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In April 2023, the iconic Florida-based company Tupperware Brands Corporation (Tupperware), announced that it would have to close shop if it did not receive immediate investment. The company continued to consult with financial advisors about its future, possibilities of gathering funds, slashing jobs, and selling property in its attempts to survive and effect a turnaround. As Tupperware stared at liquidation, should it ditch or tweak its traditional yet iconic strategies of premium pricing and house-party direct selling to retain old customers and attract new ones? Or should it consider new products, a new brand, or new selling strategies to make itself cooler to the young demographic?

The control of the state-run airline Air India was handed over to Tata Sons on January 27, 2022, by the Government of India. Air India had returned to Tata Sons with a severely dented reputation, being known for bad service, frequent delays, and flight cancellations. Therefore, rejuvenating Air India would be a daunting task. Some industry experts felt that the takeover of Air India was the best chance the airline had of a commercial revival; others were not so optimistic. Despite the lingering skepticism, the chief executive officer of Air India was confident of an effective turnaround. He wanted to capture 30 per cent of India's domestic aviation market in the next five years and brand Air India as the carrier of choice for passengers worldwide. He wanted Air India to compete against world-leading airlines such as Emirates and Singapore Airlines. However, he had some questions to resolve. What strategies should Air India adopt to undergo such a drastic brand repositioning? Could Air India revitalize its brand and become a leader among the world's top airlines?

MedfirstIndia Trading Private Limited was a privately owned e-commerce start-up in India. The firm's goal was to establish a first-of-its-kind medical devices e-commerce platform catering to various underserved market segments, such as small hospitals and independent medical practices. The firm relied primarily on digital channels for branding and customer outreach. However, the founders did not have a structured data-driven decision-making strategy in place despite the wealth of data flowing in through web analytics. In 2018, after three years of operations, the firm closed its doors. The case highlights the challenges of strategizing and managing the digital marketing operations of an e-commerce start-up.

The iconic American fast-food chain Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc. (Checkers & Rally's), headquartered in Tampa, Florida, found early success through its streamlined layout and operations. Nevertheless, it had financially struggled prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, impelling it to reflect on its existing strengths and to take strategic steps amid the pandemic to make an impressive recovery. In 2023, armed with newfound confidence from its previous successes, the company confronted the challenge of understaffing in the nation's fast-food industry. How could Checkers & Rally's CEO address the labour shortage? Could robotics and automation give the company an edge?

Rebel Foods (Rebel) was the world's largest internet restaurant company, with 45 food brands and 450 kitchens in 10 countries. As Rebel scaled up, they were gradually venturing into the business-to-business (B2B) space by partnering with other food brands. Their transition to a B2B model, although necessary, had some challenges. As their reliance on third-party food delivery partners continued to drive up costs, Rebel considered how to better integrate their supply chain. However, their food delivery partners provided greater brand visibility. In Rebel's one-kitchen many brands model, would they be able to leverage technology and automation to scale up and expand successfully?

Reeling from the economic effects of closures wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, the Walt Disney Company (Disney) was at a pivotal junction. Even though COVID-19 case counts were rising in Florida, the state government had announced numerous reopening measures and guidelines for theme parks and resorts, indicating the state's desire for businesses to start returning to "normal." On May 21, 2020, the Universal Orlando Resort-one of Disney's major competitors in theme parks-announced that it would be following the guidelines and reopening on June 5, 2020. Consequently, Disney had to decide when and if to reopen its Walt Disney World Resort, also based in Orlando, despite rising case counts.

The case follows innovations by Drishti, a start-up company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision to provide manufacturers with granular process data on manual assembly, giving them a system-wide view into their manufacturing operations. The firm was founded in 2016 by Dr. Prasad Akella, Dr. Krishnendu Chaudhury, and Dr. Ashish Gupta, who all had extensive experience in industrial process automation. They prioritized the value of enhancing human potential in an increasingly automated world. Noting the limitations of traditional manufacturing line performance evaluation and process improvement, Drishti Technologies presented new capabilities for real-time monitoring and performance improvements. This case is about entrepreneurs creating a new software in an established industry. The case also describes the core functionality and solutions developed from the new software, value provided to customers, and the strategic business model choices faced by the leadership in moving from start-up to scale.

