Charles Eesley

Chuck Eesley is an Associate Professor in Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, holding roles such as Faculty Director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program and affiliate at the Stanford Center for AI Safety. His research focuses on how institutions, digital platforms, and AI shape entrepreneurship, with global fieldwork spanning Asia, Africa, and the Americas. He teaches courses on entrepreneurship and innovation, and has pioneered methodological innovations like randomized controlled trials in entrepreneurship studies.

Education:

• Ph.D., MIT Sloan School of Management (2009)
• B.S., Duke University, Biological Basis of Behavior (2002)

Research Interests: Eesley explores institutional barriers to entrepreneurship, platform governance, and the impact of AI/ML algorithms on venture opportunities. His work emphasizes methodological rigor, including experiments on mentorship effects and refugee entrepreneurship training in Sub-Saharan Africa. Key themes include bridging education and policy to support high-growth ventures, and addressing misinformation financing through platform accountability.

Recent Contributions: His 2024 Nature study revealed how companies inadvertently fund misinformation via ads, while his 2025 work on return migration and platform-enabled entrepreneurship highlights rural-urban entrepreneurial linkages. He has advised global initiatives like Chile’s Startup Program and Taiwan’s ITRI-Stanford collaboration.

Awards & Recognition:

• 2024 Stanford Social Impact Labs Fellowship
• 2022 Teagle Fellow in Liberal Education
• 2018 TUM Research Excellence Award

Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD and Masters students on topics like AI ethics and refugee entrepreneurship. Leads RCTs in Uganda and has secured grants from Kauffman, Schulze, and the NSF.

Labs & Teams: Co-founded NovoEd (an edtech platform) and collaborates with the Stanford Center for AI Safety to address algorithmic governance challenges.