diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/InitiativeCard.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/InitiativeCard.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e49b4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/InitiativeCard.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+import '@testing-library/jest-dom/vitest'
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { vi, describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+
+vi.mock('@/lib/trpc', () => ({
+  trpc: {
+    useUtils: () => ({ listInitiatives: { invalidate: vi.fn() } }),
+    updateInitiative: { useMutation: vi.fn(() => ({ mutate: vi.fn() })) },
+    deleteInitiative: { useMutation: vi.fn(() => ({ mutate: vi.fn() })) },
+  },
+}))
+
+vi.mock('@/components/ui/card', () => ({
+  Card: ({ children, className, onClick }: any) => (
+    <div data-testid="card" className={className} onClick={onClick}>{children}</div>
+  ),
+}))
+
+import { InitiativeCard, type SerializedInitiative } from './InitiativeCard'
+
+function makeInitiative(overrides: Partial<SerializedInitiative> = {}): SerializedInitiative {
+  return {
+    id: 'init-1',
+    name: 'Test Initiative',
+    status: 'active',
+    branch: null,
+    createdAt: '2024-01-01T00:00:00Z',
+    updatedAt: '2024-01-01T00:00:00Z',
+    projects: [],
+    ...overrides,
+    activity: {
+      state: 'planning',
+      activePhase: null,
+      phasesTotal: 0,
+      phasesCompleted: 0,
+      ...(overrides.activity ?? {}),
+    },
+  }
+}
+
+describe('InitiativeCard — single-row structure', () => {
+  it('renders no second-row div (no mt-1.5 class in DOM)', () => {
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={makeInitiative()} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    expect(document.querySelector('.mt-1\\.5')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('flex container has items-center class', () => {
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={makeInitiative()} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    const flexContainer = document.querySelector('.flex.items-center')
+    expect(flexContainer).not.toBeNull()
+  })
+})
+
+describe('InitiativeCard — project badge overflow', () => {
+  it('1 project → 1 badge with project name, no +N chip', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({
+      projects: [{ id: 'p1', name: 'Project Alpha' }],
+    })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    expect(screen.getByText('Project Alpha')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/^\+\d+$/)).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('3 projects → first 2 names present, third absent, +1 chip', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({
+      projects: [
+        { id: 'p1', name: 'Alpha' },
+        { id: 'p2', name: 'Beta' },
+        { id: 'p3', name: 'Gamma' },
+      ],
+    })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    expect(screen.getByText('Alpha')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.getByText('Beta')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.queryByText('Gamma')).toBeNull()
+    expect(screen.getByText('+1')).toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
+  it('5 projects → first 2 names present, +3 chip', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({
+      projects: [
+        { id: 'p1', name: 'Alpha' },
+        { id: 'p2', name: 'Beta' },
+        { id: 'p3', name: 'Gamma' },
+        { id: 'p4', name: 'Delta' },
+        { id: 'p5', name: 'Epsilon' },
+      ],
+    })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    expect(screen.getByText('Alpha')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.getByText('Beta')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.getByText('+3')).toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
+  it('0 projects → no badge elements rendered', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({ projects: [] })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    // No outline or secondary badges for projects
+    expect(document.querySelectorAll('[class*="rounded-full"][class*="border"]').length).toBe(0)
+  })
+})
+
+describe('InitiativeCard — hover-reveal menu', () => {
+  it('dropdown wrapper has opacity-0 class', () => {
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={makeInitiative()} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    const wrapper = document.querySelector('.opacity-0')
+    expect(wrapper).not.toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('dropdown wrapper has group-hover:opacity-100 class', () => {
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={makeInitiative()} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    const wrapper = document.querySelector('.opacity-0')
+    expect(wrapper).toHaveClass('group-hover:opacity-100')
+  })
+
+  it('card has group class', () => {
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={makeInitiative()} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    const card = screen.getByTestId('card')
+    expect(card).toHaveClass('group')
+  })
+})
+
+describe('InitiativeCard — phase counter', () => {
+  it('shows "2 / 5" when phasesCompleted=2 and phasesTotal=5', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({
+      activity: { state: 'planning', activePhase: null, phasesTotal: 5, phasesCompleted: 2 },
+    })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    expect(screen.getByText('2 / 5')).toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
+  it('counter absent when phasesTotal=0', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({
+      activity: { state: 'planning', activePhase: null, phasesTotal: 0, phasesCompleted: 0 },
+    })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/\d+ \/ \d+/)).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
+
+describe('InitiativeCard — activity dot pulse', () => {
+  it('state="executing" → StatusDot has animate-status-pulse class', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({
+      activity: { state: 'executing', activePhase: null, phasesTotal: 0, phasesCompleted: 0 },
+    })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    const dot = document.querySelector('[role="status"]')
+    expect(dot).toHaveClass('animate-status-pulse')
+  })
+
+  it('state="planning" → StatusDot does not have animate-status-pulse class', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({
+      activity: { state: 'planning', activePhase: null, phasesTotal: 0, phasesCompleted: 0 },
+    })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    const dot = document.querySelector('[role="status"]')
+    expect(dot).not.toHaveClass('animate-status-pulse')
+  })
+})
+
+describe('InitiativeCard — active phase name', () => {
+  it('activePhase present → phase name and separator visible', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({
+      activity: {
+        state: 'planning',
+        activePhase: { id: 'p1', name: 'Phase Alpha' },
+        phasesTotal: 0,
+        phasesCompleted: 0,
+      },
+    })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    expect(screen.getByText('Phase Alpha')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.getByText('·')).toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
+  it('activePhase=null → no separator or phase name rendered', () => {
+    const initiative = makeInitiative({
+      activity: { state: 'planning', activePhase: null, phasesTotal: 0, phasesCompleted: 0 },
+    })
+    render(<InitiativeCard initiative={initiative} onClick={() => {}} />)
+    expect(screen.queryByText('·')).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/InitiativeCard.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/InitiativeCard.tsx
index 5cf86ce..73415a9 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/InitiativeCard.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/InitiativeCard.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import {
   DropdownMenuSeparator,
 } from "@/components/ui/dropdown-menu";
 import { StatusDot, type StatusVariant } from "@/components/StatusDot";
-import { ProgressBar } from "@/components/ProgressBar";
 import { trpc } from "@/lib/trpc";
 
