For the first time, Dare to Overcome comes to London, convening global leaders to advance peace and human flourishing. REGISTER TODAY!
Will You Dare to Overcome with Kindness?
12 to 16 October 2026 | London
Thank you for your interest in Dare to Overcome London 2026, a week of leadership, ideas and action bringing together global leaders from business, investment, government, academia and civil society.
The week will explore how organisations can become more human as they become more technologically powerful, with a particular focus on human dignity, responsible leadership and the Economics of Kindness.
At a Glance
When: 12th – 16th October 2026 Where: London, UK Who: Business, investment, government, academic, civil society and faith leaders Theme:The Economics of Kindness Signature event: Dare to Overcome Gala Awards Dinner at Mansion House Ways to participate: Gala tickets and tables, individual events, invitation-only leadership gatherings, and sponsorship opportunities
Ten years ago, I stood with Don and Terri Larson in Rio de Janeiro as we honoured them with the Global Business & Interfaith Peace Award. Their work in Mozambique already offered a compelling example of how business could become an instrument of human dignity, self-reliance and peace. I have been with them on other occasions since. But visiting them recently in Mozambique, walking through the Sunshine Nut Company factory and seeing the Sunshine Houses firsthand, deepened my appreciation for what they have built.
Don came to this work with more than three decades of experience in the global food industry, including as Head of Cocoa Purchasing for Hershey Chocolate. He understood supply chains, purchasing, quality, risk and margins. At Hershey, he helped shift an automated process to a more labour-intensive model in Mexico that improved quality and margins while creating substantially more employment.
That experience helped shape the question at the heart of what Don calls the Sunshine Approach: What if the same business disciplines companies use to protect their margins were deliberately used to protect the dignity, opportunity and future of people at the beginning of the supply chain?
In Mozambique, they have turned that question into practice. Sunshine works with local farmers, purchases their cashews, processes them locally, creates jobs and connects the finished product to markets.
Walking through the factory, I saw much more than cashews. I saw people being given the opportunity to develop skills, earn livelihoods and participate in an enterprise that treats them as contributors to economic growth rather than beneficiaries of charity. This is social impact employment in practical form.
The Sunshine Houses reveal another dimension of this vision. Rather than treating widows and orphaned children as separate groups in need of assistance, Don and Terri bring them together, pairing widows with orphans to form new families. Widows become mothers to children who need the security and love of a home, while the children give these women renewed family, belonging and purpose. These households show that empowerment is also about restoring the human bonds through which people flourish. Those whom society might regard primarily as vulnerable instead become sources of strength for one another.
What makes this especially exciting is the potential synergy with the work of Tzu Chi Foundation in Mozambique. Tzu Chi’s humanitarian presence demonstrates the power of faith-inspired compassion translated into sustained action. Its work helps communities recover from disaster, rebuild livelihoods, strengthen resilience and move towards self-reliance.
Sunshine brings a complementary piece to that journey. Humanitarian assistance can help people survive a crisis and regain their footing. Enterprise can then help create the employment, markets, skills and income that allow recovery to become durable. Tzu Chi and Sunshine therefore represent two powerful parts of a common vision: compassionate service that meets immediate human need, joined with economic opportunity that helps people build a sustainable future.
This matters particularly in communities experiencing poverty, disaster or conflict. Peace is not simply the absence of violence. It is strengthened when people can provide for themselves, see a future for their children, participate meaningfully in their communities and believe that tomorrow can be better than today.
That is why seeing Sunshine firsthand was such an honour. Don and Terri are not merely talking about a more humane economy. They are building one, practically, from the ground up.
Their work also challenges conventional boundaries between business and charity. Communities need compassion and commerce working together. Compassion can identify the person who is being overlooked. Business can help create the structures through which that person’s talent, work and aspirations become economically sustainable.
