"This Little World" by Michael J. Halvorson and Shelly Cano Kurtz Shortlisted for 2025 Business Book of the Year in London

TACOMA, Wash. and LONDON, April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Eagle Pointe Advisors announces that Pacific Lutheran University professor Michael J. Halvorson and social innovation strategist Shelly Cano Kurtz are proud to announce that their book, This Little World: A How-to Guide for Social Innovators, has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 Business Book of the Year Awards in the Change & Sustainability category.

The book's recognition was first revealed at a festive gathering hosted by Pearson Publishing near Trafalgar Square, London. Halvorson, currently on sabbatical in the UK, was present at the event and celebrated the nomination alongside fellow authors and publishing professionals from Pearson, Wiley, Penguin, Forbes, and other major UK houses.

Published by Routledge, This Little World explores how technology, innovation, and community partnerships can drive meaningful social change. The book was one of three titles from Routledge selected as a finalist and emerged from a highly competitive field of nearly 300 international business titles.

Key concepts include:

• Finding your Ikigai — the Japanese wisdom tradition of aligning values with actions
• Taking an MVP approach — thinking big, but starting small
• Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a common data model
• 9 Conditions for Scaling — strategies featured by Stanford Social Innovation Review

This Little World includes insights and case studies from large organizations like Microsoft and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation along with purpose-built startups like Guardify - a company Kurtz co-founded to protect sensitive digital evidence for child abuse cases.

"It is exciting to see changemaking becoming a catalyst for business," added Kurtz, co-author and founder of Eagle Pointe Advisors. "Social impact no longer has to be an afterthought for the private sector – it can be the starting point."

This Little World includes a foreword by Jeff Raikes and Tricia Raikes (founders of the Raikes Foundation, former senior leadership at Microsoft). The book is available for purchase on Amazon and anywhere books are sold. As a testament to the power of the book's central teachings, This Little World is now being used in classrooms and boardrooms around the world.

"Simply being selected as a finalist is a great honor for us," said Halvorson. "This book represents three years of collaboration with leaders and learners who believe in the power of innovation to serve the common good."

Winners in each category, along with the overall Best Business Book of 2025, will be announced during a gala celebration in London on September 10, 2025. The awards are adjudicated by a panel of industry leaders chaired by Jacq Burns, founder of the London Writers' Club and former publishing executive with Random House and HarperCollins.

The authors extend heartfelt thanks to Rebecca Marsh, Publisher at Routledge (Business, Management, and Economics) and the Innovation Studies program at Pacific Lutheran University, a critical foundation for the book's research and impact.

Learn more about This Little World and preview Chapter 1 at www.thislittleworld.org.

About the Authors

Michael J. Halvorson, Ph.D. is a professor of history and innovation studies at Pacific Lutheran University and an advocate for creative problem-solving in higher education and beyond.

Shelly Cano Kurtz is a strategist and co-founder of several social impact ventures. She works with nonprofit and business leaders to design sustainable initiatives and innovative approaches to problem-solving.

Contact:
Shelly Kurtz for This Little World
[email protected]
206-999-9030

SOURCE Eagle Pointe Advisors