Cashing In On Crimson

By Angela N. Fu and Dianne Lee.

Armed with over a decade of teaching experience and a desire to teach a variety of subjects, Dominique Padurano ’93 faced one last challenge—what to name her new tutoring company.

“I wanted to clearly capitalize on my connection with my alma mater,” Padurano says. She had once heard Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, say that companies with a hard “C” sound in their names tended to do well. Padurano settled on “Crimson Coaching.”

From the start, that nod to Harvard helped draw in clients. “I think that was what got me in the proverbial door,” Padurano says.

Indeed, the Harvard brand has overwhelming power—Padurano is not alone in trying to monetize its influence. Wander through Harvard Square and you’ll see dozens of businesses that deploy the University’s name. Crimson hoodies and t-shirts dominate storefronts. At the very heart of the Square, Harvard gear peeks out from the windows of Out of Town News. Across the street, a bold crimson sign indicates the Coop… Read the full article