HBS Club of Chicago

Tuesday, April 13, 2010
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
University Club of Chicago

Details of the Presentation and Dialog Session
The HBS Club of Chicago is pleased to host Professor Koehn on April 13 to discuss her new book, The Story of American Business: From the Pages of the New York Times (Harvard Business Press, 2009). In it, Professor Koehn examines the people, events, and larger forces that have shaped business and society in the twenty-first century. She also narrates some of the most important stories of the past 130 years of business—stories of brilliant, driven entrepreneurs; stories of America’s love-hate relationship with Wall Street's scoundrels and luminaries; stories of the changing workplace and its effect on our sense of self; stories of the goods and services—from corsets to iPhones—that we have bought over the years and how they have affected our daily lives; and stories of technological breakthroughs, with their accompanying aftershocks of confusion and uncertainty. If you have a passion for history, business, or merely understanding our own astounding moment with more depth and clarity, mark your calendars and register early!

Book Review Excerpts
“This book is a compelling collection of stories. These are stories of entrepreneurs who built companies to last, working Americans who chased their dreams, and consumers who voted with their dollars, choosing among an amazing assortment of goods and services. All these accounts add up to the world we know today—a world of opportunity and challenge in which the call to make a positive difference has never been louder and more vital. Unforgettable!”
—Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO, Starbucks

“There’s no one who has better insight into the business environment than Koehn. Her deep historical knowledge, her acute business acumen, and her understanding of what is going on today are legendary. This is a critical read for anyone in business or anyone who possesses an entrepreneurial spirit or curiosity.”
—William Lauder, Chairman, Estée Lauder

“Koehn takes us on a fascinating journey of discovery, putting together the unique and engaging--and sometimes troubling--pieces of the puzzle that have created American business. All these pieces are as critical today as they were in the past—maybe more. We have a lot to learn.”
—Mickey Kantor, former Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative

“Breaking boundaries is what American business and this book are all about. Pull out your map and get ready to walk with the pioneers who built the world we know today. These are people of ambition, endless energy, and great impact. What shines through brilliantly in Koehn’s work is how these stories help us navigate our own exciting, turbulent landscape.”
—Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook

“Through the lens of 150 years of New York Times reporting, Koehn tells the stories of American business: fascinating stories of companies, their leaders and everyday employees, their innovations and technologies, their products and services; engaging stories that will educate and inspire a generation of Americans seeking to understand how business touches and has an impact on their lives.”
—A.G. Lafley, Chairman and former CEO, Procter & Gamble

About Professor Koehn
Nancy F. Koehn is a historian at the Harvard Business School where she holds the James E. Robison chair of Business Administration. Koehn's research focuses on entrepreneurial leadership and how leaders, past and present, craft lives of purpose, worth, and impact. She is currently working on a book about the most important leadership lessons from Abraham Lincoln’s journey, as well as another on social entrepreneurs.

Koehn is also the author of Brand New: How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers' Trust from Wedgwood to Dell (2001) and The Power of Commerce: Economy and Governance in the First British Empire (1994). She is a contributor to: Creative Capitalism: A Conversation with Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and other Economic Leaders (2008); Remember Who You Are: Life Stories That Inspire the Heart and Mind (2004); Beauty and Business (2000); The Intellectual Venture Capitalist: John H. McArthur and the Work of the Harvard Business School, 1980-1995 (1999); Creating Modern Capitalism: How Entrepreneurs, Companies, and Countries Triumphed in Three Industrial Revolutions (1997); and Management Past and Present: A Casebook on American Business History (1995). She has written and supervised cases on Bono and U2, Oprah Winfrey, Whole Foods, Starbucks Coffee Company, Ernest Shackleton, Wedgwood, Estée Lauder, Henry Heinz, Milton Hershey, Celeste Walker, Marshall Field, Dell Computer, and other leaders and organizations.

At the Harvard Business School, she teaches the MBA elective, "Entrepreneurial Leadership in Turbulent Times." For many years she taught, "The Coming of Managerial Capitalism," one of the School's most popular courses.

Koehn consults with many companies and speaks frequently before business leaders on a range of issues, including leading in turbulent times, the power of strong brands, and visionary entrepreneurs. In 2001, Business 2.0 named Koehn one of 19 leading business gurus in the United States. She has appeared on "Good Morning America," CNBC's "Moneywheel," "Nightly Business Report," and "Street Signs," "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," A&E's "Biography," CNN's "Money Line" and many other television programs. She is also a frequent commentator on National Public Radio.

DATE: Tuesday, April 13, 2010
TIME: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Reception 11:30 a.m.; Lunch 12:00 p.m.
LOCATION: University Club of Chicago, 76 East Monroe Street, Chicago (Valet parking is available for $20)
COST:
HBSCC Patron and Patron & Guest Pass members: Free
HBSCC Regular members and their guests: $35/person
Non-members of HBSCC: $55/person
RESERVATION DEADLINE: Monday, April 12

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