
- 23 May 2023
- Deep Purpose
McKinsey's Climate Consulting
In this bonus Deep Purpose release, we are sharing an episode of the HBS podcast Climate Rising with host Professor Mike Toffel. In this episode, Daniel Pacthod, Senior Partner and global co-leader of McKinsey Sustainability, shares how the company works with its clients to address climate risk and find opportunities through its pillars of net-zero strategy, green business building, decarbonization transformation, net-zero financial institutions, and sustainable investing. He also offers advice for those interested in careers in business and climate change.

- 23 May 2023
- Research & Ideas
Face Value: Do Certain Physical Features Help People Get Ahead?
Society seems to reward people with particular facial features. Research by Shunyuan Zhang and colleagues uses machine learning to analyze traits that people associate with charisma. The findings highlight opportunities to enhance one's image—and challenge bias.

- 23 May 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
The Entrepreneurial Journey of China’s First Private Mental Health Hospital
The city of Wenzhou in southeastern China is home to the country’s largest privately owned mental health hospital group, the Wenzhou Kangning Hospital Co, Ltd. It’s an example of the extraordinary entrepreneurship happening in China’s healthcare space. But after its successful initial public offering (IPO), how will the hospital grow in the future? Harvard Professor of China Studies William C. Kirby highlights the challenges of China’s mental health sector and the means company founder Guan Weili employed to address them in his case, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital: Changing Mental Healthcare in China.

- 23 May 2023
- Research & Ideas
Lessons on Life, Graffiti, and Value: 'It's in That Darkness That You Can Actually Develop and Evolve'
The art world has only recently started to place value on graffiti, but for James Riley, the craft's contribution to his life has been indelible. He reflects on his youth in Los Angeles, his art, and his research.

- 17 May 2023
- Managing the Future of Work
How LinkedIn parses talent, skills, and diversity
Professional work has hit multiple inflection points—from generative AI to remote work and shifting skills requirements. There are few better vantage points for observing the labor market than LinkedIn. SVP and Chief People Officer Teuila Hanson joins Bill Kerr to discuss workplace trends, skills, credentials, diversity, internal mobility, social capital, and change management.

- 17 May 2023
- Climate Rising
Can We Really Engineer a Climate Fix?
Today, as a bonus, we’re sharing an episode of the Skydeck podcast that features interviews with HBS alumni where they share lessons learned and their life experiences. We thought this episode of Skydeck would be particularly interesting to you because it focuses on carbon capture technology. This is one of three Skydeck episodes on this topic. And for even more, check out Climate Rising’s own episodes on carbon capture, released in the fall of 2022. To hear more about the Skydeck podcast visit www.hbs.edu/skydeck Visit climaterising.org for more information. Climate Rising host: Mike Toffel Skydeck host: Dan Morrell

- 16 May 2023
- In Practice
After Silicon Valley Bank's Flameout, What's Next for Entrepreneurs?
Silicon Valley Bank's failure in the face of rising interest rates shook founders and funders across the country. Julia Austin, Jeffrey Bussgang, and Rembrand Koning share key insights for rattled entrepreneurs trying to make sense of the financing landscape.

- 16 May 2023
- HBS Case
How KKR Got More by Giving Ownership to the Factory Floor: ‘My Kids Are Going to College!’
KKR turned around a struggling door company and sold it for 10 times its investment—giving factory workers a life-changing cut of the returns. A case study by Ethan Rouen and Dennis Campbell offers lessons for companies trying to instill an owner's mindset in employees.

- 10 May 2023
- Climate Rising
How OPower Uses Behavioral Science & AI to Reduce Energy Demand
In this sixth episode in our series on climate change and artificial intelligence (AI), Paul McDonald, Senior Director, Opower Product Strategy & Marketing at Oracle Energy and Water, discusses how OPower uses behavioral science and AI to help utility customers reduce their energy use. He describes why saving electricity benefits both customers and utilities, and shares his advice for those interested in careers in business and climate. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guest: Paul McDonald, Senior Director, Opower Product Strategy & Marketing at Oracle Energy and Water

- 09 May 2023
- Research & Ideas
Where to Find Remote Work Now: 250 Million Job Postings Paint a Complex Picture
While many companies let employees work remotely during the height of COVID-19, conditions have since become more nuanced, according to research by Raffaella Sadun and colleagues. What do these shifts mean for talent managers?

