Publications
Publications
- 2012
Robert Whelan and the Student Loan Crisis (A)
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Olivia Leskinen
Abstract
Robert Whelan and the Student Loan Crisis (A)
2009 AL Fellow
Bob Whelan developed an idea with partners that was a seed before his fellowship year and seemed to address a significant national challenge - college financing - with a creative concept and experience from his years in venture capital. His nonprofit was called 13th Avenue Funding and it provided equity as an alternative to debt for students to finance college. Since he first set out on his journey, he faced a lot of resistance and difficulty in scaling his non-profit aimed at enabling one million low income students to obtain a postsecondary education debt free. Whelan continued to persist and adapt to the changing environment.
Keywords
Innovation; Entrepreneurs; Leadership Skills; Student Loan Crisis; Student Loans; Students; Low-income; Postsecondary Education; Debt-free; Income-share Agreements; ISA; College; Master’s Degree; Google; Purdue Research Foundation; Kanter’s Law; Elida Gonzalez; 13th Avenue; Ed Lowry; Flexibility; National Student Debt Jubilee Project; Fundraising; Difficult Middles; Investing In Student Success Act Of 2014; State Engagement; State Level; Pay It Forward; Student Movement; Tuition; Financing College; Change Management; Entrepreneurship; Innovation and Invention; Leadership; Education; Higher Education; Financing and Loans; Social Enterprise
Citation
Kanter, Rosabeth M., and Olivia Leskinen. "Robert Whelan and the Student Loan Crisis (A)." Harvard Business School Case 313-009, 2012. (Advanced Leadership Initiative.)