Emeritus: Achieving Impact, Providing Access (A)

In June 2019, Emeritus cofounders Ashwin Damera (HBS MBA 2005) and Chaitanya Kalipatnapu were thrilled with the rapid growth of Emeritus. Damera and Kalipatnapu believed that Emeritus, established in July 2015 to offer online executive education, was only in the early stage of an exciting journey. The opportunity for further growth and success was immense. Yet, the co-founders were conscious that “what got us here will not get us there.” Among the strategic choices they faced was a decision on whether to grow its university-branded offerings aggressively or to promote the Emeritus brand more assiduously.