Bringing good ideas to life
The Frontlines Institute comprises a network of fellows across all sectors and industries. Our methodologies are shaped in both university research and real-world cases. Our practitioners validate those tools every day around the world in careers across business, education, law, and governance.
Our story
Viva Bartkus and Emily Block met while working at the University of Notre Dame. Together, they built the Business on the Frontlines program, an award-winning course aimed at harnessing the dynamism of business to reduce poverty and conflict. In 2024, they decided to found The Frontlines Institute as a standalone organization in order to increase the scale and the scope of the work and meet the challenges of the world today.
Dr. Viva Bartkus
Co-founder
Dr. Emily Block
Co-founder
Our Methodology
The Frontlines Methodology embeds with local partners and communities on the ground to apply a blend of human-centered design, value chain analysis, and stakeholder engagement to co-create sustainable economic solutions that reduce conflict and foster stable business environments. Our field-tested approach blends cross-disciplinary systems developed over years by practitioners from venture capital to education, from marketing to non-profit management, from product design to law.
Contact us
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