As we prepare for Dare to Overcome: The Economics of Kindness in London this October, the Sunshine Approach offers a powerful message for global business leaders. Kindness is not the opposite of commercial discipline. It can help determine where that discipline is directed and whose flourishing is included in our definition of success. And that makes their achievement especially relevant to our London gathering.
I was honoured to see what Don and Terri have created. Even more, I left Mozambique convinced that their example deserves to be studied, shared and multiplied. Planting hope practically means helping people move from vulnerability towards agency, from dependence towards self-reliance, and from isolation towards community. Sunshine shows what can happen when business puts its best tools to work for those whom the economy too often leaves behind.
You can meet Don and Terri Larson and hear the Sunshine story firsthand at Dare to Overcome: The Economics of Kindness in London, 12–16 October 2026. Don will share on 13 October at Salesforce Tower how the Sunshine Approach grew from lessons learned in global business into a practical model for investing in people, creating dignified employment and building pathways from vulnerability to self-reliance. Their ehttps://dto.world/index.php/salesforce-tower-tuesday-13-october-2026/xperience in Mozambique is precisely the kind of example DTO London seeks to bring to the global conversation: proof that kindness, applied with business discipline and human ingenuity, can create prosperity, strengthen communities and help build peace.
We have also confirmed Pathway to Hope, featuring Emmy Award-winning journalist Jane Clayson Johnson and the inspiring stories of BYU-Pathway students across Africa. Jane will attend in person and participate in a discussion following the screening.
Also invited are Aldeas Scholas Films, the cinematic initiative associated with Pope Francis and involving Martin Scorsese.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. | August 2026 — What does leadership look like when human dignity is not simply a by-product of success, but one of its defining purposes?
To explore that question, Brian J. Grim, Ph.D., President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and Global Chair of Dare to Overcome, will travel to Mozambique from 12–18 August to visit the work of two recipients of the King Husein Global Business & Interfaith Peace Award: Po-Wen Yen, CEO of the Tzu Chi Foundation and recipient of the 2026 Award, and Don Larson, a previous recipient whose innovative business model is transforming communities through sustainable enterprise.
Though their organisations are very different, both are tackling the same challenge: how leadership, enterprise and deeply held values can be translated into lasting opportunity, restored dignity and stronger communities.
Under Po-Wen Yen’s leadership, the Tzu Chi Foundation has strengthened governance, transparency, sustainability reporting and global engagement while continuing its humanitarian mission across 133 countries and regions. Rooted in Humanistic Buddhism, Tzu Chi combines professional management with compassionate service. Today it mobilises millions of volunteers and invests in education, healthcare, vocational training, environmental stewardship and community rebuilding.
If Tzu Chi demonstrates humanitarian leadership at global scale, Don Larson demonstrates how commercial enterprise itself can become an instrument of human dignity.
After a successful executive career in the global food industry, including senior leadership roles at Hershey, Larson chose to use his business expertise to combat poverty through enterprise. He built Sunshine Nuts, a competitive food-manufacturing business in Mozambique, designed not simply to produce cashews, but to create jobs, strengthen agricultural value chains, invest in farming communities and restore dignity through sustainable economic opportunity. Larson describes the mission simply as providing “jobs and dignity” through a successful company.
“I’m travelling to Mozambique because I want to see what purpose-driven leadership looks like in practice,” said Grim. “These are not abstract ideas. These are leaders creating jobs, restoring dignity, strengthening communities and changing lives. Seeing that work firsthand is invaluable.”
The visit comes at a time when organisations are investing heavily in artificial intelligence while also asking what kinds of leadership, judgement and human capability will become increasingly valuable. These two award recipients demonstrate that commercial excellence, moral conviction and long-term social impact reinforce rather than compete with one another.
While Grim will spend a week in Mozambique learning from these award-winning leaders in their own context, business leaders will not have to travel nearly so far to meet them.
