
Links
Areas of expertise
Biography
I have been working in the entrepreneurship research unit since 1996. I took my PhD in the Turku School of Economics in 2003 (thesis title: Stories of Entrepreneurs: Narrative Construction of Entrepreneurial Identities) and was awarded 'Doctor Primus' in the Conferment of Degrees in 2005. I was awarded the Title of Docent in the Turku School of Economics in 2007 (special area: Research on entrepreneurs). In 2019, I was given the European Entrepreneurship Education Award.
I am a Research Editor at 'Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy' (EE&P) from beginning of 2021. I'm also a President-Elect in the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB, www.ecsb.org) since 2019.
Teaching
Currently I am responsible for one course (New venture creation) at the B.Sc. studies in Turku and for one post graduate level course (Qualitative research in entrepreneurship).
Research
My research focuses on entrepreneurship and particularly on researching entrepreneurship at the individual level. I have studied entrepreneurial identity construction and identity work in new ventures and family businesses. I am also interested in understanding gender in entrepreneurship, innovation and family firms. My research has also investigated policies supporting entrepreneurship development, most notably entrepreneurship education and incubators.
I have over 20 years of experience from policy, practice-oriented and academic research projects that are conducted in continuous and active engagement with firms and other stakeholders, including European Commission and DGs, OECD, Ministries and regional authorities and decision-makers.