Insights From

Batten Institute

Purpose Before Profit: How AI Can Help People Flourish

Artificial intelligence shouldn't be judged solely by profit or performance, says Darden professor Roshni Raveendhran. In this Q&A, she explains why AI should be designed to support autonomy, competence and human connection — and how organizations can use purpose to guide responsible innovation.

Good Disruption: Why Fans Can’t Get Enough of Banana Ball

Mike Lenox and Yael Grushka-Cockayne talk with Jared Orton, President of Banana Ball, for a truly engaging conversation on the "Greatest Show in Sports."

From Anxiety to Agency: Lessons on Leading Through Uncertainty

How can business leaders respond to the growing uncertainty? How can they make decisions and act? Darden Professor Saras Sarasvathy, one of the world’s leading authorities on entrepreneurial decision-making, shares tips on how to thrive amid unpredictability.

Why Long-Duration Energy Storage Could Be the Key to Grid Reliability

Mike Lenox and Yael Grushka-Cockayne talk with Anna Siefken, Director for Policy & Markets, North America for the Long Duration Energy Storage Council about Long Duration Energy Storage, or LDES, and why these technologies are the best chance we have to maintain grid stability in this time of growth.

5 Rules for Getting AI Right in Your Organization

UVA Darden professor Chris Parker has developed a practical checklist for organizations looking to move from curiosity about AI to real-world impact.

Teaching Operations in the Age of AI: How I’ve Embraced New Tools to Teach for an AI World

In his Digital Operations Strategy course, Darden professor Timothy Laseter uses original cases on companies such as GoFundMe, Walmart and Shiftsmart to show how GenAI is reshaping operations — and how business schools must adapt the case method for an AI-driven world

Pivot Hell Is Real. Here's the Framework That Gets You Out.

As many founders know, navigating a pivot in real time is far from straightforward. Darden Professor Saras Sarasvathy, an authority on the cognitive basis of high-performance entrepreneurship, provides tools and mechanisms to help determine or create what is worth pursuing.

From Pilot Purgatory to Autonomous Supply Chains: The Path to Scaling Agentic AI

Agentic AI is positioned to transform supply chain management. But the biggest challenge, says UVA Darden professor Timothy Laseter, is moving from pilots to production across complex, real-world supply chains. His new white paper offers practical guidance for business leaders aiming to scale agentic AI in supply chain operations.

Winning the Streaming Wars: Are Megahits Like Stranger Things the Answer?

Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and other streaming giants are pouring billions into high-profile series. But is a handful of megahits really enough to attract new subscribers while keeping existing audiences engaged? The answer, it turns out, is more complicated than the industry tends to assume.

No Driver, No Profits — Yet. Can Waymo Survive Long Enough to Win?

For Waymo, Google’s self-driving car unit, each trip is a real-world test of whether its business model holds up. The bigger question, according to Interim Dean Mike Lenox, is: who will capture the value — the companies that build the vehicles, or those that write the software that drives them?