Clark Kokich And Stone Beach: An Entrepreneurial Venture

Abstract

Clark Kokich is an entrepreneur who raised over $2 million from angel investors to launch a company that manufactured and retailed custom women’s swimsuits.  The Stone Beach Case is the story of the venture, including an introduction and the business plan. An instructor’s guide developed by the case writer is also available.   This article reviews the case and the instructor’s guide, and explains how to obtain a copy that may be used in the classroom. 

The case has two major aspects that make it a useful teaching vehicle.  First, the complete business plan (except for some lengthy details of a telephone survey) is included and can be critiqued by students for completeness, clarity, extent and type of risks, and feasibility.  Second, after Clark quit his job to pursue the venture and was unable to raise sufficient start-up funds over a three month period, he was presented with an offer to return to work for his former manager, who was a division president of AT&T at that time. But the offer had a deadline: just a few days.  Clark had three options: (1) keep going; (2) take the job; or (3) pursue another venture.  Examination of these options provokes lively class discussions.