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  • March 2017
  • Case
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CIC: Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (A)

By: William R. Kerr, Sari Kerr and Alexis Brownell
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:21
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Abstract

CIC creates "entrepreneurial ecosystems," renting out office and co-working space to start-ups and related companies and providing basic business needs like Wi-Fi and legal advice. Founder Tim Rowe refers to the CIC as "innovation infrastructure," bringing together money, talent, and ideas in one place. Founded in Cambridge in 1999, CIC has since grown to become one of the largest concentrations of entrepreneurial activity in the world and has expanded to multiple locations across the Boston area. Rowe envisions taking this model to cities across the world, and CIC is in fact about to open a new branch in St. Louis, its first location outside greater Boston. He is concerned, though, because one month from opening day, CIC still has a lot of empty space and few clients signed up. Rowe and his team have to consider how to quickly bring in more clients before opening day, and, more broadly, whether the CIC idea will work outside the Boston/Cambridge area.

Keywords

Start-ups; Boston; Cambridge; St. Louis; CIC; Cambridge Innovation Center; Co-working Space; Entrepreneurial Ecosystems; Innovation Ecosystems; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Business Offices; Innovation and Invention

Citation

Kerr, William R., Sari Kerr, and Alexis Brownell. "CIC: Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (A)." Harvard Business School Case 817-126, March 2017.
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About The Author

William R. Kerr

Entrepreneurial Management
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Related Work

    • April 2017
    • Faculty Research

    CIC: Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (B)

    By: William R. Kerr, Sari Kerr and Alexis Brownell
    • May 2017
    • Faculty Research

    CIC: Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (A) & (B)

    By: William R. Kerr and Alexis Brownell
Related Work
  • CIC: Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (B) By: William R. Kerr, Sari Kerr and Alexis Brownell
  • CIC: Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (A) & (B) By: William R. Kerr and Alexis Brownell
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