Category: Features

The Model Minority Paradox

Exploring Asian identity and minority politics beyond the SFFA v. Harvard lawsuit On Lee’s first call with his MBA admissions coach, she told him, bluntly, that he’d drawn one of the worst hands for admission to HBS: Asian-American, heterosexual, male, with a background in finance and technology. There were simply far too many people “like… Continue reading The Model Minority Paradox

Lessons to business leaders from Japanese companies: A conversation with HBS Professor Hirotaka Takeuchi

Professor Takeuchi at his office at Harvard Business School.

For many decades, Japan’s corporate culture has been an enigma to many. Even more puzzling still was how a small, resource-poor nation grew at one point to become the world’s second largest economy. The Harbus met with HBS Professor Hirotaka Takeuchi to demystify what makes Japan unique and what lessons could be drawn. Maintaining a… Continue reading Lessons to business leaders from Japanese companies: A conversation with HBS Professor Hirotaka Takeuchi

Trump, Leadership, and the Problem with Harvard Business School: An Interview with Larry Summers

Our interview with Larry Summers has not quite started according to plan. Half an hour after we are scheduled to meet in Klarman Hall, where Larry is speaking at a conference marking the 10th anniversary of the global financial crisis, he is still deep in conversation with an attendee while your interviewers hover awkwardly in… Continue reading Trump, Leadership, and the Problem with Harvard Business School: An Interview with Larry Summers

11th Annual HBS Charity Fashion Show

The Retail and Luxury Goods Club successfully hosted their famous Annual Charity Fashion Show on October 25th at Boston’s Park Plaza Hotel.  In the 2018 edition of the longstanding HBS tradition, the Fashion Show featured 35 RC and EC models, showcasing styles from top designers to raise money for the Greater Boston Food Bank. This… Continue reading 11th Annual HBS Charity Fashion Show

Simplifying Complexity

Beginnings are a good chance to think about objectives and plans, so let’s review what some of the big ideas here at HBS should be for you. For most of you those include learning to be a leader and critical thinker, meeting new friends, having new experiences, learning about yourself and perhaps positioning yourself for… Continue reading Simplifying Complexity

MBA Program Launches New Tutorial on Sexual Violence and Harassment

Every year, incoming RCs are required to complete a number of tasks on their “Prematriculation Checklist” before they arrive at HBS. This summer, the Class of 2020 had to complete an item not seen in previous years’ checklists: an online tutorial entitled “Sexual Violence and Harassment at HBS.” The purpose of this exercise, according to… Continue reading MBA Program Launches New Tutorial on Sexual Violence and Harassment

The Harbus Foundation Grants $60,000 to Boston Nonprofits at Annual Gala

Generations Incorporated, literacy grant recipient. From left to right: Marcheta Schroeder (HBS ’18), Evan Hentschel (HBS ’19), Philip Hootsmans (HBS ’19), La Raye Myers, Katie Brown, Sumit Malik (HBS ’19)

The Harbus Foundation has announced a total of $60,000 in grant awards to Boston-based nonprofit organizations Empower Schools, Generations Incorporated, and GroundTruth. The recipients took home $20,000 each in the categories of Education, Literacy, and Journalism, respectively, following the Harbus Foundation’s annual gala. The K-12 education efforts of Empower Schools, the Education grant recipient, have… Continue reading The Harbus Foundation Grants $60,000 to Boston Nonprofits at Annual Gala

Interview with Michael Lynton, Chairman of Snapchat

From starting out licensing coloring books at the Walt Disney company, to Pearson’s Penguin group, AOL Europe, Time Warner International, and then running Sony Pictures, Michael Lynton (MBA ’87) is one of the most experienced executives in the media and entertainment industry. Most recently in 2017 Lynton stepped down as CEO and Chairman of Sony… Continue reading Interview with Michael Lynton, Chairman of Snapchat

Social Impact and Fintech: The Prodigy Finance Story

Creating a global company with social impact at its heart doesn’t happen overnight. But, as Prodigy Finance demonstrates, it can definitely happen within a matter of years. Cameron Stevens, like any recently-accepted INSEAD candidate, was looking forward to his MBA experience in France. And, like most other grad students, began looking for the financing needed… Continue reading Social Impact and Fintech: The Prodigy Finance Story

HBS Elects New SA Co-Presidents

Sana Mohammed (MBA ‘19) and Triston Francis (MBA ‘19) have been elected as the Harvard Business School Student Association Co-Presidents for 2018-2019. The co-presidency, elected at the end of February by the RC year, will begin after spring break. Sana and Triston campaigned under an overarching mission to “foster a more collaborative environment that enables… Continue reading HBS Elects New SA Co-Presidents

Leadership at Harvard, through Change and through Storm

When Drew Faust announced her intention to step down as Harvard University’s 28th President at the end of this academic year, she invoked “Fair Harvard,” the university’s alma mater, in reflecting upon the resilience of an institution that has found purpose and progress “through change and through storm.” Faust concludes her 11 years at the… Continue reading Leadership at Harvard, through Change and through Storm

How to Get or Refinance an International Student Loan

Securing educational financing as an international student is no easy feat. You might think getting into grad school is the tough part, but even securing a seat in a prestigious, competitive MBA program is likely to seem easier than finding the financing to accept it. And, it’s difficult to imagine affording an international MBA (or… Continue reading How to Get or Refinance an International Student Loan

Why is Microsoft’s New Machine Reading Comprehension Dataset a Big Deal?

