Emeritus: Achieving Impact, Providing Access (A)

In June 2019, Emeritus cofounders Ashwin Damera (HBS MBA 2005) and Chaitanya (Chait) Kalipatnapu were thrilled with the growth of their start-up. Eruditus, formed in October 2010 to provide in-person executive education, had established itself in the market and was growing steadily. Emeritus, an Eruditus subsidiary established in July 2015 to offer online executive education, had grown like a rocket. Damera and Kalipatnapu believed that their firm was only in the very early stages of an exciting journey. The opportunity for further growth and success was immense. Yet, the co-founders were acutely conscious that “what got us here will not get us there.” They faced some strategic choices in the near future. Among these was a decision on whether to grow its university-branded offerings aggressively or to promote the Emeritus brand more assiduously.