About
Peter Cohan serves as Associate Professor of Management Practice at Babson College's F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business within the Management Division. He joined Babson in May 2002 as an executive-in-residence, was promoted to full-time Lecturer of Strategy in June 2016, and appointed Associate Professor of Management Practice in August 2022. His academic career spans teaching undergraduate, MBA, MSEL, and executive education programs with courses including Strategic Problem Solving, Scaling Strategy, and Generative AI for Business Growth.
Cohan's research focuses on strategic growth frameworks, entrepreneurial leadership, and generative AI business applications, particularly in the retail sector. His work examines how traditional retailers compete with e-commerce startups and how companies can strategically implement AI while mitigating risks like hallucinations. He has developed frameworks for scaling startups through four distinct growth stages and analyzed why certain cities dominate global startup ecosystems.
His scholarly output includes 17 books, with Brain Rush: How to Invest and Compete in the Real World of Generative AI (2024) being his most recent. His publications reveal a consistent trajectory from internet business strategies in the late 1990s through startup scaling methodologies to current AI business applications, demonstrating evolving expertise in technology-driven business transformation.
- Top Retail Expert (RETHINK Retail 2021-2024)
- Top AI Leader (RETHINK Retail 2024)
Cohan maintains an active consulting practice through Peter S. Cohan & Associates, having completed over 150 growth-strategy consulting projects for global technology companies. His venture capital investments include seven startups, three of which were sold for approximately $2 billion combined, and Social Finance which went public in 2021 at an $18 billion valuation. He frequently contributes to Forbes and Inc. magazines, appears on major media outlets including ABC's Good Morning America and CNBC, and has spoken at institutions including MIT, Stanford, and Columbia.
