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Urban Axes introduced the Canadian indoor sport of axe throwing to the US market, beginning with one location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2016. Although Urban Axes was started as a “side hustle” by four friends with corporate jobs, it soon became apparent that the concept could be both popular and profitable. The partners quickly decided to become fully involved in the business to maximize its potential. This case features a woman protagonist as chief financial officer and the originator of the business plan. It is a novel, contemporary example of the first-mover principle, highlighting the risks and rewards of creating a new line of business in a competitive and volatile industry—in this case, the indoor or experiential entertainment industry.

Founded by Mosunmola "Mo" Abudu in 2012 with a mission to bring high-quality African stories to the world, EbonyLife was the company behind many of Nigeria's biggest films and TV shows. The company began as a television channel on the Africa-wide direct broadcast satellite service DStv. By 2020, EbonyLife had produced over 5,000 hours of television content and Nigeria's top-three highest-grossing movies. With a need for greater control over its production schedules and following the end of its relationship with DStv EbonyLife launched EbonyLife ON (EL ON), an on-demand streaming service. However, EbonyLife struggled to grow its subscribers of EL ON. Abudu started to rethink whether to continue fighting to grow EL ON. Should EbonyLife focus instead on co-production deals with international media distributors such as Netflix, Sony and AMC?

Corporations are facing growing pressure--from investors, advocacy groups, politicians, and even business leaders themselves--to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their operations and their supply and distribution chains. About 90% of the companies in the S&P 500 now issue some form of environmental, social, and governance report, almost always including an estimate of the company's GHG emissions. The authors describe these as "catchall reports that are often made up of inaccurate, unverifiable, and contradictory data." They propose a remedy: the E-liability accounting system, whereby emissions are measured using a combination of chemistry and engineering, and principles of cost accounting are applied to assign the emissions to individual outputs. The authors provide a detailed method for assigning E-liabilities across an entire value chain, using the example of a car-door manufacturer whose furthest-removed supplier is a mining company, which transfers its products to a shipping company, which transports them to a steel company, and so on until the car reaches the end customer.

An egocentric approach to defining ecosystems undermines the ability of everyone involved leaders, followers, and partners alike to see alignment hurdles and craft appropriate strategies. The authors discuss successful ecosystem strategies for companies positioning themselves as leaders, as well as key considerations for those that choose followership. Real-world examples from the mobile payment, electronic health record, and e-book ecosystems provide additional context.

This case study follows the evolution of PBMs focusing specifically on the main substitutes that have challenged dairy milk for market share namely soymilk, almond milk, and oat milk. It provides a good snapshot of the way in which the new industry has evolved and the manner in which key industry forces have begun to shape the competitiveness and profitability of this nascent industry. Using the template of Porter's five forces model, the study sets the stage for an in-depth application of the framework to identify the key drivers of profit performance. It builds on the analysis to explore the fortunes of the rising star in the business, Oatly, the Swedish oat milk producer that has made a dramatic entry into the world of PBMs with much initial success. It concludes with several key questions about the potential future trajectory of the company in the face of new competitors and the ever-changing array of alternatives ranging from hemp milk to barley milk and everything in-between.

The case opens in May 2018 with Nurtac Ziyal Afridi, chief strategy and growth officer of Yildiz Holding, a Turkish conglomerate, reflecting on the group's diversification journey. In ten years, the group had achieved a remarkable growth through diversification: seven mergers, 33 acquisitions, and 23 divestments. By 2018, it had 164 companies and consolidated revenues of $12 billion. After two notable acquisitions (Godiva, a $850-million deal in 2007, and United Biscuits, a $3.2-billion deal in 2014), Yildiz Holding became one of the world's largest confectionary companies. However, Yildiz Holding's owner, Murat Ulker, wanted it to be the number one or two player globally. To achieve this goal, Afridi started a major restructuring program to focus on the group's core assets. That was not an easy feat. The group companies addressed mass market to luxury customers, and their portfolio of products ranged from confectionary to dairy, beverages, baby food, and olive oil. They had wholesaling operations as well as retailing businesses across a wide reach of geographies. Afridi's decisions in restructuring needed to balance all the various trade-offs. She had to decide how to define core, and accordingly decide which non-core assets to divest. Should she consider protecting only wholesaling businesses and divesting retailing? And what about managing their businesses in different geographies? Would it be a good idea if the group were to manage some geographies directly and leave the management of others to select partners?

