Publications

This note describes how American votes, and explores several structural issues to U.S. elections. View Details

Keywords: Political Elections; Public Administration Industry; United States

August 2024 (Revised November 2024)
Case

No Labels and the 2024 Presidential Insurance Plan

By: Robert F. White and Tom Quinn

After observing record voter dissatisfaction with the choices in the 2024 U.S. presidential election – Democratic nominee President Joe Biden and Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump – the bipartisan nonprofit No Labels decided to reserve ballot access... View Details

Keywords: Disruption; Cost vs Benefits; Forecasting and Prediction; Lawfulness; Failure; System Shocks; United States

August 2024
Background Note

Brief Note on Congressional and Down-Ballot Races (2024)

This brief note explains the other elections that occur in the United States at the same time as the presidential election. View Details

Keywords: Political Elections; Public Administration Industry; United States

August 2024
Background Note

Brief Note on the U.S. Presidential Electoral Process (2024)

A note describing the history and mechanics of the United States' presidential election system, the electoral college. View Details

Keywords: Political Elections; Public Administration Industry; United States

August 2024 (Revised October 2024)
Background Note

Brief Note on U.S. Political Parties and the Presidential Nominating Process (2024)

This note gives a brief overview of the major U.S. political parties and how they nominate presidential candidates. View Details

Keywords: Government and Politics; Public Administration Industry; United States

April 2023
Teaching Note

MAYA Capital

By: Robert F. White, Carla Larangeira and Pedro Levindo

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 822-038. View Details

September 2021 (Revised November 2022)
Case

MAYA Capital

By: Robert F. White, Carla Larangeira and Pedro Levindo

MAYA Capital co-founders Lara Lemann and Monica Saggioro raised $41.5 million through a series of closings for their early-stage Latin American venture capital fund. The two women had met for the first time in mid-2016 when Lemann was contemplating scaling her angel... View Details

Keywords: Early Stage; Portfolio Construction; Fund Management; Investment; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Investment Portfolio; Strategy; Business Startups; Management; Investment Funds; Latin America

May 2019 (Revised February 2020)
Case

Bill Cummings: The Cummings Way

By: Christina R. Wing, Robert F. White and Michael Norris

In 2019, Bill Cummings, founder of Cummings Properties and Cummings Foundation and billionaire signer of the Giving Pledge, is winding down his roles at his company and foundation. How should the management move the company forward? View Details

Keywords: Real Estate Development; Philanthropy; Family Business; Nonprofit Organizations; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Management Succession; Real Estate Industry; United States; Boston

November 2018 (Revised December 2020)
Technical Note

Initial Coin Offerings in 2018

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White and Nathaniel Schwalb

In 2018, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) were an emerging fundraising method for blockchain-based projects. As the ecosystem grew, there were many open questions on regulation, pricing, and even which projects were a good fit for blockchain. However, there was already... View Details

Keywords: Blockchain; Initial Coin Offerings; ICO; Decentralization; Networks; Protocols; Entrepreneurship; Project Finance

November 2018 (Revised June 2019)
Case

CleanWater, Inc.: Running Dry & Out of Time

By: Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White, Shai Bernstein and James Barnett

August 2018
Technical Note

Evaluating Start Ups

By: William A. Sahlman, Ramana Nanda and Robert F. White

A framework for assessing new business opportunities and the business plans used to describe them is developed. Useful for aspiring entrepreneurs in MBA programs. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Business Plan; Opportunities

July 2018
Supplement

Lovepop

By: Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White and Olivia Hull

June 2018
Exercise

Venture Capital Term Sheets

By: Ramana Nanda, William A. Sahlman and Robert White

June 2018
Teaching Note

Lovepop

By: Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White and Olivia Hull

Teaching Note for HBS No. 818-015. View Details

November 2017 (Revised December 2017)
Technical Note

Initial Coin Offerings

By: Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White and Alexey Tuzikov

Keywords: Blockchain; Entrepreneurial Finance

November 2017 (Revised November 2018)
Technical Note

Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets

By: Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White and Alexey Tuzikov

Keywords: Blockchain; Cryptocurrency; Initial Coin Offering; ICO; Finance; Entrepreneurship; Financial Services Industry

October 2017 (Revised December 2017)
Case

AngelList in 2017

By: Ramana Nanda, Robert F. White and Liz Kind

October 2017 (Revised November 2017)
Case

Lovepop

By: Robert F. White, Ramana Nanda and Olivia Hull

As they prepare to graduate from Harvard Business School, the co-founders of greeting card company startup Lovepop need capital to cover the company’s operating costs and must choose between two seed financing offers. One offer is from an angel group and the other from... View Details

Keywords: Accelerator; Incubator; Seed Financing; Convertible Debt; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Financing and Loans; Borrowing and Debt; Growth and Development Strategy; Valuation; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry; Boston; Massachusetts; United States

September 2017 (Revised October 2017)
Case

Discover Capital: Closing an Acquisition

By: Robert F. White, William A. Sahlman and Ramana Nanda

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Financing; Finance; Entrepreneurship; United States

November 2016 (Revised May 2017)
Case

Hyperloop One

By: William A. Sahlman, Ramana Nanda, Robert White, Allison Ciechanover and Jeff Huizinga

This case explores the attempt of Shervin Pishevar, a prominent Silicon Valley investor, to shepherd hyperloop, a futuristic pod-in-tube transportation technology, from concept to transformative reality via Hyperloop One and Sherpa Capital, both companies he... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Finance; Startup; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Finance; Transportation; Product Development; Innovation and Invention; Transportation Industry