Rex Geveden and Robb LeMasters, CEO and CFO of BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT), were concerned that investors and analysts did not fully appreciate the company's transformation from a nuclear reactor provider to the US Navy and Canadian utilities to a multi-product line firm across some of the most compelling growth areas in the nuclear power and propulsion end markets. They aimed to convey this shift and highlight growth opportunities during Investor Day 2021. The executives wondered whether they successfully communicated BWXT's transformation journey and if the market would value the company accordingly.

In November 2023, the board of OpenAI, one of the most successful companies in the history of technology, decided to fire Sam Altman, its charismatic and influential CEO. Their decision shocked the corporate world and had people wondering why OpenAI had designed a governance structure that made such a decision possible. In the last year, the company had introduced ChatGPT, the fastest growing app in history, and achieved a valuation of almost $90 billion. Altman had become the public face of AI and was instrumental in making the remarkable progress possible. Over five chaotic days, the company went through three CEO changes, had 90 percent of its employees almost move to Microsoft, and saw five of the six original members of the board resign and be replaced by two new members. The extraordinary high-stakes saga brought together the combustible mixture of idealism, capitalism, and power in the context of different world views of the promise and peril of the AI revolution. The case traces the history of modern AI, OpenAI's groundbreaking developments, its wrestle with the dual forces of commercial success and ethical responsibility, and finally its dramatic leadership upheaval. By highlighting the challenges of balancing advancing AI technology with protecting humanity's interests, the case offers a comprehensive exploration for educators in leadership, strategy, technology, ethics, and governance.

Fawn Weaver, as a Black woman and industry outsider in a capital-intensive, highly regulated, competitive and male-dominated spirits industry, successfully overcame numerous obstacles to launch a premium American whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest in 2017, which became the fastest growing and most awarded whiskey brand in America. By October 2023, Weaver announced the company's plans to expand into cognac to support her vision of building the next major conglomerate for alcoholic beverages. However, she still heavily relied on capital and needed to convince new investors that her plans for cognac would yield success.

In 2023, sustainable investors faced several challenges. The first was the lack of access to standardized and vetted environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data, and equally, the interpretation of this data into investment-useful insights. Reducing reliance on third-party-generated ESG ratings was also an issue. Another challenge was mitigating the risk of greenwashing. Finally, sustainable investors were also under pressure to stay focused on maximizing financial returns. PortageBay, a sustainable analytics platform that leveraged AI to aggregate and analyze ESG data, was founded to solve these problems. As the platform grew, two clients approached PortageBay for help in ascertaining whether they should include Amazon and Goldman Sachs within their climate and gender-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF), respectively. The founders delved into PortageBay's suite of tools to answer their questions.

In 2023, Deion Sanders, known as "Coach Prime," became head football coach of the University of Colorado Boulder (CU). Sanders was tasked with leading CU's struggling football program, which had only achieved one winning season in the last 15 years, back to glory. Many were excited by the idea of having the two-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Fame inductee as CU's new head coach, but several questioned whether he had the experience and leadership needed to turn around a team in a highly competitive conference, as he only had two years of college coaching experience. In addition, some wondered whether his "old school" leadership style, which required a high level of discipline and personal accountability, would be effective on today's student-athletes, while others questioned whether his approach was sustainable.

In the late 2010's, 5G emerged as a new standard in communication technology. 5G was designed to enable ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), massive machine-type communication (MMTC), and enhanced mobile broadband (EMBB) (see Exhibit 1 for a detailed explanation), all while reducing power consumption by 90%. Whereas previous generations of mobile standards such as 2G, 3G, and 4G were deployed by mobile network operators (MNOs) such as AT&T and Verizon and provided broad coverage, the emergence of 5G technology saw the emergence of organizations building their own private 5G networks to provide coverage for a specific building or area.

