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Community-Engaged Research RFP

For this portfolio, we gathered together a group of scholars and community organizations committed to community-engaged approaches to entrepreneurship research.

Meet the 6 project teams:

  • Brooklyn Communities Collaborative, Inc. and Hunter College, CUNY
    (Laura Wolf-Powers, Gretchen Susi, and Sigmund Shipp)
    Support to develop, in collaboration with both entrepreneurs and Brooklyn healthcare institutions, a supplier diversity program in Brooklyn, NY.
  • University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Center for Neighborhoods
    (Dina Newman, Erin Royals, Jacob Wagner, and Michael Frisch)
    Support to study place-based challenges faced by “everyday” Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs in Kansas City, MO.
  • University of California at San Diego
    (Lilly Irani, Mikaiil Hussein, and Peter Zchiesche)
    Support to conduct community-engaged research on community-accountable, employee-driven technology entrepreneurship in San Diego, CA.
  • University of Michigan and Jefferson East, Inc.
    (Aaron W. Jackson, Kristin S. Seefeldt, Tawanna Dillahunt, Julie Hui, Christie Baer, and Lutalo Sanifu)
    Support to develop and research the efficacy of a program aimed to improve the digital capacity of eastside Detroit-based entrepreneurs who require digital support for their businesses.
  • Virginia Commonwealth University
    (Elsie Harper-Anderson and Dale Fickett)
    Support to conduct community-engaged research, alongside ESO partners, into the experiences of racially and ethnically diverse entrepreneurs in Richmond, VA.
  • William Marsh Rice University
    (Alisha Small, Jennifer Rabb, and Deloyd T. Parker Jr.)
    Support to research the economic impacts faced by small-business owners in gentrifying areas of Houston, TX.
Chhaya Kolavalli

Advancing equity, reciprocity, and trust

“We’re excited to support community engagement in the research process through this grant portfolio. These six projects aim to build equitable, collaborative, solution-driven initiatives between communities and researchers with the potential to advance inclusive prosperity through entrepreneurship.”

— Chhaya Kolavalli, Senior Program Officer, Knowledge Creation & Research, Entrepreneurship

Why are we bringing communities and research together?

This Community-Engaged Entrepreneurship Research portfolio brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines who are both skilled in, and developing skills in, community-engaged research, as well as a collection of community partners working alongside them. Grantees will be a part of a 3-year cohort that will provide opportunities for learning from one another and engaging in a collaborative effort to increase the visibility and adoption of these methodologies within entrepreneurship and innovation research.

Findings from this portfolio will provide practical insights and knowledge for communities, entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs), ecosystem stakeholders, policymakers, researchers, and philanthropy into how to develop equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Learn more about Kauffman’s Entrepreneurship Research strategies >

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