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  • February 2023
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Moleskine Foundation: Can Creativity Change the World?

By: Ryan Raffaelli, Alexandra C. Feldberg and Sarah Gulick
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:18
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Abstract

The Italy-based Moleskine Foundation worked with young adults in Africa and Europe to inspire social change through art and creative projects. Adama Sanneh, the newly appointed CEO of the Moleskine Foundation, faced several challenges: First, he had to make his own mark on an organization that had been shaped by several well-respected Foundation founders and advisors who still remained active on the board. Second, he had to manage the relationship between the Foundation and the Moleskine Company, the Foundation’s largest funder. Third, Sanneh had made news as Italy’s only Black CEO, but he did not want race to become his defining attribute. Finally, he needed to determine how ambitious he could be with the Foundation’s strategy. He and his team held the belief that creativity - a longstanding element of the Moleskine Company identity - could also be a source of social change around the world. Developing a realistic strategy to achieve this goal would be no easy task, and would require support from multiple internal and external stakeholders. The case highlights how individuals manage their identity and set a new strategy when stepping into new leadership roles. In addition, it sheds light on the unique governance challenges that can arise for a corporate foundation associated with a separate for-profit enterprise.

Keywords

Nonprofit Organizations; Social Enterprise; Leadership; Identity; Strategy; Education Industry; Italy; Africa; Europe; United States

Citation

Raffaelli, Ryan, Alexandra C. Feldberg, and Sarah Gulick. "Moleskine Foundation: Can Creativity Change the World?" Harvard Business School Case 423-043, February 2023.
  • Educators

About The Authors

Ryan L. Raffaelli

Organizational Behavior
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Alexandra C. Feldberg

Organizational Behavior
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More from the Authors
  • Institutional Emplacement and the Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores By: Ryan Raffaelli and Ryann Noe
  • The Task Bind: Explaining Gender Differences in Managerial Tasks and Performance By: Alexandra C. Feldberg
  • Leader Action Orientations By: Ryan Raffaelli, Akshaya Varghese and Laura Weimer
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