22025: The Ripple Effect: From Support to Scaling Social Impact and Resilience in Minority Entrepreneurs (session 25908)

The current literature on the scaling social impact of new ventures lacks clarity, primarily due to its failure to consider the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. This study aims to bridge this gap by utilizing the empowerment theory to explore how value circulates within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly concerning scaling social impact by minority entrepreneurs, due to their unique position within the entrepreneurial landscape and their inherent ties to community engagement. We hypothesize and have found support for the assumption that receiving several forms of support from actors within the ecosystem improves minority entrepreneurs’ scaling social impact. Furthermore, we found that scaling social impact enhances minority entrepreneurs' resilience in the face of entrepreneurial challenges. Ultimately, we found that scaling of social impact mediates the relationship between the support source multiplicity and minority entrepreneurs’ resilience. This study's findings carry theoretical and practical implications, shedding light on the dynamics of minority entrepreneurs’ scaling social impact within the entrepreneurial ecosystem and offering insights into how support mechanisms can be leveraged to foster positive social and entrepreneurial outcomes.

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