AIB SIG Webinar: Global Digitalization and Unicorns from Emerging Economies

Event Overview: In this webinar, we discuss how startups from emerging economies scale up and reach unicorn status. In business terms, a “unicorn” is a privately owned startup valued at over $1 billion. Unicorns once belonged mostly to developed countries, but emerging economies now host one-third of the world’s unicorns. This shift marks a change in the digital globalization and innovation landscape. Companies from the Global South are competitive in digitalization, technology, and business model innovation and are changing the future of International Business.

PRESENTERS

Diego Finchelstein is an Associate Professor at Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina) and a researcher at Argentina´s National Research Agency. He holds a PhD from Northwestern University. His main areas of expertise are related to the relation between institutional environments, State actions and internationalization, as well as innovation from emerging markets. His research has been published in several prestigious international journals. He has recently co-edited a book about unicorns from emerging economies (Cambridge University Press). Diego had been executive director of the Emerging Multinationals Research Network and he is a member of the executive board at the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of the Academy of International Business. He has also done consultancy work for the Argentine Secretariat of Energy and the IADB.

Lourdes Casanova is Gail and Rob Cañizares Director Cañizares Center for Emerging Markets, Teaching Professor Cornell S.C. Johnson College of Business, Cornell University. Fellow of the Business Association of Latin American Studies, Euroknowledge Global Thought Leader by Foreign Investment Network. One of 50 most influential Iberoamerican intellectuals. Author of various books. Co-author of the The Digital Currency. Revolution. Co-editor with F. Cahen A. Miroux: From copycats to Leaders: Innovation from Emerging Markets. Cambridge University Press. with A. Miroux: The Era of Chinese Multinationals. Academic Press. Elsevier 2019. Emerging Market Multinationals Report 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016. Co-author with P. Cornelius, S. Dutta: Entrepreneurship and the Finance of Innovation in Emerging Markets. Academic Press. Elsevier. With J. Kassum: The Political Economy of an Emerging Global Power: In search of the Brazilian Dream, Palgrave Macmillan 2014, author Global Latinas: Latin America’s emerging multinationalsPalgrave Macmillan 2009. Member of the World Economic Forum Global Growth Global Future Councils. Board Member Foreign Affairs Latin America, BALAS and Triple Helix. Trustee Canning House. Op-ed contributor to Latin Trade, Agenda Publica contributor to CNN en español, El País The Economist, NegociosTV, Latin America Advisor of The Dialogue and Voice of America.

Fernanda Cahen is Associate Professor of International Business and Innovation and Department Chair of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at ESPM – Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing, Brazil. Co-chair of AIB Digitalization Shared Interest Group. She was a visiting researcher at University of Southern California – Marshal Business School, at Adelaide University, Australia, and a postdoctoral fellow at Indiana University – Kelley School of Business. Member of the Emerging Multinationals Research Network (EMRN) of the Emerging Markets Institute (EMI) at Cornell University. PhD from University of São Paulo. Publications focused on international business, innovation and digital globalization with journal articles, teaching cases, and two books on the topic. International business and innovation consultant.

DISCUSSANT

Charles Dhanaraj is J. Mack Robinson Professor of International Business and Academic Director of the DBA Program at Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA. Dhanaraj is an elected Fellow of the Academy of International Business. His research focuses on strategic partnerships, innovation, leadership, and digital globalization. Founder and previous chair of the AIB Digitalization SIG. He has published in top academic journals, including Strategic Management Journal, Journal of International Business Studies, Academy of Management Review, and Harvard Business Review. In his current research, Dhanaraj is studying how digital innovation ecosystems evolve in differ, how multinational companies overcome discrimination in foreign countries, and more importantly how leaders drive purposeful strategy in their organizations. As a strategy and international business expert, he has taught in executive education programs at the University of Denver, Temple University, IMD Switzerland, Indian School of Business (ISB), Fundação Dom Cabral (FDC, Brazil), Copenhagen Business School (CBS, Denmark), and Ivey Business School (Canada). He has worked with several global organizations such as Eli Lilly, Sanofi, Cummins, Danske Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Saudi Arabia British Bank (SABB), Unicredit, Pernod Ricard, Maersk Drilling, Arla, Valmet, Deloitte, Sika, Hilti and several Indian corporate groups, such as Tata, Birla, and Mahindra.

MODERATOR

Clarice Kogut is Professor of Strategy & IB at IAG Business School, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Brazil; Dean of Admissions & Registrars (PUC-Rio). PhD in Management, The Coppead Graduate School of Business, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Post-doctoral studies at IAG Business School, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. MBA from Columbia University. IB scholar with research interest in emerging market firms, digitalization, and entrepreneurship. Award-winner and nominee at the AIB (Academy of International Business) and EIBA (European International Business Association) past editions. Published works in International Business Review, International Marketing Review, Journal of International Management, Management International Review, Multinational Business Review, Competitiveness Review, European Sport Management Quarterly, and the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. Member of AIB Shared Interest Groups for Digitalization, Emerging Markets, and Women in AIB.