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• Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2020 (Revised December 2020)

  Prime Coalition: Catalytic Capital for Climate Innovation

  Ramana Nanda, Benjamin N. Roth and Olivia Hull

  With long development timelines and high risk, new energy technologies were often left to languish in the “valley of death,” unable to raise enough funds to bring a product to market. In 2014, Sarah Kearney founded the nonprofit Prime Coalition to solve this problem. At the beginning, Prime’s role as a financial intermediary involved seeking out the most promising market-based technology solutions to climate change and recruiting foundations or philanthropists to fund them. In 2019, Prime changed course, adopting a portfolio approach with its Prime Impact Fund. By the end of the year, Prime had raised $40 million in philanthropic capital for its new fund. Once the funds were invested in promising energy startups, Prime planned to try its hand at recruiting traditional investors to back the same companies. Could Kearney convince traditional investors that these investments were worth the risks?

  Keywords: Energy Conservation; Renewable Energy; Social Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Investment; Innovation and Invention; Technological Innovation; Mission and Purpose; Science-Based Business; Nonprofit Organizations; Social Enterprise; Energy Industry; Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Nanda, Ramana, Benjamin N. Roth, and Olivia Hull. "Prime Coalition: Catalytic Capital for Climate Innovation." Harvard Business School Case 820-007, February 2020. (Revised December 2020.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2017 (Revised March 2020)

  Hebrew SeniorLife: Disseminating Excellence in Elder Care and Housing

  Regina E. Herzlinger, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Olivia Hull

  The CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife is contemplating how to scale his highly successful but asset-intensive continuing care retirement community for elders. Among the strategies he is considering is an expansion to China; virtual web-based care; providing continuing care in the home setting; and an expansionist model in the U.S. Hebrew SeniorLife is a mission-driven organization that is managed in a financially-prudent way. Those principles must guide his decision.

  Keywords: continuing care; nursing home; rehabilitation; Assisted Living; elder care; entrepreneurial management; Health Care and Treatment; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Health Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Herzlinger, Regina E., Carin-Isabel Knoop, and Olivia Hull. "Hebrew SeniorLife: Disseminating Excellence in Elder Care and Housing." Harvard Business School Case 317-038, February 2017. (Revised March 2020.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2020 (Revised March 2020)

  Fossil Fuel Divestment

  Michael W. Toffel and Sarah Gulick

  The president of Harvard University is facing growing pressure from students, alumni, and other climate change activists that are urging the university to divest its multi-billion dollar endowment from fossil fuel companies. The case summarizes the arguments for and against Harvard divesting, examining past examples of Harvard’s investment decisions and the financial implications of divestment.

  Keywords: divestment; Higher Education; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Public Opinion; Education Industry;

  Citation:

  Toffel, Michael W., and Sarah Gulick. "Fossil Fuel Divestment." Harvard Business School Case 620-093, January 2020. (Revised March 2020.)  View Details

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