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In a strategic collaboration, the RSM Case Development Centre (CDC) has partnered with the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE) to create a compelling teaching case centered around the 2B Collective. This innovative startup, founded by Geerke Versteeg and Yvette Watson, offers a gamified platform designed to educate users on climate neutrality, circularity, and inclusivity.

The Case Overview:

The teaching case delves into the entrepreneurial journey of Geerke and Yvette, both passionate about sustainability, as they navigate challenges in a male-dominated industry. The 2B Collective, armed with a mature product, a new business model, and a dedicated team, faces hurdles in scaling their venture due to limited financial resources. Investor discussions reveal a disconnect between the founders' focus on long-term social impact and investors prioritizing short-term returns. Additionally, post-pandemic market instability adds complexity to their journey.

The 2B Collective's Impact:

The startup offers a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform to consultancy organizations, engaging clients in the transition toward a climate-neutral, circular, and inclusive society. The platform provides end-users with access to learning programs that translate the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into concrete challenges, fostering sustainable and inclusive thinking in a dynamic and engaging manner.

Purpose Behind The Collaboration:

The collaboration between CDC and ECE highlights the commitment to promoting diversity and empowering female entrepreneurs. This case not only provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by Geerke and Yvette but also serves as a catalyst for discussions on gender equity, sustainability, and the intersection of entrepreneurship and social impact. As it becomes an integral part of the CDC's case collection, this collaboration serves as a positive step towards fostering a more inclusive and equitable future in entrepreneurship education.

"A lot of the educational materials for entrepreneurship training are often based on the male narrative and experience. That’s why we collaborated with CDC to develop this teaching case to break the gender stereotypes and biases in entrepreneurship education through more diverse perspectives."

                                                                                                           Katty Hsu, Senior Researcher for ECE

Teaching Note:

This case offers versatile applications, suitable for entrepreneurship, women leadership, and sustainability courses. The target audience are undergraduate (2-3-year bachelor) business management students in entrepreneurship, strategy, sustainability, and related courses. This case focuses on social entrepreneurship and discusses the challenges social entrepreneurs face when growing their business, especially when it comes to balancing social and commercial goals. The case can thus also be used as an exercise in professional training for (women) entrepreneurs. For access to the complete teaching note including exercises, recommended readings, references, and more, please contact CDC at cdc@rsm.nl.

More information

About RSM’s Case Development Centre 

Case studies are commonly utilized for educational purposes. A teaching case serves as a snapshot of a real-life situation, presenting a challenge that an organization faced. It prompts students to adopt the perspectives of decision-makers and formulate effective solutions. A proficient case writer possesses the ability to articulate complex subjects in a manner accessible to non-experts, captivating readers with a compelling narrative.

RSM CDC (www.rsm.nl/cdc) operates as part of the school's Impact and Engagement Unit. We are distinguished in Europe as one of the few organizations specializing in case development. Our cases, made available through esteemed publishers such as Ivey Publishing, Harvard Business Publishing, SAGE Publishing, and the Case Centre, are widely utilized by universities and other organizations worldwide. Several of our cases have won international prizes and have been featured as articles in prominent publications like the Financial Times and Harvard Business Review.

Through collaborations with various European institutions, we actively engage in case development initiatives. Moreover, we deliver case writing workshops to scholars and aspiring case writers across the globe. We constantly seek innovative approaches to enhance case-based learning and eagerly explore new mediums, including multimedia, to present our cases.

 About RSM

With its mission to be a force for positive change in the world, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) has firmly established its reputation over 50 years as one of Europe’s most international and innovative business schools.

RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class portfolio of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage people to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. 

RSM is an equal opportunity employer and explicitly encourages applications from candidates of all genders, ethnicities, and nationalities. 

www.rsm.nl   

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Case Development Centre

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