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• Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2019 (Revised January 2020)

  Boll & Branch

  Leonard A. Schlesinger and Mel Martin

  Boll & Branch is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business launched in 2015. It was the first Fair-Trade Certified manufacturer of linens. The case provides background on the company, its start, business model, and evolution through 2019.

  Keywords: direct-to-consumer; channels; Disruption; Business Model; Brands and Branding; Online Technology; Strategy; Retail Industry; United States; Canada;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Mel Martin. "Boll & Branch." Harvard Business School Case 320-052, December 2019. (Revised January 2020.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2020

  The June Oven

  Leonard A. Schlesinger and Christian Godwin

  The June Oven was a smart oven which was capable of identifying food and cooking it accordingly. This type of smart oven represented the next step in the long history of oven and stove development. Due to the widespread use of traditional ovens, the market for the June Oven was potentially large. The June Oven was primarily a direct-to-consumer product, available through the company’s own website, but it was available through some retail stores. June faced challenges from a relative decline in retail sales, the turn to online shopping, potential smart oven competitors, macroeconomic factors such as the U.S. China trade war, and internal problems such as software malfunctions.

  Keywords: Business Ventures; Trends; Customers; Design; Entrepreneurship; Food; Goods and Commodities; Innovation and Invention; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Demand and Consumers; Distribution; Product Development; Sales; Technology; Internet; Software; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry; Technology Industry; Electronics Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Christian Godwin. "The June Oven." Harvard Business School Case 320-067, January 2020.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

  Athena Bancorp (Brief Case)

  Leonard A. Schlesinger and Sarah Abbott

  Athena Bancorp was founded in 2016 by Beth Daniels, a banking professional with 15 years of experience in the industry. Daniels took advantage of what she perceived as a gap in the market caused by recent industry consolidation, a decreasing industry focus on branch banking, and tighter lending standards. Athena has an aggressive growth goal—"to grow to 15 branches, with loans and deposits increasing by threefold over the next five years." However, the bank's operating philosophy centers on a high-touch approach, and it relies on dedicated, highly capable employees who are willing to work long hours. Burnout is setting in at the branch level and morale is declining. Daniels and her leadership team are struggling to hire enough employees to execute this strategy. The case illustrates a company whose success is driven primarily by its human resources (HR) strategy. It also highlights the opportunities and challenges of operating a service business with a high performance/high commitment culture. The case can be used to discuss topics such as leadership, management, organizational culture, strategy, motivation, and entrepreneurs. It is recommended for upper-level undergraduate students or MBA students in courses focused on organizational behavior, general management, human resource management, leadership, or entrepreneurship.

  Keywords: Banks and Banking; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Culture; Human Resources; Strategy; Service Delivery; Banking Industry;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Sarah Abbott. "Athena Bancorp (Brief Case)." Harvard Business School Brief Case 919-517, June 2019.  View Details

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