Publications

July 2020 (Revised January 2021)
Case

Pattern Brands

By: Sunil Gupta, Elie Ofek and Julia Kelley

In March 2020, direct-to-consumer (DTC) company Pattern Brands needed to decide how to allocate resources across its different brands. Pattern Co-Founders Nick Ling and Emmett Shine hoped to avoid the pitfalls faced by some DTC companies—such as inability to scale and... View Details

Web

Podcast - Business & Environment

Addict TuneIn Pandora Audacy Deezer JioSaavn 16 Jul 2025 Climate Rising Investing in Climate Resilience and Poverty Alleviation: Acumen Founder & CEO Jacqueline Novogratz In this Climate Rising episode in our series on climate resilience,... View Details

October 1995
Case

Johnson-Grace: March 1994

Johnson-Grace is a cash-strapped start-up company negotiating a licensing agreement with America OnLine (AOL), a leading provider of on-line services in the United States. The Johnson-Grace technology would enable AOL to transmit visual images to its customers more... View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Online Technology; Negotiation; Business Startups

13 Nov 2020
News

Global Ambition

startup. “So many of our classmates were also working in the Bay Area. It was an amazing summer,” remembers Kao, who prior to HBS attended Wellesley College and then spent four years at Goldman Sachs. “I was working for a startup that... View Details

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Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship - Health Care

Startup Culture.” Industry Access Fellows build a network of connections across the life science industry in various ways. They are matched with Key Advisory Board members who serve as their mentors throughout the program and attend... View Details

27 Feb 2018
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, February 27, 2018

stage entrepreneurial ventures. Given the inherent uncertainty surrounding a decision to invest in these ventures, prior research has found that experienced investors rely heavily on their investor gut feel—dynamic expertise-based... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Web

Finding Job Opportunities - Alumni

career opportunities. Idealist Idealist is a job board with a focus on social enterprise. Job postings are frequently mission-driven with an emphasis on collaboration. AngelList Interested in working for a startup? AngelList is a website for View Details

02 Feb 2016
First Look

February 2, 2016

School Case 214-021 The Abraaj Group and the Acibadem Healthcare Investment (A) This case concerns the proposed buyout of Acibadem, a leading hospital chain in Turkey. Abraaj, a MENA region private equity firm, proposes to make its first... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 2010 (Revised January 2013)
Case

Urban Water Partners (A)

By: Karthik Ramanna, George Serafeim and Aldo Sesia

The case explores a new business venture to bring clean water to residents of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who otherwise cannot afford it. Management has enough money to get the company through August 2010 but needs more capital thereafter. An HBS alumnus is interested in... View Details

Keywords: Accrual Accounting; Financial Statements; Business Startups; Social Entrepreneurship; Investment; Performance Evaluation; Dar es Salaam; Massachusetts

Web

Entrepreneurship - Faculty & Research

Baik , Johan Ludvig S. Karlsen and Katja Kisseleva 2025 | Working Paper | Faculty Research Using Norwegian administrative data, we identify family equity investments in startups and examine their effects on... View Details

Web

Programs & Resources - Entrepreneurship

Summer Fellows Entrepreneurs-In-Residence Loan Reduction YouTube Channel For Alumni More than 50 percent of our graduates create ventures in a quest to change the world. The Rock Center provides unrivaled support as our alumni transform the entrepreneurial landscape by... View Details

28 May 2024
In Practice

Job Search Advice for a Tough Market: Think Broadly and Stay Flexible

‘yes’ The venture capital and startup job market is particularly slow this year. I am reaching into my network more than in prior years to put students in touch with people in the industry. Down rounds and layoffs in tech have been in the... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

November 2001 (Revised October 2006)
Case

Smartix (A): Dancing with Elephants

By: Donald N. Sull, James K. Sebenius and Noam Wasserman

This case describes issues facing the founder-CEO of a high-tech start-up in Boston, as he negotiates with multiple large potential partners and investors. The negotiations include a potential business partnership with FleetCenter and Madison Square Garden, and a... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Venture Capital; Negotiation; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Power and Influence; Technology Industry; Boston

March 2015
Case

BOLT: Seed Venture Capital Firm

By: William A. Sahlman and Robert F. White

BOLT is a different kind of seed venture capital firm built to serve the needs of early-stage startups at the intersection of hardware and software.

In the past decade, the cost of entrepreneurial experimentation has dropped dramatically, particularly in web... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Finance; Accelerator; Entrepreneurship; Finance; Venture Capital; Applications and Software; Information Infrastructure; Strategy

23 Jan 2024
News

A Wide Net

Growing up in Mumbai, Navroz Udwadia (MBA 2005) spent most of his time on the tennis court, where he was an internationally ranked athlete. Today, as cofounder and partner of Alpha Wave, a global investment group with a multibillion-dollar stake in India’s startup... View Details

Keywords: April White

20 Jan 2015
First Look

First Look: January 20

production. Executives of European and Russian energy companies present their views. Purchase this case: https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/product/715006-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 515-035 MasterCard: Driving Financial Inclusion MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga was... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 1998 (Revised October 2002)
Case

Harbus Foundation, The

By: James E. Austin and Linda Carrigan

Describes the challenges faced by a group of HBS students as they create a foundation. Given surplus funds generated by the student-run newspaper, The Harbus leadership decides to find a meaningful use for the excess cash. Profiles both the entrepreneurial process used... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Decision Choices and Conditions; Asset Management; Financial Institutions; Investment Portfolio; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Problems and Challenges; Social Enterprise; Valuation; Financial Services Industry