News & Highlights

  • 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.
  • APRIL 2024
  • ALUMNI EVENT

Dean Datar Visits Houston and Dallas

In late April, over 200 alumni gathered for “An Evening with Dean Datar” in Houston, hosted in partnership with the HBS Club of Houston, and “An Afternoon with Dean Datar” in Dallas, hosted in partnership with the HBS Club of Dallas. Alumni had the opportunity to meet Dean Srikant M. Datar, connect and network with other alumni in the region, and hear how the School is addressing critical challenges facing business and society. These events were supported by representatives from External Relations and the Mid-US Research Center.
  • February 2024
  • INSTITUTE FOR BUSINESS IN GLOBAL SOCIETY (BiGS)

BiGS in D.C.: The New Era of Industrial Policy

In February, hosted in partnership with NobleReach Foundation, leaders from business, government, and academia convened in Washington, D.C. to discuss the long-term implications of industrial policy initiatives such as the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. These legislative measures are ushering in a new era of industrial policy aimed at revitalizing U.S. infrastructure, boosting semiconductor manufacturing, and addressing climate change. But early results have been mixed, as many projects have been delayed or paused. Leaders were able to collectively step back from day-to-day to exchange views on these recent developments. The full report, key insights and interviews with senior leaders are available here.
  • NOVEMBER 2023
  • SOCIAL ENTERPRISE INITIATIVE

Social Enterprise: Upswell Forum

This November, the Social Enterprise Initiative welcomed the pilot Upswell Forum cohort to campus for an extraordinary four days of learning and community building. Conceived in partnership with the Harvard Business School African-American Alumni Association and the Social Enterprise Initiative, the mission of Upswell is to accelerate the impact of social entrepreneurs working in communities of color. The forum welcomed organizations serving the Boston, Atlanta and Houston metro regions. Faculty and guest speakers led energizing sessions on leadership, strategy, systems thinking, and power and influence, among others. The group will continue to work together through virtual sessions and mentorship with HBS alumni in the coming months.

New Research on the Region

  • July 2024
  • Case

Living Up to Purpose and Performance at Parker Hannifin

By: Hubert Joly, Alicia Dadlani and Martha Hostetter

In 2019, Parker Hannifin, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of motion and control technologies, did something unusual for an industrial company: it created a purpose statement. Even though it already had a clear business strategy and longstanding culture of empowering its employees, creating a nine-word purpose statement proved transformational. This was particularly true during the pandemic, when Parker’s purpose—Enabling Engineering Breakthroughs that Lead to a Better Tomorrow—came to life as team members built parts for lifesaving ventilators and designed a filtration system that enabled the mass-production of vaccines. Now Parker’s new CEO must determine how to bring Parker’s purpose fully to life, using it to inspire team members, connect with customers, and guide the company as it navigates clean energy technologies and other challenges.

  • June 2024
  • Teaching Material

Miami's Climate Tech Potential (A): The State of Play

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 324-119. Miami-Dade County led the work to get South Florida designated a national climate resilience tech hub, the only one of 31 focused on climate change, an urgent major issue for the region in light of global warming and sea level rise. Venture capitalists saw the potential but not many investable ventures; some entrepreneurs created scalable ventures but without much regional support; economic development agencies were not yet fully building the ecosystem or just getting started. Most wanted more from government, higher education, and others. The label “climate tech hub” had to be backed by specific proposals to attract available funding. What are the gaps and missing ingredients? What actions might fill the gaps?

  • March 2024 (Revised June 2024)
  • Case

Miami's Climate Tech Potential (A): The State of Play

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

Miami-Dade County led the work to get South Florida designated a national climate resilience tech hub, the only one of 31 focused on climate change, an urgent major issue for the region in light of global warming and sea level rise. Venture capitalists saw the potential but not many investable ventures; some entrepreneurs created scalable ventures but without much regional support; economic development agencies were not yet fully building the ecosystem or just getting started. Most wanted more from government, higher education, and others. The label “climate tech hub” had to be backed by specific proposals to attract available funding. What are the gaps and missing ingredients? What actions might fill the gaps?

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)
Jennifer Sears
Senior Coordinator (Columbus, OH)