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A Day in the Life of a Centure Capitalist
Strebulaev, I; Gouw-Ranzetta, T; Hoyt, DCase SGSB-E444-EEntrepreneurshipThis note describes the tasks that fill the working day of a venture capitalist. Those functions involved in investing (deal sourcing, due diligence, and related tasks) often receive the most attention from students. However, interviews with experienced venture capitalists found that as much or more time is spent working with existing portfolio companies. This note provides insight into each aspect of a venture capitalist’s job: making investm...Starting at €8.20
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Evaluating Venture Capital Term Sheets
Strebulaev, I; Gouw-Ranzetta, T; Hoyt, DCase SGSB-E460-EEntrepreneurshipWhen entrepreneurs are successful in convincing venture capital firms that they are an attractive potential investment, they are presented with offers detailing many terms of the investment agreement. These are described in term sheets. Sorting through the myriad terms can be a daunting proposition for an entrepreneur. Yet, it is important for entrepreneurs to understand the terms of a proposed financing. These determine the payout the entrep...Starting at €8.20
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Tesla Inc.: Strategic Partnerships for Growth
Cara C. Maurer; Ken MarkCase IVEY-9B19M033-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyIn 2018, California-based Tesla Inc. (Tesla) seemed to be gaining momentum after a series of setbacks in the production of its mass-market Model 3 car. Tesla's partnership strategy, guided by founder and chief executive officer Elon Musk, had been key to its success, yet Tesla did not appear to be succeeding as a stand-alone firm. It continued to command a small portion of overall vehicle sales, it had not mastered mass-production techniques, and...Starting at €8.20
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Estimating Walmart's Cost of Capital
Stephen R. FoersterCase IVEY-9B19N011-EFinanceIn March 2019, two senior managers attending an executive education program had been assigned the task of applying their learnings from readings in order to estimate the costs of capital for Walmart Inc. (Walmart). They also needed to discuss why the cost of capital was such an important topic. The managers had with them background information, including a recent Walmart balance sheet and income statement; a U.S. Department of Treasury yield curv...Starting at €8.20
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Starbucks, Howard Schultz, and the Trump Effect
W. Glenn Rowe; Ken MarkCase IVEY-9B19M117-EStrategyAfter the former chief executive officer (CEO) of U.S.-based Starbucks started to voice his political opinions in September 2016, both Starbucks and the CEO faced backlash. As the CEO and former chairman of a large company, he may have felt entitled to voStarting at €8.20
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Granite Apparel: Funding an Expansion (French Version)
James E. Hatch; Larry Wynant; Ken MarkCase IVEY-9B10NF028-EFinanceThe chief financial officer of Granite Apparel is trying to determine which of the three fundraising options is optimal for Granite Apparel to finance a projected rapid growth strategy. The three options are an initial public offering of equity, a privately placed debt issue and a private placement of preferred shares.Starting at €8.20
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Snap Inc.: Becoming a “Camera Company”
Neil Bendle; Ken MarkCase IVEY-9B19A023-EEntrepreneurship, MarketingIn March 2018, Snap Inc. (Snap), based in Venice, California, and commonly known as Snapchat for its application that allowed users to send photos that disappeared, was looking for ways to grow its user base in the competitive social media platform industry and to differentiate itself from the other major platforms. To do this, it was trying to position itself as a “camera” company and to become relevant to a larger target market: adults aged 25 ...Starting at €8.20
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An Influencer Strategy for Budweiser in Canada
Mary Weil; Ken MarkCase IVEY-9B19A014-EMarketingIn January 2018, a senior manager at Labatt Breweries of Canada, headquartered in Toronto, was thinking of how to launch an influencer strategy for the Budweiser brand in Canada. The manager needed a strategy to connect with a group of influential bloggers and other influencers in Canada. These influencers’ opinions affected the way different brands were viewed. Getting the influencers on-side would require finesse as Budweiser was typically seen...Starting at €8.20
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Growing Trafalgar Ales, Meads & Distillery
Lawrence A. Plummer; Ken MarkCase IVEY-9B19M018-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyIn February 2018, the co-owners of Trafalgar Ales, Meads & Distillery, based in Oakville, Ontario, were eager to take on a wide range of new opportunities. In the 18 months since their purchase of the brewery, the two co-owners had devoted great efforts to transforming the company, creating and launching several new and successful beer brands. Contract brewing was de-emphasized, and the layout of the brewery was reset. The owners became involved ...Starting at €8.20
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Stewarding the Soil: An Ontario Farmer’s Quest for Regenerative Agricultural Practices
Wren Montgomery; Pratima Bansal; Melanie Issett; Ken MarkCase IVEY-9B20M013-EEntrepreneurship, StrategyBlake Vince is a fifth-generation farmer who adheres to seemingly unconventional farming techniques. Most farmers in southwestern Ontario use conventional industrial farming methods such as tilling their fields, relying on pesticides and fertilizers, and monocropping (i.e., planting the same crops on the same plot of land year after year). Vince, however, embraces more regenerative agricultural practices (such as no-till farming, wherein the top ...Starting at €8.20