Business Case Studies & Business Publications

DressingRm AR

Hernandez, Morela,...

Case

DressingRm AR

Hernandez, Morela; Blum, Kyle

OB-1214 | Published April 20, 2018 | 9 pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

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After two years of constant work on their start-up, "DressingRm AR," Natsumi Nakano and Bridget Ellery were at a crossroads. Two investment offers were on the table. Neither offer provided as much money as the start-up needed, and both came with constraints that made Nakano and Ellery wary. But they were running out of money, and without new investment, they'd have to shut down. Nakano still hoped that they'd eventually find an investor who appreciated the real value of their ideas and accurately perceived their competence. Ellery, meanwhile, was disillusioned after two years of unexpected obstacles. Their ideas were good, she knew, but the marketplace was uglier and more ruthless than she'd anticipated. She no longer believed that it was a meritocracy. If one more man spoke to her with a patronizing tone or hit on her during a meeting, Ellery feared she would snap. Together, they had to decide what to do.

1. Help students examine the role of gender discrimination in the start-up business environment, where the formalized business relationships and nondiscrimination guidelines that exist within many large companies and in the private sector have not yet taken shape. 2. Illustrate the strategies that some women use to navigate a discriminatory business environment. 3. Consider what changes would be necessary to create a nondiscriminatory business environment, what stakeholders would have to do in order to make those changes, and why it is in the interest of all stakeholders to work within a more equitable system. 4. Discuss the role of allies in combating discrimination and harassment.