Daniel Leunbach is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Business, University of Oslo , specializing in Entrepreneurship . He teaches courses in strategy, innovation management, and entrepreneurship while integrating philosophy and psychology into his research to study decision-making under uncertainty. Ph.D. in Strategy and Entrepreneurship, University of Oslo MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Oslo BSc in Molecular Biology, University of Bergen His research explores the intersection of entrepreneurship theory , philosophy , and psychology , focusing on how entrepreneurs navigate situations where outcome probabilities are impossible to quantify. Recent publications investigate topics such as entrepreneurial imagination through poetry , resource acquisition negotiations , and Wittgensteinian approaches to defining entrepreneurship . Leunbach collaborates with scholars like Truls Erikson and Glenn Roger Kristiansen , publishing in journals such as Academy of Management Review , Scandinavian Journal of Management , and Journal of Business Venturing Design . He is affiliated with the Entrepreneurship (ENT) research group and consults on entrepreneurial decision-making frameworks.
Warren Seering is the Weber-Shaughness Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering . He plays a pivotal role in the System Design and Management (SDM) program and has been a key figure in design theory and product development research. Education: B.Sc. and M.Sc. from University of Missouri-Columbia (1971, 1972), Ph.D. from Stanford University (1978) Research Areas: Design theory, product development processes, dynamic system modeling, and robotics His work focuses on design innovation , particularly in product development and machine dynamics . He has pioneered set-based thinking and input shaping techniques to reduce mechanical vibrations. Recent research includes balancing risk and innovation in crowdfunding ventures. Seering has served as a visiting professor at Cambridge, Caltech, UC Irvine, UC Berkeley, and Harvard. He founded Convolve, Inc. (1992) and contributed to patents in dynamics control and design optimization . Scientific Awards: Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award (1982) MIT Harold E. Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award (1983) ASME Fellow (1993) MIT Frank E. Perkins Award for Graduate Advising (2007) ASME Design Theory and Methodology Award (2021) Design Society Fellow (2021) Seering has advised numerous graduate programs and served on editorial boards of journals including Research in Engineering Design and IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering . His lab engagements include collaborations with the Nissan Cambridge Basic Research Center and the Skolkovo-MIT Partnership .
Christian FISCH is an Associate Professor in Business Economics and Entrepreneurship at the University of Luxembourg's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT). His research focuses on the intersection of entrepreneurship with digital technologies, venture finance, and socio-cultural influences. Key areas include blockchain-based financing mechanisms (e.g., ICOs), the psychological and digital identity aspects of entrepreneurs, and the impact of environmental/climate factors on entrepreneurial activity. He has published extensively in top journals, addressing topics such as B Corp certification signaling effects, venture capital decision-making, and the paradox of technology adoption among SMEs. His work spans both theoretical contributions (e.g., extending Schumpeterian frameworks) and applied analyses (e.g., post-pandemic entrepreneurial resilience). FISCH collaborates with global institutions, leveraging mixed-methods approaches including digital trace analysis from platforms like Twitter to study investor behavior and entrepreneurial traits. He has no listed awards but maintains active research agendas in decentralized finance, climate entrepreneurship, and cross-cultural entrepreneurial motivations. Professional activities include editorial roles in entrepreneurship journals and advising on innovation policy. His research often addresses emerging trends such as NFTs in creative industries, DAO governance structures, and the role of trademarks/patents in regional innovation ecosystems.
Dr. Longji Cui is an Assistant Professor in the Thermo Fluid Sciences, Materials, and Micro/Nanoscale disciplines at the University of Colorado Boulder, affiliated with the Department of Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering and Applied Science. His laboratory focuses on high-precision instrumentation and computational techniques to explore energy transport, conversion, and dissipation at extreme scales, including scanning thermal microscopy, picowatt-resolution sensors, and nanophotonics. Lab Location: ECME 1B66F / ECME 108 Office Location: ECME 267B Research Interests: Dr. Cui's work spans thermal energy sciences, ultrahigh-resolution sensing, scanning probe microscopy, nano-optics, and quantum engineering. His interdisciplinary projects address critical challenges in sustainable energy systems, next-generation microelectronics, and advanced sensor technologies for high-performance applications. Notable contributions include innovations in thermophotovoltaic systems, molecular-scale thermal transport, and plasmonic light emission mechanisms. Recent publications emphasize near-field thermal radiation, quantized thermal transport in single-atom junctions, and enhanced energy conversion through nanoscale engineering. These studies bridge fundamental physics with practical applications in renewable energy and nanotechnology. Awards: 2025 CEAS Innovation & Entrepreneurship Fellow 2024 ASME Rising Star Award 2023 NSF CAREER Award 2023 CU Boulder Lab Venture Challenge Award His research group collaborates across disciplines to advance instrumentation for atomic-scale thermal measurements and develop novel materials for energy applications. Ongoing efforts include optimizing thermophotovoltaic devices and exploring hot-carrier dynamics in plasmonic systems.
