15 Dec 2011
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An HBS gift guide

by Bulletin Staff

Topics:
Education-Alumni
Arts-General
Entertainment-General
Food and Beverage-Food
Food and Beverage-Wine
Society-Luxury
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Wondering what to get the HBSer in your life this year? In the holiday spirit, we're highlighting a few alumni-led companies and ideas that you may not know about.

Since roughly 1 in 6 alumni work in manufacturing, high tech, retail, and consumer products, there are many great alumni-led companies working to support our economies. Click on the images below to learn about a few, then help us complete our list by using the comments to recommend other inspired alumni ideas.

Guilt-free holiday jewels

Open the world to disabled travelers

Supporting African vineyards

No more cold feet

Enjoy football, repair capitalism

Business lessons for a global century

Chocolates for a cause

Safe water for millions

Nature belongs to everyone

Capitalize on the network

The world at home

Quiet your mind



(Images via the HBS Bulletin, BaubleBar, AbilityTrip, Heritage Link Brands, Apex Ski Group, Roger Martin, Bill Roedy, Sweetriot, S’well bottle, the Nature Conservancy, Tea Collection, and Zobha)

Guilt-free holiday jewels


Amy Jain & Daniella Yacobovsky (MBA ’10)
Co-founders, BaubleBar


“As hard as we tried, we couldn’t find a place to buy high quality pieces without a high price tag. We also couldn’t shake this nagging feeling that we weren’t getting great value for our dollar.”

View the duo's fashion earrings

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Open the world to disabled travelers


Darren Brehm (MBA ’07)
Founder, AbilityTrip
HBS Social Entrepreneurship Fellow, 2010

“We created this site in hopes of making information on accessible travel easy to find and up to date for people with all kinds of physical challenges.”

Help Brehm spread the word

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Supporting African vineyards


Selena (MBA ’03) and Khary Cuffe (MBA ’06)
Founders, Heritage Link Brands

“Our ability to delight people with the best wine from Africa and its Diaspora is as important as our commitment to generate capital and opportunities with the people connected to this great continent.”

Browse their seasonal cellar

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No more cold feet


Denny Hanson (OPM 2, 1977)
Founder, Apex Ski Group

“Most ski boots today are pretty much the same now as they were years ago…. Even skis within our sport have undergone dramatic improvements.”

Read about Hanson’s effort to engineer a better boot.

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Enjoy football, repair capitalism


Roger Martin (MBA ’81)
Dean, Rotman School of Management
Author, Fixing the Game

“Our single-minded focus on the expectations market will continue driving us from crisis to crisis to ruin—unless we act now.”

Check out our review in the September Bulletin.

Previous Next

Business lessons for a global century


Bill Roedy (MBA ’79)
Former MTV executive
Author, What Makes Business Rock

“We were the only media company going local throughout the world, and it was the key to our success.”

In 1989, Bill Roedy was told to transform the American success story MTV into a global presence. Twenty years later, Roedy (a former nuclear missile–base commander) had built the largest entertainment network in the world.

Get our take in the December Bulletin.

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Chocolates for a cause


Sarah Endline (MBA ’01)
Founder, Sweetriot

“Social change is embedded in our business model. Every unit we sell impacts a farmer, a plant worker, or an artist. It’s a trade, not aid, model.”

View her happy happy merry merry three pack

Learn what inspired Endline’s candy dreams.

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Safe water for millions


Sarah Kauss (MBA ’03)
Founder, S’well Bottle

“My dream with S’well is to allow those without options to be provided clean drinking water, while at the same time encourage those with clean water to appreciate it, and drink it from a reusable water bottle that marries fashion and function.”

The company donates 10% of sales to WaterAid, a 501(c)(3) organization that improves access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world's poorest communities in Africa and Asia.

Find a S’well bottle of your own.

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Nature belongs to everyone


Mark Tercek (MBA ’84)
CEO, The Nature Conservancy

“One thing I love about my job is working with great partners on projects that really make a difference....We seek out 'transformative opportunities'—projects of such scale and consequence that they change what people believe is possible through conservation.”

View gift membership possibilities.

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Capitalize on the network


Ray Yang (MBA ’03)
President, HBS Association of Beijing

“The most memorable Club experience so far is the first cocktail party I put together for the Beijing Club. It’s good to see people get together and having fun.

I heard alumni complaining of not much activities and lost connection with each other. I think some small efforts could really make the change in order to make the HBS network more meaningful to all the alumni in Beijing and China.”

Discover HBS Clubs near you and give the gift of community.

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The world at home


Leigh Rawdon (MBA ’01)
Founder, Tea Collection

“I know that when I travel, and especially when I take my family traveling, it’s a transformative experience…. There’s a spirit of openness, warmth, and appreciation for differences that comes from visiting another country. It becomes part of your value system.”

Warm up with Rawdon’s winter wear for children

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Quiet your mind


Jamie Hanna (MBA ’98)
Founder, Zobha

“I wanted to build a brand that inspires people to be the best versions of themselves…. When we launched Zobha, we knew it was important to support the community that gives us our daily inspiration. Not just by providing quality, high-performance fitness wear, but also by giving opportunities to those within our community who might not otherwise have access to the necessary resources to help them become their most centered, productive selves.”

Check holiday stress with Hanna’s Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls

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Featured Alumni

Featured Alumni

Amy Jain
Class of MBA 2010, Section J
follow @amykjain
Darren Brehm
Class of MBA 2007, Section A
Chance Cuffe
Class of MBA 2006, Section I
Selena Cuffe
Class of MBA 2003, Section I
follow @selenacuffe
Denny Hanson
Class of OPM 2
Roger Martin
Class of MBA 1981, Section B
follow @RogerLMartin
Bill Roedy
Class of MBA 1979, Section E
Sarah Endline
Class of MBA 2001, Section G
follow @sweetriot
Sarah Kauss
Class of MBA 2003, Section J
follow @SarahKauss
Mark Tercek
Class of MBA 1984, Section B
follow @MarkTercek
Ray Yang
Class of MBA 2003, Section D
follow @yangruirong
Leigh Rawdon
Class of MBA 2001, Section C
follow @LeighRawdon
Jamie Hanna
Class of MBA 1998, Section I

Post a Comment

Featured Alumni

Featured Alumni

Amy Jain
Class of MBA 2010, Section J
follow @amykjain
Darren Brehm
Class of MBA 2007, Section A
Chance Cuffe
Class of MBA 2006, Section I
Selena Cuffe
Class of MBA 2003, Section I
follow @selenacuffe
Denny Hanson
Class of OPM 2
Roger Martin
Class of MBA 1981, Section B
follow @RogerLMartin
Bill Roedy
Class of MBA 1979, Section E
Sarah Endline
Class of MBA 2001, Section G
follow @sweetriot
Sarah Kauss
Class of MBA 2003, Section J
follow @SarahKauss
Mark Tercek
Class of MBA 1984, Section B
follow @MarkTercek
Ray Yang
Class of MBA 2003, Section D
follow @yangruirong
Leigh Rawdon
Class of MBA 2001, Section C
follow @LeighRawdon
Jamie Hanna
Class of MBA 1998, Section I

Related Links

Related Links

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    • 14 Sep 2015
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