Carter Cast
Professor of Business Management @ Finance Department - Kellogg School of Management
Wilmette, United States
Carter Cast is a Series A investor at Finance Department - Kellogg School of Management in Wilmette focused on Software and Facility Management. Carter received his early training in the restaurant division of PepsiCo, Inc. (Pizza Hut International and Taco Bell) from 1986-1990 and then at Frito-Lay from 1992-1997, where he became Director of Marketing, managing the $1.5 billion tortilla chip category and launching Tostitos salsas and dips. Carter then served as vice president of productmarketing and marketing communications at Electronic Arts, launching products like SimCity 3000 and The Sims. He left to become a member of the start-up team for Blue Nile Inc., a Kleiner-Perkins and Trinity Ventures backed company, which became the leading online retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry, selling in excess of $250 million after seven years in existence. Carter was Blue Nile’s senior vice president of marketing, merchandising and site when the company was named one of the forty best e-commerce sites by Forbes magazine. Carter developed the brand and site identity, as well as the marketing communication and product assortment strategy. Carter left Blue Nile to be part of the launch team at Walmart.com, a division of Walmart Stores, Inc. He served as the vice president of marketing from 2000-2002 and the senior vice president of marketing, merchandising, creative and site from 2002-2005. In 2005 Carter was promoted to President of Walmart.com and to CEO in February of 2006. He led Walmart’s e-commerce division to profitability on its way to becoming the third highest volume e-tail site behind eBay and Amazon.com. Carter left Walmart to join Netshops.com, a privately-held ecommerce company funded by Sequoia Capital and Insight Venture Partners, as President and CEO. In 2009, Netshops rebranded and redesigned its site, becoming Hayneedle. Internet Retailer named it as one of America’s Hot 100 Retail sites in December of 2009. In 2011, Carter joined the faculty of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where he is a clinical professor, teaching entrepreneurship and marketing. In addition to teaching, Carter joined New World Ventures in 2012, where he is a venture partner, advising NWV’s portfolio companies. Carter sits on the board of SMS Assist, a New World Venture portfolio company and is also a member of the advisory board of Northwestern University’s Kellogg Innovation Network. Carter graduated from Stanford University in 1985 and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management in 1992.
- Total investments:
- 3
- Last investment:
- Lead investor:
- 67%
Last updated:
For AI agents: llms.txt
Industries Carter Cast invests in
Stages Carter Cast invests in
Countries Carter Cast invests in
Investment Focus
Industry
- Software 1 (33%)
- Facility Management 1 (33%)
- Property Management 1 (33%)
Stage
- Series A 1 (33%)
- Series B 1 (33%)
- Series C 1 (33%)
Investments
| Company | Description | Round | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
SMS Assist
|
SMS is revolutionizing the facility services industry through its remarkable technology. Most large multi-location chains rely heavily on local subcontractors to provide their facility maintenance services, like electrical, plumbing, carpentry and mechanical repairs, floor & window cleaning, landscaping, snow removal, parking lot maintenanceand dozens of other services. Management responsibility for these services is often delegated to the operating units, and as a result, significant opportunities to leverage technology, economies of scale and subject matter expertise are lost. As a national integrator with over 40,000 unique customer sites under contract, SMS Assist helps customers reduce spend on facilities services an average of 20 percent while maintaining or improving quality and providing radical transparency.We execute so you can manage. | $45M / Series C / May 05, 2015 | |
|
SMS Assist
|
SMS is revolutionizing the facility services industry through its remarkable technology. Most large multi-location chains rely heavily on local subcontractors to provide their facility maintenance services, like electrical, plumbing, carpentry and mechanical repairs, floor & window cleaning, landscaping, snow removal, parking lot maintenanceand dozens of other services. Management responsibility for these services is often delegated to the operating units, and as a result, significant opportunities to leverage technology, economies of scale and subject matter expertise are lost. As a national integrator with over 40,000 unique customer sites under contract, SMS Assist helps customers reduce spend on facilities services an average of 20 percent while maintaining or improving quality and providing radical transparency.We execute so you can manage. | $45M / Series B / Oct 22, 2013 | |
|
SMS Assist
|
SMS is revolutionizing the facility services industry through its remarkable technology. Most large multi-location chains rely heavily on local subcontractors to provide their facility maintenance services, like electrical, plumbing, carpentry and mechanical repairs, floor & window cleaning, landscaping, snow removal, parking lot maintenanceand dozens of other services. Management responsibility for these services is often delegated to the operating units, and as a result, significant opportunities to leverage technology, economies of scale and subject matter expertise are lost. As a national integrator with over 40,000 unique customer sites under contract, SMS Assist helps customers reduce spend on facilities services an average of 20 percent while maintaining or improving quality and providing radical transparency.We execute so you can manage. | $15M / Series A / Jun 22, 2011 |
Co-Investors
About Finance Department - Kellogg School of Management
Kellogg shares an unshakable commitment to a diverse and inclusive community. It's a commitment born out of our longstanding belief in the transformative power of a strong and collaborative organizational culture. It recognizes that leveraging diverse perspectives enriches learning, inspires innovation and develops strong leaders.For us,diversity encompasses many dimensions – from personal characteristics to cultural traditions, political world views, academic training, life experiences and other aspects that shape human identity. At the core, all diversity matters. Differences affect how we think, react, create, problem solve and relate to others as people. Differences inform, enrich and empower humankind's collective capacity to create a better world – materially, aesthetically and philosophically. We welcome the vibrant array of cultures, voices and unique perspectives that together make Kellogg a dynamic place to learn, teach and thrive.Our faculty, students and administrators find boundless opportunities to interact with peers from around the world and every imaginable background. They learn from each other in classrooms and seminars, through meetings, club activities, conferences and on global study trips. They forge lifelong bonds with others who share their intellectual curiosity and their desire to make a meaningful difference.
Finance Department - Kellogg School of Management Contacts
| Name | Phone | Socials | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Carter Cast
Professor of Business Management
|
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Linda Darragh
Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship
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Mitchell Petersen
Glen Vasel Professor of Finance
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Sally Blount
Michael L. Nemmers Professor of Strategy
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Aaron Yoon
Assistant Professor of Accounting & Information Management
|
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FAQ
What does Carter Cast invest in?
Carter Cast invests primarily in Software, Facility Management and Property Management startups, most often at Series A and Series B stage. Most of the 3 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in United States. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.
When did Carter Cast last invest?
The most recent investment recorded for Carter Cast closed in May 2015. Shizune tracks 3 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.
Is Shizune's investor data accurate?
Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.
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