Established in 1997, the California Research Center (CRC) enriches the intellectual activities of HBS faculty and fortifies the connection between the Boston campus and the West Coast. The center’s primary mission is to facilitate faculty research and case study writing on West Coast companies, with an emphasis on California, specifically the San Francisco Bay Area. Since its opening, the CRC has helped develop more than 250 cases, which are used in all academic units within the School's MBA and Executive Education programs.
Research has focused on topics such as scaling startups, angel and venture investing, acquisition-related manufacturing integration processes, the commercialization of technology, capacity issues at biotech companies, and growth challenges for clean-tech companies. Popular cases over the years include:
The CRC Office is a 6-7 minute walk from Burlingame Caltrain station. The closest BART stop is Millbrae station which is a 10 minute taxi ride to the CRC.
Silicon Valley-veteran Shaun Stewart is the CEO of NewLab, a dynamic technology hub headquartered in the storied Brooklyn Navy Yard. Founded in 2016, NewLab fostered a community of entrepreneurs, corporate and government partners, and investors, all seeking to apply cutting-edge technology to solving global problems at scale. Stewart has expanded the business beyond the early membership subscription model to now include corporate partnerships, a venture studio, and an investor network. Partnerships include the likes of Ford, Verizon, and IBM, as well as civic organizations like NY State, and various nonprofits and academic institutions. Stewart contemplates the opportunities and the bottlenecks he now faces as he seeks to further expand NewLab.
Teaching Note for HBS Case Nos. 420-055 and 423-026.
Facing a surge in investor interest in EdTech during the COVID-19 pandemic, GSV Ventures must decide whether to raise a larger Fund #2
LooksRare launched a decentralized and anonymous organization to compete against NFT marketplace leader OpenSea. By launching its own cryptocurrency, LooksRare attempted to lure users with a digital rewards program. The nature of the organization and its business model, however, brought challenges that are unique to the blockchain industry.
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Allison Ciechanover oversees the team that develops teaching cases and supports faculty research on West Coast companies, and has written over two dozen cases on tech companies. She also serves as the School’s liaison with the West Coast entrepreneurial community, assisting with MBA admissions, alumni relations, and MBA job search activities. She received her B.A. (magna cum laude) from the University of Pennsylvania, her MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Masters of International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies.
After graduating from Harvard Business School, Allison worked in the Goldman Sachs Investment Management Division. She later led Process Improvement efforts in the Finance Group at Invitrogen (now Life Technologies). Most recently, Allison was a VP for Investments at Pacific Corporate Group, a La Jolla-based private equity fund of funds. Prior to her years at HBS, Allison was an Analyst in Goldman Sachs’s Executive Office, and a Researcher for the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs.