logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
23m 35s

Can Bombas Reach New Customers while Mai...

HBR Presents / Brian Kenny
About this episode
Bombas was started in 2013 with a dual mission: to deliver quality socks and donate much-needed footwear to people living in shelters. By 2021, it had become one of America's most visible buy-one-give-one companies, with over $250 million in annual revenue and 50 million pairs of socks donated. As Bombas continued expanding, the company struggled to determin ... Show More
Up next
Sep 1
Best of Cold Call: The Bumpy Road to Expanding a Fleet of Electric School Buses
How do you scale innovation in a fragmented system you don’t fully control? That is the challenge Highland Electric Fleets faced as it worked to replace diesel school buses with electric vehicles across the United States. In this episode from 2025, Harvard Business School profess ... Show More
32 m
Aug 18
Can an AI-Powered Scribe Curb Physician Burnout?
In 2024, Mass General Brigham, the largest health system in Massachusetts, piloted an AI-powered, ambient note-taking and transcription program among a subset of clinicians to address increasing rates of staff burnout and turnover -- largely driven by the administrative burden of ... Show More
24m 3s
Aug 4
Why Metaphysic AI Looked to Hollywood for a Digital Rights Model
Founded in 2021, AI generative video company Metaphysic first rose to fame through viral deepfake videos. It achieved a significant milestone with "Here," the first major film to use AI for de-aging actors, including Tom Hanks. The company had two revenue streams: high-end conten ... Show More
24m 9s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
Bombas: David Heath and Randy Goldberg
David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their 20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together. Randy and David didn’t initially i ... Show More
1h 21m
Jul 2021
366: Sock It to Me: How the Cofounders of Bombas Became eCommerce Millionaires
What do you get when you mix Daymond John, cozy toes, and a charitable mission?    Bombas.    That's right, you get the world's best sock company.    Foundr CEO Nathan Chan recently sat down with Randy Goldberg and David Heath to learn how Bombas went from a growing ecommerce bus ... Show More
53m 48s
Jan 2025
Bombas: David Heath and Randy Goldberg (2022)
David Heath and Randy Goldberg saw an opportunity to disrupt a long dormant—and arguably boring sector...socks. They met at a startup in their 20s, each already had their own side hustles before they hatched a plan to launch a business together. Randy and David didn’t initially i ... Show More
1h 21m
Aug 2025
1119: Driving Mission-Driven Growth in the SaaS World | Matthew Hardy, CFO, Bonterra
When people Google Bonterra, they often see 2021 as its starting point. That year, lead investor Apax joined with Vista, holder of Social Solutions, and Insight Partners, holder of EveryAction, to unite those businesses under one brand. But, as Matthew Hardy tells us, the company ... Show More
49m 26s
May 2024
How Simple Modern Built a $200M+ Brand on Generosity & Culture
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">How can a business blend substantial growth with a robust culture of generosity? Today on the show, I'm joined by Mike Beckham, CEO and co-founder of Simple Modern, a nine-figure drinkware company nearly a decade old. Mike is also a well-known po ... Show More
1 h
Apr 2020
The North Face vs Patagonia - Rescue Mission | 5
It’s the late 1990s and The North Face is seeking to attract mainstream customers by opening hundreds of Summit Shops within the nation’s stores.But when the expected avalanche of sales fails to materialize, the company finds itself slipping over the edge.Meanwhile, Patagonia ste ... Show More
25m 51s
Feb 2019
TOMS: Blake Mycoskie (2019)
Blake Mycoskie started and sold four businesses before age 30. But only in Argentina did he discover the idea he'd want to pursue long term. After seeing a shoe drive for children, he came up with TOMS — part shoe business, part philanthropy. PLUS for our postscript "How You Buil ... Show More
53m 35s
Apr 2023
Social Business Needs a Net Zero
<p>Companies and banks have often pursued social goals such as financial inclusion as an obligation rather than a business opportunity. Douglas Beal, who leads BCG’s client work with financial institutions on sustainable finance and investing, argues that doing good is also good ... Show More
21m 21s
Jan 2019
Bonobos: Andy Dunn
When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became an instant hit due to the pants' signa ... Show More
1h 9m
Apr 2022
Bonobos: Andy Dunn (2019)
<p>When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became an instant hit due to the pants' si ... Show More
1h 7m