Growing Your Social Capital

Bill Fisch - President of Mitchell Performance Faux Leather 

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Bill is the president and owner of the Mitchell Group. Mitchell was established in 2004 and is a major converter of coated fabrics to various upholstery markets around the world. 

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Domain Expert 

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I did some research on large faux leather companies that produce faux leather and outsource it to companies, like my business would do. The Mitchell group seems to be one of the biggest suppliers of faux leather and I found the owners' contact  information on their website 

4) The nature of the exchange you have with the person -- what favor did they do for you? What is the return expectation? 

I did not exchange anything for talking with Bill. I asked him for some information about himself and his business for this assignment but I didn't give him any information in return, as I don't really have anything valuable for his business. 

5) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Including Bill Fisch in my network would give me a better idea of the industry I want to get into and would help me understand how it's like to work with companies and sell them faux leather. It would be helpful to get information from someone who has already been in your shoes and made it out being successful. 

Manny Kohli - President and owner of Matt & Nat 

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Manny Kohli is the president and owner of the vegan Canadian accessories brand, Matt & Nat. He is from India and was drawn to the company due to his love for animals the culture he grew up in. 

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Market expert 

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I found Manny Kohli by researching companies that sell vegan handbags and accessories. Matt & Nat is one of the most well-known companies creating vegan leather to create handbags and accessories. 

4) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Including Manny Kohli in my network would be extremely beneficial to me and my business. He is extremely knowledgable on the faux leather/vegan accessories industry and would know how to go about creating this business and how to properly market vegan leather. 

Matt Foster - Owner of Maverick Leather Company 

1) Who they are and what their background is.

Matt Foster is the owner of a large leather supplying company. He has been in this business for 30 years and focuses on supplying the best quality leather to companies or individuals. 

2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot.

Supplier 

3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person.

I did some research on real leather suppliers that I would possibly be in competition with for vegan leather, and I discovered Maverick Leather Company and Matt Foster's contact information was located on their website. 

4) How will including this person in your network enhance your ability to exploit an opportunity?

Including a competitor in my network would be helpful because I can attempt to have an edge up in regards to marketing techniques. I could also learn how and why leather is more desirable than faux, and learn about the overall market. 

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