Jon Eckhardt, executive director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship and an associate professor of management and human resources at the Wisconsin School of Business, has received funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to study ways to improve how university entrepreneurial ecosystems can drive economic growth.
Though state and local governments have increasingly focused on creating policies or programs that support entrepreneurship, there is currently limited research on entrepreneurial ecosystems at the city or regional level. The funding awarded to Eckhardt and others in this funding portfolio supports research that will better inform policymakers seeking to build a fertile environment at universities for new and growing companies.
“The University of Wisconsin–Madison is at the forefront of using data to help academic institutions manage and improve their entrepreneurship ecosystems,” says Eckhardt. “We are looking forward to working with the Kauffman Foundation on advancing this work in ways that would not be possible without the foundation’s support and insights.”
“Building inclusive ecosystems for all entrepreneurs requires information that is responsive and representative,” adds Evan Absher, program officer in entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation. “The researchers in this portfolio will merge cutting-edge technology with sound methods and perspectives to create knowledge that is immediately useful for entrepreneurs and the people that support them.”
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a nonpartisan foundation that supports entrepreneurship and education nationwide.
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