Emanuele Colonnelli

Emanuele Colonnelli is the Joseph L. Gidwitz Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He serves as Board Member and Co-Chair of the Finance Sector at J-PAL, leads the Finance and Entrepreneurship theme at PEDL, co-directs BFI LATAM, and is a Research Associate at NBER, CEPR, and BREAD. He founded the Chicago Booth Entrepreneurship Research Lab and directs Undergraduate Studies in Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago.

Education:

• PhD in Economics, Stanford University (2018)
• MSc in Economics, Bocconi University
• BSc in Economics, University of Siena
• Visiting Scholar, Pembroke College, Oxford University

Research Interests: Colonnelli's work focuses on the intersection of finance, development economics, and political economy. His primary investigations examine high-growth entrepreneurship, government-firm-investor dynamics, venture capital in emerging markets, corruption mechanisms, ESG impact, and bankruptcy systems. His methodology emphasizes large-scale field experiments across 16+ emerging economies.

Publication Trends: His research consistently employs field experiments and administrative microdata to analyze institutional impacts on firms. Recent work demonstrates growing emphasis on ESG polarization, public procurement integrity, bankruptcy stigma, and political influences in labor markets – frequently set in Brazil, China, and Uganda.

Awards and Honors:

• 2023 Carlo Alberto Medal (top Italian economist under 40)
• Poets & Quants 40 Under 40 Best MBA Professors

Leadership and Grants: As founding director of the Chicago Booth Entrepreneurship Research Lab, he oversees investigations into global entrepreneurial ecosystems. He secured multiple grants through PEDL, BFI, and J-PAL to support field experiments in developing economies. At Booth, he developed the first MBA course on emerging markets venture capital.