This workshop addresses one of the most pressing challenges in contemporary entrepreneurship: the systematic underrepresentation of certain groups in business creation and innovation. Drawing from the comprehensive OECD report on “Missing Entrepreneurs,” this session will explore the barriers that prevent women, youth, seniors, immigrants, and other underrepresented groups from fully participating in entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Despite representing significant untapped potential for economic growth and innovation, these groups face persistent obstacles including limited access to financing, networks, skills development, and supportive policy frameworks. Through interactive discussions, case study analysis, and policy examination, participants will gain insights into evidence-based strategies for creating more inclusive entrepreneurial environments within the EELISA Alliance and beyond.

The workshop will equip researchers, educators, and policy practitioners with practical frameworks for identifying and addressing entrepreneurship gaps in their local contexts. Participants will explore successful intervention models from across Europe and develop collaborative agendas focusing on inclusive innovation and social entrepreneurship.

This session is particularly valuable for researchers in business studies, social sciences, public policy, and innovation studies, as well as practitioners working in economic development, diversity and inclusion, and entrepreneurship education. Together, we will work toward building networks that can drive meaningful change in creating more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems across the EELISA community.

Speakers  

– Prof. Sibylle Heilbrunn is a leading researcher in entrepreneurship, migration, and social inclusion. Her extensive work focuses on marginalized entrepreneurs, including women, immigrants, refugees, and ethnic minorities. She has authored “The Dark Sides of the Start-up Nation” and co-edited “Refugee Entrepreneurship: A Case-based Topography.” Prof. Heilbrunn has served as an EU National Expert for Israel on women entrepreneurs and business licensing studies and currently leads international research projects on entrepreneurial ecosystems and gender dynamics.

– Aki Harima is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Head of the Entrepreneurship Research Group at Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. Her research lies at the intersection of entrepreneurship, organization, regional development, and education. She primarily investigates entrepreneurial ecosystems, transnational entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial agency in marginalized and constrained contexts, and entrepreneurship education. She has conducted research across diverse regions, including Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

Join us for an innovative two-day workshop exploring collaboration, alumni engagement, and regional entrepreneurship. In this workshop, we will focus on identifying and adapting hands-on approaches to:

– Building strong alumni networks that accelerate mentoring for startups, generate interesting (for student & alumnus) internships, and co-funded projects or co-investing in spin offs;

– Forming (regional) innovation partnerships with industry, hospitals, public agencies, startups and startup support organizations, international soft landing partnerships;

– Designing entrepreneurial teaching that benefits from and enables the collaboration.

Together we will map existing assets across the EELISA network and prototype new collaboration mechanisms that apply across disciplines and regions.

– Connect with peers across engineering, business, biotechnology, social sciences, and beyond.

– Learn proven tactics for alumni activation, regional collaboration, and ecosystem governance.

– Co-design teaching activities and partnership scripts you can deploy at your home institution.

– Leave with activities and connections for supporting your education, collaboration, and startup.

This workshop is open to researchers, educators, and tech-transfer officers at all levels — PhD candidates, PostDocs, lecturers, specialists, and professors — who want to turn their institution into a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Speakers

– Aard J. Groen is a Full Professor of Entrepreneurship & Valorization at the University of Groningen, where he also serves as Dean of Entrepreneurship, leading the development of UoG as entrepreneurial university. His expertise spans entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology management, with a focus on developing innovative business ventures in both startups and established companies. Aard’s research interests include high-tech and social entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, and entrepreneurship support. He also leads Venturelab International Holding BV, supporting entrepreneurial development globally.

– Olga Belousova is an expert in corporate entrepreneurship, with a focus on healthcare ventures and intrapreneurship. Dr. Belousova has extensive experience in international projects with universities across Europe and Latin America to develop innovation management and entrepreneurial curricula. She also serves as a trainer at VentureLab North and an advisory board member for the King Willem I Entrepreneurship Award.