Marketing strategist and author Melissa Fors Shackelford to speak at UND Nistler College of Business & Public Administration’s Olafson Ethics Symposium

The University of North Dakota Nistler College of Business & Public Administration will be hosting the 2025 Olafson Ethics Symposium at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in the Nistler Hall Barry Auditorium and via livestream.

This event is designed to engage students, alumni and local business leaders in conversations regarding ethical decision making. Keynote speaker Melissa Fors Shackelford will present a discussion, “Marketing With a Conscience: Purpose, Ethics, and the Power to Do Good.”

This keynote invites a critical look at the real stakes of marketing when ethics are ignored versus when purpose guides the work. Drawing on cases of deceptive and predatory advertising, the talk challenges audiences to consider how influence can either exploit or protect people and how values like transparency, fairness and responsibility can turn marketing into a true force for good.

Shackelford is a trusted adviser, author and nationally recognized voice in purpose-driven marketing and health care innovation. With more than 20 years of experience leading high-impact brand and growth initiatives, she helps organizations navigate complex markets while staying grounded in clarity, integrity and human connection.

Shackelford is the author of the Amazon No. 1 bestseller “Harnessing Purpose: A Marketer’s Guide to Inspiring Connection” and has been recognized with honors such as Nonprofit Marketer of the Year, the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST Award and inclusion in the Top 50 Women in Healthcare.

The symposium is free of charge and open to the public. The event will be livestreamed on Vimeo for those unable to attend in-person.

This annual event is funded through the support of UND alumnus Robert Olafson, who remains dedicated to ethical business practices and the University of North Dakota, as well as sponsorship from SEI Investments.