Curated Discussion on Impact Entrepreneurship

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Curated by Dr. Amyn Vogel, Monica Nadegger, PhD, and Dr. Barbara Wolf, and with a contribution by Prof. Dr. Ali Aslan Gümüsay, the Professorship of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability has published a curated discussion on impact entrepreneurship.

As societies face pressing societal and ecological grand challenges, entrepreneurs are increasingly called upon to shape sustainable futures. Impact entrepreneurship goes beyond profit maximization to embrace social and ecological purpose — aligning value creation with systemic change.

This curated discussion brings together five essays, each exploring a different dimension of impact entrepreneurship:

• Prof. Dr. Jelena Spanjol, Prof. Dr. Ali Aslan Gümüsay & Prof. Dr. Laura Marie Edinger-Schons examine the conceptual foundations of impact, introducing an integrated tripartite framework that clarifies sources of impact across economic, social, ecological, and governance dimensions.
• Prof. Dr. Christine Volkmann, Kristin Krebs & Dr. Julian Bafera analyze impact ecosystems, showing how entrepreneurial environments can be structured to help enterprises scale socio-ecological value effectively and sustainably.
• Dr. Larissa Gebken & Paul Vilchez focus on impact technology, arguing that digital innovations should be designed for societal good, guided by stakeholder values and ecological purpose rather than novelty alone.
• Felizia von Schweinitz, Dr. Amyn Vogel & Prof. Dr. Judith Stroehle address impact measurement, highlighting the need for more methodological consistency, higher standards, and collaborative processes to ensure credibility and transparency.
• Prof. Dr. Britta M. Gossel, Dr. Daniel J. Kruse, Dr. Mona Mirtsch, Viktoria Unger & Dr. Barbara Wolf emphasize impact education, proposing ways to prepare future entrepreneurs to tackle complexity, act with a values compass, and imagine desirable futures.

Together, these contributions highlight how entrepreneurship research, practice, and education can evolve to support more equitable and sustainable futures