Author Profile
Sesia, Aldo
What’s Up with WhatsApp in 2024
S-0472 | Published July 25, 2025 | 11 Pages Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
October 2024 marked the 10-year anniversary of Facebook’s landmark acquisition of WhatsApp for $22 billion. Founded in 2009, WhatsApp allowed “unlimited free text-messaging and picture sending between... Read More
Digital Dining Dilemma: Platr's EU Expansion
QA-0984 | Published May 20, 2025 | 6 Pages Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The case invites students to step into the role of Phoebe Gabris, a newly hired MBA graduate and senior analyst at Platr Inc., a US-based cloud point-of-sale (POS) provider for the restaurant industry... Read More
David Smith: Garden Birch Children’s Hospital Center (B)
OB-1473 | Published January 08, 2025 | 1 Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In this conclusion to the A case, we learn that Isla Garamond, chief medical officer at Garden Birch Children’s Hospital Center (Garden Birch), and her colleagues on the hospital’s hiring committee su... Read More
Nikki Brown: Caught between Career and Conscience
Sesia, Aldo; Prengler, Melanie
OB-1432 | Published February 23, 2024 | 13 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This field-based case puts students in the role of Nikki Brown, a Black female police officer at the St. Louis County Police Department (SLCPD). After repeatedly witnessing and experiencing acts of di... Read More
Cybersecurity: Managerial Basics
Laseter, Timothy M.; Sesia, Aldo; Johnson, M. Eric
OM-1807 | Published February 22, 2024 | 16 pages. Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note introduces cybersecurity—what it is, why it is needed, and current practices and solutions. While the broad issue of information security is a concern for governments and individuals, this n... Read More
Upstart’s Upshot: Is Fintech Lending Fair?
F-2060 | Published October 04, 2023 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
Alliant Credit Union (Alliant) had to decide whether to partner with Upstart Holdings, Inc. (Upstart), a financial technology (fintech) company that offered a platform to connect borrowers and lenders... Read More
Steve Maiden (B): A Hedge Fund Manager Hits Rock Bottom
Belmi, Peter; Sesia, Aldo; Adams, Gabrielle
OB-1438 | Published August 30, 2023 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In mid-2008, hedge fund manager Steve Maiden was riding high. The self-assured Maiden had launched his own fund in late 2006 and it was substantially outperforming the market. Investors wanted in, and... Read More
Steve Maiden (C): A Hedge Fund Manager Writes a New Life
Belmi, Peter; Sesia, Aldo; Adams, Gabrielle
OB-1439 | Published August 30, 2023 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In mid-2008, hedge fund manager Steve Maiden was riding high. The self-assured Maiden had launched his own fund in late 2006 and it was substantially outperforming the market. Investors wanted in, and... Read More
General Motors Commits to 100% Electric Vehicles by 2035
BC-0284 | Published January 27, 2023 | 18 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case is set in 2022, a year after Mary Barra, chair and CEO of General Motors (GM), set a goal to phase out production of gas-powered (internal combustion engine [ICE]) vehicles and only sell ele... Read More
Governance at Trail Guide Financial (B)
S-0400 | Published December 21, 2022 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In this disguised field-based case, Trail Guide Financial (TGF) CFO Tasha Maxwell was examining the earnings for year ended March 31, 2020. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing market dro... Read More
Governance at Trail Guide Financial (A)
S-0399 | Published December 21, 2022 | 5 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In this disguised field-based case, Trail Guide Financial (TGF) CFO Tasha Maxwell was examining the earnings for year ended March 31, 2020. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing market dro... Read More
Shiftsmart: Redefining Job Access and Labor Management
Laseter, Timothy M.; Sesia, Aldo
OM-1762 | Published October 03, 2022 | 9 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In January 2022, Shiftsmart cofounder and CEO Aakash Kumar wanted to capitalize on the company’s momentum. Shiftsmart connected workers on a shift-by-shift basis to some of the world’s largest corpora... Read More
Repositioning Axon Enterprise (B): Financing the Future of Police Reform
F-2004 | Published August 10, 2022 | 12 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case on Axon Enterprise, Inc. (Axon), highlights what the company’s CFO and head of investor relations told attendees at Axon’s Investor Day in November 2017. It also describes a follow-on offeri... Read More
Repositioning Axon Enterprise (A)
F-2003 | Published August 10, 2022 | 21 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In November 2017, Axon Enterprise, Inc. (Axon), was amid transforming from a simple manufacturing company focused almost exclusively on its market leading TASER-brand conducted energy weapons (CEWs) f... Read More
A Dolphin Bullied: Jonathan Martin's NFL Experience in Miami (B)
E-0481 | Published June 24, 2022 | 8 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This case should be used after students have read "A Dolphin Bullied: Jonathan Martin's NFL Experience in Miami (A) (UVA-E-0477). It provides a brief update on actions taken by different stakeholders ... Read More
A Dolphin Bullied: Jonathan Martin's NFL Experience in Miami (A)
E-0477 | Published June 24, 2022 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In 2013, Jonathan Martin, a starting lineman for the Miami Dolphins, left the team. He cited the negative effects of the team's culture—specifically, bullying and mistreatment by several of his teamma... Read More
Re:Build Manufacturing—Reimagining the Conglomerate
Laseter, Timothy M.; Sesia, Aldo
OM-1757 | Published December 08, 2021 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In October 2021, Miles Arnone, CEO of Re:Build Manufacturing (Re:Build), was thinking about Re:Build’s next acquisition. Arnone contemplated the pros and cons of each of three candidate companies as h... Read More
Rivian Charging Ahead
Laseter, Timothy M.; Sesia, Aldo
OM-1749 | Published October 05, 2021 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In fall 2021, start-up Rivian was poised to begin delivery of its first electrical vehicles (EVs) to external customers after several delays. The company had over 70,000 preorders for its R1T (pickup ... Read More
California's Affordable Housing Crisis
GEM-0194 | Published August 30, 2021 | 27 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
This public-sourced case uses the California housing crisis to analyze economic policy in an environment featuring a rising cost of living and shrinking affordable housing options. The case discusses ... Read More
Alpha Architect: Is Momentum Losing Steam?
Evans, Richard B.; Sesia, Aldo
F-1977 | Published June 28, 2021 | 16 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The case explores the momentum investment strategy of AlphaArchitect, a boutique asset management firm. The protagonist, Wes Grey the CEO of AlphaArchitect, is preparing a potential client presentati... Read More
Squeezed: Citron Capital Shorts GameStop
Evans, Richard B.; Sesia, Aldo
F-1983 | Published June 25, 2021 | 15 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
The case examines the short selling of GameStop by hedge fund Citron Capital. The valuation case for short selling GameStop is explored, along with the actual market mechanics of short selling a stoc... Read More
China Supply Chain and COVID-19
Yemen, Gerry; Yang, Dennis; Ha, Jiming; Sesia, Aldo
GEM-0184 | Published December 17, 2020 | 44 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
On March 11, 2020, The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic. The pandemic brought production, trade, and businesses to a grinding halt,... Read More
Steve Maiden (A): A Hedge Fund Manager's Fall from Grace
OB-1437 | 13 pages. Case
Collection: Darden School of Business
In mid-2008 hedge fund manager Steve Maiden was riding high. The self-assured Maiden had launched his own fund in late 2006 and it was substantially outperforming the market. Investors wanted in and M... Read More