Both Po-Wen Yen and Don Larson will participate in Dare to Overcome London: The Economics of Kindness, taking place 12–16 October 2026. The gathering will bring together leaders from business, finance, education, civil society and government to explore how enterprise can advance human dignity, freedom of religion or belief, cultural understanding, prosperity and peace. The programme will include the presentation of the 2026 King Husein Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awards, alongside dialogues on leadership, faith, business and human flourishing.
“The encouraging news is that you don’t have to travel to Mozambique to learn from these leaders,” Grim said. “In October, they’ll be in London sharing what they’ve learned about leadership, enterprise and the practical work of restoring dignity through business.”
Across very different cultures and organisational models, both leaders demonstrate the same enduring truth: business can be one of humanity’s most powerful tools for creating opportunity, restoring dignity and building peace.
“I’m looking forward to seeing that work in Mozambique,” Grim said, “and even more to introducing these remarkable leaders—and what they have to teach us—to audiences in London.”
About Dare to Overcome London: The Economics of Kindness
Dare to Overcome London: The Economics of Kindness will take place 12–16 October 2026, with events at the Palace of Westminster, Mansion House, the University of Cambridge, St Katharine Cree, and other leading venues across London.
The programme will feature the 2026 King Husein Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awards, the inaugural Economics of Kindness Award, and high-level conversations on purpose-driven enterprise, faith-conscious leadership, freedom of religion or belief, responsible artificial intelligence, social impact investment and human dignity.
About Brian J. Grim
Brian J. Grim, Ph.D., is President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, Global Chair of Dare to Overcome, and Associate Director of Faith@Work UK. He is an internationally recognised expert on the relationship between religion, business, economics and human flourishing, and works with leaders across business, government and civil society on faith-friendly workplaces, human dignity, leadership and social impact.
Media Opportunities
Brian J. Grim is available for interviews before and after his Mozambique visit to discuss values-driven leadership, business as a force for human dignity, the role of faith in shaping ethical leadership, and the upcoming Dare to Overcome London: The Economics of Kindness gathering.
For media enquiries or further information, please contact DTO.
The Age of AI is transforming the way organisations operate. Artificial intelligence can process data faster than humans, automate routine tasks, identify patterns at remarkable speed and optimise decision-making at scale. As illustrated in the framework below, technology excels at efficiency, automation, data processing, optimisation and pattern recognition.
Yet there is a growing recognition that technological capability alone is not enough.
The same image highlights a crucial distinction: while technology can scale capability, people build trust. The qualities that ultimately sustain high-performing organisations remain deeply human—trust, integrity, belonging, ethical judgement, purpose, compassion and courage. These are not capabilities that can be automated. They are developed through culture, relationships, values and leadership.
This creates one of the defining leadership challenges of our time. Many organisations are investing heavily in AI, but far fewer are asking whether they are simultaneously strengthening the human character needed to use these tools wisely. As technology becomes more powerful, human judgement becomes more important. As algorithms become more sophisticated, trust becomes more valuable. As automation expands, purpose and belonging become increasingly essential.
This is why conversations about organisational culture have become strategic rather than optional. The most successful organisations of the future will not simply be those that deploy the most advanced technology. They will be those that combine technological excellence with strong cultures rooted in trust, dignity and responsible leadership.
The Economics of Kindness speaks directly to this reality. Kindness is not sentimentality. It is a leadership discipline that builds trust, strengthens collaboration, improves innovation and creates long-term value. In an AI-enabled world, organisations increasingly depend on human qualities that technology cannot replicate.
The future of work therefore requires both technological capability and human character. The leaders who thrive will be those who recognise that the more powerful technology becomes, the more important human judgement, conscience and trust become. That is not a contradiction. It is the central leadership challenge—and opportunity—of the Age of AI.
On 16 October in London, our Dare to Overcome conversations begins with a simple but profound conviction: technology should serve humanity—not the other way around.
Workplace Panel A: Building Human Dignity Through Institutions: Religion, Work, and the Future of Inclusion
Drawing on a landmark special issue of the International Journal for Religious Freedom, this panel explores how businesses, civil society organizations, employee networks, trade unions, faith communities, and legal advocates serve as “intermediate actors” that translate human dignity and freedom of belief into everyday workplace realities.
