F5 Escapes (F5), founded by Malini Gowrishankar in 2013, is an experiential travel company focused on planning and supporting safe travel for women in India. Since its inception, F5 has conducted close to 200 tours and impacted over 7,000 lives. Its success lies not only in its focus on redefining the way women travel in India, but also through its social initiatives and positive organizational practices. However, F5 has faced considerable challenges. Gowrishankar had to find innovative ways of hiring and retaining employees. She also had to find ways to publicize the organization in an industry with well-established competitors.
Students are asked to explore how F5 should evolve, going forward. What steps should F5 take to maintain the positive organizational environment and positive external response it has created so far? How will it handle issues of scalability and profitability while creating an organization of meaning?