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.
Facing a surge in investor interest in EdTech during the COVID-19 pandemic, GSV Ventures must decide whether to raise a larger Fund #2
Moksha Data, a boutique data consulting firm specializing in public sector work, started in January 2017 with a handshake between friends and a shared commitment to the principles of egalitarianism, ownership, and collaboration. Since its inception, the Houston-based firm had built momentum despite early challenges and the obstacles posed by an ongoing pandemic. By October 2021, it has become a go-to consulting firm for non-profits and local government agencies in the Houston region. Yet, Moksha managing partner Neeraj Tandon was acutely aware that the firm faced both internal and external challenges. How it responded to those challenges would determine whether the firm would sustain its momentum and what kind of a firm it would grow into.
Jake Lisby, co-founder and CEO of Simplifyy, a property technology startup in Kansas City, Missouri, was both exhausted and exhilarated by the flurry of activity surrounding the pivot of the business model in late 2021. Simplifyy, a venture-backed PropTech company, was transforming from a full-service property management company to a pure SaaS player, selling end-to-end software to “simplify” the labor-intensive property management industry. Lisby, a Missouri native, knew that the change was not without its challenges. Running a software business in the Midwest, which lacked the entrepreneurial ecosystem of other well-known tech hubs, made it challenging to attract the necessary talent, customers, and fundraising. But the upside of pure SaaS company was attractive, and his team knew that not only to survive but to thrive, they had to get this right.
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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.