 /** Initiative shape as returned by tRPC (Date serialized to string over JSON) */
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ export interface SerializedInitiative {
   projects?: Array<{ id: string; name: string }>;
   activity: {
     state: string;
-    activePhase?: { id: string; name: string };
+    activePhase?: { id: string; name: string } | null;
     phasesTotal: number;
     phasesCompleted: number;
   };
@@ -83,27 +82,56 @@ export function InitiativeCard({ initiative, onClick }: InitiativeCardProps) {
 
   const { activity } = initiative;
   const visual = activityVisual(activity.state);
+  const projects = initiative.projects ?? [];
 
   return (
     <Card
       interactive
-      className="p-4"
+      className="px-4 py-2 group"
       onClick={onClick}
     >
-      {/* Row 1: Name + project pills + overflow menu */}
-      <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-2">
-        <div className="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-2">
-          <span className="shrink-0 text-base font-bold">
-            {initiative.name}
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2 min-w-0">
+        <StatusDot
+          status={activity.state}
+          variant={visual.variant}
+          size="sm"
+          pulse={visual.pulse}
+        />
+
+        <span className="truncate min-w-0 flex-1 font-semibold text-sm">
+          {initiative.name}
+        </span>
+
+        {activity.activePhase && (
+          <>
+            <span className="text-muted-foreground text-sm shrink-0">·</span>
+            <span className="truncate text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+              {activity.activePhase.name}
+            </span>
+          </>
+        )}
+
+        {activity.phasesTotal > 0 && (
+          <span className="ml-auto text-xs text-muted-foreground whitespace-nowrap shrink-0">
+            {activity.phasesCompleted} / {activity.phasesTotal}
           </span>
-          {initiative.projects && initiative.projects.length > 0 &&
-            initiative.projects.map((p) => (
-              <Badge key={p.id} variant="outline" size="xs" className="shrink-0 font-normal">
-                {p.name}
-              </Badge>
-            ))}
-        </div>
-        <div onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+        )}
+
+        {projects.slice(0, 2).map((p) => (
+          <Badge key={p.id} variant="outline" size="xs" className="shrink-0">
+            {p.name}
+          </Badge>
+        ))}
+        {projects.length > 2 && (
+          <Badge variant="secondary" size="xs" className="shrink-0">
+            +{projects.length - 2}
+          </Badge>
+        )}
+
+        <div
+          className="shrink-0 opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity"
+          onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+        >
           <DropdownMenu>
             <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
               <Button variant="ghost" size="icon" className="h-7 w-7">
@@ -123,35 +151,6 @@ export function InitiativeCard({ initiative, onClick }: InitiativeCardProps) {
           </DropdownMenu>
         </div>
       </div>
-
-      {/* Row 2: Activity dot + label + active phase + progress */}
-      <div className="mt-1.5 flex items-center gap-3">
-        <StatusDot
-          status={activity.state}
-          variant={visual.variant}
-          size="sm"
-          pulse={visual.pulse}
-          label={visual.label}
-        />
-        <span className="text-sm font-medium">{visual.label}</span>
-        {activity.activePhase && (
-          <span className="truncate text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-            {activity.activePhase.name}
-          </span>
-        )}
-        {activity.phasesTotal > 0 && (
-          <>
-            <ProgressBar
-              completed={activity.phasesCompleted}
-              total={activity.phasesTotal}
-              className="ml-auto w-24"
-            />
-            <span className="hidden text-xs text-muted-foreground md:inline">
-              {activity.phasesCompleted}/{activity.phasesTotal}
-            </span>
-          </>
-        )}
-      </div>
     </Card>
   );
 }