- 09 May 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
Can Robin Williams’ Son Help Other Families Heal Addiction and Depression?
Zak Pym Williams, son of comedian and actor Robin Williams, had seen how mental health challenges, such as addiction and depression, had affected past generations of his family. Williams was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a young adult and he wanted to break the cycle for his children. Although his children were still quite young, he began considering proactive strategies that could help his family’s mental health, and he wanted to share that knowledge with other families. But how can Williams help people actually take advantage of those mental health strategies and services? Professor Lauren Cohen discusses his case, “Weapons of Self Destruction: Zak Pym Williams and the Cultivation of Mental Wellness.”

- 08 May 2023
- Research & Ideas
How Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Crushed Crowdfunding for Minority Entrepreneurs
When public anxiety about immigration surges, Black, Asian, and Hispanic inventors have a harder time raising funds for new ideas on Kickstarter, says research by William Kerr. What can platforms do to confront bias in entrepreneurial finance?

- 03 May 2023
- Managing the Future of Work
Workforce coverage: How Zurich Insurance protects its skills base
The insurance industry is playing catch-up on the digitalization front while at the same time looking to maintain and replenish the expertise of its aging workforce. Can an internal talent marketplace help Zurich Insurance secure the necessary skills? Sally Henderson, Head of Talent and Learning, joins Bill Kerr.

- 03 May 2023
- Research & Ideas
Why Confronting Racism in AI 'Creates a Better Future for All of Us'
Rather than build on biased data and technology from the past, artificial intelligence has an opportunity to do better, says Business in Global Society Fellow Broderick Turner. He highlights three myths that prevent business leaders from breaking down racial inequality.

- 02 May 2023
- What Do You Think?
How Should Artificial Intelligence Be Regulated—if at All?
Some AI pioneers say the technology could be a risk to humanity, and some governments have taken steps to rein it in. But who should set the rules and what details must they consider? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 28 Apr 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
Sweden’s Northvolt Electric Battery Maker: A Startup with a Mission
In Stockholm, Sweden an upstart battery maker, Northvolt, is trying to recreate the value chain for European car manufacturers making the switch to EVs. With two founders from Tesla and two experienced financiers at the helm, the company seems bound for success. But can they partner with government, scale fast enough, and truly be part of the climate solution? Harvard Business School professor George Serafeim discusses what it takes to scale a business—the right people, in the right place, at the right time—with the aim of providing a climate solution in the case, “Northvolt, Building Batteries to Fight Climate Change.” As part of a new first-year MBA course at Harvard Business School, this case examines the central question: what is the social purpose of the firm?

- 27 Apr 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi: Transforming Lives with Access to Credit
James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Bank, has transformed lives and livelihoods throughout East and Central Africa by giving impoverished people access to banking accounts and micro loans. He’s been so successful that in 2020 Forbes coined the term “the Mwangi Model.” But can we really have both purpose and profit in a firm? Harvard Business School professor Caroline Elkins, who has spent decades studying Africa, explores how this model has become one that business leaders are seeking to replicate throughout the world in her case, “A Marshall Plan for Africa': James Mwangi and Equity Group Holdings.” As part of a new first-year MBA course at Harvard Business School, this case examines the central question: what is the social purpose of the firm?

- 26 Apr 2023
- Climate Rising
Climate Adaptation & Supply Chains: Everstream Analytics’ AI Solution
In this fifth episode in our series on climate change and artificial intelligence (AI), Jim Hayden, Chief Data Scientist at Everstream Analytics, discusses how they use AI and machine learning to help mitigate risk and optimize opportunities for supply chain logistics in a changing climate and in the face of extreme weather events, such as heat stress, drought, and temperature extremes. And he shares his advice for those interested in careers in business and climate. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guest: Jim Hayden, Chief Data Scientist, Everstream Analytics

- 26 Apr 2023
- In Practice
Is AI Coming for Your Job?
In a post-AI world, where an algorithm can draft marketing copy—or even pop songs and movie scripts—anything seems possible. Harvard Business School faculty members discuss how artificial intelligence could reshape how work gets done.
How BMW is Driving Decarbonization
This bonus episode of Climate Rising features Harvard Business Review’s Cold Cast podcast with Brian Kenny interviewing HBS professor Shirley Lu on BMW Group’s decarbonization strategy, which is the subject of a new case study that Shirley wrote with HBS colleagues George Serafeim and Mike Toffel. They discuss why BMW is focusing on reducing vehicle lifecycle emissions, and why the company has so far avoided setting a phase-out date for internal combustion engine BMWs. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guest/Host: ● Brian Kenny, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Harvard Business School and host of Cold Call ● Shirley Lu, Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School