13782: Entrepreneural Ecosystems of the Future: Impact, Outreach, Fundraising, and AI

Entrepreneurial ecosystems are experiencing profound shifts, driven by advancements in technology, global connectivity, government policy, cultural trends, and the increasing focus on impact-driven innovation. An ecosystem can be industry sector specific, subsumed by a particular geography, or by demographic categories. Artificial intelligence (AI) is just one of the emerging enablers of outreach, fundraising, networking, and collaboration activities in entrepreneurial ecosystems. Incentives, policies, partnerships, various kinds of entrepreneur support organizations, and societal trends are redefining the importance of entrepreneurial activity. This professional development workshop (PDW) examines these trends and focuses on how university entrepreneurship programs can make a stronger impact on their external entrepreneurial ecosystems, engage their ecosystems in ways that promote research and teaching, raise money, recruit students, launch programs, and enhance rigor and relevance. The session engages three questions: (1) What tools, infrastructures, and strategies are entrepreneurs using to promote their performance and impact? (2) What are the implications for university entrepreneurship program research and teaching? (3) How can entrepreneurship programs best thrive as they make an impact on a particular entrepreneurial ecosystem?