to accurately describe the reception hosted at Yale-NUS later this semester.

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The webinar titled “Navigating the Election with Students & Educating for American Democracy,” featured Louise Dubé SOM ’88, CEO of iCivics, Jane Kamensky ’85 GRD ’90 ’93, president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, and Peter Levine ’89, professor at Tufts University. Mike Fishback ’01, social studies department chair at Almaden Country Day School, moderated the event.

“This is our democracy, not just mine,” said Dubé. “The skills to find common ground are teachable, and we need to invest in building civic knowledge and skills.”

The webinar covered several key topics, including the teaching and learning opportunities that arise from the election, strategies for managing civil disagreement and the importance of fostering reflective patriotism while avoiding cynicism. 

Panelists also discussed ways children can actively practice democracy in their classrooms and the role compromise plays in civic life. Finally, they addressed the importance of evaluating and trusting news sources, emphasizing critical thinking and informed engagement with the media.

Fishback emphasized the need for educators and parents to feel confident in discussing the complexities of the upcoming 2024 election with students.

“The webinar aims to connect teachers and parents with Yale alumni whose professional work focuses on responsive, meaningful civics education,” he said. “The 2024 election season is a particularly important time to engage students with the world around them and help them practice vital life skills.”

Kamensky stressed the role of inquiry in civics education, especially in the current climate. 

She added that by encouraging students to approach the election with a questioning mindset, educators can foster a deeper understanding of democracy and help students avoid the pitfalls of cynicism.

“Educating for American democracy centers on inquiry: learning by asking questions, finding robust sources of information to answer them, and testing how well those answers hold up,” Kamensky said.

Levine tackled the challenge of helping educators maintain a balanced classroom while fostering civil discourse. He believes that while teachers should not be neutral about everything, they should stay nonpartisan and “uplift ideas that might be neglected.” 

Levine emphasized that preparation and experience are essential for educators to successfully navigate political controversies in the classroom, offering students a space for respectful, honest dialogue about the election, especially given the particularly close and contentious nature of the election.

The current FiveThirtyEight polling average has former President Donald Trump at 45 percent and Vice President Kamala Harris at 48 percent.

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LaDrea Moss, the visionary behind Mindless Thoughts Clothing, shared her journey of transforming a simple idea into a thriving business. According to Moss, the name “Mindless Thoughts” was a creative inspiration from a family brainstorming session, capturing the essence of the brand’s creative and unfettered spirit.

“Back in 2010, some teens asked me to draw a logo for their clothing brand. After falling in love with the branding process, I knew I had to start my own line,” Moss said.

Prior to taking this entrepreneurial direction, Moss worked for 15 years as an American Sign Language liaison in the autism field. 

However, she described difficulties in transitioning to fashion.

“Starting off with $1,000 and selling from my car, we faced hurdles like finances and location. We faced a recent robbery, losing $20,000 worth of inventory, which hit us hard,” Moss said.

Nevertheless, she now focuses on consistency and staying ahead of fashion trends.

The style of Mindless Thoughts Clothing reflects Moss’ personal taste — comfortable, modern and always in tune with the latest media. 

“I sketch out whatever I am thinking,” she says.

As for the future, Moss is ambitious, planning to relocate to a busier area, hire more employees and even consider expanding to other states. Moss hopes that Mindless Thoughts will eventually be a name recognized beyond New Haven.

Customers like Verin Knox are a testament to the brand’s appeal. 

“I shop here once or twice a month,” Knox said. “The quality is good, the designs are simple yet impactful, and they always complement recent shoe releases.”

Employee Ciahna Battle, Moss’ sister, adds a personal touch to the story, expressing her pride in supporting the Mindless Thoughts vision. 

Battle has been a part of Mindless Thoughts since its inception and valued the opportunity to support her sister and watch the business grow.

“Working here is more than just a job; it is about being part of a family that values creativity and community,” Battle said.

Mindless Thoughts Clothing is located at 1296 State St.

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