Michiel Verver

Michiel Verver is an Assistant Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, holding appointments in the Faculty of Social Sciences (Organization Sciences department), Amsterdam Sustainability Institute, Network Institute, and OPOS research group. His work bridges anthropology and entrepreneurship studies, focusing on migrant, family, and social entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia (especially Cambodia) and the Netherlands. He conducts comparative research using ethnographic methods, emphasizing embeddedness and cultural dynamics.

Education: BSc in Anthropology, MSc in Culture, Organization and Management, PhD on post-Khmer Rouge entrepreneurship in Phnom Penh. Current projects explore social entrepreneurship's transformative potential in Amsterdam and the role of ethnicity in business contexts.

Research Interests:

• Migrant/ethnic minority entrepreneurship
• Social enterprise ecosystems
• Family business dynamics
• Qualitative methodologies
• Anthropological approaches to business
• Comparative Southeast Asian studies

Teaching: Courses on globalization, qualitative research methods, and organizational anthropology. Active in interdisciplinary initiatives like the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute.

Grants & Projects:

• Harbingers of Change (2023-2024): Examines social entrepreneurship's systemic impact
• Organizing Social Transformation (2023-2026): Urban living labs and systemic change
• PEOPLE Project (2016-2019): People-centered development methodologies

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the Network Institute (complex systems research) and the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute (SDG-focused initiatives). Engages in multi-institutional projects across Europe and Southeast Asia.