Olav Sorenson

Olav Sorenson is the Joseph Jacobs Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies, Professor of Strategy and Sociology, and Faculty Director of the Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at UCLA Anderson School of Management. He teaches electives on venture capital strategy and entrepreneurial venture initiation.

Education includes:

• Bachelor's degree from Harvard College
• Master's and doctoral degrees from Stanford University
• Honorary doctorate from Aalborg University

His research examines how entrepreneurship influences regional growth and competitiveness, focusing on social capital's role in entrepreneurial success. Secondary research explores connections between basic science and innovation, and organizational learning from customer interactions and manufacturing experience.

Publications appear in top journals including Science, American Journal of Sociology, and Strategic Management Journal, covering trends in economic geography, innovation diffusion, and organizational adaptation.

Awards:

• Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research (2018)

He mentors student startup teams and has held chaired professorships at Yale School of Management and University of Toronto.