Publications

September 2017 (Revised January 2019)
Case

Public Entrepreneurs? Picking a Path

By: Mitchell Weiss and Matthew Segneri

Direct entry into government remained an uncommon post-HBS path, with only 1%–2% of recent classes going directly into the public sector. But, for public-minded MBAs, government wasn’t the sole province for public problem-solving. MBAs could join or launch companies... View Details

12 Sep 2011
Research & Ideas

The Untold Story of ‘Green’ Entrepreneurs

In the 1920s, on pitch black nights in rural eastern Montana, the farmhouse owned by the parents of brothers Marcellus and Joe Jacobs stood out for one reason: it had light, although located far from power lines and gasoline supplies. It was a beacon in the dark that... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

26 Nov 2001
Research & Ideas

Women Entrepreneurs Use Springboard for Funding

What do a health food manufacturer, an infectious-diseases specialist and a content-management expert have in common? Answer: All are women, all are entrepreneurs. And by virtue of being women and entrepreneurs they share one... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

04 Aug 2003
Research & Ideas

Shackleton: An Entrepreneur of Survival

change. That's what happened to Shackleton, too. He thought he was going to be an entrepreneur of exploration, but he became an entrepreneur of survival. Q: When he returned home in the autumn of 1916,... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

July 2023 (Revised May 2024)
Case

India Stack: Digital Public Infrastructure for All

By: Tarun Khanna, Anjali Raina and Rachna Chawla

Amitabh Kant, India Sherpa in the year of India's G20 Presidency, and Nandan Nilekani iconic tech entrepreneur wondered how to share India's model of digital public infrastructure to build social and economic inclusion. 'India Stack', the umbrella term for India's DPI... View Details

Keywords: Digital Transformation; Information Technology; Technology Adoption; Developing Countries and Economies; Economic Growth; Information Technology Industry; Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Asia; South Asia; India

2010
Casebook

Transforming Public Education: Cases in Education Entrepreneurship

Based on a popular education entrepreneurship course at Harvard Business School, Transforming Public Education organizes 18 case studies into modules that reflect the predominant opportunities pursued by social entrepreneurs focused on public education in the United... View Details

Keywords: Social Entrepreneurship; Education; Transformation

11 Jan 2022
Cold Call Podcast

Can Entrepreneurs and Governments Team Up to Solve Big Problems?

Keywords: Re: Mitchell B. Weiss; Technology

09 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

Why Entrepreneurs Should Go Work for Government

School who has created a new MBA course, Public Entrepreneurship. "The course allows students to consider the alternative that government can work—or they can help make it work." “We have many talented people in government, but... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

14 Dec 2009
Research & Ideas

Can Entrepreneurs Drive People Movers to Success?

How did you first become interested in PRT systems? Ben Edelman: As a longtime user of public transportation, I often wish for more widespread transit links, more frequent services, and faster journeys. Yet I'm shocked by the costs of... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Transportation

16 Aug 2022
Op-Ed

Now Is the Time for Entrepreneurs to Play Offense

For the past six months, there has been a lot of handwringing about the market downturn. Most everyone has been advising entrepreneurs to marshal their capital, cut costs, and extend their runway. In essence, play defense. Many investors... View Details

Keywords: by Jeffrey Bussgang

February 2011 (Revised September 2013)
Case

Sound Group China: Urban Waste Entrepreneurs

By: John D. Macomber, Chad M. Carr and Fan Zhao

Private sector entrepreneur in China with advanced solid waste management capability competes with state owned enterprises and also government policies supporting a rival technology. Wen Yibo has used engineering expertise and political savvy to build a major privately... View Details

Keywords: Private Sector; Public Sector; Service Delivery; Business and Government Relations; Environmental Sustainability; Wastes and Waste Processing; Urban Development; Utilities Industry; China

11 Feb 2020
Sharpening Your Skills

10 Rules Entrepreneurs Need to Know Before Adopting AI

Although adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for the enterprise is still in the early days, the technology has matured enough for entrepreneurs to start gathering inspiration and evaluating opportunities for... View Details

Keywords: by Rocio Wu

08 May 2023
Research & Ideas

How Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Crushed Crowdfunding for Minority Entrepreneurs

but that gap triples during periods of high public anxiety over immigration in the United States. “When there is the greatest anxiety, we see this funding shortfall.” Banks have historically rejected loan applications from Black, Asian,... View Details

Keywords: by Scott Van Voorhis

September 2008 (Revised October 2008)
Case

Marc Abrahams: Annals of an Improbable Entrepreneur

By: Boris Groysberg and Michael Slind

Marc Abrahams was a media entrepreneur who specialized in science humor. In 2008, he sought to boost the scale and monetization potential of his business. That business, called Improbable Research, encompassed a magazine (Annals of Improbable Research), a high-profile... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Selection and Staffing; Human Capital; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Personal Development and Career

Find at Harvard

23 Jun 2021
Research & Ideas

One More Way the Startup World Hampers Women Entrepreneurs

Before launching new products, entrepreneurs are often filled with doubt: Will their ideas successfully take off in the marketplace—or will they fall flat? To cut down on uncertainty, creators can post their inventions on platforms such... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

April 2006 (Revised February 2007)
Case

Rebuilding the New Orleans Public Schools: Turning the Tide?

After Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Public School System is faced with rebuilding from the ground up. The challenge is enormous, as is the opportunity to remake the lowest performing public school system in Louisiana and one of the lowest performing in the nation.... View Details

Keywords: Programs; Natural Disasters; Urban Development; Education; Infrastructure; Public Administration Industry; Public Administration Industry; New Orleans

2016
Working Paper

Immigrant Entrepreneurs and the Social Safety Net

By: Gareth Olds

This paper explores the role of public health insurance in small business ownership among immigrants, a group with high rates of entrepreneurship. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 created a five-year “waiting period” for legal... View Details

Keywords: Insurance; Entrepreneurship; Welfare or Wellbeing; Immigration