How Businesses Can Become a New Public Square

Professor champions a new approach to business, government, and finding the common good

Corporate social responsibility came into focus during the early 1950s, after American economist Howard Bowen published the first comprehensive analysis of how businesses should interact with their surrounding communities. Seventy years later, Rutgers University–Camden Assistant Professor Thomas Fewer SBC’15 is bringing fresh perspective to a heavily studied phenomenon.

“Our world is so divided right now that corporations are one of the few places where people with different backgrounds and views often come together,” said Fewer, a management expert in the Rutgers School of Business–Camden. “The question becomes how to leverage that in a way that contributes to the common good.”

Fewer, a 2015 graduate of the School of Business, returned to Rutgers–Camden in September 2024 as a faculty member after receiving his doctoral degree in strategic management and serving as a postdoctoral fellow at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

Throughout his academic and professional career, Fewer has sought to understand the role of businesses in society. One of his primary research areas has been the potential for public and private sector collaborations to tackle some of the world’s biggest and most complex societal challenges.

Fewer also serves as vice president of talent programs and partnerships at the NobleReach Foundation. This nonprofit organization unites entrepreneurs, academia, and government to drive mission-focused innovation.

A tremendous amount of innovation happens as a result of government funding, but the government often struggles to identify which innovations can make the most impact. When government partners with the business world, not only can it better pursue positive impact, but it also shifts the financial risk to the private sector and away from public funding.

Thomas Fewer

Assistant Professor

Everything from the modern aviation industry to bar codes and lactose-free milk is the result of initial research done by the government that eventually was adopted by the larger business world for everyday use. Fewer believes mission-driven corporations focused on significant public concerns—such as space exploration, cyber security, or climate change—can have a substantial impact on the world, demonstrate social responsibility, and benefit shareholders as well.

Fewer acknowledges that this model requires consideration of ethical implications and works best when the strategic priorities of all involved are aligned. However, finding ways for businesses and entrepreneurs to better engage with government and policymakers is an opportunity filled with promise.

“The dichotomy that students are presented—that they have to choose between doing good for the world or making money for themselves—is entirely false," said Fewer. "The next billion-dollar unicorn won’t be another app for mobile food delivery or social media scrolling; it will be a venture tackling real-world challenges like climate change or economic inequality."