The Rowell & Mackenzie case follows husband-and-wife executives Sarah Rowell and Scott Mackenzie as they weigh the decision whether or not to embark on a search fund. The case addresses the potential benefits and drawbacks of the search fund experience including financial outcomes, lifestyle impact, alternatives, and career trajectory.

The Unified Dental Care case follows search fund leaders Jason Jackson and Olaide Lawal as they evaluate whether or not to acquire Unified Dental Care, a mid-sized dental practice in Detroit. The case addresses managing audits, accounting issues, and other issues of trust with a seller, as well as handling communications with a search fund board of investors.

The Klockner case follows CEO Gisbert Ruhl and his team as they prepare for the operational consequences of digital transformation at the century-old German steel distributor. In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Klockner team must rethink their sales, operations, people practices, and organizational structure to prepare for a future of increased automation and online platform sales for steel and other metals.

The case follows the design and creation of a software innovation lab at Volkswagen. Particular issues explored include the role and structure of internal innovation groups, establishing culture and defining business models for innovation, and developing strategy for innovation in an established enterprise environment.

The Opendoor case follows head of market operations Megan Meyer as her team develops a strategy to enter Los Angeles, a substantial departure from the existing real estate markets the company had worked in through 2018. Particular issues explored include market segmentation, new market entry strategy, and quantitative analysis of unit economics and addressable markets.

The case follows Erica Mackey, CEO of early childhood education impact venture MyVillage, as she determines the growth path of the company after a recent fundraise. Particular issues explored include tensions between growth and mission, defining and measuring impact, and navigating interrelated areas of impact outside the core focus of an impact venture.

Entrepreneurs looking to launch start-ups in developing economies must confront numerous challenges that their peers in more developed countries may be less likely to encounter. Depending on the country in which they are operating, entrepreneurs in developing economies oftentimes lack access to human capital and professional services, sufficient sources of funding, large markets for their products, adequate infrastructure, and predictable legal and regulatory processes, among myriad other challenges. This note aims to explore these challenges in more depth-while simultaneously examining some representative countries and regions in which entrepreneurship is thriving. The note also serves as a complement (and informal update) to the 2013 World Economic Forum Report: "Entrepreneurial Ecosystems around the Globe and Company Growth Dynamics," as well as an update to our 2016 Teaching Note to include recent developments in select Asian, African, and Latin American entrepreneurial ecosystems. This note is intended primarily for current or budding entrepreneurs interested in starting a new venture in a developing economy, as well as investors seeking to fund start-ups in these countries. The note is also relevant for policy makers looking to encourage entrepreneurship in their cities or countries, universities wanting to support entrepreneurship, and corporations seeking a better understanding of their role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of a developing economy.