Guayakí

 

Authors

Gabriel Berger

Mariana Lomé

University

Universidad San Andrés Argentina

Published in

2018

This case describes how a small business venture started by five friends turned, over a 20-year span, in a company with sales of USD 49 million and a renowned, sustainable and innovative business model that had a high social and environmental impact. It also illustrates impact entrepreneurs’ calling and motivation, as well as the dilemmas and challenges faced in order to stay true to their principles as the business grows and consolidates. The key question confronting these entrepreneurs at the end of the case is whether Guayakí should continue to grow at its current pace, or whether it should moderate its growth in order for its founders to gain a better understanding of the negative environmental impacts that the business creates and to find ways to manage those impacts.