Mobile streaming app Quibi was ready to take the entertainment world by storm at its April 2020 launch. Backed by $1.75 billion, influential investors from Hollywood to Wall Street eagerly anticipated early success for this brainchild of Meg Whitman, former CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, former chairperson of Walt Disney Studios and co-founder of DreamWorks Pictures. Quibi's value proposition was to fill a 'white space' through seven to ten minute dramas, on a platform that was technologically sophisticated for users and extremely copyright friendly for content creators. Six months later, a disappointing lack of demand cornered Quibi into closing shop. Was it poor timing, or inherent business model viability? This case prompts discussion on the complete strategy landscape, from defining the opportunity set and value potential to understanding the ultimate outcome.

In 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic, Chou Cheng Ngok, CEO of Popular Holdings Limited, a local multiproduct bookstore in Singapore, wanted to develop an omni-channel retail strategy to make up for the loss of foot traffic at the store. The book industry was already changing rapidly due to digitisation. Books became available on electronic readers and the advent of e-commerce gave online retailers a cost advantage over brick-and-mortar stores when it came to rental expenditure and sourcing from the cheapest distributors located anywhere in the world. While many local bookstores went out of business, Popular had managed to succeed by understanding the needs of its target audience. For instance, students and their parents would buy tuition materials to supplement the official curriculum in an effort to excel in Singapore's competitive education system. Popular also sold other ancillary products such as stationery and electronic gadgets. As brick-and-mortar stores continue to lose market share to online retailers, Chou wanted to implement an integrated omni-channel approach to provide a better experience for consumers.

The case features Sara Razmpa, head of responsible investment, and Fiona Frick, CEO of Unigestion, at a critical juncture in the Geneva-based asset management firm's ESG journey: the decision to launch an equities fund that specifically tackles climate change. While Unigestion had launched product families that integrated ESG in the past, this would be a new and more challenging undertaking. The case opens with the two debating between whether to launch a Climate Transition Fund or the more ambitious Paris-aligned Fund. Both methods aligned with the Paris Agreement by placing the portfolio on a 1.5ºC trajectory, with no or limited overshoot, and heading towards net-zero by 2050. However, they differed in their starting points and stringency. Students are placed in the shoes of Razmpa and Frick and need to decide which portfolio to launch - while balancing climate impact, commercial considerations and fund performance. The selection of climate funds is not straightforward. The decision touches on key debate points in sustainable finance: a financial investor's fiduciary duty, whether to exclude or engage with high emitters and what would be most effective in tackling climate change. Finally, the case includes a practical application exercise where students can construct their own climate-focused portfolio. This is a timely case. There is a growing spotlight on climate change, especially with COP 26 in late 2021. Despite country pledges for net-zero emissions, a UN study found that current fossil fuel production plans set forth by governments worldwide for 2030 is double the level required to limit global warming to 1.5ºC. The financial sector, as a key allocator of capital, has a key role to play. This case can help students better understand the role financial institutions can play in the transformation towards a 1.5ºC world, the nuances of building climate positive portfolios and how to critically analyze different climate strategies and their implications.

