Established in 2021, the Mid-US Research Office (MRO) enriches the intellectual activities of HBS faculty and fortifies the connection between the Boston campus and the Mid-US region. The office’s primary mission is to develop and extend relationships with business leaders and others across the Mid-US to contribute to the development of intellectual capital and programming at HBS.
The Mid-US Research Office serves as a key source of new research and curriculum content on a wide range of fields, including finance; technology; marketing; accounting and control; strategy; and entrepreneurship; racial equity, diversity, and inclusion; climate change; digitization and digital transformation; and economic inequality.
In 2021, Greg Bush, Jr., owner, president, and CEO of KFA, Inc. is working with his leadership team to plan for the future. KFA provides consulting services on software and project management needs for infrastructure projects. Bush and his team have just debuted a new product, PHAZE, which offers a low-cost option for the industry. He’s exploring several options for growth—selling PHAZE in the developing world, targeting smart city projects, or focusing on KFA’s core consulting business now that the Biden infrastructure bill has been signed into law. Which path should he choose?
In February 2003, P&G hosted two meetings—one with its largest woman- and minority-owned suppliers and one with its largest non-minority-owned suppliers. Attendees in each meeting heard the same message: P&G was keen to grow its commitment to inclusive supply chains, but felt hamstrung by the limited scale and scope of its existing woman- and minority-owned suppliers. It was up to the attendees to determine how to work together to meet P&G’s needs. Otherwise, the consumer packaged goods giant would be forced to look outside its home city of Cincinnati, Ohio, for diverse suppliers at scale. This case tells the story of how Carl Satterwhite, president and co-owner of Infinity Services, a minority-owned furniture installation business, and J. Scott Robertson, president and owner of Globe Business Interiors (GBI), a non-minority-owned office furniture company, responded to P&G’s call.
This (B) case accompanies the (A) case of the same title.
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Alicia Dadlani is the Director of the Mid-US Research Office (MRO). She works closely with HBS faculty developing case studies and supporting faculty research in the region. She also serves an important role in building and strengthening strong partnerships with companies and alumni in the region and supporting a wide range of initiatives across the school.
Alicia has extensive international experience in Asia, Latin America, and Europe. She started her career as a CPA for Ernst & Young (E&Y), working in the Midwest and Japan. After E&Y, she joined The Coca-Cola Company and held various leadership roles in Japan and the corporate office (Atlanta, GA) managing mergers and acquisitions and working on key strategic initiatives around the world. Upon graduating from Harvard Business School, Alicia joined McKinsey & Co, working in Atlanta and Europe with a focus in the consumer goods sector. Raised in Ohio, Alicia returned to the Midwest and lives there with her family.
Alicia received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her B.S. in Accounting from Miami University. She is also fluent in Japanese.