Kartik Hosanagar is the John C. Hower Professor of Technology and Digital Business and a Professor of Marketing at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is also the Co-Director of the Wharton Human-AI Initiative. His work spans the Department of Operations, Information and Decisions, focusing on the intersection of technology, business, and society. Education: PhD in Management Science and Information Systems, Carnegie Mellon University MPhil in Management Science, Carnegie Mellon University Masters in Information Systems, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS, Pilani), India Bachelors in Electronics Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS, Pilani), India Research Interests: Kartik’s research focuses on the digital economy, particularly the impact of AI, algorithms, and analytics on consumers, businesses, and society. His work explores internet marketing, e-commerce, digital media, information diffusion, platform economics, and the ethical implications of AI. He investigates how technology transforms business models and consumer behavior in online environments. Publication Trends: His recent research combines machine learning, causal inference, and behavioral modeling to study digital platforms, user behavior, and AI applications in marketing and operations. The articles reflect a strong focus on empirical analysis of social media, search engines, and platform design, with applications in advertising, content sharing, and product adoption. Scientific Awards: Best Information Systems paper published in Management Science, 2013-2016 Finalist for Best Information Systems paper in Management Science (2012-2015) Recognized as one of the world’s top 40 business professors under 40 Eleven-time recipient of teaching excellence awards at Wharton MBA Excellence in Teaching Award, 2007 “Goes above and beyond the call of duty” award (multiple years) Advising and Grants: While no formal PhD students are listed, Kartik has supervised independent studies and mentored numerous students through research projects. His entrepreneurial ventures, such as Yodle and Jumpcut Media, reflect real-world applications of his research. He has also secured significant industry engagement through consulting and executive education with major firms like Google, American Express, and Citi. His work is supported by academic recognition, editorial roles, and media outreach. Labs and Teams: Kartik co-directs the Wharton Human-AI Initiative, a research hub exploring the integration of human and artificial intelligence in business. He also leads research groups focused on digital platforms and AI ethics, collaborating with scholars across disciplines to advance understanding of algorithmic decision-making and its societal impact.
Associate Professor Sam Kirshner is a faculty member at the University of New South Wales within the School of Information Systems and Technology Management . His research focuses on behavioral decision making , algorithmic impact on operations , and artificial intelligence applications in business contexts. PhD in Management Science from Queen’s University, Canada Teaching expertise in data visualization, predictive analytics, and AI ethics Co-author of Business Analytics: A Management Approach Member of the Ethical AI Advisory His research explores how psychological distance and construal level theory influence decisions in supply chains, technology management, and consumer behavior. Recent work examines ChatGPT's decision biases , algorithm aversion , and sustainable operations under financial constraints. Key publication trends show focus areas: AI ethics and human-AI collaboration Behavioral supply chain analysis Temporal/spatial psychological distance effects CO2 forecasting with sparse data Consumer behavior in digital platforms Virtual reality and cognitive processing Supervision roles include mentoring 2 PhD students and 6 honors students, contributing to the next generation of scholars in business analytics and technology management.