The case features Sara Razmpa, head of responsible investment, and Fiona Frick, CEO of Unigestion, at a critical juncture in the Geneva-based asset management firm's ESG journey: the decision to launch an equities fund that specifically tackles climate change. While Unigestion had launched product families that integrated ESG in the past, this would be a new and more challenging undertaking. The case opens with the two debating between whether to launch a Climate Transition Fund or the more ambitious Paris-aligned Fund. Both methods aligned with the Paris Agreement by placing the portfolio on a 1.5ºC trajectory, with no or limited overshoot, and heading towards net-zero by 2050. However, they differed in their starting points and stringency. Students are placed in the shoes of Razmpa and Frick and need to decide which portfolio to launch - while balancing climate impact, commercial considerations and fund performance. The selection of climate funds is not straightforward. The decision touches on key debate points in sustainable finance: a financial investor's fiduciary duty, whether to exclude or engage with high emitters and what would be most effective in tackling climate change. Finally, the case includes a practical application exercise where students can construct their own climate-focused portfolio. This is a timely case. There is a growing spotlight on climate change, especially with COP 26 in late 2021. Despite country pledges for net-zero emissions, a UN study found that current fossil fuel production plans set forth by governments worldwide for 2030 is double the level required to limit global warming to 1.5ºC. The financial sector, as a key allocator of capital, has a key role to play. This case can help students better understand the role financial institutions can play in the transformation towards a 1.5ºC world, the nuances of building climate positive portfolios and how to critically analyze different climate strategies and their implications.

The case features Sara Razmpa, head of responsible investment, and Fiona Frick, CEO of Unigestion, at a critical juncture in the Geneva-based asset management firm's ESG journey: the decision to launch an equities fund that specifically tackles climate change. While Unigestion had launched product families that integrated ESG in the past, this would be a new and more challenging undertaking. The case opens with the two debating between whether to launch a Climate Transition Fund or the more ambitious Paris-aligned Fund. Both methods aligned with the Paris Agreement by placing the portfolio on a 1.5ºC trajectory, with no or limited overshoot, and heading towards net-zero by 2050. However, they differed in their starting points and stringency. Students are placed in the shoes of Razmpa and Frick and need to decide which portfolio to launch - while balancing climate impact, commercial considerations and fund performance. The selection of climate funds is not straightforward. The decision touches on key debate points in sustainable finance: a financial investor's fiduciary duty, whether to exclude or engage with high emitters and what would be most effective in tackling climate change. Finally, the case includes a practical application exercise where students can construct their own climate-focused portfolio. This is a timely case. There is a growing spotlight on climate change, especially with COP 26 in late 2021. Despite country pledges for net-zero emissions, a UN study found that current fossil fuel production plans set forth by governments worldwide for 2030 is double the level required to limit global warming to 1.5ºC. The financial sector, as a key allocator of capital, has a key role to play. This case can help students better understand the role financial institutions can play in the transformation towards a 1.5ºC world, the nuances of building climate positive portfolios and how to critically analyze different climate strategies and their implications.

In January 2019, Raymond Holmes, head of the Singapore Association of Chief Marketing Officers (CMO), an informal roundtable of CMOs from multinational corporations, went to explore Habitat, a hi-tech grocery store by Honestbee, a food and grocery delivery company. The advent of e-commerce allowed consumers to buy products online. Asset-light retailers had cost advantages over physical stores when it came to rental expenditure and inventory storage. Honestbee pioneered the food concierge service in Singapore, helping busy consumers fulfil and deliver online grocery orders from partners that had physical stores. Three years after its founding, the company added a physical storefront that aimed to be a lifestyle destination with a grocery store and other dining concepts. The futuristic store would also attract non-shoppers to the area. Holmes wondered if Honestbee's multichannel approach would provide a better experience for the consumers and enhance its profitability.

This case details the journey of Sandeep Mathrani as he took over as CEO of WeWork, a flexible space provider, in the aftermath of the company's attempted IPO. To execute his turnaround plan, Mathrani must navigate a global pandemic, execute layoffs, rebuild the company's reputation, renegotiate contracts with landlords, and rebuild trust with members and employees. Further, Mathrani must consider how to navigate a post-pandemic world as the leader of a public company that was increasingly blurring the line between digital and physical.

