We are excited to announce that ACERE 2025 will be hosting a remarkable lineup of distinguished scholars in entrepreneurship. These thought leaders, including David Audretsch and Dean Shepherd, bring a wealth of knowledge and groundbreaking research that has significantly shaped our understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Professor David Audretsch
David Audretsch is a Distinguished Professor and Ameritech Chair of Economic Development at Indiana University, where he also serves as the director of the Institute for Development Strategies. Additionally, he holds part-time and honorary professorships at the University of Klagenfurt in Austria and the WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany, respectively.
Professor Audretsch’s research explores the intersections of entrepreneurship, government policy, innovation, economic development, and global competitiveness. He is the coauthor of “The Seven Secrets of Germany” and the founder and editor-in-chief of “Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurship Journal.” His contributions to the field have been widely recognized, including being named a Clarivate Citation Laureate in 2021 and receiving the Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research from the Swedish Foundation for Entrepreneurship.
In 2024, Audretsch was ranked as the leading scholar in the world for business and management, and the sixth leading scholar for economics and finance. He has been honored with honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Augsburg, Jönköping University, and the University of Siegen, and has received the prestigious Schumpeter Prize from the University of Wuppertal.
Professor Audretsch has consulted for numerous international organizations, including the World Bank, OECD, European Union, and the United Nations. He serves on the advisory boards of several research and policy institutes, including the Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum in Stockholm and the Jackstädt Centre for Entrepreneurship in Wuppertal, Germany, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the University of Siegen in Germany.
We are excited to welcome David Audretsch to ACERE 2025 and look forward to his insights and contributions to our conference.

Professor Dean Shepherd
Dean Shepherd is the Ray and Milann Siegfried Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame University. His research and teaching focus on the field of entrepreneurship, specifically investigating the cognitive-emotional mechanisms of potential opportunities (noticing, evaluating, and constructing), new ventures (creating, growing, and terminating), entrepreneurial responses to adversity (events, chronic, and failure), and entrepreneurial creation and destruction (personal, social, and ecological value).
Dean is a distinguished fellow of the Academy of Management and has received three honorary doctorates from Jönköping University (Sweden), Technical University of Munich (Germany), and Luleå University of Technology (Sweden). From the Entrepreneurs Division of the Academy of Management, he has been awarded the “Dedication to Entrepreneurship Award,” the “Mentor Award,” and the “Foundational Paper Award” twice.
As the past editor-in-chief of the Journal of Business Venturing, Dean Shepherd has made significant contributions to the field of entrepreneurship. He has authored over 20 books and published 180 articles in top management and entrepreneurship journals.
We are excited to welcome Dean Shepherd to ACERE 2025 and look forward to his valuable insights and contributions to our conference.
Besides David Audretsch and Dean Shepherd, we are currently negotiating with other potential keynote speakers, and the list will be updated upon confirmation.