J. Daniel Kim is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches MBA and PhD courses on entrepreneurship and innovation. His research focuses on high-growth entrepreneurship, venture scaling, strategic human capital, mergers and acquisitions, innovation, and labor markets. PhD - MIT Sloan School of Management BA - Dartmouth College His research explores: Startup hiring challenges and firm-driven search strategies Timing and risks of venture scaling Post-acquisition employee retention patterns Founder impact on organizational change Immigrant founder contributions to entrepreneurship Key article trends show: Focus on talent dynamics in high-growth firms Analysis of organizational antecedents in acquisitions Quantitative approaches using population-level data Interdisciplinary connections between entrepreneurship, strategy, and economics Debunking myths about founder demographics Linkage between labor market mechanisms and startup performance Scientific recognition includes: Multiple Teaching Excellence Awards at Wharton (2024-2020) Best Paper Prize from Strategic Management Society (2020) Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship (2017) MIT Sloan Doctoral Thesis Prize (2019) Prof. Kim serves as an economist with the United States Census Bureau and has published in top journals including Strategic Management Journal , Organization Science , and American Economic Review: Insights . His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal , New York Times , and Financial Times .
Gary G. Bennett serves as Dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience, Global Health, Medicine, and Nursing at Duke University. His research develops digital therapeutics for chronic disease prevention. Research programs focus on: mHealth interventions for obesity/hypertension Equity in digital health access Nutrition assistance program optimization Clinician bias mitigation strategies Behavioral trial design for underrepresented groups Recent publications (2023-2025) evaluate digital DASH diet interventions, clinician bias training, equitable trial recruitment, and WIC nutrition programs. Studies emphasize scalable solutions for underserved populations. Leadership and impact: As dean since 2023, Bennett oversees Trinity College's academic programs. Previously as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, he launched QuadEx and DukeLIFE initiatives. Bennett founded multiple digital health ventures acquired by Anthem and Health Dialog. His NIH-funded research has produced 200+ publications on behavioral interventions.
Ethan Mollick is the Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Rowan Fellow, and Associate Professor of Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as Co-Director of the Generative AI Labs at Wharton, where he researches AI's impact on work, entrepreneurship, and education. His academic background includes a PhD and MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management and a bachelor's degree from Harvard University. Mollick's research spans artificial intelligence applications in business and education, entrepreneurship dynamics, and innovation management. He explores how generative AI transforms classroom education through simulations like PitchQuest, and investigates startup funding disparities with a focus on gender representation. His work on the 'jagged technological frontier' demonstrates how humans integrate AI capabilities through Centaur and Cyborg approaches. His publications reveal consistent focus on practical AI implementation, with recent work examining prompt engineering for diverse idea generation, AI-assisted teaching strategies, and gender representation tipping points in venture capital. The research shows increasing emphasis on educational applications since 2022, coinciding with the ChatGPT breakthrough. MBA Professor of the Year Award, Poets & Quants (2024) Named to TIME Magazine's Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence ASQ Award for Scholarly Contribution (2024) Greif Research Impact Award (2020) McGraw-Hill/Academy of Management Innovation in Entrepreneurship Pedagogy Award (2016) As Co-Director of Wharton's Generative AI Labs, Mollick leads prototype development and research on human-AI collaboration. His teaching includes Technology Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation courses where he implements AI simulations. He has advised numerous organizations and co-founded a startup prior to academia, bringing practical experience to his research on solo versus team ventures. Mollick directs Wharton Interactive's game development initiatives, creating educational simulations including PitchQuest (AI-powered VC simulator), The Saturn Parable (crisis management), and The Entrepreneurship Game. His lab work focuses on creating scalable AI educational tools that provide personalized learning experiences through simulated practice environments.
Dr. Silvia Baiocco serves as Assistant Professor at University of Rome Tor Vergata, teaching entrepreneurship, tourism management, and marketing courses across Bachelor and Master programs including 'Creation of Enterprises and Entrepreneurship' (Master), 'Fundamentals of Service Management' (Bachelor), and 'Tourism and Cultural Management for Sustainability' (Bachelor). Her institutional affiliation centers on Business Economics (sector ECON-07/A) with research rooted in co-evolutionary theory. Her research critically examines sustainable business model innovation through three interconnected lenses: (1) tourism-destination co-evolution in historic villages and Alberghi Diffusi, (2) university-industry knowledge exchange for sustainable spin-offs via PNICube Observatory frameworks, and (3) technology integration in smart tourism through AI-driven destination management. She emphasizes context-specific adaptation in both high-income (Italy) and low/middle-income settings (Ghana), with strong focus on social impact and heritage preservation. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals accelerating focus on digital tourism transformation (AI applications, smart city integration) and resilience-building in accommodation firms. Her work consistently applies co-evolutionary frameworks to decode organizational adaptation, particularly in sustainable entrepreneurship contexts. The PNICube Observatory reports highlight her policy-relevant contributions to university research valorization. As educator, Dr. Baiocco actively shapes future business leaders through courses spanning startup creation to sustainable destination management. Her research trajectory indicates deepening engagement with technology-mediated sustainability solutions and cross-sectoral innovation ecosystems, particularly through ongoing PNICube Observatory initiatives.
