The Owner's Box @WashU Olin

Tactics from the Owner's Box: The Family Mission Statement

In October, Juliet Chung of the Wall Street Journal wrote a piece titled "Wealthy Families Are Writing Mission Statements to Avoid Fights, Lost Fortunes." If no family – happy or unhappy– is simple, what does it mean for a family to be intentional? Today on the Owner's Box, the power and limitations of a family mission statement, and what lessons are worth mining from multi-generational family business owners.

S3: E3: 4 Hands & Voltron - Balancing Creativity with Commercialization

On today’s episode, we hear from the two St. Louis entrepreneurs who made this collaboration happen: Kevin Lemp, owner of 4 Hands Brewing Co., and Bob Koplar, who manages the Voltron franchise that his father created. In developing a special Voltron beer, they’ve launched a creative partnership that is both commercially successful and a whole lot of fun. In today’s episode, Voltron Beer and balancing creativity with commercialization. Special Guests: Bob Koplar and Kevin Lemp.

Tactics from the Owner's Box: Ownership Overhaul at OpenAI

OpenAI's ownership redesign has the potential to shape how the technology on our screens and in our pockets affects our economy and our society. Can they deliver benefit to the public and profit to the few at the same time?

S3: E2: Business as a Mechanism of Change with Hatch Africa's Dave Ellis.

Straight out of college, today's guest wanted to make an impact on the African continent. For him, the best way to do this was through policy or the work of a nonprofit. But early into that work, it was the pull of business and its potential to drive social value that pulled him in. Today's guest, David Ellis, is the founder and CEO of Hatch Africa, a company seeking to bring a new business model to sub-Saharan Africa to, in their words, bring eggs and chickens to every household. Special Guest: David Ellis.

Tactics from the Owner's Box: Control Beyond the Grave: Giorgio Armani and Ownership

One week before his passing, Giorgio Armani sat down with the Financial Times to talk about control, something he knew a thing or two about. In this episode, I unpack how Armani designed one of the most fascinating succession plans I’ve ever seen. Balancing legacy, leadership, and the hard question of when control becomes… too much control. Special Guest: Stuart Weitzman.