Publications
Publications
- June 2022
- HBS Case Collection
Larry Miller
Abstract
Under the leadership of Larry Miller, chairman and former president of Nike’s Air Jordan brand, annual revenues for the Jordan brand soared from $150 million to over $4 billion. But for over 40 years, Miller guarded a secret. When he was 16 years old and part of a West Philadelphia gang, he shot and killed an innocent teenager and spent 4 ½ years in juvenile detention. Upon release, he fell back into a life of crime and spent nearly five years in prison for armed robberies. This time, he vowed to change, focused on his education, and graduated with honors from college. After disclosing his crime to a potential employer led to the withdrawal of a job offer, he never told anyone again until 40 years later, when he wrote a memoir with his daughter in 2022. Miller wondered if sharing his story could affect positive change, serving as a source of inspiration for troubled youth and encouraging leaders to promote fair chance hiring of formerly incarcerated people.
Keywords
Race; Ethnicity; Fairness; Values and Beliefs; Job Offer; Employment; Social Issues; Perspective; Personal Development and Career; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States; Pennsylvania; Philadelphia; Portland; Oregon
Citation
Gino, Francesca, Frances X. Frei, Hise O. Gibson, and Alicia Dadlani. "Larry Miller." Harvard Business School Case 922-041, June 2022.