The discussion will examine emerging research on religious accommodation, inclusion, and freedom of conscience across Europe, North America, and Africa, including the role of employee resource groups, civil society organizations, faith leaders, and businesses in navigating diversity in increasingly complex workplaces.
As artificial intelligence reshapes organizations and economies, the panel will ask a broader question central to the future of a human-centred world: which institutions and intermediate actors can ensure that technological progress strengthens rather than diminishes human dignity, belonging, and freedom? And how can these entities support religious minorities who may experience AI-derived human rights violations?
On 16 October 2026, leaders from technology, business, finance, government, academia, and faith communities will gather in London for a timely and ambitious conversation: how can artificial intelligence help build a more prosperous world without losing sight of what makes us human?
As part of the Dare to Overcome London 2026 series, the event “AI, Human Dignity, and the Future of a Human-Centred World” will bring together voices that rarely share the same platform. Hosted at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and coordinated by Dr. Tomislav Karačić, Assistant Professor of Information Systems in LSE’s Department of Management, the gathering aims to move beyond the familiar debates of technological disruption toward a deeper question: What kind of society are we building, and for whom?
Artificial intelligence is reshaping everything from healthcare and education to finance, employment, and public policy. Yet many of the most pressing questions facing society are not merely technical. They are profoundly human. How can innovation serve human flourishing? What role should ethics, faith, and conscience play in guiding technological development? How can organizations ensure that efficiency does not come at the expense of dignity?
These questions have become increasingly urgent as governments, businesses, and civil society organizations grapple with the opportunities and risks presented by rapidly advancing AI systems.
The October gathering will explore themes including:
AI, human dignity, and human flourishing
Faith, freedom, and the future of work
Ethical innovation and responsible leadership
Translating research into practice through human-centred institutions
Contributing ideas to the United Kingdom’s G20 Presidency in 2027
What makes this event distinctive is its commitment to interdisciplinary dialogue. Contributors are being invited from leading technology companies, major universities, public policy institutions, and faith communities. The goal is not simply to discuss AI, but to examine how technological progress can advance the common good while respecting the diversity of human beliefs, values, and experiences.
Among the perspectives being explored are questions about how technology companies engage religious communities, what it means to bring one’s faith or worldview into the workplace, and how faith traditions might contribute to broader conversations about AI ethics, governance, and social responsibility.
Dr. Karačić and the organizing team are working to create a forum that combines keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive conversations among participants. Rather than generating more heat than light, the emphasis will be on practical insights, thoughtful engagement, and identifying opportunities for collaboration across sectors.
The event also reflects a broader vision behind the Dare to Overcome movement. As artificial intelligence transforms economies and institutions, the challenge is not simply to build more powerful technologies, but to foster a world in which innovation strengthens human relationships, expands opportunity, and promotes human dignity.
The future will be shaped not only by the capabilities of machines, but by the values of the people who design, regulate, deploy, and live alongside them.
On 16 October in London, that conversation begins with a simple but profound conviction: technology should serve humanity—not the other way around.
Dare to Overcome London 2026 Friday, 16 October 2026 London School of Economics and Political Science
Theme:AI, Human Dignity, and the Future of a Human-Centred World
For more information about the Dare to Overcome initiative, visit Dare to Overcome.
Faith@Work and Dare to Overcome Convene UK Parliament Session on AI and Freedom of Religion or Belief
London, 8 July 2026 — Faith@Work and Dare to Overcome will convene a Parliamentary Session on AI and Freedom of Religion or Belief on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM in Committee Room 20, Houses of Parliament, London.
Hosted by the APPG for Freedom of Religion or Belief, the session will explore the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence for freedom of religion or belief, human dignity, and human flourishing.
