Colleagues,
The next Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy virtual research seminar is on December 7, from 11:00-12:15 ET. Elizabeth Embry (U. Colorado) will present "An entrepreneurial approach to cross-sector partnerships: The case of the Boulder Energy Challenge" (with Jeffrey York). Abstract is below. Shon Hiatt (U. Southern California) will discuss. Click HERE to register for the 12/7 seminar. We hope you join us.
While this is the last seminar of the semester, our Spring schedule is vibrant, so please visit this LINK to view and register for the different seminars.
Tim Folta (UCONN) & Maryann Feldman (ASU)
Abstract: This study explores an innovative cross-sectoral partnership that leverages the flexibility and docility of private entrepreneurial start-ups to address a public goal. In 2014, the city of Boulder, Colorado launched the Boulder Energy Challenge (BEC) to partner with local entrepreneurs to reduce and mitigate the impact of carbon emissions. Through an inductive study of the two BEC cohorts over a four-year period, we find that the success of an entrepreneurial cross-sectoral partnership is driven through the establishment of systems that enable collaboration of the governmental and entrepreneurial logics. Examining the organizational structure and social innovation process of this unique case study expands our understanding of how policy makers and entrepreneurs can form unique organizations to address pressing environmental issues. Our findings bridge the literature on entrepreneurship, cross-sectoral partnerships and institutional logics to offer a new model of entrepreneurial collective action.