The case describes the air-taxi industry at the end of 2023 as many companies vied to join the "eVTOL revolution": in January 2022 the Vertical Flight Society listed 600 designs from nearly 350 companies and innovators worldwide, although only about two dozen of the 600 concepts had made it to the flying-prototype stage. The industry was enabled by the convergence of technologies (including advances in electric propulsion, lightweight materials, AI, autonomous flight systems and batteries), propelled by unexpected social and geopolitical events that pushed the boundaries of drone and electric-proportion technologies. As a result of such advances, and fuelled by growing interest in the space on the part of the VC community, the global flying taxi market was valued by one analyst at around $3 billion in 2022 and was expected to be worth around $37 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.9% from 2023 to 2032.

In May 2018 the Norwegian Government introduced new requirements for emissions-free entry into the Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord fjords, a UNESCO World Heritage site, making them the world's first zero-emission zones at sea. For Knut Flakk, CEO and owner of Norway's Flakk Group, it was a watershed moment. Norway and sustainability had a complicated relationship. On the one hand, the country was a pioneer in the use of renewable energy. Almost 90% of the power network ran entirely on clean hydroelectricity and Norwegian policymakers had begun to support electric vehicles as early as 1990. As a result, Norway boasted the highest per capita share of EVs in the world. On the other hand, Norway's huge oil and gas reserves had made the country extremely wealthy. And while many people were now focused on reducing their carbon footprint and being energy-efficient, Knut had a bigger picture in mind, saying "I'm more interested in being climate-positive, with renewable sources. Hydrogen is a zero-emission energy carrier that can be used for boats, trains and planes."

In May 2018 the Norwegian Government introduced new requirements for emissions-free entry into the Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord fjords, a UNESCO World Heritage site, making them the world's first zero-emission zones at sea. For Knut Flakk, CEO and owner of Norway's Flakk Group, it was a watershed moment. Norway and sustainability had a complicated relationship. On the one hand, the country was a pioneer in the use of renewable energy. Almost 90% of the power network ran entirely on clean hydroelectricity and Norwegian policymakers had begun to support electric vehicles as early as 1990. As a result, Norway boasted the highest per capita share of EVs in the world. On the other hand, Norway's huge oil and gas reserves had made the country extremely wealthy. And while many people were now focused on reducing their carbon footprint and being energy-efficient, Knut had a bigger picture in mind, saying "I'm more interested in being climate-positive, with renewable sources. Hydrogen is a zero-emission energy carrier that can be used for boats, trains and planes."

Laura Chavez was delighted beyond words when the Atelier Asymmetric Bow suite, designed by her luxury jewellery company Lark & Berry, won the 2019 Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Council Graff jewellery award. The Graff Award was the jewellery industry's equivalent of the Oscars award for Best Picture and conferred immense prestige on its maker. Unfortunately, the euphoria of the win lasted barely 24 hours for Laura. The award had made history: it was the first time that a piece made exclusively with lab-grown diamonds had scooped the top Craft and Design Council prize. But, when the awards committee realised the suite had been made with lab diamonds, they insisted that Lark & Berry disassociate themselves from the prize - even though they had designed and commissioned the piece

The case describes the start-up and evolution of UK-based digital bank Starling. Founded in 2014, Starling offered personal and business accounts, and lending products, promising a better customer-service experience, faster approvals and a more digital-friendly approach than traditional banks. By 2022, a European expansion was underway, along with plans to provide the bank's proprietary technology as software-as-a-service outside Europe and prepare for an IPO. The case analyses the leadership style of Starling's founder and highly atypical leader, Anne Boden, and the corporate culture established under her leadership.

The case describes the launch in the UK and Ireland in April 2020 of the mobile app Treeapp, intended to help combat the effects of climate change by enabling users to plant trees for free. The app is funded by Treeapp's brand partners, who pay £1 to Treeapp every time a user watches an advert on their phone. Part of the payment goes to NGOs around the world who manage tree-planting projects.

In March 2015 London-based management consultancy Clarasys found itself in crisis. Established in 2011, the company had experienced consistent growth since foundation and had expanded staffing levels to service new business accordingly. But it was still in start-up phase and a perfect storm of events had suddenly hit the firm: two potential growth projects were unexpectedly shelved, meaning almost 50% of consultants were no longer on billable client projects, and the company accountants admitted to having made a serious mistake in VAT payments, which meant Clarasys had to make a double payment, for two years' VAT returns, at the same time.