Edward Jones, a wealth management advisory from that prided itself on its interpersonal connections and face-to-face interactions, was eager to augment their services with AI capabilities. Built on 1-to-1 close-knit relationships, the firm had more than 15,000 offices conveniently located across the U.S. and Canada. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Edward Jones' Managing Partner, Penny Pennington, believed their human-centric approach could be enhanced to better serve their clients by leveraging historical client and calling data to improve the client experience and the customization of advice. In particular, AI's ability to integrate all records of past advisor experiences could deliver hyper-personalized insights and financial solutions. Still, Pennington wondered if Edward Jones was deviating too far from its differentiated approached of person-to-person connections. Considering Edward Jones' original business approach, how might digitization and AI transform their competitive advantage? Was there a proper balance between the use of AI and human connection? How would Pennington ensure that the AI-generated expertise would properly represent and attest to each client's specific needs?
Yassir Benjelloun-Touimi, CEO of ARTEX, aspired to marry the world of art and finance. Hoping to promote transparent, fractionalized ownership of renowned artwork, the founder had spent years contemplating the birth of an art stock market. This exchange would allow investors to trade art shares, much like the real-time trading of conventional stocks. Accompanied by an educational platform and partnerships with art institutions, ARTEX would help "democratize" art and unlock a new, stable asset class for all. Was the world ready-and could Benjelloun-Touimi convince a sufficient mass of art lovers and more importantly, regular investors-into buying fractions of artwork that would be valued at market-trade prices?
Anthony (Tony) Pritkzer, Paul Carbone, and the Pritzker Private Capital (PPC) team wondered how to approach the firm's next phase of growth. PPC was a private equity firm that offered a differentiated approach to the family capital market. Back in 2016, the partners had decided to introduce third party capital into their stream of funds, ultimately allowing for bigger and more successful deals. Despite their financial gains, PPC knew that their initial success could easily be forfeited. Much was to be considered: addressing regulation, maintaining PPC's family-first image, and preserving Tony's entrepreneurial spirit were only but a few challenges to be faced. How should the team advance, given the additional obstacles that come with PPC's model?