The event, which brought together academics from over 20 countries in Mexico City, featured the presentation of more than 65 research papers.
By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
The 21st Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference, organized by EGADE Business School of Tecnológico de Monterrey in collaboration with IMD, took place from April 24 to 26 in Mexico City.
Jill Kickul, Distinguished Professor in Social Entrepreneurship at EGADE Business School, and Sophie Bacq, Professor of Social Entrepreneurship and Coca-Cola Foundation Chair in Sustainable Development at IMD, co-directed the event. Both welcomed participants alongside José Ernesto Amorós, Associate Dean of Faculty and Research at EGADE Business School.
Bringing together researchers and professionals from more than 20 countries, the event presented over 65 academic papers, addressing key themes in social entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability, and impact.
Faculty members from EGADE Business School participated actively in the program: Felipe Symmes, Sascha Fürst, and Alysha Shivji served as session chairs and presented their research, while Jill Kickul and Rajiv Maher also shared their academic work with the international community.
The program included keynote sessions by Pablo Muñoz (Durham University), Andrea Prado (INCAE Business School), Anna Kim (McGill University), and Greg Van Kirk (Collaborative Changemaking Labs).
Other featured activities included the “Bridging the Divide Between Social Entrepreneurship Scholars and Practitioners” panel; the “Path to Co-Leadership” panel by Ashoka Mexico and the launch of its Ashoka 2025 Impact Report, and a documentary screening and workshop led by the Stanford Social Innovation Review en Español magazine.
During the closing session, the best research papers were recognized: Alessia Argiolas and Hans Rawhouser received the Bold Theoretical Contribution Best Paper Award for “Dealing With Uncertain Social Impact: Evidence From Mini-Grids,” and Katrina Brownell, Sönke Mestwerdt, and Jill Kickul received the Best Empirical Paper Award for “Pitch Perfect: Emotional Appeals and Lender Decision-Making in Social Entrepreneurship.”
With this edition of the Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference, EGADE Business School strengthens its leadership as a global platform for connecting research and practice in social entrepreneurship.