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This case describes the entrepreneurial journey of David Yeung, from campaigning for plant-based diets to building Green Monday, a purpose-driven business and an ecosystem based in Hong Kong comprising a retail platform, an alternative meat brand ("OmniPork"), a non-profit foundation, and an impact investment arm. Green Monday had been reshaping the traditional concept of plant-based food into a modern and aspirational lifestyle by providing more food options to the growing number of flexitarian consumers in Hong Kong and beyond. But in fall 2021, challenges were emerging that could slow its rapid growth. Externally, the breakdown of the global supply chain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic was affecting the company's expansion into new markets, such as mainland China, the U.S., and Southeast Asia. Internally, the strategy of operating multiple business models was testing the startup's ability to find a balance between growing the business without diluting its strong mission and purpose. Given these constraints, Yeung had some important decisions to make regarding Green Monday's growth plans. Should he continue the multi-business strategy or should he be more focused?

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 10 discusses how ESG may look in the future. There have been many different ESG standards and frameworks, but the various standards bodies announced in 2020 that the differing reporting standards are going to merge to give all those involved a clearer choice of lenses to evaluate decisions. A standardized level of granularity is also critical in determining ESG risks consistently. Emerging technologies can organize ESG data and then present it in a way that fits the needs of ESG initiatives. In implementing ESG strategies, top-down approaches are needed to integrate ESG at all levels of an organization, and specific management responsibilities should be established. Examples of how various countries and regions are leading in sustainability are offered. As ESG standards are better understood, sustainability native startups will grow and evolve.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 9 offers examples of companies that have created and are focusing on sustainable strategies; some are transitioning to a circular economy. The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion is working to improve sustainability in the fashion industry; Uzbekistan's DAVR-BANK provides funding for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly for women-owned businesses; Thailand's Indorama Ventures recovers and recycles plastic waste; and IKEA encourages customers to have more sustainable homes. Examples with Mars and Blackrock are also described. Microsoft has collaborated with governments and other organizations to work toward several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through partnerships, Microsoft is able to enhance its impact on specific communities.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 8 explores various practices organizations can adopt to implement sustainability strategies. With the rise in sustainability awareness, the number of sustainability native companies will also grow; these companies have sustainability at the core of their business strategy and operations. Innovation is vital to addressing sustainable development needs, and partnerships-especially with NGOs or philanthropic organizations-can help companies promote the success of their specific goals. The role of B Corporations is briefly discussed, and ways to standardize and gather data are offered. The perspective of investors is also described.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 7 discusses the role technology plays in measuring and improving ESG outcomes. Different frameworks provide context to measure sustainability components against a company's goals. Real estate and transportation-two of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions-are offered as two examples of industries that benefit from the use of data monitoring to measure and influence results. Data journeys captured in a blockchain can help enhance transparency; various technologies, such as cryptography, can reduce cyber risk; and AgriTech solutions can assist in meeting the ever-growing demand for food.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 6 explores how financial data is connected to ESG. When they don't manage sustainably, organizations create financial risk for investors and employment risk for employees. The role of sustainability ratings is discussed as it relates to companies and investors; several key sustainability ratings companies are described, including Eiris, MSCI, and Bloomberg. AI can be used to extract better insights, statistics, and comparisons from various data sources. ESG data inconsistencies are also briefly described.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 5 discusses the complexity of sustainability data. There are several layers to company data, and they can be put into a framework that will enhance transparency and understanding. Brief descriptions of several approaches to sustainability frameworks are offered, including the Global Reporting Initiative, the Carbon Disclosure Project, and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. Basic ESG components fall into the environmental, social, or governance categories; each of these categories then has various subcategories that differ between industries. Data sources for all these categories can also vary but typically include data suppliers. Companies tend to provide sustainability reports annually, but they focus on the past and rarely provide insights into the future. Various investor perspectives are also described; investment levels in sustainable companies have been consistently growing and will continue to do so.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 4 looks at the challenges that come with defining and standardizing ESG due to its extremely broad reach. A lack of a standardized common format creates problems for investors and companies and can result in a lack of transparency and accountability. Without a standardized approach to ESG reporting, corporations may resort to greenwashing-giving misleading information in regards to how environmentally friendly their operations and products are. Many ESG metrics are also self-reported, resulting in exaggerated impacts due to bias. Disregarding data when it comes to ESG can lead to disastrous results, including favoring short-term profits over long-term strategy, causing unintended negative results in a community, and creating blind spots in ESG programs.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 3 explores ESG's vital importance for businesses today, considering that some businesses have greater impacts than entire governments. ESG acts as a form of risk mitigation, sheltering companies from the damage ESG scandals can inflict on their reputation and performance. Major players in adding checks and balances to companies include investors, the companies themselves, policy and regulation, customers, the international community, and advocacy. Four major events advancing ESG interests today are also described: the COVID-19 pandemic, migration, sustainable agriculture, and cybersecurity risk.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 2 looks at several key terms for sustainability and what each concept means. These concepts include corporate social responsibility (CSR), the triple bottom line, a circular economy, socially responsible investing (SRI), and environmental, social, and governance (ESG). All these terms can vary widely in approach, focus, and stakeholder perspective that they may represent. The second half of the chapter discusses essential factors for implementing ESG. To implement ESG effectively, all stakeholders need to be active participants. An example with the Catholic church is given. Disregarding ESG comes with risks-for the company and the general population. Multiple examples of organizations using information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) are described. Leadership with integrity is also essential in implementing ESG.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is becoming more and more important in our world today, and underlying data is vital in giving it meaning. Acting as a source of checks and balances, ESG needs a long-term view that promises the existence and sustainability of fundamental organizations over time; partnerships and stakeholder engagement are also required. Nevertheless, ESG is complex and not easily measured. Written for companies seeking to attract ESG investments and become compliant with ESG regulatory requirements, this text discusses the "what" and "why" of the matter, diving into understanding ESG, how disregarding ESG means risk, inconsistent metrics and lack of clarity, and what companies can do to be ESG-investable and ESG-compliant. This book also looks at how emerging technologies can help organize underlying ESG data and add transparency to provide accountability and a holistic view of ESG's impact. Chapter 1 discusses early notions of social responsibility. Thanks to the first and second industrial revolutions, companies became essential pillars of society, and modern philanthropy emerged in response to issues such as working conditions in factories, which then led to the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Certain major events advanced CSR even further, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill and climate change. The UN Global Compact is based on CEO commitments to implement sustainability practices, focusing on human rights, labor, environmental, and anti-corruption practices. Because social responsibility is qualitative, standardizing processes to maximize benefits and measure results is challenging. Various methods have been introduced to set standards in areas such as environmental sustainability and labor, and a few organizations have developed holistic ESG standards. These standards are used by global corporations today to provide transparency for investors, who are increasingly demanding ESG conscious investment opportunities.

