Amba Maria van Erkelens

Amba Maria van Erkelens is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Management and Organisation, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research focuses on Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Entrepreneurship, and Circular Entrepreneurship, employing ethnographic fieldwork methods through an Entrepreneurship as Practice lens. She investigates resilience in social entrepreneurship during crises and circular business model development within value networks. She teaches courses like Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Academic Skills.

Education background includes a Bachelor in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from the University of Amsterdam and a Research Master in 'Business in Society' (joint VU/UvA). Her PhD was awarded by VU Amsterdam in 2025.

Research trends emphasize contextual embeddedness, systemic transitions in circular economies, and qualitative methodologies. Key contributions include analyzing embeddedness paradoxes in circular ventures and contextual dynamics in social entrepreneurship ecosystems. Teaching activities are closely aligned with her research expertise in entrepreneurship and sustainability.

No scientific awards are listed, but her work is published in outlets like Journal of Cleaner Production and Academy of Management Proceedings. She collaborates widely on circular economy and entrepreneurship topics, with active research networks in Europe.