Conference Speakers Profile

Professor Jay Mitra is the 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 (IEF) and Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship at Leuphana University of Lüneburg in Lüneburg, Germany. From 2004 to 2025, he served as the founding Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Essex Business School, University of Essex, UK.

He has led IEF for over 21 years, hosting a unique annual event that promotes intellectual curiosity, discourse, and reflections on different approaches to and forms of entrepreneurship, innovation, economic and social development. This mission has been driven through collaborations with institutions, public agencies, industry, and individuals from across the world. Jay is also 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫-𝐢𝐧-𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 of the 𝐽𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑢𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐸𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑒𝑠 (SAGE), the 𝑃𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝐸𝑛𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑎𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑢𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 on Entrepreneurship in Society. He serves as Editor of the 𝑆𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ 𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑢𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ 𝐴𝑠𝑖𝑎 - 𝐿𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠. His contributions span journal articles, research monographs, consultancy reports, and widely adopted academic texts published by SAGE, Palgrave, and Springer.

He sits on the board of the International Network for SMEs (INSME, Rome), and has worked in a consultative capacity with the OECD - OCDE, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the British Council, as well as with multinational companies, SMEs, public sector bodies, and international development agencies.

Jay’s work continues to shape global conversations at the intersection of entrepreneurship, research, education, and policy. His presence at IEF 2025 will resonate with researchers, educators, public sector professionals, and innovation leaders who are committed to building more inclusive and impactful entrepreneurial ecosystems.