Publications

January 2019 (Revised October 2019)
Case

Glossier: Co-Creating a Cult Brand with a Digital Community

By: Jill Avery

Glossier’s proclaimed strategy was “born from content; fueled by community.” The digital-first, direct-to-consumer beauty brand had experienced rapid growth, with sales up 600% in 2017 and a customer portfolio that grew by threefold. But, its founder, Emily Weiss, was... View Details

Fintech, Small Business & the American Dream describes the needs of small businesses for capital and demonstrates how technology—novel data sources, artificial intelligence, machine learning—will transform the small business lending market. This market... View Details

28 Apr 2016
Blog Post

3 Concerns I Had about HBS

I have a confession: attending HBS wasn't a life-long dream for me. Choosing to attend business school required some hard decisions along the way, and real thought about what I wanted from my career and from the HBS experience. I was... View Details

24 Sep 2024
Blog Post

HBS Latino Student Association Spotlight: Thalia Rey (MBA 2025)

of friends and family, my reality was entirely different. I was raised in a small yet incredibly strong community of immigrant parents, all of whom believed deeply in the American Dream and were relentlessly committed to helping their... View Details

Being the Boss

You never dreamed being the boss would be so hard. You're caught in a web of conflicting expectations from subordinates, your supervisor, peers, and customers. You're constantly fighting fires. You're mired in office politics. You end each day... View Details

26 Feb 2019
Blog Post

How Financial Aid Makes All the Difference

Josue Zapata, MD/MBA 2012, wanted to be a doctor as a little kid of loving parents – his mom a Spanish teacher, his dad a manager in Riverside County, CA – who emigrated to the U.S. from Colombia. Financial aid at HBS made his dream... View Details

13 Oct 2017
News

So, You Want to Join a Startup

15 Mar 2021
Blog Post

Be Unapologetically Yourself: Interview with Singer-Songwriter and Banking Strategist Andrea Mendoza

In March 2020, Andrea Mendoza (MBA 2016) hopped on a plane to Peru to visit family. Days later, the world collectively hit pause to grapple with the impacts of COVID-19 turning that short trip into an eight month stay. While in Peru, Mendoza seized the opportunity to... View Details

August 2011 (Revised January 2013)
Case

Career at a Crossroad: Akhil Patel

By: Noam Wasserman, Lisa Brem and Yael Braid

Akhil Patel is passionate about his business idea: an innovative green technology fuel cell. He wants to dive in and commit to his startup, but his fiancée is much more risk averse, his parents don't approve of the startup, and Akhil has an enticing alternative offer... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Risk and Uncertainty; Opportunities; Entrepreneurship; Personal Development and Career; Green Technology Industry; Consulting Industry

17 Dec 2012
News

Sir Alex leads the way

22 Sep 2016
News

Innovation Under Constraint: Constructing a Turnaround at Lego

personal rapid transport

Personal rapid transport offers high-quality local service via centralized computer control, a dedicated right of way (without grade level crossings), and offline stations. As a result, service is on demand (vehicle comes when you call, like an elevator) but personal... View Details

02 Nov 2018
News

Hunting Big Game in Commercial Space

09 Jul 2015
News

On Quitting: How to Jump Ship without Drowning

24 Apr 2019
Blog Post

Meet the Latino Student Organization

and alumni was really one of two key reasons why HBS quickly became my dream school. From the moment I was admitted, I knew that I wanted to be an active member in LASO. During my first year, I was LASO’s VP of Community Engagement and... View Details

June 2016
Case

Career at a Crossroad: Akhil and Roopa

By: Noam Wasserman

Akhil Patel is passionate about his business idea: an innovative green technology fuel cell. He wants to dive in and commit to his startup, but Roopa Rao, his fiancee, is much more risk averse, his parents don't approve of the startup, and Akhil has an enticing... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Opportunities; Decision Choices and Conditions; Business Startups; Green Technology Industry

August 2011
Supplement

Career at a Crossroad: Packing Up

By: Noam Wasserman and Lisa Brem

Akhil Patel is passionate about his business idea: an innovative green technology fuel cell. He wants to dive in and commit to his startup, but Roopa Rao, his fiancee, is much more risk averse, his parents don't approve of the startup, and Akhil has an enticing... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Technological Innovation; Job Offer; Personal Development and Career; Opportunities; Technology