Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(606)
- Faculty Publications (81)
- May 2019 (Revised May 2020)
- Case
fidentiaX: The Tradable Insurance Marketplace on Blockchain
By: Alexander Braun, Lauren H. Cohen and Jiahua Xu
Three years ago, Alvin Ang and his partner founded fidentiaX in Singapore, with the ambition to create the world’s first marketplace for tradable insurance policies on blockchain. With a 26-page white paper, the start-up closed a successful fundraising round through an... View Details
- December 2018 (Revised October 2019)
- Case
Barteca: The Challenge and Opportunity of Private Equity
By: Lena G. Goldberg and Michael S. Kaufman
Andy Pforzheimer and Sasa Mahr-Batuz, co-founders of a highly successful seven-location restaurant brand, had just opened the first location of a new brand. They had mapped out future expansion for both brands but wondered if, rather than lining up an assortment of... View Details
- November 2018 (Revised December 2020)
- Technical Note
Initial Coin Offerings in 2018
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
- October 2018 (Revised May 2019)
- Case
Khan Academy 2018
By: William Sahlman and Nicole Tempest Keller
Founded in 2008, Khan Academy was a global educational nonprofit with a mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone anywhere in the world. By 2018, the organization had expanded into numerous content areas, product areas, and geographic markets.... View Details
- October 2018 (Revised July 2019)
- Case
BulkWhiz: Negotiating as a Startup Founder in the UAE
By: Katherine Coffman, Christine Exley and Alpana Thapar
This case follows Amira Rashad as she founds BulkWhiz, a Dubai-based buy-in-bulk grocery delivery platform. Following its launch in September 2017, BulkWhiz experiences rapid growth of 30 percent per month in the United Arab Emirates. Despite this initial success,... View Details
Keywords: Entrepreneurial Management; Start-ups; Startup; Female Entrepreneur; Technology; Decision-making; Negotiations; Co-founders; Fundraising; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Management; Internet and the Web; Growth and Development Strategy; Decision Making; Negotiation; Expansion; E-commerce; Middle East; United Arab Emirates
- October 2018
- Case
Fundraising at St. Camillus Hospital
By: Srikant M. Datar and Caitlin N. Bowler
St. Camillus is a fictional non-profit hospital in rural Maine facing a serious budget deficit. As Director of Marketing, Victoria Stern is building a team to modernize the hospital fundraising efforts. An interview with a promising candidate, who is also a digital... View Details
- June 2018
- Teaching Note
Berkshire Partners: Party City
By: Victoria Ivashina and Jeffrey Boyar
Teaching Note for HBS No. 218-028. View Details
- March 2018
- Case
GoFundMe: The Giving Layer of the Internet
By: Scott Duke Kominers and Allison M. Ciechanover
By 2017, GoFundMe is the world’s largest social fundraising platform. Gross donation volume is growing rapidly, yet the number of monthly campaign starts is relatively flat. The CEO contemplates a variety of growth initiatives. View Details
- January 2018 (Revised January 2019)
- Case
ZappRx
By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Olivia Hull
In October 2015, ZappRx founder Zoe Barry is deciding between two business models for her health technology start-up. Her product, a software application that aims to expedite the prescription fulfillment process for patients with rare diseases, has attracted interest... View Details
- August 2017 (Revised January 2020)
- Case
Berkshire Partners: Party City
By: Victoria Ivashina and Jeffrey Boyar
In 2005, Berkshire Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm specializing in growth equity, was one year into their ownership of Amscan, the market leader of designed, manufactured, and distributed decorated party goods and accessories. However, Amscan's primary... View Details
- 2017
- Article
New Venture Milestones and the First Female Board Member
By: Alicia DeSantola, Lakshmi Ramarajan and Julie Battilana
We explore the antecedents of the addition of the first woman to the boards of directors of entrepreneurial ventures. Building on research on resource dependency, we propose that new ventures are most likely to add the first woman to their boards at three developmental... View Details
- May 2017
- Case
Buffer.com
By: Susanna Gallani, Tiffany Y. Chang, Brian J. Hall and Jee Eun Shin
Social media company Buffer wanted to establish clear company values early in its growth. One of these values was a commitment to transparency in its company practices. Buffer openly shared its business strategies and fundraising decks, among lots of other information.... View Details
