Dr Bridget Irene is an award-winning researcher, educator, and editor whose work sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, intersectionality, legitimacy, and decolonial methodologies. She holds a PhD from Cardiff Metropolitan University and brings to her academic practice over 15 years of industry experience—spanning banking and business ownership—alongside more than a decade in higher education.
Dr Irene’s research critically engages with enterprise in the Global South, with a particular focus on the lived experiences of women and minority entrepreneurs navigating structural inequalities, socio-cultural expectations, and policy gaps. Her work foregrounds inclusive innovation, sustainability, and the transformative potential of indigenous knowledge systems.
She is the founder of the Women Research Network, leads a vibrant research lab of over 100 scholars working across 45 projects, and has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on several international collaborations. Dr Irene is also editor of multiple forthcoming volumes on sustainable development, digital transformation, and female entrepreneurship in the Global South, published by Emerald, Palgrave, and De Gruyter.
A regular speaker at international conferences and policy forums, she is deeply committed to bridging academic research with practice and policymaking. Her contributions have been recognised with multiple best paper awards and nominations for excellence in critical entrepreneurship studies.