This case study is set in July 2021. It describes the ageing landscape in Singapore including the policies that have been developed to address Singapore's rapidly ageing population and features the stories of two seniors. Since the 1980s, the Singapore Government had been developing plans and policies to help seniors, "to not just add years to life but add life to years". The concept of successful ageing, defined by the five indicators - no major diseases, no disability, high cognitive function, physically fit and mobile, and active engagement with life, had been a focus area of the Singapore government for the past four decades. However, the rate of successful ageing had remained low, at only 25.4 percent. Given the rapidly ageing population, Lim Soon Meng, a director at Singapore's Ministry of Health, wondered what else could be done to help more seniors age successfully? This case introduces the concept of the Third Age and invites discussion on the topic of successful ageing.

Focuses on a Hong Kong-based, globally-established textile and apparel manufacturer and its experience in navigating turbulent geopolitical environments. Identifies ways the company has pursued business priorities while upholding its sustainability values.

Bodega Aurrera, serving the base of the pyramid and Walmart's main Mexican format, is considering launching a full eCommerce channel as Covid-19 has erupted in the country. In 2019, Bodega Aurrera accounted for 45% of revenues and 2,748 of Walmex's 3,416 stores. Having introduced eCommerce with the high-income segments served by its Walmart and Superama formats, Walmart Mexico (Walmex) had slated an online channel for Bodega Aurrera in the next three or four years, considering that its core clients belonged to the C and D socioeconomic segments. However, with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, retail store sales plummeted and analysts around the world began to note that sales on digital channels were surging. In late April 2020, Lilia Jaime, the CEO of Bodega Aurrera, wondered if this was an opportunity she had to seize. If so, she had to act right away, ahead of her competition. Yet, normally, the established procedure to introduce a full online channel involved the Walmart Bentonville, AR headquarters at both business and Information Technology (IT) levels, and it would take several months. The only way to launch quickly, the experienced Walmex eCommerce team told her, was by bringing in an outside firm with an eCommerce framework already in place and mounting Bodega Aurrera on top of it. To their knowledge, this had never been done at Walmart before. Also, she would have to carve the initiative out of her own approved budgets, at the expense of projects she already considered a priority. But were the families at the base of the pyramid ready to place grocery orders online and trust paying through digital channels? And if Lilia went ahead and it didn't work, she would risk inflicting serious damage to one of Mexico's most beloved brands.

for lucrative prison contracts. Prison and jail operators valued not only the telecommunications platform and the service it provided to inmates and their families, but also the commissions they received in the contracts, which helped to fund their budgets. This industry structure led to mostly rising telecommunications prices being passed on to inmates and their families, even while telecom prices outside of prison had plummeted. Inmates and their families wanted the highest degree of access at the lowest possible price, particularly at a time when the world was recovering from a pandemic. The case provides rich data for students to consider fundamental questions like: Is the current system fair to all stakeholders? Who should pay for prison communications-inmates and their families or the taxpayer? Under what corporate conditions is it possible to do good and do well? Criminal-justice advocates had worked for years to push back against the high price of inmate communications, which they argued caused loved ones to cut off contact with the inmate in order to save money-something that could contribute to mental health issues and increase recidivism. In 2021, the issue seemed to be coming to a head. Aventiv, which had grown through acquisition to become one of the largest prison communication providers (40% market share), had been bought in 2017 by Platinum Equity (Platinum), which was soon targeted by activists for change. In response, Platinum had pledged to make existing telecommunications products more affordable and accessible. It also planned to expand Aventiv beyond telecommunications and into tablet and related technology that would offer education, entertainment, job training, and post-incarceration products and services that would benefit inmates on the inside and help reduce recidivism once they were released. The transformation program represented a significant decision by Platinum to lean into the issues facing the industry, rather than run away from

Greenturn Idea Factory (GIF) was a start-up based in Kerala, India, that manufactured and marketed green energy products. Greeniee, a wireless device for monitoring electricity consumption, was GIF's flagship product in the portfolio. Other products included rooftop solar panels and waste-to-energy conversion devices. Sajil Peethambaran, chief technology officer of GIF, was deliberating on a strategy to servitize Greeniee for potential market segments, either as an augmented product or by bundling it with other offerings.