Speakers include Professor Lord Tarassenko CBE FREng FMedSci, President of Reuben College, University of Oxford, and Brian J. Grim, Ph.D., President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and Global Chair of Dare to Overcome.
The session is part of an ongoing Faith@Work and Dare to Overcome series examining the intersection of faith, work, technology, human dignity, and public life. The conversation began at the UK Faith@Work Conference hosted by EY in April, continues now in the UK Parliament, and will develop further at the London School of Economics on 16 October 2026 during Dare to Overcome London 2026.
“As artificial intelligence reshapes workplaces, economies, education, and public life, we must ask not only what technology can do, but what kind of society it should help us build,” said Dr. Brian Grim. “Freedom of religion or belief is central to that question because it protects conscience, dignity, identity, and the human search for meaning.”
The July 8 session will bring together policymakers, faith and business leaders, scholars, and technology experts for a focused discussion on responsible innovation and the future of human-centred society.
Around the world, educators are increasingly recognizing that preparing young people for the future requires more than academic knowledge alone. Students need practical skills, an understanding of human rights, and the ability to navigate a world marked by diversity, complexity, rapid technological change, and increasing religious and cultural pluralism. In India, the Dare to Overcome Business Skills & Human Rights Curriculum was developed to address this challenge by integrating freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), human rights education, peacebuilding, and practical business skills into a single classroom experience.
“The curriculum is distinctive in its integration of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), human rights education, peacebuilding, and practical business skills, preparing young people to become future leaders who can advance human dignity, social cohesion, and human flourishing in an increasingly diverse world.” — Brian Grim, Ph.D., Global Chair of Dare to Overcome
The curriculum emerged from the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation’s and Dare to Overcome’s broader work promoting human dignity, social cohesion, and human flourishing through business, education, and peacebuilding. Working in partnership with the MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) School of Education in Pune, India, the initiative adapted an existing human rights education resource into a new curriculum that would resonate with schools, students, and teachers while addressing contemporary social and economic realities.
The result was the Dare to Overcome Curriculum: Human Rights, Business Skills & Peace for Secondary School Students. The curriculum was piloted in ten schools in Pune and reached approximately 3,500 students. It was developed and implemented in collaboration with MIT-WPU faculty and student teachers, creating both student-learning and teacher-development outcomes.
What makes the curriculum distinctive is its integration of human rights education with practical business and communication skills. Rather than teaching rights as abstract legal concepts, each lesson pairs a specific human right with a skill that students can immediately apply in their lives. For example, the right to equality is paired with active listening, equal and inalienable rights with collaboration, freedom from discrimination with networking, freedom from bullying with conflict resolution, freedom of religion or belief with curiosity, freedom of expression with verbal communication, and the right to education with resilience.
This approach helps students see that human rights are not simply principles to be memorized but values that can shape relationships, workplaces, communities, and societies.
The curriculum is built around the principle of Unity in Diversity—the idea that human dignity, equal rights, and peaceful coexistence can flourish while respecting differences in religion, belief, culture, language, and background. This principle is especially important in India, one of the world’s most religiously and culturally diverse societies.
Freedom of religion or belief is addressed most directly through lessons connected to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, FoRB is not presented merely as a legal entitlement. Students are encouraged to explore how respect for religious freedom contributes to peaceful coexistence, social trust, and mutual understanding.
A distinctive feature of the curriculum is that FoRB is paired with the business skill of curiosity. Students learn that curiosity is not only a valuable workplace skill but also an important tool for engaging respectfully with people whose beliefs differ from their own. Through guided discussions and activities, students practice asking respectful questions, learning from others, and remaining open to new perspectives.
The curriculum also incorporates principles of Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy, encouraging students to seek understanding rather than agreement, avoid stereotypes, recognize diversity within religious traditions, and reflect on their own assumptions. This approach helps students engage differences constructively while strengthening social cohesion.
Classroom discussions include questions such as: “How can you respect the beliefs of others while practicing your own?” and “What values do most people share regardless of religion or belief?” These conversations help students connect FoRB principles to everyday life and relationships.