City Sealcoating CEO Keith Chaney had just publicly called out the Boston Chamber of Commerce for their slow progress on their supplier diversity program, Pacesetters. Established in 2018 by regional business leaders, Pacesetters was supposed to facilitate relationships between large purchasing organizations and minority-owned businesses in the greater Boston area, eventually leading to procurement contracts for those minority-owned businesses. It was designed as an approach to fix the worsening racial wealth gap in Boston; however, after 2 years of operation, the program did not deliver as many-including the Boston Chamber of Commerce-had hoped. Now nearing its third year, Boston Chamber of Commerce President & CEO James E. Rooney wondered how to best change the program, helping it deliver on its promise to, within a generation, close the racial wealth gap. Chaney, a minority business owner and Pacesetters participant, was skeptical.

SimplyGood is a sustainable consumer brand reinventing the homecare & cleaning industry, founded by a homegrown entrepreneur; Mr. Jeremy Lee (29) in 2021. SimplyGood is a successful spin off from his previous venture UglyGood he cofounded in 2017 which focuses on turning fruit waste into products such as cleaning agents, essential oils, and animal feed. UglyGood has since been acquired. SimplyGood aspires to replace the hefty plastic bottles of household cleaning detergent by their ecologically and space friendly plant based 'cleaning tablets'. Importantly, SimplyGood produces the dehydrated cleaning tablets using only non-toxic plant-based ingredients. Traditionally, when a consumer buys a bottle of household cleaning agent, they are paying for a single use plastic bottle, a solution that contains 96% water and the cost of transporting a plastic bottle filled mainly with water - this is highly carbon & resource inefficient. By compressing all the active ingredients into a dry based cleaning tablet, SimplyGood can encourage consumers to reuse their existing plastic bottle that have been bought previously and utilise readily available tap water at home. The tablets are 300x smaller & 200x lighter than a regular 500ml bottle of liquid cleaning solution. A SimplyGood cleaning tablet will dissolve in 500ml of tap water and make a bottle eco-friendly plant-based cleaning solution from home. As such they were able to maximise resources while also significantly cutting down on carbon footprint incurred from shipping plastic bottles & water.

Community Solutions was an anti-homelessness nonprofit founded in 2011 after protagonist Rosanne Haggerty grew frustrated with the limited impact of traditional housing and outreach strategies. It set an ambitious goal, reached in some partner communities, of ending homelessness. Its Built for Zero methodology helped communities across the U.S. improve their data collection, outreach, and provision of homelessness services, improving on often inefficient government processes and piecemeal solutions. The case focuses on the awarding, in April 2021, of $100 million from the MacArthur Foundation's 100% Change grant competition, and how Haggerty and her team prioritized projects and spending opportunities to maximize the grant's impact.