On March 1, 2018, Microsoft released the latest large-scale dataset for machine reading comprehension and question answering. You can access the public dataset, named MS MARCO, at //www.msmarco.org/. As human beings, we are so habituated to the daily routines of reading, writing, and conversing that we may deem it intuitive to transfer our language understanding… Continue reading Why is Microsoft’s New Machine Reading Comprehension Dataset a Big Deal?

Beware Social Media

Two billion people worldwide have enrolled in Facebook, and it is fair to say most of them have used the service.  Many have integrated Facebook and its services deeply into their lives.  While Facebook is the dominant social media product, there are other providers in America and around the world.  But allow me to focus… Continue reading Beware Social Media

The U.S. Economy in 2017: Thanks, Obama?

In 2017, the U.S. economy had a solid year. Unemployment fell to a 17-year low, GDP growth picked up, and the stock market reached record highs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Trump Administration was quick to take credit for these positive developments. “The President’s economic agenda of lower taxes, less regulation, and more opportunity for all is… Continue reading The U.S. Economy in 2017: Thanks, Obama?

Porter & Gehl on Politics: In Their Own Words

Harvard University Business School professor, Michael Porter and co-author Katherine Gehl, (left) discuss their latest research in Porter's office at Ludcke House at HBS...Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer

After the release of their much anticipated report – Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America – Harvard’s Michael Porter and business executive and political innovation activist Katherine Gehl sat down with Kenneth Zauderer (MBA ’18) to share a bit of color on their findings, what led them to take a business lens… Continue reading Porter & Gehl on Politics: In Their Own Words

King of the Castle

Interview with Alan Horn (MBA ’71), Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios Alan Horn (HBS ’71) may be the humblest man in Hollywood. This might not be what you’d expect from one of the most influential figures in the film and television industry, and one of the individuals responsible for shaping much of what we’ve watched… Continue reading King of the Castle

An Interview with Drew Houston Founder & CEO, Dropbox

Drew, thank you for taking the time to talk with us, we’re excited to have you. I’d like to take you to the beginning, to the very first days of Dropbox. Some entrepreneurs have a grand vision for their startup to take over the world right from the get-go. Did you ever imagine that Dropbox… Continue reading An Interview with Drew Houston Founder & CEO, Dropbox

The incoming SA Presidents share their thoughts with the HBS Community

Hi HBS! We are excited to serve as your 2017-2018 Student Association Co-Presidents. We are honored to have the opportunity to represent you and continue the legacy of LaToya and Libby. The leadership our outgoing Co-Presidents have shown over their tenure has not gone unnoticed and is immensely appreciated.  HBS is indeed a little smaller,… Continue reading The incoming SA Presidents share their thoughts with the HBS Community

HBS Admissions Department to Require All Applicants to Submit Social Media Passwords

In a landmark decision, Harvard Business School’s admissions department has announced that, beginning next fall, all applicants will be required to submit their social media passwords to be considered for the full-time MBA program. Admissions Director Chad Losee shared the thinking behind the change. “It was daunting to fill Dee Leopold’s shoes this year; the… Continue reading HBS Admissions Department to Require All Applicants to Submit Social Media Passwords

From Downing Street to Harvard Business School: Former British Cabinet Minister Tessa Jowell DBE, reflects on her experiences at HBS

  At the end of President Donald Trump’s first week in the White House, Deputy-Editor-in-Chief Pippa Lamb caught up with British politician the Baroness Tessa Jowell of Brixton DBE, former British Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Minister for the London 2012 Olympics, and cabinet minister under both the Blair and Brown governments… Continue reading From Downing Street to Harvard Business School: Former British Cabinet Minister Tessa Jowell DBE, reflects on her experiences at HBS

Thank You Mr President

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

This Thanksgiving, like many of you, I spent a few minutes contemplating my many blessings.  One blessing in particular provoked a surprising flood of gratitude in my heart:  I am deeply and profoundly thankful to Barack Obama for his service to our country over the past eight years.   No, this is not a back… Continue reading Thank You Mr President

Where Business and Society Intersect: An interview with Lord John Browne, former BP CEO

Vipul Chhajer (Class of ’16) sat down with Lord John Browne, the former CEO of British Petroleum and the first openly LBGT leader of a Fortune 100 company, and his co-authors, Robin Nuttall and Tommy Stadlen, to discuss their new book, Connect, and challenges at the intersection of business and society. The following conversation has… Continue reading Where Business and Society Intersect: An interview with Lord John Browne, former BP CEO