Kiran Pedada is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, and holds the F. Ross Johnson Fellow and The Associates Fellow in Marketing and Inclusive Business. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor at the Indian School of Business (ISB) and a Visiting Scholar at the University of North Carolina. He has been recognized as ISB’s Teacher of the Year (2020 and 2021) and named a top MBA professor by BusinessBecause. His research focuses on marketing strategy, digital transformation, emerging markets, and inclusive business practices. Dr. Pedada earned his Ph.D. in Marketing from Texas Tech University, where he won the Helen Devitt Jones Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. His doctoral work on international marketing alliances in emerging markets won the prestigious AMS Mary Kay Inc. Doctoral Dissertation Award. Before academia, he worked in management consulting and corporate strategy. Research Interests : Marketing strategy in digital environments Social and financial impact of marketing Global marketing expansion via digital ecosystems Emerging markets dynamics Brand competitiveness through digital orientation Key Contributions : His research has been published in top journals like Journal of Marketing Research and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. He co-authored cases on digital transformation for Harvard Business Publishing and serves on editorial boards of key marketing journals. His work has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, and CNN. Awards : AMS Mary Kay Inc. Doctoral Dissertation Award (2019) F. Ross Johnson Fellowship Teacher of the Year (ISB, 2020 & 2021) He actively advises on digital readiness of SMEs and ESG integration in alliances. His current projects explore metaverse applications and rural microentrepreneurship in India.
Allaudeen Hameed is the Tang Peng Yeu Professor in Finance at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School , where he has been a Professor since 2006. He also holds editorial roles at several leading finance journals and has previously held visiting positions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Texas at Austin. Education: Ph.D. in Finance, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours), Second Class Upper Division, National University of Singapore Research Interests: His research spans a wide range of topics in finance, including return-based trading strategies , stock return co-movement , liquidity , the role of financial analysts , and international financial markets . These interests are deeply rooted in empirical asset pricing, market microstructure, and behavioral finance. His work often explores how market frictions, investor behavior, and institutional features affect asset prices and trading strategies, with a strong focus on cross-country and emerging market contexts. Scientific Awards & Honors: Asian Finance Conference Best Paper Award – 2024 Pacific Basin Finance Journal Best Paper Award – 2024 UM Distinguished Visiting Scholar, University of Macau – 2024 Best Paper of PERC Award – 2023 Tun Ismail Mohamed Ali Distinguished Chair, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia – 2022–2024 Teaching Excellence Team Award, NUS Business School – 2020 Best Paper Awards, FMA – 2016 & 2018 Outstanding Researcher Award, NUS Business School – 2015 & 2003 University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Alumni Merit Award – 2011 Professional Service: He serves as Editor of the International Review of Finance and Associate Editor of the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis and Pacific-Basin Finance Journal . He is also a Senior Fellow at the Asian Bureau of Financial and Economic Research (ABFER) and a former Council Member of the Society for Financial Studies. Leadership Roles: He is currently Chair of the Faculty Promotion & Tenure Committee (FPTC) and Chair of the Faculty Promotion in Educator Track Committee (FPEC), both from 2025–2026.
