Rachel Doern

Rachel Doern is a Reader in Entrepreneurship at the Institute of Management Studies (IMS) at Goldsmiths, University of London. She joined in January 2014 and holds roles including Senior Tutor on the Senior Management Team, Programme Director for undergraduate Management programs, and Founding Director of Royal Holloway’s MSc in Entrepreneurship. Her research focuses on entrepreneurs in adverse conditions, resilience, and crisis management, with interdisciplinary approaches drawing on sociology and psychology.

Education includes a PhD in Management, MSc in International Marketing, BComm in Marketing, and BA in Economics and Psychology. She has received funding from the British Academy and EY Foundation, emphasizing SME resilience and diversity. Key publications include studies on small business responses to crises like the London Riots and pandemic, and cross-cultural entrepreneurship in Russia and Sweden.

Professional activities include editorial roles for the International Small Business Journal and International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research. She has delivered over 30 talks on resilience, crisis management, and entrepreneurial identities. Notable engagements include the Professor and the CEO webinar series on pandemic resilience.

Her work bridges academic research and practice, addressing barriers to SME growth, mentorship dynamics in craft industries, and youth labor market engagement. Awards include the 2013 ISBJ Best Paper Prize and Best Paper in the Business Support Track.