On behalf of the Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business, we want to express our deep gratitude for the life and legacy of Professor Wiley Davi. An extraordinary scholar, esteemed professor, hugger, friend, and trusted collaborator are a few ways to describe Professor Davi. On Friday, after 6 days missing, Bentley hosted a community gathering to share prayers and positive thoughts for Wiley’s rescue, and it is clear to us that their impact continues to shape Bentley and the broader leadership community today and for years to come. 

As we move into the holiday season, a time when we reflect with gratitude on the people who have transformed our lives, the CWB would be remised to not publicly share our gratitude for Wiley. They were not a peripheral contributor to our mission; they were integral to it. Their voice, their scholarship, and their presence helped shape our programs, our publications, and the way we show up for our community. 

Wiley facilitated transformative sessions in our corporate programs, pushed our thinking in meaningful ways, and helped ground our work in research and rigor. In terms of their scholarship, Wiley co-authored multiple works with our Executive Director, Dr. Yaro Fong-Olivares, including pieces in The Palgrave Handbook of Fulfillment, Wellness, and Personal Growth at Work and Leading with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This work focused on expanding the conversation on justice-centered leadership and the power of brave dialogue in organizational spaces. Wiley also co-authored a chapter with Dominique Wilburn, Senior Director, on the power of storytelling to foster inclusion in The Palgrave Handbook of Change and Resilience at Work. Their commitment to equity and belonging showed up in every space they touched, from our international partnership with the Erasmus Center for Women and Organizations to their service as a dedicated faculty supporter of the Rainbow Scholars Leadership Program. 

As we show gratitude for Wiley, we remain committed to carrying forward the qualities they embodied: vulnerability, curiosity, active listening, thoughtful dialogue, and the courage to pause and engage, especially when conversations are hard. Wiley believed in the power of inquiry and connection, and those values strengthened our center. We intend to keep that spirit alive in how we lead, how we teach, and how we support others. Wiley’s wisdom and generosity changed people for the better. During this period of uncertainty, we hold Wiley’s family, friends, colleagues, and students in our hearts.