Close Concerns: Diabetes Research and Advocacy

Diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 18, Kelly Close understood the importance of balancing consistency and iteration. This principle had also informed her professional work, which started with a rapid promotion from financial analyst at Goldman Sachs to an analyst position in the office of the CEO. Having lived with the disease for years and worked within the industry the majority of her adult life, Kelly was highly aware of the knowledge gaps and inequitable access to research that not only disadvantaged patients but also diminished the care by medical practitioners and systems. She recognized an opportunity, “to help improve patient outcomes by making everyone smarter about diabetes and obesity and to advocate for action,” but she had never wanted to develop her own organization or pursue an entrepreneurial venture. Her expertise was sound, but to deploy it in a meaningful way, she would not only need to create a product or service offering but also develop a sustainable operating model that addressed the problems facing the primary stakeholders in the diabetes healthcare ecosystem.

This case recounts her successful career, after graduating from Harvard Business School, to become the primary distributor of diabetes newsletters, and asks the students to discuss her next steps.

This case is suitable as a general business case for undergraduate and MBA students of any level on strategy, entrepreneurship, health care innovation, diabetes and obesity, digital healthcare information, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and the healthcare industry.