News & Highlights

  • SEPTEMBER 2025
  • HBS ALUMNI CLUBS

Faculty in the Region: HBS Alumni Club of Columbus Fireside Chat with Professor Willy Shih

The MRC partnered with the HBS Alumni Club of Columbus to host a Fireside Chat with Professor Willy Shih. Moderated by club president Andrea Fantacone, the discussion centered on the question, “Can the U.S. Bring Manufacturing Back?” Drawing on his expertise in manufacturing, supply chains, and innovation, Professor Shih shared insights on global trade, reshoring, the importance of automation in improving productivity, and implications for the U.S. workforce. The event featured a Q&A session and opportunities for networking and conversation.
  • AUGUST 2025
  • IMMERSION FOR ONE

Immersion for One: Senior Lecturer John Macomber Visits Asheville, North Carolina

This summer, the MRC organized an Immersion for One for Senior Lecturer John Macomber in Asheville, North Carolina, to support his research on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Last September, Helene brought fierce winds and catastrophic flooding to a region once considered a climate refuge – killing scores of people; washing away roads, bridges, and buildings; and leaving much of the city without power or water for weeks. During the immersion, Macomber joined fellow experts on an Urban Land Institute panel, whose members were asked by city leaders to evaluate their recovery and rebuilding options. He was then joined by a senior researcher from MRC for meetings with civic leaders, climate experts, and business owners who are considering what and how to rebuild. The lessons emerging from Asheville offer insights for other communities looking for ways to build more resilient communities.
  • MARCH 2025
  • HBR COLD CALL

Football Legend Deion Sanders’ Unorthodox Leadership Style

Senior Lecturer Hise Gibson discusses the case "Deion Sanders: The Prime Effect” in an episode of Harvard Business Review's "Cold Call" podcast. In 2022, Deion Sanders, known as "Coach Prime," a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and two-time Super Bowl champion, was hired as head coach at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU). He was tasked with reviving the struggling football program, which had achieved only one winning season in the prior 15 years. His hiring sparked debate about his experience and whether his "old school" leadership style, focused on discipline and accountability, would be effective and resonate with today's student-athletes. In this conversation, Gibson examines how Sanders has attempted to transform CU’s team with his unorthodox style of leadership. Listen to the podcast here.
  • SEPTEMBER 2024
  • HBR COLD CALL

Uncle Nearest Cofounder Fawn Weaver and Her Entrepreneurial Journey in the Spirits Industry

In an episode of Harvard Business Review's "Cold Call" podcast, Senior Lecturer Hise Gibson discusses the case "Uncle Nearest: Creating a Legacy." In 2017, Fawn Weaver cofounded Uncle Nearest, a premium American whiskey brand created to honor the legacy of a formerly enslaved man, Nearest Green, who taught Jack Daniel the art of whiskey distillation. Since its launch, Uncle Nearest has become the fastest-growing and most-awarded whiskey brand in the United States. The interview focuses on Weaver's entrepreneurial journey, leadership style, and the challenges she faced breaking into the highly regulated and competitive spirits industry. Gibson reflects on the leadership principles that could contribute to her continued success as she enters the cognac market and considers what other leaders can learn from her journey. The podcast is available here.
  • July 2024
  • FELLOWSHIP

The Road to Revitalization: Leadership Fellow Joel Hurd and the City of Detroit

After earning his MBA, Joel Hurd joined Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s office as senior advisor on special projects through the HBS Leadership Fellows Program. This position was a step toward fulfilling a promise Hurd made to himself a decade earlier to contribute to the ongoing evolution of the city he calls home. Living in metro Detroit and Flint, Hurd experienced firsthand the shortcomings of public transportation, sparking his passion for improving these systems with the belief that "bridging communities through effective transit solutions is not only a means to physical mobility, but class mobility as well." Drawing from his varied experiences at Fiat Chrysler and May Mobility, an autonomous vehicle company, Hurd will focus on fostering community engagement to advance the revitalization efforts of Detroit.

New Research on the Region

  • July 2025
  • Case

Flanner House and Community-Led Development

By: Brian Trelstad and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

In 2025, Brandon Cosby, CEO of Flanner House—a century-old nonprofit in Indianapolis’s Near Northwest neighborhood—faced a critical juncture as rising displacement pressures and funding uncertainty threatened the gains made under his leadership. Since taking the helm in 2016, Cosby had transformed the organization from a struggling, underutilized service provider into a vibrant community anchor guided by a model he called “holonomy,” which integrated food justice, early childhood education, workforce development, mental health, and housing. His initiatives included launching Indiana’s only Black-owned bookstore, establishing an urban farm, café and bodega, expanding culturally grounded mental health services, and creating workforce pathways. As nearby developments like the 16 Tech innovation district and Indiana University’s medical campus drove up housing costs and attracted new residents, Cosby aimed to protect the existing community by building a new Flanner House facility and a 120-unit affordable housing development. However, securing sufficient funding—particularly capital not tied to market-rate housing—remained a challenge. This case explores Cosby’s leadership, the complexities of community development in historically marginalized neighborhoods, and the tension between inclusive economic growth and gentrification.

  • April 2025
  • Case

Campbell's Recipe for Advancing School Nutrition

By: Hise O. Gibson, F. Christopher Eaglin and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

In 2021, The Campbell’s Company launched Full Futures, a collective impact initiative aimed at advancing school nutrition environments in underserved communities. The program started in Camden, NJ—home to Campbell’s headquarters—and later expanded to Charlotte, NC, and Hanover, PA with a $5 million commitment over 5 years. Full Futures brought together diverse partners across corporate, nonprofit, and school district sectors to address four key pillars: culture, infrastructure, nutrition education, and food access. This case explores how Campbell’s navigated complex partnerships, power dynamics, and contextual differences across cities to drive sustainable community impact, while grappling with how to measure success and inspire replication beyond its own communities.

  • November 2024
  • Case

Demond Martin and WellWithAll

By: Hise Gibson, Archie L. Jones and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

This case study chronicles the transformative entrepreneurial path of Demond Martin, co-founder and CEO of WellWithAll, a health and wellness startup. Motivated by a pivotal life experience and deep concern for racial health inequities, Martin transitions from a successful hedge fund career to champion health equity through WellWithAll. He leverages his extensive network and industry reputation to forge strategic alliances with The Campbell’s Company, retail giants like Target and Thrive Markets, and health equity partners such as Advocate Health and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While tackling the challenges in the crowded supplements and energy drinks market, Martin is committed to investing 20% of profits into Black and Brown communities, aiming for a $300 million impact on racial health disparities over the next decade. Key themes include a late-career transition to entrepreneurship, leveraging relationships, team building, and scaling a mission-driven business.

See more research

Mid-US Staff

Alicia Dadlani
Executive Director (Columbus, OH)
→ Biography
Martha Hostetter
Senior Researcher (Cleveland, OH)
Ai-Ling Jamila Malone
Senior Researcher (Atlanta, GA)
Mel Martin
Research Associate (Detroit, MI)
Jennifer Sears
Senior Coordinator (Columbus, OH)