Entrepreneurship Research Institute

The Entrepreneurship Research Institute was founded in 2008 with a mandate to encourage and support research that improves our understanding of the fundamental questions of entrepreneurship:

• Why so few people are able to spot new business opportunities
• Why so few of those who spot opportunities are willing to take actions to exploit them
• Why so few of the exploitation efforts are successful

Membership is open to any researcher at Toronto Metropolitan University who is interested in the phenomenon of entrepreneurship and how it contributes to social well-being and national development.

Highlights 2023-2024

Over the past year, members of the Entrepreneurship Research Institute (ERI) generated 14 scholarly works (including 2 peer reviewed journal articles, 8 conference presentations/proceedings, 4 book chapters or reports), delivered 6 knowledge mobilization seminars, and secured new funding in excess of $395,000 (and continued participation in a $2.5M Partnership Engage Grant with the Diversity Institute).

While ERI members engage in scholarly activity that covers a range of entrepreneurial phenomenon, attention has continued to focus on developing a research program that addresses issues related to early stage entrepreneurs, the entrepreneurial support organizations (i.e. business incubators and accelerators) and resource providers (e.g., angel investors and venture capital firms) that facilitate their development, and the entrepreneurial ecosystems (i.e. local, regional and national) in which they are embedded. This research aims to advance managerial practice and theoretical knowledge about the determinants of individual, organizational, and ecosystem performance.

In addition, ERI members have complementary interests in areas related to sustainability and innovation, institutional entrepreneurship, indigenous entrepreneurship, and family business. Future effort will be directed at exploring opportunities to support activities and collaborations in these domains.