A Global Movement for a More Human Economy

The Economy of Communion is a worldwide network of entrepreneurs, businesses, scholars, and communities working toward a more human economy.

EoC businesses operate in competitive markets and seek to be both sustainable and profitable. What sets them apart is their understanding of what business is for. These organizations provide dignified work, build trust, contribute to their communities, and respond to people experiencing poverty.

Present in countries around the world, the EoC includes businesses of different sizes, industries, cultures, and religious traditions. Together, they offer living examples of how business can remain economically productive while placing people and relationships at its center.

Anyone can join the EoC by committing to the global pact.

Rooted in the Focolare Charism of Unity

The Economy of Communion grew from the Focolare Movement, a Catholic ecumenical international movement founded by Chiara Lubich during World War II in Italy. Inspired by Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one,” the Focolare bring people together from different cultures, religions, and social backgrounds to pursue unity through dialogue, mutual love, and daily acts of care.

Central to its spirituality is a shift from a culture of having to a culture of giving. This includes sharing not only money and possessions, but also time, abilities, experiences, and one’s own life with others. Focolare communities seek to make unity practical in families, churches, workplaces, neighborhoods, and society.

The Economy of Communion was born in 1991 after Lubich visited São Paulo, Brazil, and witnessed the severe poverty surrounding the city. She invited entrepreneurs to establish companies that would create jobs, share profits, and help ensure that no one in the community was left in need.

The EoC carries Focolare spirituality into economic life. It sees every business as a network of relationships among owners, workers, customers, suppliers, competitors, communities, and people experiencing poverty. Unity becomes something concrete, shaping how people lead, make decisions, share resources, and do everyday work together.

Empowering a New Generation

The Economy of Communion Project at Creighton University is helping a new generation encounter this approach to business through interviews with entrepreneurs who have already put it into practice.

Based in the Business, Faith, and the Common Good Institute within Creighton University’s Heider College of Business, the project is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

In partnership with:

Our Team

Directors

Andy Gustafson

Director

Andy has taught business ethics at Creighton University in the Heider College of Business since 2005, where he teaches undergraduate 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 grant, and is ultimately responsible for fulfilling the goals of the project.

Kameron Bayne

Creative Director

Kameron will support many of the creative and technical aspects of the project. His responsibilities include video production, video copy editing, web design, project management, and overseeing our interns to help with content creation and design. 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.

Matthew Smith

Associate Director

Matthew is a business development and relationship-building leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning marketing, creative services, community development, ministry, and real estate. He has led client partnerships at Fortune 500 companies, startups, guided creative teams, and helped organizations grow through strategic communication and values-driven leadership. Matthew previously served as Executive Director of InCOMMON Community Development and as a pastor focused on spiritual formation and community building.

Interns

Max Olsen

Intern

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 ethics with community service. On campus, he is involved in the Heider Business Senate, Phi Delta Theta, and the Ratio Studorum Program.

Tommy Carraux

Intern

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.

Isabella Taddeini

Intern

Isabella Taddeini is a junior at Creighton University, majoring in graphic design with minors in studio art, Spanish, and marketing. Her experience studying at the LA 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.

Abby Faber

Intern

Abby Faber is a freshman at Ave Maria University, majoring in Business Administration. She brings social media experience from working with various companies during high school. Currently, Abby serves as the social media manager for the Drama Club at Ave Maria, where she also performs in club productions.

Andrew Hoover

Intern

Andrew Hoover is an economics graduate from Creighton University focused on political economy, institutions, and applied research. At the Economy of Communion Project, he contributes to research, transcript development, and curriculum design. His work centers on how economic structures shape behavior.

Kenzie Frederick

Intern

Coming Soon

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.