Publications

March 2021 (Revised October 2023)
Case

Mary Kay Ash: Changing the World

By: Robert Simons and Shirley Sun

This case describes the rise of Mary Kay, the founder of the worldwide cosmetics company. As a young single mother, Mary Kay had to overcome many obstacles to start her business and guide it to success. Today, there are more than 3.5 million Mary Kay beauty consultants... View Details

Keywords: Business Start-ups; Entrepreneurship; Values and Beliefs; Business Startups; Work-Life Balance; Success; Religion; Family Business; Personal Development and Career; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

11 Dec 2023
Blog Post

Building Iconic Brands and Brighter Futures: Interview with Glossier CEO, Kyle Leahy

Kyle Leahy (MBA 2011) stepped into the CEO role of Glossier in May 2022 ready to take the brand to new heights. Since its founding in 2014, Glossier had disrupted the beauty industry, created a powerful community-driven brand, and was... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products / Retail

August 1996
Case

ThermoLase

By: William A. Sahlman and Andrew S. Janower

John Hansen, CEO of ThermoLase, must develop a plan of action to exploit the company's new development-stage revolutionary hair removal technology with negligible revenues and a $500 million market capitalization. This nascent public Thermo Electron spin out company... View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Business Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Plan; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

28 Aug 2020
Video

Ian Fuhr

Ian Fuhr, who later founded Sorbet, the largest chain of beauty salons in South Africa, describes how he was sent to a refinery owned by the Murray & Roberts group in the 1990s and encountered appalling racism at the top management. The CEO eventually took steps to... View Details

20 Jul 2021
Blog Post

Aisha Fatima Dozie is Igniting Confidence as the Founder of Bossy Cosmetics

From investment banking, to the federal government, to a beauty startup.From North America, to Africa, to Europe, to South America. Aisha Fatima Dozie (MBA 2002), founder of Bossy Cosmetics, has a colorful, vibrant, and inspiring life... View Details

27 Jun 2018
News

L.A. Philharmonic Shows the American Symphony Orchestra Isn’t Dead Yet

27 Jan 2016
News

Please, Take Your Leadership Personally

14 Mar 2018
Blog Post

The 2+2 Program: Finding the Freedom to Take Risks

make sense on that path?” I quickly realized that I didn’t need the answers – in fact, the beauty of 2+2 is the time it gives you to explore, ask questions, and learn. I decided to dive in and, looking back, it was the best decision of my... View Details

December 2020
Case

Urban Company

By: Krishna G. Palepu

Urban Company is an India-based market platform that helps customers book home services and at home beauty services. The company differentiated itself by investing heavily in building customer trust. Rather than merely positioning itself as a lead generating... View Details

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Entrepreneurship; Digital Platforms; Emerging Markets; Strategy; Service Delivery; Trust; Technology Industry; Service Industry; India

Geoffrey Jones is the Isidor Straus Professor of Business History, and Faculty Chair of the School's Business History Initiative. He holds degrees of BA, MA and PhD from Cambridge University, UK. He has an honorary Doctorate in Economics and Business Administration... View Details

Keywords: beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products; beauty products

May 2025
Teaching Note

Boutiqaat: Influencing Retail in MENA

By: Juan Alcacer and Noor Al Qadhi

Boutiqaat, a Kuwait-based e-commerce platform, scaled an influencer-driven beauty retail model across MENA and now faces critical strategic choices about offline expansion and globalization. Founded in 2015, Boutiqaat combined social commerce, localized logistics, and... View Details

Keywords: Emerging Markets; Digital Strategy; Growth and Development; Expansion; Global Strategy; Distribution Channels; Business Model; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Kuwait; Saudi Arabia; Middle East; North Africa

30 May 2024
Video

BiGS Voices from Latin America: An Interview with Fernando Assad of Vivenda

15 Oct 2013
First Look

First Look: October 15

a Technology Company or a Beauty Company? Jon Flint came up with the idea of a science-based beauty company while talking with his hairdresser about the problems with typical hair and skin care products.... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

May 2025
Case

Boutiqaat: Influencing Retail in MENA

By: Juan Alcacer and Noor Al Qadhi

Boutiqaat, a Kuwait-based e-commerce platform, scaled an influencer-driven beauty retail model across MENA and now faces critical strategic choices about offline expansion and globalization. Founded in 2015, Boutiqaat combined social commerce, localized logistics, and... View Details

Keywords: Emerging Markets; Digital Strategy; Growth and Development; Expansion; Distribution Channels; Global Strategy; Business Model; Market Design; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Kuwait; Saudi Arabia; Middle East; North Africa

November 1993 (Revised March 1995)
Case

Marsh Supermarkets, Inc. (A): The Marsh Super Study

In response to recent trends in grocery retailing, Marsh Supermarkets has completed an intensive 65-week study of the activity at 5 superstores in the midwest United States. The study tracked the sales, profits, space, and promotion dynamics of the entire store: dry... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Analysis; Consumer Behavior; Retail Industry

23 Aug 2019
Blog Post

A Summer of Peaks and Swells: Interning at Patagonia

and protecting our wild and public lands. So much of my experience at Patagonia has shown me how to advocate for change, to live with authenticity, and to build beautiful products customers can appreciate without causing unnecessary harm. View Details

Keywords: Technology; Consumer Products / Retail

July 2025
Teaching Note

Designed for Purpose: “Never a Failure. Always a Lesson”

By: James Riley and Andrea Dorbu

In 2017, Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty under LVMH, disrupting the cosmetics industry with an inclusive 'Beauty for All' strategy that emphasized accessibility across skin tones. The brand’s success was followed by the launch of Savage X Fenty, a lingerie line upholding... View Details

Keywords: Cultural Entrepreneurship; Brands and Branding; Luxury; Consumer Behavior; Market Entry and Exit; United States

28 Dec 2020
Interview

Psychological Safety and Fearless Organisations

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Vesna Lucca

In This Podcast:
• The ugly and beauty in transformational change
• Why don’t all companies create psychological safety
• Her passion to create a better workplace
• Buckminster Fuller
• The importance of system thinking
• The power... View Details

Keywords: Psychological Safety; Organizational Culture; Transformation