This case describes the rapid growth of a social enterprise in Singapore - Foreword Coffee - that aims to empower persons with disabilities by providing them with employment in cafes. Drawing on interviews with its co-founders and published sources, the case highlights key challenges faced by the social enterprise, including sustainable growth, inclusive hiring and leadership succession. The accompanying teaching note guides educators on using the case for discussion in social entrepreneurship, diversity and inclusion, human resource management and leadership classes.

The final case in the series of Janet Ames looks at the challenges of managing a nonprofit and what to do in the instance of suspected fraud.

Founded in 2001 by the Sawiris family, one of the wealthiest families in Egypt, the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD) invested in human capital and provision of basic social services for the most marginalized Egyptians. In 2015, Noura Selim's (MBA 2013) arrival triggered a series of changes related to the Foundation's direct-grantmaking efforts, how SFSD evaluated the success of its programs, and the number and nature of partnerships it had with development finance institutions, the private sector, and the government. By June 2021, under Selim's leadership, SFSD achieved success across several fronts. Selim nevertheless felt that the Foundation still had a long way to go in terms of fulfilling its goal to elevate Egypt's education system. Comprised predominantly of public schools, the system delivered low quality education, and resulted in poor learning outcomes, which translated into high youth unemployment. She was in the process of crystalizing SFSD's five-year strategy and wondered how she should balance the allocation of the Foundation's time and financial resources to drive as much change in the education sector as possible.

In June 2020, with the COVID-19 crisis affecting physical retail and accelerating the trend of digitalization, the leadership team of Moltacte, a work integration social enterprise that manages a chain of clothing outlet stores in urban areas outside of Barcelona, Spain, is considering options for innovating the business model. Moltacte has a very clear purpose to support the health and well-being of its employees, more than half of whom are people with severe mental illness. It has developed a management model that puts people (not profits) at the center of the organization and ensures that its people are the driving force of the company, not passive ""beneficiaries,"" charity cases, or subordinates following orders. In its current form, this model is based largely on in-person, human-to-human interaction. This raises the question of whether it is possible and desirable to develop online activity that is compatible with its people-centered approach. Whereas cases about social enterprises are typically written from the perspective of the entrepreneur, the narrator of this case is a character with mental illness, who is a fictional composite of many real Moltacte employees. The authors made this choice because we wanted Moltacte's mentally ill employees to be at the center of the case and the discussion as students explore management models that seek to put beneficiaries at the center.

Founded in 1989, Posse Foundation was a nonprofit organization with a mission of developing future leaders who reflected the U.S.'s rich diversity. The organization ran a selective, localized admissions process in 10 U.S. cities to identify outstanding students with leadership potential, known as Posse Scholars. Then, it placed them in "posses" - groups of 10 Scholars from the same city - at selective U.S. higher education institutions, which agreed to provide full tuition to all selected Scholars. Although Posse did not screen applicants for race or financial need, it focused selection efforts in areas with racial and socioeconomic diversity. Posse received national recognition and expanded considerably in the decades after its founding, but by 2020 its growth had started to plateau. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Posse signed up several new partners, driven in part by a new, virtual selection option that could find Scholars from locations beyond the cities where Posse maintained brick-and-mortar offices. The virtual option might help Posse scale, but it was not yet clear whether bringing together Scholars from different places versus from the same city would have any implications for the program's effectiveness. Looking ahead, Posse Founder and CEO Deborah Bial considered how to continue Posse's momentum and sign up more institutional partners. Posse focused exclusively on roughly 150 of the most selective colleges and universities, and some prospective partners were unwilling or unable to work with Posse unless it only selected students with financial need. Expanding the list of potential partners or adding a financial need screen might yield more partnerships, but Bial and the rest of the Posse team believed that working with selective institutions and being solely merit-based were key parts of Posse's identity and its ability to achieve its mission. How could Posse best position itself for continued scaling?

Wateroam is a social enterprise that develops water filtration systems for rural and disaster-hit areas. Since 2014, Wateroam has deployed its water filtration systems to more than 30,000 people in remote villages and disaster-stricken areas across Southeast Asia through Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). In 2014, three young men met at the HydroPreneur Programme, an industry-oriented entrepreneurship programme organised by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) - Singapore's national water agency - to accelerate commercialisation of technologies and foster a new generation of water entrepreneurs. This event kickstarted the journey of Wateroam, a social enterprise founded by David Pong ("David"), Wateroam's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Lim Chong Tee ("Lim"), Wateroam's Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and Vincent Loka ("Loka"), Wateroam's Chief Technical Officer (CTO). David graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with a Business degree, while Lim and Loka graduated from NUS with degrees in Environmental Engineering. 2021 was a challenging year for Wateroam, and the seventh year of its operation. As its three co-founders perused a 2020 World Economic Forum report that identified Singapore as one of the five most promising start-up hubs to watch outside of Silicon Valley, they reflected on their journey and the road ahead. What additional tools and frameworks would they need to navigate changing social and economic conditions worldwide? How should they position Wateroam to succeed in Covid-stricken communities as well as post-pandemic markets?