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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2020 (Revised March 2020)

  LOLA: Do You Know What's in Your Tampon?

  Leonard A. Schlesinger and Aldo Sesia

  LOLA is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business launched in 2015. What started as a company to provide women with organic and transparent material-labeled tampons via a subscription model, had, by 2019 evolved to include additional menstrual and sexual wellness products. LOLA’s leadership wanted women to come to the company for all of their reproductive health needs (including information and a place to engage in conversation) from menstruation through menopause and beyond. Heading into 2020, LOLA cofounders have determined that to grow the business they need to go beyond the company’s current DTC model and have products available in retail stores. The challenge, however, is finding the right retailers to partner with that will help to add value to the brand and not detract from it. The case provides background on the cofounders, the company’s start, and evolution, and the challenges of moving beyond DTC.

  Keywords: direct-to-consumer; channels; Disruption; Business Model; Brands and Branding; Online Technology; Strategy; Retail Industry; United States; Canada;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Aldo Sesia. "LOLA: Do You Know What's in Your Tampon?" Harvard Business School Case 320-015, January 2020. (Revised March 2020.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2019 (Revised January 2020)

  Boll & Branch

  Leonard A. Schlesinger and Mel Martin

  Boll & Branch is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business launched in 2015. It was the first Fair-Trade Certified manufacturer of linens. The case provides background on the company, its start, business model, and evolution through 2019.

  Keywords: direct-to-consumer; channels; Disruption; Business Model; Brands and Branding; Online Technology; Strategy; Retail Industry; United States; Canada;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Mel Martin. "Boll & Branch." Harvard Business School Case 320-052, December 2019. (Revised January 2020.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

  Athena Bancorp

  Leonard A. Schlesinger and Sarah Abbott

  Athena Bancorp was founded in 2016 by Beth Daniels, a banking professional with 15 years of experience in the industry. Daniels took advantage of what she perceived as a gap in the market caused by recent industry consolidation, a decreasing industry focus on branch banking, and tighter lending standards. Athena has an aggressive growth goal—"to grow to 15 branches, with loans and deposits increasing by threefold over the next five years." However, the bank's operating philosophy centers on a high-touch approach, and it relies on dedicated, highly capable employees who are willing to work long hours. Burnout is setting in at the branch level and morale is declining. Daniels and her leadership team are struggling to hire enough employees to execute this strategy. The case illustrates a company whose success is driven primarily by its human resources (HR) strategy. It also highlights the opportunities and challenges of operating a service business with a high performance/high commitment culture. The case can be used to discuss topics such as leadership, management, organizational culture, strategy, motivation, and entrepreneurs. It is recommended for upper-level undergraduate students or MBA students in courses focused on organizational behavior, general management, human resource management, leadership, or entrepreneurship.

  Keywords: Banks and Banking; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Culture; Human Resources; Strategy; Service Delivery; Banking Industry;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Sarah Abbott. "Athena Bancorp." Harvard Business School Brief Case 919-517, June 2019.  View Details

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