Publications

January 2021
Case

Digital Transformation 2.0: CEO Elie Girard at Atos

By: Tsedal Neeley and James Barnett

Elie Girard has taken the helm as CEO of Atos—multinational IT giant—to lead the company into the next era of digital transformation. Noticing that customers’ digital needs were evolving to become even more specialized and global in scope, he made a bold first step as... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Change; Leadership; Technology Industry

22 Feb 2024
News

Combat-Tested Cancer Coaching

nearby Borders bookstore revealed a three-year life expectancy with no available treatment options. And trying to navigate the complexities of the American health care system—bouncing from pathologist to a medical oncologist to... View Details

24 Apr 2012
First Look

First Look: April 24

PublicationsBarriers to Household Risk Management: Evidence from India Authors:Shawn A. Cole, Xavier Giné, Jeremy Tobacman, Petia Topalova, Robert M. Townsend, and James Vickery Publication:American Economic Journal: Applied Economics... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

19 Apr 2010
Research & Ideas

The History of Beauty

small batches, rarely applied to the skin, and drunk for health reasons. There was a narrow range of available scents. A hundred years later, the application of new technologies to extract essences View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Beauty & Cosmetics

March 2025
Case

Metaphysic AI: Rethinking the Value of Human Expertise

By: Zoë B. Cullen, Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai

In early 2025, Thomas Graham, CEO of Metaphysic, a leading AI generative video company confronted fundamental questions about who should control digital identity in a world where AI could perfectly recreate human likeness. Founded in 2021, Metaphysic first rose to fame... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Ethics; AI and Machine Learning; Intellectual Property; Rights; Negotiation; Value; Technology Industry; Technology Industry

14 Sep 2016
Research & Ideas

Web Surfers Have a Schedule and Stick to It

remained remarkably stable over the five years. There was an overall shift in the types of sites visited, however, from chat rooms and news to social media and video. “We were taken aback,” admits... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Retail; Web Services

10 Jan 2005
Research & Ideas

The Knowledge Coach

obtain a master's degree from the Michigan Technological University. Thirty-two years later, a young Indian in Bangalore, Saumil Majmudar, started a small company. Those two events are connected by a trail... View Details

Keywords: by Dorothy Leonard & Walter Swap

13 Jul 2010
First Look

First Look: July 13

case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/410079-PDF-ENG Microsoft's IP Ventures Josh Lerner and Ann LeamonHarvard Business School Case 810-096 Microsoft's IP Ventures program, through which Microsoft spun out promising but unused View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

16 Sep 2014
First Look

First Look: September 16

an important driver of solo deal outcomes. Publisher's link: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2159229 September 2014 Multidisciplinary Insights from New AIB Fellows Business History and the... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

April 2021
Case

Distinct Software

By: Das Narayandas, Arijit Sengupta and Jonathan Wray

Distinct Software (disguised name), a global enterprise software company, is at an important point in its growth trajectory where the luster of its mantra of “grow and win at any cost” has dimmed with increasing competition and margin pressures. To help navigate its... View Details

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Marketing; Sales; Performance Productivity; Technological Innovation; AI and Machine Learning

09 Feb 2017
Blog Post

Alumni: Where Are They Now? Featuring: Anddria Varnado (Clack-Rogers)

Current Position: Vice President, Strategy & Business Development at Williams-Sonoma Location San Francisco, CA Tell us what you’re up to these days. I’m currently leading strategy for Williams-Sonoma, Inc., where I am responsible for M&A, View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products / Retail

Web

Faculty & Researchers - Managing the Future of Work

Mulroy is a Research Associate and Gordon Family Research Fellow with Harvard Business School’s project on Managing the Future of Work. He graduated from Cornell University in 2024 with a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations and a minor... View Details

02 Jun 2020
Research & Ideas

Coronavirus Careers: Cloud Kitchens Are Now Serving

rather than a market-entry strategy for first-time restaurateurs. Kitchen United has pivoted away from new food entrepreneurs toward providing cloud kitchens for regional and national chains. Zuul Kitchens... View Details

Keywords: by Lena Ye and Geoffrey Jones; Food & Beverage

Profile

Thomaz Galvao

voices from forty-three different cultures. I have to understand daily where their opinions and concerns are coming from. Daily, you find what resonates and what doesn’t resonate with others.” Outside the classroom, Thomaz collaborates... View Details

01 Mar 2024
News

Game On

It’s raining in Sarasota. And not a light sprinkle but a proper, Florida drenching, so the outdoor courts at the Pickleball Club’s Lakewood Ranch location are deserted. Inside is a different story. Most of the 12 courts are in play. With four people to a court, all... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; photographed by Edward Linsmier; Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries; Arts, Entertainment

September 2024 (Revised December 2024)
Case

Sona Comstar and Blackstone: Unlocking Value Through Business Transformation

By: Ranjay Gulati and Kanika Jain

Private equity firm Blackstone’s majority investment in automotive systems manufacturer Sona Comstar had culminated in the largest IPO in the Indian auto components industry in 2021, with stellar returns for all involved. This EV supplier was the result of a 2019... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Decision Making; Engineering; Management; Risk and Uncertainty; Private Equity; Mergers and Acquisitions; Initial Public Offering; Technology Industry; Technology Industry; Technology Industry; Asia; Southeast Asia

November 2023
Case

Will Fintechs and Central Banks Play in Emtech's Sandbox?

By: Daniel Isenberg and William R. Kerr

In February 2023, Emtech’s founder Carmelle Cadet is facing a dilemma. Rapidly running out of cash, Cadet has a term sheet from a leading VC but has a choice of how to structure the investment. The decision will have significant implications for Cadet’s own stake, as... View Details

Keywords: Cryptocurrency; Business Startups; Venture Capital; Cash Flow; Currency; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Digital Platforms