A growing number of influencers have been invited to speak at Harvard Business School, often by student clubs or professors. Figures like Matilda Djerf and Alix Earle have shared insights on their brands and careers with MBA students. The trend reflects the rising influence of the creator economy.
Matilda Djerf, founder of Djerf Avenue with 2.6 million Instagram followers, visited Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School this month. Invited by the Harvard Fashion Law Association, she discussed intellectual property, manufacturing, partnerships, and AI strategies for her brand. Djerf prepared with her legal team to represent the company's structures accurately, despite past allegations of a toxic work culture in 2024, for which she apologized. Alix Earle has spoken at HBS senior lecturer Reza Satchu’s class twice—first in April 2025 on her creator career, then last month debating a product launch. Two weeks later, she released her skincare line, Reale Actives. Satchu, initially hesitant, consulted his Gen Z daughters and students before inviting her and is now writing an HBS case study on her journey. Other guests include Bethenny Frankel, Kit Keenan, Rocky Barnes, Pia Mance, Karlie Kloss, MrBeast, and Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, often hosted by the HBS Retail & Luxury Goods Club. Pia Mance, whose jewelry brand Heaven Mayhem generates $10 million annually, spoke on building her all-female team. Club VP Katie Pfleger said they select speakers whose stories offer unique retail and luxury insights not found in case studies. Reza Satchu emphasized the value for students in understanding modern marketing through creators, though classroom invites remain selective. The creator economy, projected at $500 billion by 2027 according to Goldman Sachs, drives this convergence. Students like Pfleger and Ella Rubin benefited when Earle featured their startup Trace on TikTok, accelerating a $3 million seed round.
