The case chronicles the innovation in bio-digester technology by Alex Eaton and Camilo Pages through a social enterprise in Mexico called ‘Sistema Biobolsa’. It describes how the two social entrepreneurs created an innovative new waste and resource management system by reimagining the 150-year-old biogas production system by using a high-quality membrane, durable modular parts, and anaerobic bio-digesters that transformed animal waste into renewable energy (biogas) and organic fertilizer. Sistems Biobolsa addressed several challenges that small and marginal farmers in Mexico and across the world faced—low yielding land due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers, lack of organic fertilizers, unviable waste disposal methods, and limited access to energy. Sistema Biobolsa converted organic waste into organic fertilizer and renewable energy. Its impact was manifold. With an investment of US$600, a farmer with two cows could save up to US$40 per month in the cost of fuel and fertilizers. The biogas produced was environment-friendly, reduced methane emissions, resulted in better waste management, reduced deforestation, protected the soil, and also improved the quality of life of the farmers. To cater to the needs of different farmers, the bio-digesters were available in several sizes and could be installed within a few hours. After the first month, the farmers could start using the system. The company provided loans to farmers to install the system, and also extended technical support to them in using it. Eaton expanded into Kenya, Colombia, Nicaragua, and India, but there were still many issues that he needed to address. He had to improve distribution to reach more than 4 million small farmers in Mexico. He was looking at making a huge impact to address the issues of global warming and climate change. But, can a small venture in Mexico be scaled up to address these huge global problems?     more »

The case discusses the efforts made by leading cloud service provider Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon), to adopt green computing practices in its operations. The case starts out by going into the reasons for the high level of carbon emissions attributed to the data centers of many cloud platforms that include a rapid addition of capacity and usage of power from dirty energy sources. The case then provides an overview of the green computing practices undertaken by AWS through power purchase agreements with producers of renewable energy and usage of equipment to boost energy efficiency at its data centers. Though different Information Technology (IT) companies have taken up many activities to reduce their carbon footprint, it is believed that each one of them, including AWS, has a long way to go to become completely green. While Jeff Bezos (Bezos), Founder and CEO of Amazon, was confident that the green computing measures deployed by AWS were contributing to environmental sustainability to a high extent, non-governmental environmental organizations such as Greenpeace begged to differ. Can Bezos continue showcasing the current green computing measures of AWS to stave off pressure from not only Greenpeace, but also his employees in the long term? Or will he be forced to do more?     more »

The case describes how Rajni Bector (Rajni) converted her hobby and passion for ice cream making, baking, and cooking into a commercial success. What began as a backyard enterprise in 1978 grew over the years into a multi-million-dollar family business with a successful IPO in 2020. The case begins with a brief background of Rajni and her early entrepreneurial journey on how she started her own venture and managed it on her own for a decade with support from her husband. The case then focuses on the growth phase of the business beginning with Rajni’s three sons joining the business and the subsequent partnership with McDonald’s that laid the foundation for its long-term growth and development and helped Bectors Food become the largest supplier of breading, bakery items and liquid condiments to major institutional clients all over India. The case then describes the various steps the company took to create value for the investors and promoters, including seeking private equity participation followed by a restructuring exercise that resulted in the business being split among family members with separate ownership and companies for biscuits, bakery items and liquid condiments. The case also touches upon how the company sought to generate higher growth and wealth creation for the founders and investors by expanding its manufacturing facilities, introducing new products, and focusing on the retail consumer space as well as the exports route. Subsequently, the case touches upon the need for the company to create a well-established distribution network for greater market penetration and to improve brand recall through customer outreach programs. The case ends with a focus on Bectors Food’s successful Initial Public Offering (IPO) in December 2020 and its future strategies to improve market share and compete with major brands in the biscuits segment as well as position itself as a household name pan-India across the biscuits, bakery, and liquid condiments markets.     more »