Bill Connors and The Farm, a Comcast NBCUniversal Innovation Hub (Powered by Boomtown)

By: Linda A. Hill and Eric Mankin

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Synopsis: In 2017, Bill Connors, the President of Comcast's Central Division, launched a startup accelerator in Comcast's new Atlanta Regional headquarters. Comcast was America's largest cable and internet service provider, having built a profitable business bundling television content and delivering it via cable networks to more than 20 million households. The business was changing rapidly with the rise of streaming services, and Connors wanted to change the culture and orientation of Comcast's central division. Connors was getting ready to meet Burunda Prince, a candidate for the position of Managing Director of the new accelerator. Is she the right person for the job? The case explores structural questions for corporate startup accelerators, such as whether Comcast should hire another company to manage the accelerator and where the accelerator should be located. It also provides a basis for discussions relating to the role that a startup accelerator can play in a large corporation. This case can be taught as a standalone case, or with its counterpart, "Burunda Prince at The Farm, a Comcast NBCUniversal Innovation Hub (Powered by Boomtown)" which would follow this one and focuses on the operational challenges of launching a corporate startup accelerator.