Classroom activities are designed to build religious literacy without requiring students to defend, justify, or disclose personal beliefs. Activities such as Religious Freedom Bingo, the Respect-o-Meter, and the Wheel of Peace help students explore different religious traditions, identify shared values, and appreciate diversity in a constructive and non-competitive way. The focus is not on evaluating religions but on understanding difference and cultivating respect.
The curriculum uses a highly participatory methodology. Lessons combine storytelling, songs, discussions, role-play, reflection exercises, games, worksheets, group challenges, and peer learning. Students are regularly encouraged to apply what they learn beyond the classroom through practical challenges and community-oriented activities, then reflect on and report back about their experiences. These real-world application challenges help transform human rights learning from theory into practice.
The curriculum connects strongly with both international and domestic legal frameworks. Students are introduced to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), selected principles from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and relevant provisions of the Indian Constitution. Human rights concepts are therefore situated within both global and national frameworks, helping students understand that rights are universal while also finding expression in local legal and cultural contexts.
To support implementation in formal educational settings, the project includes a comprehensive Lesson Plan Manual, an Activity Handbook for Teachers, and teacher-training support developed through the MIT-WPU School of Education partnership. The curriculum was intentionally designed to be adaptable to different cultural and educational contexts while maintaining its core commitment to human dignity, human rights, peacebuilding, and practical skill development.
The longer-term vision extends well beyond the initial pilot. Because the curriculum combines human rights education, practical workplace skills, teacher-training resources, and CSR engagement opportunities, it provides a model that can be adapted for diverse educational settings. The framework was intentionally designed for replication and contextual adaptation, creating opportunities for expansion throughout India and potentially into other countries facing similar challenges related to diversity, inclusion, and social cohesion.
The curriculum also aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, reflecting a broader commitment to building more peaceful, inclusive, and resilient societies. Through future partnerships with schools, businesses, foundations, and community organizations, Dare to Overcome hopes to expand access to this model and help equip more young people with the skills and values needed to thrive in an interconnected world.
At its heart, the project is based on a simple conviction: young people should be equipped not only with knowledge but also with the skills and values needed to build a more just and flourishing world. By connecting freedom of religion or belief, human rights, peacebuilding, cross-cultural understanding, and practical workplace skills, the Dare to Overcome curriculum offers a new model for preparing young people to lead with competence, character, and compassion. In doing so, it demonstrates how education can help build not only successful careers, but also more peaceful, inclusive, and flourishing societies.
Building Religious Literacy Through Curiosity, Respect, and Understanding.
On 17 June, the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life will host a special interfaith dialogue exploring how faith traditions shape leadership in today’s complex and rapidly changing world. The conversation will bring together distinguished Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Hindu leaders to discuss the values that inspire ethical decision-making, service, and human flourishing across diverse communities.
Among the featured speakers will be Dr. Brian Grim, President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and Global Chairman of Dare to Overcome, who will share insights on the role of faith, freedom of religion or belief, and business leadership in fostering social cohesion and peace. The discussion will highlight how diverse faith perspectives, while distinct in tradition, often converge around shared commitments to dignity, compassion, integrity, and the common good.
At a time when societies are searching for ways to bridge divides and strengthen trust, this conversation offers a unique opportunity to hear from leaders working at the intersection of faith, leadership, and public life.
Registration is now open, and all are welcome to attend.
Participants include Dr Husna Ahmad (CEO of Global One 2015 and Secretary General of the World Muslim Leadership Forum), Rabbi Alex Goldberg (Rabbi of Guildford, Dean of Religious Life and Belief at the University of Surrey, barrister, and human rights activist), Dr Brian Grim (Founder and President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation), and Mayor Tushar Kumar (Mayor of Elstree & Borehamwood). The discussion will be moderated by Professor Andrew Davies, Director of the Edward Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion at the University of Birmingham.
