Harvard Business School Publishes Fourth Case Study on Endeavor

A new case study prepared by Harvard Business School (HBS) profiles Endeavor’s expansion and inflection points over 20 years, exploring the evolution of Endeavor’s operating model and global strategy, and considering the organization’s next stage of growth.

The case, “Endeavor Turns 20,” is the fourth conducted by the university centering on Endeavor’s work, with the first study (2003) focused on Endeavor’s plans for growth; the second study (2009) exploring the concept of high-impact entrepreneurship; and the third (2014) examining the economic conditions that led Endeavor to expand into the U.S. This study, led by Professor Lynda Applegate, charts how Endeavor positioned itself as a global leader in high-impact entrepreneurship and outlines further opportunities for innovation as the organization reaches a new stage of growth.

Like many entrepreneurial ventures, Endeavor began as a crazy idea, launched around a kitchen table conversation about the potential for high-growth entrepreneurship in emerging markets to improve economic development. In 1997, the first offices were launched in Argentina and Chile. Since then, much has changed. Today, Endeavor has selected nearly 1,800 entrepreneurs leading over 1,100 companies and is located in 33 markets, spanning Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the U.S., with further expansion underway.

The new case study provides a narrative on Endeavor’s history and various stages of growth, while delving deeper into the organization’s evolution since 2014 as organization “of, by, and for entrepreneurs” — from pioneering a self-sustaining model with the launch of the Endeavor Catalyst fund, to the development of new peer-to-peer and industry-specific communities within the Endeavor network.