- July 2016
- Article
Kicking Off Social Entrepreneurship: How A Sustainability Orientation Influences Crowdfunding Success
By: Goran Calic and Elaine Mosakowski
Research generally suggests that, relative to commercial entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs stand at a disadvantage at acquiring resources through traditional financial institutions. Yet interest in social entrepreneurship appears to be at an all-time high. The... View Details
- November 2015
- Case
Advanced Leadership Pathways: Beatriz Cardoso and Education in Brazil
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter, Daniella Suarez and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone
Beatriz Cardoso, founder of Laboratório de Educação (Education Laboratory) had a dream to propel Brazilian education. However challenges in fundraising made it difficult to scale up her project, based on helping adults help children improve their literacy skills. To... View Details
Keywords: Latin America; South America; Brazil; Sao Paulo; Education Startup; Education Technology; Child Education; Literacy; Blog; Technology; School Districts; Public Schools; Fundraising; Sponsorship; Leadership Skills; Education; Early Childhood Education; Blogs; Internet and the Web; Leadership; Education Industry; Latin America; South America; Brazil; Sao Paulo
- 2015
- Case
Advanced Leadership Pathways: Beatriz Cardoso and Education in Brazil
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter, Daniella Suarez and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone
Beatriz Cardoso, founder of Laboratório de Educação (Education Laboratory) had a dream to propel Brazilian education. However, challenges in fundraising made it difficult to scale up her project, based on helping adults help children improve their literacy skills. To... View Details
- March 2015
- Case
Discover Capital
By: William Sahlman, Robert White and Stephanie Puzio
"Discover Capital" provides an in-depth look at a first time search fund run by the tenacious Kelly Quann Bianucci. It provides background information about search funds and follows Kelly as she successfully raises her over-subscribed fund and begins the search... View Details
- May 2014 (Revised October 2014)
- Supplement
Cycle for Survival (B)
By: Das Narayandas, Kerry Herman and Noah Fisher
Update on Cycle for Survival's 2012, 2013, and 2014 events. Kotkins and Cycle for Survival continued the event's strong growth, and underwent the first phase of a two-year rebranding effort. View Details
- May 2014
- Case
Cycle for Survival (A)
By: Das Narayandas, Kerry Herman and Noah Fisher
Katie Kotkins, director of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's (MSKCC) Cycle for Survival fundraising event, had to determine the best avenue for continuing the event's success and momentum after its founder, Jennifer (Jen) Goodman Linn (HBS '99) passed away... View Details
- March 2014 (Revised February 2015)
- Case
Loki Capital Management
By: Joseph B. Fuller, Shikhar Ghosh and Matthew Preble
In December 2013, Michael Kane was preparing to launch his start-up's first hedge fund. While pleased with the development of the business, he wanted to address a few lingering issues before going any further. He debated whether or not to fire the company's chief... View Details
- February 2014 (Revised August 2016)
- Case
Strava
By: Joseph B. Lassiter III, William A. Sahlman and Sid Misra
Strava is a new fast-growing social network for the avid cyclist and runner. The Strava case traces the entrepreneurial journey of two serial entrepreneurs who have been co-founders in a prior venture, and who have co-founded Strava 3 years ago. The protagonists must... View Details
Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Cycling; Biking; Running; Sports; Technology; Mobile App; Mobile; GPS; Motivation; Behavioral Science; Founders; Term Sheet; Investment; Terms; Silicon Valley; Lifestyle; Strava; Financing; Fundraising; Angel; Valuation; Growth; Forecast; Business Startups; Business Plan; Trends; Forecasting and Prediction; Decision Choices and Conditions; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Institutional Investing; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Innovation and Management; Technological Innovation; Management Succession; Growth Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Timing; Bicycle Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Technology Industry; Sports Industry; Web Services Industry; California; New England