At the 2025 Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indiana, the GEN Research Summit convened a diverse international group of entrepreneurship researchers, practitioners, and policymakers for a high-level dialogue on advancing the field of entrepreneurship research and its real-world application. The session was led by Ted Zoller, who set the stage by outlining the history and objectives of the Global Entrepreneurship Research Network (GERN), emphasizing its unique role in fostering collaboration between academia and practice, and its aim to guide future research agendas with high social impact.
The summit featured insights from a broad range of participants, including world-renowned academics, emerging scholars, and practitioners from organizations such as SOMO and the FATE Foundation, who shared their on-the-ground experiences supporting entrepreneurs in regions like East Africa and Nigeria. Discussions highlighted the critical challenges of data accessibility, ownership, and interoperability, as well as the need for research findings to be more directly actionable and accessible to those working with entrepreneurs. Practitioners underscored the importance of leveraging real-time data collected by support organizations for research, while also addressing the difficulties of measuring impact—especially for accelerators and incubators.
The OECD contributed a forward-looking research agenda, identifying three key priorities: rigorous policy evaluation using control groups, a deeper understanding of entrepreneurial ecosystem evolution over time, and improved targeting and selection of high-potential enterprises and entrepreneurs. The group debated the challenges of publishing policy evaluation research and noted the absence of a US equivalent to the OECD for consistent, long-term research in entrepreneurship.
A central theme of the summit was the need to move beyond buzzwords and rethink the focus of ecosystem research, shifting from simply increasing the number of entrepreneurs to understanding which types of entrepreneurship drive specific positive outcomes for society. Participants called for better data on ecosystem conditions, culture, networks, and leadership, and explored the potential of user-generated data and advanced analytical techniques like AI. The dialogue also addressed the importance of engaging practitioners and stakeholders in the research process, learning from action and implementation, and fostering open communication between research and practitioner communities.
The summit challenged traditional definitions of entrepreneurial success, with a contrarian view that “more is not always better” and that starting a business is not always the best outcome for individuals or society. There was a consensus on the need for population-based research approaches that identify potential entrepreneurs facing barriers, and for evaluation measures that consider success beyond just firm creation. Discussions also touched on the importance of measuring outcomes such as self-efficacy, well-being, and resilience, particularly for marginalized groups like resettled refugees.
A significant portion of the summit was dedicated to defining and refining the outcomes and metrics used to assess the impact of entrepreneurship research and support programs. Participants proposed focusing on measurable outcomes such as “more and more local firms growing more and more rapidly,” highlighting the need for robust, scalable metrics that reflect meaningful progress within entrepreneurial ecosystems. There was a suggestion to develop a “skinny” metric, analogous to the Gini coefficient, to measure the distribution of growth within an ecosystem and ensure that benefits are widely shared. The group critiqued the poor quality of existing databases for measuring outcomes and called for more rigorous, longitudinal data collection methods. Discussions also emphasized the value of both quantitative and qualitative assessments, including qualitative feedback from entrepreneurs on the impact of programs and the broader value of entrepreneurship support beyond economic indicators. This holistic approach to defining outcomes and metrics is essential for ensuring that research and policy interventions are aligned with real-world needs and deliver sustainable, inclusive impact.
A dedicated discussion on Economics, Finance, and Shifting Landscapes highlighted the rapidly changing environment in which entrepreneurs operate. Emerging research areas such as startup labor markets and university technology transfer, viewed from a demand-side perspective, are gaining prominence. The summit underscored the need for ambitious data partnerships and collaboration, drawing lessons from orchestrated efforts in fields like healthcare research. Participants noted the seismic shifts influenced by policy and economic conditions, including the rational behavior of investors who increasingly focus on short-term gains over long-term, tough tech research. The landscape of entrepreneurial finance is evolving, with new models and technologies—such as revenue-based lending and digital platforms—reshaping access to capital, especially in regions where traditional banking faces challenges. These shifts require researchers and policymakers to continuously adapt their approaches to support entrepreneurs in an increasingly complex and interconnected global economy.
Additional discussion points included the ongoing gap between research and practice, and the need for researchers to be more responsive to the needs of policymakers and donors. The session explored the role of students and “boundary spanners” in bridging the translation gap, and the potential of innovative educational approaches—such as podcasts and AI-driven learning—to accelerate entrepreneurial mindset development across cultures. Participants also discussed the challenges of publishing research conducted in non-traditional contexts or using non-traditional methods in top academic journals, and the need to educate editors and reviewers to value diverse data sources and research approaches.
Reflections on the field’s progress and challenges included a historical perspective on the academic field of entrepreneurship, acknowledging progress but highlighting ongoing obstacles like journal biases and lack of respect from some universities. Emphasis was placed on the value of all types of entrepreneurial firms, not just high-growth startups, and the need to tackle challenges related to journal publications and translation.
The summit concluded with a call to action for the GERN community to champion more rigorous, relevant, and actionable research, act as a translational lever between academia and practice, and focus on human opportunity and flourishing. Attendees were encouraged to document and share the session’s insights, intentionally engage practitioners and funders in the research process, and advocate for changes in academic evaluation systems to better value impactful, practitioner-relevant research. Ongoing collaboration and dialogue beyond the summit were strongly encouraged, with invitations extended to continue the conversation and co-author findings from the session.