William Saunders

Dr. William Saunders is an Associate Professor at the Haskayne School of Business (University of Calgary), specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation. He serves as Academic Director of the Embedded Certificate in Entrepreneurial Thinking (ECET) and holds adjunct roles in the Cumming School of Medicine's Community Health Sciences and Medicine departments. His research focuses on technology's role in professional practices, knowledge management systems, and academic-industry collaborations in entrepreneurship. Saunders has taught courses on entrepreneurship, information systems, and innovation at multiple institutions, including the University of Calgary and Memorial University of Newfoundland.

He holds a B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics (Memorial University, 1996), an MBA in Information Systems (Memorial, 2000), and a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems (University of Calgary, 2006). He is also an ICD.D (Institute of Corporate Directors, 2016). His research has been funded by SSHRC, NSERC, CFI, and CIHR, among others, and he has published in leading journals like Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice and Journal of Business Venturing.

Key research themes include healthcare innovation (e.g., eHealth systems via the Ward of the 21st Century incubator), the impact of technology on professional practices, and entrepreneurial ecosystem dynamics. His recent work addresses pandemic-related challenges for entrepreneurs and healthcare systems. Saunders has received awards such as the PEAK Scholar (2014) and Senior Research Fellow at The Centre for Innovation Studies (2021).

His teaching includes graduate entrepreneurship courses (e.g., ENTI 781) and executive education programs. He actively supervises graduate students and collaborates on projects blending technology, healthcare, and business innovation. Saunders’ work emphasizes translating academic research into real-world applications through partnerships with industry and healthcare sectors.