Sara Hartmann

Sara Hartmann is an Assistant Professor in Design Innovation and Fashion Design at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), where she founded the Creative Economy Business Incubator and produces the Creative Economy Workshop Series in partnership with the City of Boston. These initiatives have collectively served over 2000 artists and creative entrepreneurs since 2019 through business skills training and professional development programs.

Her educational background includes:

• 2010 - MBA in Entrepreneurship from Simmons University
• 2004 - BFA in SIM and Fashion Design from Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Hartmann's research centers on arts entrepreneurship and equitable economic models for creative professionals, with specific focus on financial anxiety reduction and truthful entrepreneurial narratives. She investigates how generative AI impacts career pipelines while developing frameworks for sustainable business practices in cultural sectors through her cross-disciplinary work at the intersection of design, economics, and social justice.

Her scholarly publications reveal consistent themes: the 2021 article advocates for honest storytelling to build just entrepreneurial ecosystems, while the 2012 co-authored research establishes financial viability of CSR in apparel. This trajectory demonstrates her commitment to evidence-based approaches for ethical business development in creative industries.

Through the Creative Economy Business Incubator, Hartmann has mentored diverse creative ventures while securing institutional support through MassArt-City of Boston partnerships. Her programming addresses systemic gaps in business education for artists, with recent expansions covering AI equity and financial anxiety management.

• Creative Economy Business Incubator (scale-agnostic venture support)
• Creative Economy Workshop Series (city partnership for professional development)

Hartmann leads MassArt's creative entrepreneurship ecosystem while maintaining active industry engagement through her Design Museum Foundation Council membership and ongoing collaborations with regional cultural organizations.