Publications

May–June 2020
Article

Interfirm Ties Between Ventures and Limited Partners of Venture Capital Funds: Performance Effects in Financial Markets

By: Umit Ozmel, M. Deniz Yavuz, Timothy E. Trombley and Ranjay Gulati

We argue that strong indirect ties are conducive to the transfer of private information, which provides an advantage in identifying profitable investment opportunities. In our context, a strong indirect tie is generated between an investor and a focal firm if the... View Details

Keywords: Interfirm Ties; Social Networks; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship; Performance

Find at Harvard

26 Jun 2013
News

How a Trivial Pursuit Became a Significant Case

Bob Reiss Photo courtesy of Bob Reiss It was 1983, and Bob Reiss (MBA 1956) was looking for a new game to play. A Brooklyn native and former basketball star at Columbia University who had become a successful entrepreneur in the toy-and-game industry, Reiss was... View Details

Keywords: Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries; Arts, Entertainment; Miscellaneous Store Retailers; Retail Trade

March 2016 (Revised February 2017)
Case

Hello Alfred: Come Home Happy

By: Joseph B. Fuller and Carin-Isabel Knoop

On a mission to "automate the on-demand economy," Harvard Business School classmates Marcela Sapone and Jessica Beck launched Hello Alfred in 2013 to provide subscribers with an "Alfred" to complete various chores for a monthly fee. In early 2016, the company has built... View Details

Keywords: On-demand Economy; Sharing Economy; Technology Startup; Technology; Growth Strategy; Business Startups; Business Growth and Maturation; Entrepreneurship; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Strategic Planning; Service Industry; United States; Boston; Cambridge; New York (city, NY); California

June 2013
Background Note

Venture Philanthropy: Its Evolution and Its Future

By: Allen Grossman, Sarah Appleby and Caitlin Reimers

This note explores the current state of venture philanthropy in the U.S. and its future. Based on interviews with 28 practitioners in the field of philanthropy and a review of the literature since the publication of the article introducing the concept of venture... View Details

Keywords: Philanthropy; Nonprofit; Social Institutions; Nonprofit Organizations; Social Entrepreneurship; Civil Society or Community; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; United States

December 2004 (Revised March 2007)
Case

Cutlass Capital, L.P.

By: Richard G. Hamermesh and Brian DeLacey

David Hetz and Jon Osgood are forming a new venture capital fund in 2001 to invest in health care start-ups. Describes their fundraising activities at a time when venture capital investing has reached an all-time high. Although their background skills and experiences... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Negotiation Process; Entrepreneurship; Investment Funds; Health Care and Treatment; Business Startups; Health Industry; United States

01 Nov 2011
First Look

First Look: Nov. 1

Entrepreneurship in India Authors:Ejaz Ghani, William R. Kerr, and Stephen O'Connell Abstract We analyze the spatial determinants of entrepreneurship in India in the manufacturing and services sectors. Among... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

07 Nov 2017
First Look

New Research and Ideas: November 7, 2017

firms and nascent industries—our discovery opens several new avenues for research in entrepreneurship and organizational learning. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=52337 Nowcasting the Local Economy: Using... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

Profile

Maha Malik

View Video Born and raised in Islamabad by two parents actively involved in the public sphere—her mother worked at the Ministry of Labor and Manpower, her father at the World Bank—Maha Malik (MPP/MBA 2019) appreciated politics at the most... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Financial Services

Web

Events - Business History

to bhi@hbs.edu for the Zoom link. Sep 29 29 Sep 2025 Business History Seminar Dan Wadhwani (USC Marshall), "Moral Imaginaries of Entrepreneurship in the US, 1775-2025" 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM. Part of the 2025 Business History Seminar,... View Details

09 Jan 2018
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, January 9, 2018

Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=53689 forthcoming Foundations and Trends in Entrepreneurship Personality Traits of Entrepreneurs: A Review of Recent Literature By: Kerr, Sari Pekkala, William R. Kerr, and... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

September 2019
Supplement

Keroche (B): Considering Entry into the Kenyan Beer Market

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Pippa Tubman Armerding

This case discusses the situation of the Kenyan alcoholic drinks producer Keroche in July 2004, when co-founder Tabitha Karanja was debating whether to enter the Kenyan beer market. Doing so would mean direct competition with the multinational EABL in an industry and... View Details

Keywords: Keroche; Alcohol; Alcoholic Drinks; Alcoholic Beverages; Beverages; Drinks; Wine Industry; Wine; Fortified Wine; Viena; Beer; Beer Market; Manufacturing; Production Capacity; Capacity; Growth; Regulated; Unregulated; Informal; Informal Market; Regulation; Illicit; Illegal; Substandard; Dangerous; Shutdown; Factory; Safe; Affordable; Low-income Consumers; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Production; Investment; Safety; Quality; Small Business; Family Business; Crime and Corruption; Customer Focus and Relationships; Decisions; Income; Demographics; Geographic Scope; Geographic Location; Goods and Commodities; Government Legislation; Growth and Development; Business History; Lawsuits and Litigation; Laws and Statutes; Lawfulness; Goals and Objectives; Consumer Behavior; Market Entry and Exit; Problems and Challenges; Social Issues; Poverty; Strategy; Competition; Entrepreneurship; Marketing; Manufacturing Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Kenya; Nairobi; Africa

January 2021 (Revised March 2022)
Case

Brigad: The Future of Work

By: Nien-he Hsieh, Elena Corsi and Daniela Beyersdorfer

In 2019 Florent Malbranche, CEO and co-founder of the French tech startup Brigad, pondered the next growth steps. Founded in 2015, Brigad’s objective was two-fold: to help restaurants and bars find qualified staff for punctual shifts, and to make it easier for... View Details

Keywords: Platform Business; Gig Economy; Regulation; Entrepreneurship; Marketplace Matching; Growth and Development Strategy

Web

Batten Hall | About

Batten Hall Frank Batten (MBA 1952) Batten Hall is named in honor of media pioneer and entrepreneur Frank Batten (MBA 1952). Batten Hall became part of the HBS campus in 2011. The building was once home to public broadcasting’s WGBH... View Details

09 Feb 2010
First Look

First Look: Feb. 9

Public Education: Cases in Education Entrepreneurship Author:Stacey Childress Publication:Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Education Press, 2010 Abstract Based on a popular education View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

January 2025 (Revised April 2025)
Case

Mercado Libre: The Best Is Yet to Come

By: Krishna G. Palepu, Fernando Fragueiro, Carla Larangeira and Mariana Cal

In 2024, Marcos Galperín, CEO and co-founder of Mercado Libre, reflected on its 25-year rise as Latin America’s largest marketplace, fintech leader, and most valuable public company. With operations spanning 18 countries and a robust ecosystem combining e-commerce,... View Details

25 Jun 2018
Research & Ideas

In America, Immigrants Really Do Get the Job Done

helps drive innovation and growth—and could even become more vital to global competitiveness in the future. “The debate is red-hot right now, but in the background, the workforces are rapidly aging in most advanced countries, and public... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Agriculture & Agribusiness; Technology; Service

December 2019
Case

Gary Vaynerchuk: #GaryVee

By: Laura Huang and Sarah Mehta

Fresh out of a public social media debacle, Gary Vaynerchuk needs to reconsider the approach he takes in leading his digital media agency, VaynerMedia. Founded in 2009 by Gary and his brother AJ, VaynerMedia has grown into an unconventional creative marketing agency.... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Leadership Style; Personal Characteristics; Business Growth and Maturation; Marketing; Social Media