E438
H. Irving Grousbeck, Sara Rosenthal
2012
The Serena and Lily case describes three challenging situations faced by Lily Kanter, CEO of Serena and Lily, a luxury home goods company. The first vignette involves Marta Calfee, one of Lily’s first and most dedicated employees. As the company grows…
E426
Sara Rosenthal, Michael Child
2012
The Tiny Prints case describes the founding of the online stationery company in 2004, through its growth and evolution to 2007. The three cofounders bootstrapped the company from the beginning, primarily so that they could retain control over the…
IB103
Torey McMurdo, Condoleezza Rice, Amy Zegart
2012
The Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) is a 1.25-square-mile industrial park six miles north of the Demilitarized Zone in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The complex includes both North and South Korean workers, and is subsidized by Seoul. The…
E434
Ara Han, Russell Siegelman
2012
Ken Lazarus, CEO of Lilliputian Systems, was excited about the market potential for the company’s inaugural product, a portable charger for personal electronics that did not require a wall outlet. The “Mobile Power System” (MPS) allowed consumers to…
E447
Ilya Strebulaev, Theresia Gouw Ranzetta, David Hoyt
2012
Most venture capital profits come from a small percentage of investments, despite high expectations for each investment made. As a result, a small improvement in selecting portfolio companies can make a substantial improvement in fund results.
This…
IDE02
Gina Jorasch, Michael Kennedy, Jesper Sorensen
2012
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, EcoPost manufactures construction posts out of the thousands of tons of plastic waste produced daily by the city. The posts, which are manufactured using second-hand industrial equipment, are frequently used to build fences, park…
IDE01
Gina Jorasch, Michael Kennedy, Jesper Sorensen
2012
Mobius Motors manufactures and sells low-cost cars in the Kenyan market. The company strives to make the cars such that they are affordable, yet still perform well on Africa’s generally poor road networks. The company has attracted a lot of attention…
E429
H. Grousbeck, Arar Han
2011
John Stanton (HBS MBA ’79), founder of Western Wireless (T-mobile), faces two management decisions: what to do about a good friend and senior executive whose role needs to be redefined, and how to respond to a departing board member who wants to email…
SPM55
George Foster, Amanda Luther
2011
In 2010, venture capitalist Joe Lacob pursued his lifelong dream to own and operate a professional sports team. Three months after he purchased the Golden State Warriors basketball franchise, Lacob reflected on the team’s history, and progress to date…
SM196
David Hoyt, Stefan Reichelstein
2011
Environmental stewardship was part of REI’s culture since the company was founded, and integral to its corporate purpose. In 2005, REI began carefully measuring its environmental impact, establishing aggressive sustainability goals, and implementing…
SI83
Georgia Koehane, William Meehan III
2011
In January, 2010 QuestBridge, a national leader in making college a reality for bright, motivated low-income students, was sixteen years old. Founder and President, Michael McCullough, was thinking about the organization’s future. In 2009, QuestBridge…
E430
Mike Child, Sara Rosenthal
2011
Jessica Herrin, founder and CEO of Stella & Dot, started her entrepreneurial career as the co-founder of Wedding Channel, an experience which laid the foundation for her most recent venture, a direct sales jewelry business. Jessica’s main goal in…
GS78
David Hoyt, Hau Lee
2011
Mountain Hazelnut Venture Limited (“Mountain Hazelnuts”) was founded with economic, social, and environmental objectives. It planned to distribute young hazelnut plants at no charge to a large number of subsistence farmers in Bhutan. The farmers would…
E428C
Mark Leslie
2011
John Beck, CEO of LightSpeed Computers, is seeking $10 million in venture capital financing to get his company off the ground after its initial seed funding. In Parts A through C, John faces a number of challenging scenarios, starting with the request…
GS57C
David Hoyt, Hau Lee, Michael Marks
2011
In 2009, many thought Crocs was “dead.” The C case presents exhibits that illustrate the company’s recovery.
GS57B
David Hoyt, Hau Lee, Michael Marks
2011
Through 2007, Crocs grew rapidly, and its stock soared. In early 2008, the stock plunged, as analysts cited excess inventory. During 2008, revenues decreased, and the company restructured. The B case summarizes these developments, and asks what the…
E428B
Mark Leslie
2011
John Beck, CEO of LightSpeed Computers, is seeking $10 million in venture capital financing to get his company off the ground after its initial seed funding. In Parts A through C, John faces a number of challenging scenarios, starting with the request…
E428A
Mark Leslie
2011
John Beck, CEO of LightSpeed Computers, is seeking $10 million in venture capital financing to get his company off the ground after its initial seed funding. In Parts A through C, John faces a number of challenging scenarios, starting with the request…
E425
H. Grousbeck
2011
These vignettes are based on a fictional organization, Starling Systems, in which Jack Swain, Starling’s COO, has been selected by the company’s board of directors to replace the recently departed CEO. Jack must deal with four challenging situations in…
E418
Andrew Rachleff, Sara Rosenthal
2011
The OpenTable case describes the company’s evolution from its startup phase in 1998 to its decision to go public ten years later. The company transitioned through three CEOs until it hired Jeff Jordan, former head of PayPal and general manager of eBay…
E417
H. Grousbeck
2011
Nuru International was founded in 2008 as a social venture with the goal to eradicate extreme poverty around the world by helping the rural poor achieve self-sufficiency. The case follows Jake Harriman, founder and executive director, through the…
E401
George Foster, Arar Han
2011
Robert Eberhart is an American electronics executive living abroad in Japan as market president. He’s ready to move on to something new and discovers that the changing distribution laws in Japan may provide him a chance to upend the supply chain for…
E395
Arar Han, James Lattin, Mark Leslie
2011
James Gutierrez has started a socially responsible consumer lending company focused on serving the underbanked Hispanic market. The company has gone through a succession of sales directors and Gutierrez has now pinned his hopes on his operations director…
BE17
David Hoyt, Stefan Reichelstein
2011
In 2010, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) considered adding photovoltaic solar panels to the roofs of some of its facilities. This was driven by both financial and environmental considerations. In 2008, the company had added solar panels to 11…
