This technical note explores the broadening role of entrepreneurship as both an economic and societal force. Students learn that as a distinct problem-solving method, entrepreneurship is teachable and applicable to a wide variety of issues central to human well-being and social improvement. It is akin to the scientific method in its capability to generate both the means to achieve yesterday's ends and the reasons to reject them in favor of new ends undreamed of previously. In this sense, it pervades and intervenes in every sphere of human hope - from economics and social welfare to the very definition of who we are and what we want for ourselves and the societies we live in.

A small start-up company must make additional investments to maximize its firm value. But the company owner will not make this investment unless she can renegotiate outstanding debt claims. Solving this "debt overhang" problem through negotiation is the focus of the case. In this context, students are exposed to a variety of issues: the nature of financial claims, bargaining and negotiation fundamentals, and agency costs of debt.

This case is appropriate for students interested in becoming entrepreneurs, growing small businesses, and the decision making required. The case presents the conflict between what is in the best interests of the business and the pressure caused by family dynamics. A successful family business has as its chief operating officer a son-in-law who is an outstanding performer. When the daughter of the CEO files for divorce, the wife of the founder and mother of the daughter demands that the son-in-law be fired.

Inherent risks or negatives are a critical element of "enterprise risk management" that must be mitigated or dramatically managed through constructive actions to sustain growth and manage reputation. Set in 2003 as Aetna prepares to settle a landmark class-action lawsuit, this case explores how communications and PR executives work with management to devise an announcement that fully engages the company's key stakeholders in this dramatic break with its industry's position. This case is well suited to courses and modules on crisis management, risk management, corporate communication, and strategic communication. Though written for a business school audience, it would be equally useful for courses in communication or public relations programs. The case asks students to choose from a number of possible communication strategies. It also asks students to relate communication strategy to the company's changing business model, which is demonstrated in detail in the case. The authors interviewed not only the top communication managers at Aetna, but also the CEO, CMO, and corporate counsel and some prominent legal experts. It is ever more relevant as the world of crisis issues management, crisis management, and corporate litigation becomes ever more difficult to navigate.

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This technical note explores the broadening role of entrepreneurship as both an economic and societal force. Students learn that as a distinct problem-solving method, entrepreneurship is teachable and applicable to a wide variety of issues central to human well-being and social improvement. It is akin to the scientific method in its capability to generate both the means to achieve yesterday's ends and the reasons to reject them in favor of new ends undreamed of previously. In this sense, it pervades and intervenes in every sphere of human hope - from economics and social welfare to the very definition of who we are and what we want for ourselves and the societies we live in.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) experiences overwelming demand for patents in Class 705: Business Methods. The current resources and process design are not sufficient to handle the incoming patents, and the result is extremely long wait times for patents to be granted. This technical note describes the history of the USPTO, the Business Methods Class, and the process for granting patents.

United Beverages' first product, GangBusters Interactive Beverages, has reached the stage of wide brand recognition. However, over the past 12 months, growth has stalled and the product development team at United Beverages is considering several ideas for future growth. The team must consider market and technical uncertainty as well as resource allocation issues as they define the new product-development strategy for United Beverages.

This note provides students a rich background on the history, evolution, and current challenges in the credit union industry, with a particular focus on community-development credit unions. The case mentions key exemplar community-development credit unions and makes limited predictions about the industry's future direction. The case can be used a companion to "Credit Where Credit is Due: The Latino Community Credit Union" (UVA-ENT-0104).

Having acquired Allied Screens two years earlier, Lawrence Berger is now facing a set of challenges: First, he has lost his largest customer; second, recent sales initiatives were showing mixed results; third, he is facing increasing pressure from his lender. On top of all these challenges, he wonders whether it is time to purse alternative career options. The case requires students to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze and develop alternatives for Berger, given his personal objectives and strategic challenges

Underserved urban and rural areas have found venture capital support via U.S. Community Development Venture Capital institutions, which numbered 68 and managed $870 million as of 2008. Suitable for MBA, undergraduate, and executive learners studying venture capital, urban development, and private equity, this stand-alone backgrounder is also an excellent companion to cases about specific venture capital organizations. CDVCs face challenges unique in the field of private equity, including where they operate and how much lower their rates of return and compensation are.

This case describes the decision by Ascend Ventures to invest in a firm that falls outside their investment strategy. Ascend Ventures is a relatively young private equity firm that has targeted technology companies that are managed by women or minorities. The company under their consideration, Platform Learning, operates in the for-profit education market, providing supplemental education services to children in failing public schools. Because Platform Learning is not a technology company, Ascend's investment managers are worried about their ability to add value in this market and concerned about how their limited partners might react to this investment.

In underserved urban areas, commercial real estate development finance must often factor in government and local policy, community politics, environmental revitalization, ethnic markets, and mixed-use commercial development. In this case, the Reinvestment Fund and the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative join forces to provide access to quality groceries, something often lacking in urban areas. But redeveloping the Progress Plaza location where the new supermarket would be located did not come without headaches.

This case involves the decision-making process of Saunders, Karp, a private equity firm, to invest in Dollar Tree, a single price-point discount store chain. The case requires students to perform a cursory valuation analysis, negotiate with counterparts from the Dollar Tree team, and make an investment recommendation.

This case involves the decision-making process of single price discount store Dollar Tree in considering taking on Saunders Karp, a private equity firm, as an investor and partner. The case requires students to perform a cursory valuation analysis, negotiate with counterparts from the Saunders Karp team, and make recommendation.

Community Development Loan Funds (CDLFs) make up the largest sector of the community development finance industry, with more than 800 certified CDLFs. Ninety-eight percent of CDLFs are nonprofit, servicing mainly the small business sector, with the help of the CDFI Fund, the Small Business Administration, and, increasingly, mainstream banks. CDLFs venture into risky areas where others sometimes fear to go, yet they have high repayment figures and low loss rates.

Five years after its launch, the Latino Community Credit Union had made remarkable progress, garnering 40,000 members and $22 million in assets. More extraordinary was the LCCU's customer base: Hispanic immigrants, many of them undocumented. The credit union's next bold step was to consider introducing credit cards for their customers. The question was how to make it work.

This case is designed to illustrate the methods private-equity investors use in assessing the value of market opportunities--in this instance, a plus-size clothing retailer targeted to African-American and Hispanic women. The case addresses several issues, including niche marketing, urban development, and the challenge of evaluating market potential...

This case describes the decision by Ascend Ventures to invest in a firm that falls outside their investment strategy. Ascend Ventures is a relatively young private equity firm that has targeted technology companies that are managed by women or minorities...

This case is designed to illustrate the methods private-equity investors use in assessing the value of market opportunities--in this instance, a plus-size clothing retailer targeted to African-American and Hispanic women. The case addresses several issues, including niche marketing, urban development, and the challenge of evaluating market potential.The protagonist, a private-equity partner, must determine the market viability of an investment opportunity offered to his firm.

These materials can be used by instructors desiring to illustrate the role of social relationships in fostering organizational and entrepreneurial action. Based on the Stanley Milgram's study of social connections in the 1960's, the exercise requires students to attempt to reach a target person through a chain of their own personal relationships. These connections are tracked through an online interface, and participants are able to track the progress of their relationship chains, along with demographic information about those that have participated in the exercise. For instructors, the exercise includes an online interface that tracks all participating chains, and allows the progress of each chain to be shown graphically on a global map.