Dr. Gregory B. Fairchild enthralled an audience of more than 200 with his keynote remarks, “From Barren Ground to Fertile Soil,” at the 12th Annual CBIC Awards Gala on June 2 at Farmington Country Club.

“As anticipated, Greg provided us with an inspiring and thought-provoking presentation on the extraordinary potential for entrepreneurs to transform their communities, even in economically disadvantaged areas.” said CBIC Chairman Gary Hatter. “His research leadership and teaching excellence have quickly earned him an extraordinary reputation in an area of immense importance to the Commonwealth, the nation and the world. Hearing him in person was inspiring, informative and thought-provoking, and we’re pleased that our members and guests had this opportunity to get to know Greg and his work.”

Dr. Fairchild is Executive Director of the Tayloe Murphy Center and Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Dr. Fairchild teaches strategic management, entrepreneurship and ethics in Darden’s MBA and Executive Education programs. He has received a number of awards for teaching excellence at the Darden School. His research is likewise renowned, as he is presently engaged as lead investigator studying business models and public policy issues in the field of community-development finance, an initiative supported by a three-year, $850,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Dr. Fairchild was recently named the world’s top research professor in entrepreneurship by the Financial Times and, in 2009, he received a Faculty Pioneer Award presented by the Aspen Institute’s Center for Business Education for his leadership and risk-taking in integrating ethical, environmental and social issues into the MBA curriculum. His multi-disciplinary work has been cited by Inc. magazine, National Public Radio, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Dr. Fairchild’s private-sector experience is similarly impressive, having worked in marketing positions for such industry leaders as Kraft General Foods, Procter & Gamble and Saks Fifth Avenue before embarking on his doctoral studies. In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Fairchild is a consultant to corporations, non-profits and governmental agencies. Dr. Fairchild has earned degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University (B.S.), University of Virginia Darden School of Business (M.B.A.) and Columbia University (M. Phil., Ph.D.).