In March 2023, Garry Cooper, cofounder and CEO of Chicago-based Rheaply, needed to demonstrate that Rheaply’s expanded vision could translate into building cash flows and metrics needed to raise a Series B and turn the business into a model for financial and environmental sustainability. The eight-year-old company had originally been founded as an asset exchange platform for surplus materials at university science laboratories. Over time, the company evolved well beyond its initial market and expanded into a circular economy marketplace where cities, enterprises, and academic institutions exchanged everything from lab equipment to furniture to building materials. Cooper needed to determine whether the strategic shift to sustainability was working, and what, if anything, needed to change.
Pitch deck explaining the later vision of the company that was presented by the CEO to potential investors.
Pitch deck explaining the early vision of the company that was presented by the CEO to potential investors.
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Alicia Dadlani is the Director of the Mid-US Research Office (MRO). She works closely with HBS faculty developing case studies and supporting faculty research in the region. She also serves an important role in building and strengthening strong partnerships with companies and alumni in the region and supporting a wide range of initiatives across the school.
Alicia has extensive international experience in Asia, Latin America, and Europe. She started her career as a CPA for Ernst & Young (E&Y), working in the Midwest and Japan. After E&Y, she joined The Coca-Cola Company and held various leadership roles in Japan and the corporate office (Atlanta, GA) managing mergers and acquisitions and working on key strategic initiatives around the world. Upon graduating from Harvard Business School, Alicia joined McKinsey & Co, working in Atlanta and Europe with a focus in the consumer goods sector. Raised in Ohio, Alicia returned to the Midwest and lives there with her family.
Alicia received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her B.S. in Accounting from Miami University. She is also fluent in Japanese.