Alex Nicholls

Professor Alex Nicholls holds the first tenured position in social entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School. He is also a Tutorial Fellow and Governing Body member at Harris Manchester College. A co-founder of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Skoll World Forum, his research spans over 100 peer-reviewed publications, six influential books, and 11,500+ citations. He founded the Journal of Social Entrepreneurship and advises global institutions like the EU and Hong Kong government on social innovation and impact finance.

Education: BA/MA/PhD in English Literature (King's College London), MBA (Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford).

His research focuses on impact measurement, social innovation systems, and fair trade dynamics. Current projects explore AI in impact assessment and historical ethical consumption patterns. He leads executive programs on impact investing and measurement.

Policy Engagement: Advisor to UK Office of Civil Society, EU-funded CRESSI project (€4M), and technical advisor to Community Interest Company regulators. Collaborates with multinational organizations on ethical market strategies and payment-by-results models.

Teaching: MBA courses on social entrepreneurship, impact finance, and systems change. Known for integrating theory/practice with interactive methods.

Labs & Collaborations: Academic director of Oxford Impact Investing Programme. Leads interdisciplinary research teams on global social innovation challenges.