Dr. Zhiwen Jonathan Zhang serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Santa Clara University's School of Engineering since 2011, with research spanning biomolecular engineering, drug discovery, and BIOAI to combat super-bacterial infections and advance precision protein technologies. Education: Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin (2001) Postdoctoral Research, The Scripps Research Institute (2001-2004) His interdisciplinary research pioneers unnatural genetic codes, trM2H systems, site-specific protein cross-linking, and synthetic antibodies. Current focus includes mitochondrial peptide transport, BIOAI design, subcellular protein synthesis, and engineering bacteria for micro-plastics degradation. His lab unraveled molecular dialogues between mammalian and Gram-positive bacterial cells, enabling groundbreaking anti-infective therapies. Publication trends reveal consistent innovation in protein engineering and translational bioengineering, with recent work emphasizing sortase A applications, fluorescent peptide development, and unnatural amino acid incorporation in mammalian systems—demonstrating a trajectory from fundamental biochemistry to industry-ready biotech platforms. Dr. Zhang has mentored 7 post-doctoral researchers, 2 visiting professors, and 5 Ph.D. students while securing grants from NIH NCI R01, NSF SBIR, American Heart Association, Welch Foundation, JOINN Foundation, IBM, and SCU Internal Research. His patented "Biotech+Techbio" platform has co-founded multiple biotech ventures, including two publicly traded companies and a 2024 acquisition. His laboratory maintains active collaborations with Bay Area biotech firms and academic institutions, driving translational research through the patented Biotech+Techbio platform while advancing BIOAI-assisted enzyme discovery for micro-plastics degradation and next-generation antibacterial therapies.
Saras D. Sarasvathy is the Paul M. Hammaker Professor at the Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia, where she is a member of the Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Ethics area. A leading researcher in entrepreneurship, she advises entrepreneurship programs globally across Europe, Asia, and Africa, while serving on boards of companies including Lending Tree (Nasdaq: TREE) and Upekkha, a SaaS accelerator in Bangalore, India. Her research focuses on the cognitive basis of high-performance entrepreneurship, particularly her groundbreaking work on effectuation theory. Sarasvathy's scholarship examines how expert entrepreneurs think and act under uncertainty, challenging traditional predictive approaches to business strategy. She has developed frameworks showing how entrepreneurs create markets and opportunities through action-oriented, non-predictive methods that leverage available means rather than predetermined goals. Sarasvathy's award-winning research has generated significant scholarly attention and practical applications worldwide. Her work has spawned over a hundred scholars involved in the effectuation research program, with publications available through www.effectuation.org. Her influential book Effectuation: Elements of Entrepreneurial Expertise and co-authored textbook Effectual Entrepreneurship (winner of the 2012 Axiom Business Book Awards Gold Medal) have shaped entrepreneurship education globally. Among her numerous accolades are the 2022 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research (the highest recognition in the field), the Academy of Management's 2019 Foundational Work Award, and recognition as one of Fortune Small Business Magazine's top 18 entrepreneurship professors. She has received honorary doctorates from multiple universities in Europe and Asia and has been named a Visiting Professor at institutions worldwide. Before academia, Sarasvathy founded and ran five successful businesses across three countries. Her doctoral research at Carnegie Mellon University was supervised by Herbert Simon, the 1978 Nobel Laureate in Economics, with whom she collaborated to discover the essential elements of entrepreneurial know-how. She holds a B.Com. from the University of Bombay, India, and an MSIA and Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University.
Akie Iriyama is a Professor at the Graduate School of Business and Finance, Waseda University, with affiliations to the Faculty of Commerce and Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering. Their research bridges practical and theoretical aspects of entrepreneurship, international business, and strategic management. Education: PhD, University of Pittsburgh, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business M.A. and B.A., Keio University, Tokyo, Japan Research Focus: Globalization of venture capital and transnational technical communities Strategic responses to informal and foreign rivals in emerging markets Equity ownership dynamics in international joint ventures Technology sourcing and real options theory in MNC subsidiaries Paper Trends: Recent publications analyze competitive actions in non-market spaces, reverse technology transfer mechanisms, and equity ownership evolution in international partnerships. Common themes include cross-border knowledge flows, strategic paradoxes in outsourcing, and institutional factors shaping innovation. Scientific Awards: Waseda University Teaching Award (2016) Best paper award nominee (Academy of Management, 2016) Dean’s Discretionary Award (SUNY Buffalo, 2010) Nominated for Haynes Prize (Academy of International Business, 2010) Nominated for Best Conference Papers (Strategic Management Society, 2008) Research Projects: Current projects include large-scale data analysis of urban startup location strategies in Japan (2020-2024) and studies on multi-partner international joint ventures.