Two years later, on September 7, 2023, Verizon officially launched their Private 5G network, Verizon's Managed Private Wireless Solution, across all 30 NFL stadiums for the 2023 season. The Managed Private Wireless solution underwent an initial pilot during all five international NFL games in the 2022 season, encompassing the deployment and management of private wireless technology, testing and coordination, and in-game operational support, persisting through the 2023 pre-season. Verizon's Private Wireless network provided on-field, full in-game support for coach-to-coach communications. According to Kyle Malady, CEO of Verizon Business, "In every NFL stadium, coach-to-coach communications will run on a dedicated Managed Private Wireless Solution." The introduction of this solution in NFL stadiums for the 2023 season was lauded by Gary Brantley, Chief Information Officer at the NFL, as a "significant milestone" in the collaboration between Verizon Business and the NFL, affirming the commitment to enhancing and innovating the in-stadium experience. How would the NFL navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by this technological leap? Adopting a Private 5G network introduced a multifaceted dilemma, forcing the NFL to weigh the potential benefits against the risks and uncertainties associated with this initiative. As the NFL navigated the balance between enhancing fan engagement and managing the intricacies of technology adoption and network management, it created a narrative that demanded exploration. The decisions made by the NFL in this context would not only influence the in-stadium experience but also have far-reaching implications for the future of sports broadcasting and fan interaction. Did the NFL correctly navigate its intricate web of challenges and decisions faced by the league and member clubs? Did the NFL correctly unravel the complexities and strategic considerations at the intersection of sports, technology, and fan expectations?

Eric Hughes, advertising sales manager at Regional Broadcast Network (RBN), needs to avoid a takeover by increasing revenue from ad sales. Currently, ad plans are created for advertisers by combining ad spots from a fixed inventory of shows, making an effort to meet requirements such as a preferred split of prime/non-prime shows and views (impressions) in target demographics. Ad plans are priced using rate cards (RCs) based on industry norms, and are often discounted to meet budget requirements. Revenue is not usually optimized using this system because the RCs do not accurately reflect the value of inventory. In this case, Hughes first creates a model that allocates available inventory (i.e., 30-second ad spots) across 10 representative plans. He performs an optimization calculation that recreates the sequential allocation that his salespeople generate when advertisers approach the network one at a time. Next, he creates a model that optimizes the allocation of ad spots across all plans, assuming all customers request their plans at the same time. Hughes realizes that the bid prices revealed in the sensitivity table of the second model can also be interpreted as the opportunity cost associated with one incremental ad spot in each show. When the sequential allocation model replaces RCs with bid prices, which are dynamically adjusted for remaining inventory and expected future demand as each new customer arrives, the resulting revenue is closer to the value produced by optimizing all plans simultaneously. In the B case, "TV Advertising Pricing at Regional Broadcast Network (B)," Hughes uses the full historical sales dataset to conduct a multivariable regression analysis and better understand what drives the price of a plan. Students are challenged to create their own analysis and rationale, and to develop a guide for pricing each advertiser's plan. This case set presents emerging best practices in maximizing revenues in the ad industry.

In 2022, Elon Musk, known for his innovative ideas and often compared to Steve Jobs, made a big move by buying Twitter for $44 billion. He then started transforming the microblogging platform, rebranding it as "X." His goal was to turn Twitter into a super app like WeChat in Asia, combining many services like messaging, shopping and payments into one platform. This change was aimed at making Twitter more than just a place to post short messages, but a hub for various digital activities. The case study explores why Musk decided to take this bold step. It looks at the benefits he expected by bringing different digital services together. However, Musk faced many challenges during this transformation. The study discusses the impact of his decisions, including cutting down the workforce, changing policies and the reactions from users, advertisers and regulators. These issues show how difficult it is to change a well-known social media platform. Additionally, the study examines the problems Musk encountered in trying to make Twitter like WeChat in Western countries, where the digital environment is different from Asia. It considers what this big change could mean for the future of social media, online privacy and e-commerce, suggesting how this kind of transformation could change the way people use digital platforms. In short, "Has Elon Musk X'd Out?" provides a detailed look at Elon Musk's attempt to reshape Twitter. It gives insights into the challenges of creating a super app in the West and discusses the transformation's possible effects on the digital and social media world.

