Economy of Communion Project

More Humane Business. Better Purpose for Profit.

The Vision

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Society is skeptical of business because business is often perceived to be self-serving, focused on individual gain with little to no regard for the welfare of others. The Economy of Communion (EoC) provides a fresh and inspiring alternative to this way of thinking about business by which entrepreneurs operating in free markets freely choose to leverage their business practices to help the poor and foster communion between people.

The EoC originated from within the Focolare movement, a Catholic ecumenical worldwide movement whose fundamental value and charism is unity. The aim of the EoC is to inspire unity among all people of all strata of society through free economic engagement and the natural societal power of business.

Business doesn't have to be selfish.

Business can be a gift, a meaningful way to uphold one’s values and spiritual commitments to humanity within a free market economy. Our project aims to promote the entrepreneurial values and practices of the Economy of Communion through a three-year initiative, made possible by a $1.2 million John Templeton Foundation grant for the Institute of Business, Faith, and the Common Good, located within the College of Business at Creighton University.

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Our Goals

Interviews with EoC Entrepreneurs
We'll have 10-12 interviews, resulting in 6-8 hours of footage from each which to create the following:

a finished 40-60 minute video edit of each guest
a variety of edited snippets containing examples and stories, which will then be paired with case studies and questions for students and professors to use

Online Library
We will create a website to serve as an organizational library for students and faculty, allowing easy access to all of this content completely free of charge.

Introductory Essays
We will have experts write essays designed for faculty who want to incorporate a one-off essay into their courses that introduce the EoC. Topics will include:

"An EoC Approach to Marketing"
"How the EoC Approach to Economics Differs from Traditional Economics"
"An EoC Approach to Entrepreneurship"
"An EoC Approach to Leadership," etc.

EoC Course
We are developing a comprehensive course that will include the aforementioned materials, along with a series of lectures by various EoC experts. Sample syllabi, assignments, and additional resources will be provided free of charge to any school interested in utilizing them.

Symposium & Book
Fourteen key scholars will be invited to Creighton for an EoC symposium, where they will write essays that engage with EoC from their specialized focus areas. These essays will be published in a book.

Academic Conferences and Publications
We will present on EoC at academic conferences and support other presenters to discuss EoC-related topics at various conferences.

Bringing Speakers to Campuses
We will invite EoC entrepreneurs and speakers to small colleges and universities at no cost. This initiative aims to promote EoC to students and introduce our EoC course and teaching materials to faculty.

Our Team

The Directors

Andy Gustafson

Andy Gustafson has taught business ethics at Creighton University in the Heider College of Business since 2005, where he teaches undergrad and graduate classes on business ethics, business and faith, and social media and AI. He has been an EOC entrepreneur since 2015. He envisioned the project, wrote the grant, and is ultimately responsible for fulfilling the goals of the project.

Lorretta Rauschuber

Loretta Raushuber has been a consecrated member of the Focolare movement for over 35 years. She worked for 17 years with Chiara Lubich in Italy early in her career, and most recently was living in L.A. running finances for a Catholic school. She presently lives in a Chicago area Focolare women’s house and works at Creighton University in person twice a month (hybrid). She has project management and website design experience, and will also help with the accounting tasks for the project.

Kameron Bayne

As assistant director, Kameron will support many of the creative and technical aspects of the project. His responsibilities include video production, video and copy editing, web design, project management, and overseeing our interns to help with content creation and delivery. He comes to the EoC project with two decades of professional photo and video experience. His passion for beautiful design and thoughtful functionality will help bring our project into focus and fruition. We are grateful to have him on the team!!

The Interns

Max Olsen

Max Olsen is a junior at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business, pursuing a Master of Accounting with a Minor in Economics. He is interested in the Economy of Communion internship for its focus on combining business with community service. On campus, he is involved in the Heider Business Senate, Phi Delta Theta, and the Ratio Studiorum Program. Max is passionate about philanthropy, particularly in the fight against pediatric cancer through organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Molly Starkle

Molly Starkle, from Phoenix, Arizona, is a senior at Creighton University majoring in Journalism. She’s interning at Modern World Media, gaining experience in film production. Last summer, she worked on her first feature film, Holy Indecent, in Los Angeles, which fueled her passion for film. Molly also runs a freelance photography business focusing on portraits for graduates, families, and weddings. She loves telling stories through her work and is eager to keep growing as a creative.

Tommy Carraux

Tommy Carraux is a current junior at Creighton University. He is pursuing an undergraduate degree in business management with a double major in economics and marketing, and a minor in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. Passionate about his photography, Tommy has developed a wide skill set for photo editing and storytelling through his four years of experience in the industry, with photo experience ranging from freelance events to college sports photography for Creighton University. In his final two years at Creighton, Tommy hopes to make an impact on the Creighton community and continue to develop his media skills on the Economy of Communion intern team!

Isabella Taddeini

Isabella Taddeinie is a junior at Creighton University, majoring in graphic design with minors in studio art, Spanish, and marketing. Her experience studying at the ILAC center in the Dominican Republic deepened her belief in community building and cross-cultural connections. Isabella is passionate about using media design for social change, particularly in ways that reflect dignity, solidarity, and reciprocity, aligning with the Economy of Communion project. As an Assistant Creative Media Director Intern, she aims to contribute to initiatives that communicate the project’s values clearly while combining her interest in social justice with her design skills to amplify overlooked voices.

Board of Advisors

The EoC Project Advisory Board consists of individuals who possess extensive knowledge and experience within the EoC and Focolare movements. This group includes both business professionals who integrate their faith into their work and experts who understand the relationship between faith and business. Their insights and expertise will be invaluable in ensuring the project's success with guidance and feedback.