Meet the New Sustainability Sam: Your AI Companion for the Sustainability Lens Game
- Dr. Tamara Stenn
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
We're excited to announce a major upgrade to the Sustainability Lens Game experience!
Sustainability Sam is now built directly into our website as an interactive AI companion, making it easier than ever to learn, play, brainstorm, and innovate—whether you're a student, educator, entrepreneur, or business team.
The new Sam transforms the Sustainability Lens Game from a physical card game into an interactive, AI-powered learning experience that guides players through sustainable innovation, business model design, and entrepreneurial thinking.
What's New?
🎮 Five Ways to Play
Whether you're teaching a class or exploring ideas on your own, Sam now supports five different game modes designed for different learning environments, including:
Classroom Play
Team Innovation
Individual Learning
Facilitated Workshops
Advanced Innovation Sessions
Each mode adapts Sam's coaching style and guidance to fit your learning goals.
🧩 Expanded Business Model Canvas Support
One of the biggest improvements is expanded support for the Business Model Canvas.
Sam now provides richer guidance across all of the business model building blocks, helping players think more deeply about:
Customer Segments
Value Propositions
Channels
Customer Relationships
Revenue Streams
Key Resources
Key Activities
Key Partners
Cost Structure
Whether you're launching a startup, redesigning an existing organization, or creating a social enterprise, Sam helps connect sustainability with sound business strategy.
🃏 Try the Game Before You Buy
Not ready to purchase the complete deck?
No problem.
The new website includes sample hands that allow visitors to experience real gameplay using selected Sustainability Lens Game cards.
You'll be able to experiment with:
UN Sustainable Development Goal cards
Sustainability Lens cards
Coins & Innovation Tools
Business Model Blocks
It's the perfect way to experience how the game works before purchasing the complete physical deck.
🤖 An Interactive AI Learning Companion
Sam is much more than a chatbot.
Throughout gameplay, Sam can:
Generate sustainable business ideas
Ask coaching questions
Connect ideas across sustainability, entrepreneurship, and innovation
Help teams think more creatively
Explain game concepts
Encourage systems thinking
Record and summarize gameplay conversations
Every game becomes a collaborative design session.
Perfect for Classrooms, Workshops, and Organizations
The new Sustainability Sam makes the Sustainability Lens Game even more useful for:
Universities
K–12 classrooms
Entrepreneurship programs
Corporate innovation teams
Sustainability workshops
Community organizations
Business incubators and accelerators
Whether you're introducing sustainability concepts or developing a new venture, Sam serves as an intelligent facilitator throughout the experience.
See Sustainability Sam Live at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting
Want to experience the new AI companion in person?
Join us at the Academy of Management 2026 Professional Development Workshop (PDW):
Ethical & Effective Use of AI Tools in Entrepreneurship Education and Practice
📅 Saturday, August 1, 2026🕧 12:30–2:00 PM📍 Philadelphia – Marriott, Room 303
Workshop participants will have the opportunity to play the Sustainability Lens Game with the new AI-powered Sustainability Sam and explore practical applications of AI in entrepreneurship education. (AOM Management Education and Development)
The Future of Sustainable Innovation is Here
The Sustainability Lens Game has always been about helping people see opportunities where others see problems.
With the launch of the new Sustainability Sam, that experience becomes even more engaging, interactive, and accessible.
Whether you're discovering sustainable entrepreneurship for the first time or facilitating innovation with experienced professionals, Sam is ready to help you create better ideas—and a better future.
Ready to meet Sam? Visit the Sustainability Lens Game website and start playing today!