StoneCo was a fintech that entered the market in 2014 with an initial focus in the payment solutions for SMBs. In 2018 it held the largest Brazilian initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq, achieving a valuation of USD 9 billion at the close of the first day of trading. Its strategy was based on expanding from a pure payments business to a complete financial services platform for SMBs, which was labeled ABC (Acquiring, Banking, Credit). The company's rapid growth rate faced a setback when its credit operations expanded too quickly between 2020 and 2021. The company had granted loans to customers with weak financial guarantees in an unfavorable external scenario, during the pandemic, when stores were opening and closing due to lockdowns, and amidst a relevant change in the Central Bank´s regulation regarding implementation of the registry of receivables. As Chairman of the Board of Directors, Andre Street needed to consider whether the mistakes found in credit operations would not be repeated in other areas. Was StoneCo. running too fast? Was the Board of Directors properly guiding the company's growth strategy? This case explores the roles of the Board of Directors and its relationship with the top management team of the company.

Sprouts Farmers Markets (Sprouts) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based chain of 400-plus natural foods stores in 23 U.S. states and $6.4 billion in sales as of 2022. In its product assortment, brand image, and store environment, Sprouts emphasizes freshness, health, innovation, and differentiation. A large majority of the items it offers have one or more attributes tied to health, local sourcing, specific production or ingredient standards, dietary needs, sustainability, etc. In 2023, under CEO Jack Sinclair, a 35-year industry veteran who joined Sprouts in 2019, Sprouts is implementing a strategy aimed at sharpening its identity as a specialty natural foods retailer and achieving 10% store growth per year. Rather than competing head-to-head with conventional supermarkets, Sprouts is positioning as a complementary grocer-a destination where customers can find differentiated, healthy products and brands that are often unavailable elsewhere. The multi-pronged strategy includes (among other measures) redefining the retailer's target customer, eliminating its prior practice of aggressive promotions, embracing a smaller store format, and renewing its focus on innovation and emerging brands. Sinclair and his team are confident that Sprouts has a strong strategy, one authentically rooted in its history and attuned to current and future trends around health. The business has improved its earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin considerably since 2019 and is on track to grow revenues 6.5% and open 30 stores in 2023. But the cost of expansion has risen in recent years, and finding new locations has been difficult at times. There are questions about whether to focus growth on markets where the brand is well known or in new markets, where it is more difficult to communicate what separates Sprouts from other retailers.

The case examines Levi Strauss' journey in implementing machine learning and AI into its financial forecasting process. The apparel company partnered with the IT company Wipro in 2017 to develop a machine learning algorithm that could help Levi Strauss forecast its revenues and earnings. The CFO of Levi Strauss, Harmit Singh, believed incorporating AI and machine learning into Levi Strauss' forecasting process would make the process more efficient and the resulting forecasts more accurate. While the algorithm led to more accurate forecasts, there were challenges to implementing and interpreting the AI-produced forecasts.

Cynthia is a newly hired software developer at MainFrame, which uses Scrum to manage projects. But she agrees with her coworkers that the company's methodical and deliberate pace is inferior to the quicker, more loosely structured approach of her previous employer, which used Flow. So when a colleague approaches her and asks her to use her impressive background and credentials to advocate for Flow, Cynthia agrees. But after her pilot project produces mixed results, she wonders whether she should proceed with a presentation to the process-improvement board. Two experts weigh in: Sonali Raut, a senior data scientist at Munich RE Automation Solutions, and Alex Estevam, a technical program manager at Mastercard.