Management & Entrepreneurship | Today at Elon | 福利亚洲国产精品 /u/news Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:56:25 -0400 en-US hourly 1 Elon professor explores how AI may lower barriers for indie game developers /u/news/2026/09/17/elon-professor-explores-how-ai-may-lower-barriers-for-indie-game-developers/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:49:04 +0000 /u/news/?p=1056467 Generative AI may be helping more independent game developers bring their ideas to market, according to new research co-authored by Hyunuk Kim, assistant professor of business analytics in 福利亚洲国产精品鈥檚 Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

The study, 鈥,鈥 looked at whether the growing availability of generative AI has changed who enters the video game market and how developers use AI in the creative process.

Kim and his co-authors analyzed more than 66,000 developers whose first game was published on Steam between 2014 and 2025. They found that more indie developers entered the platform in 2024 and 2025 than earlier trends predicted, while new non-indie developers remained within the expected range.

Key findings

  • More indie developers entered the market after generative AI became widely available. The increase was greater than researchers鈥 models predicted based on previous trends.
  • Images were the most common use of AI. Both indie and non-indie developers most often reported using AI to generate images, while use for music, voice and coding was lower.
  • Indie developers used AI differently. Compared with non-indie developers, indie developers were more likely to use AI for music and coding.
  • AI was associated with shorter indie games. The researchers say this may reflect AI鈥檚 usefulness in helping developers quickly develop and test ideas.
  • The study shows an association, not causation. The researchers do not conclude that generative AI caused more indie developers to enter the market.

Kim plans to bring the research into his business analytics courses.

鈥淚 will use this paper in class to demonstrate the positive role of AI in facilitating human creativity by enabling individuals to quickly prototype and implement their ideas,鈥 Kim said.

The research was published in ACM AI Letters by the Association for Computing Machinery and co-authored with Seonbin Jo and Woo-Sung Jung of Pohang University of Science and Technology and Jisung Yoon of the KDI School of Public Policy and Management.

Kim joined 福利亚洲国产精品 in Fall 2023 from Boston University. His expertise includes business analytics, innovation, misinformation, and computational social science. He is currently the director of the Center for Applied Analytics and AI at Elon.

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Former P&G CEO David Taylor shares lessons on learning, listening and leading /u/news/2026/09/14/former-pg-ceo-david-taylor-shares-lessons-on-learning-listening-and-leading/ Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:08:43 +0000 /u/news/?p=1056120 After rising through the manufacturing side of Procter & Gamble and being tapped after just nine years with the company to lead its largest manufacturing facility at the time, David Taylor made an unusual career move.

He started over.

Taylor was leading about 1,200 employees when he told company leaders he eventually wanted to run a business. Their response: He needed to learn how to build brands. So the engineer and plant manager moved into marketing, working alongside colleagues who were much earlier in their careers.

鈥淚t was a wonderful lesson in humility,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淚t was a great chance to learn and to be in the learning mode, not the knowing mode.鈥

That willingness to keep learning became a recurring theme on Sept. 10 in LaRose Digital Theatre at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

The conversation was moderated by Jack Ryan P’17, founder and principal of Jack Ryan Advisory and chair of the Love School of Business Board of Advisors.

Jack Ryan and David Taylor smile and laugh while seated onstage.
Jack Ryan and David Taylor share a light moment during their conversation.

 

Taylor spent more than 40 years with P&G, with assignments across the United States, Asia and Europe before eventually becoming chairman, president and CEO. Today, he serves as senior operating adviser to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, chairman of the supervisory board of Opella Healthcare Group and non-executive chair of Delta Air Lines鈥 board of directors.

When Ryan asked what advice he would give students preparing to enter the workforce, Taylor pushed back on the idea that there is one ideal first assignment.

鈥淢any people ask me, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 the right first assignment? Do I need to start in marketing or sales?鈥欌 Taylor said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter. What matters is what you do with the first assignment. Do you come into whatever you鈥檙e asked to do and do it with excellence?鈥

He said that strong work creates the credibility to take on larger challenges and eventually influence the organization itself.

鈥淚f you really want to change the system, be successful at wherever you are,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淭hat gives you a platform to be able to change the system. You build credibility that you can accomplish outcomes, and once you do that, the willingness for others to listen to you grows.鈥

Taylor said one of the strongest differentiators he has seen among successful leaders is their ability to bring out the best in the people around them.

鈥淭he greatest differentiator I鈥檝e seen in my time with P&G, my time at Delta and now working with a private equity company is often their ability to unleash those around them,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淭hose that have relatively little ego, but a high level of achievement, a high level of personal accountability and a high level of empathy for others.鈥

David Taylor talks with a group of students gathered around him after the event.
Taylor speaks with students following the event.

That combination, he said, creates something leaders cannot achieve on their own.

鈥淲hat happens is they generate followership,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淭hat creates wonderful outcomes, especially when you get to mid- and higher levels, because the group amplifies the results.鈥

Students later turned the conversation toward artificial intelligence, asking Taylor what skills they should focus on as AI changes marketing and business.

Taylor said AI is already helping companies create and analyze content more quickly, but technology does not replace the need to understand the people a business serves.

鈥淲hen we go to markets, the first meeting is in homes,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淲e鈥檇 get to know the person. We鈥檇 learn about their life, their kids. 鈥楾ell us what you do each day.鈥欌

He said those visits allowed teams to observe what consumers actually did, not just what they said they needed.

鈥淵ou find there鈥檚 a lot of compensating behaviors consumers have,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l say, 鈥楾his is not an issue,鈥 but you see they do an extra step because something doesn鈥檛 work the way they think it should.鈥

Taylor shared examples from P&G鈥檚 work in markets around the world, including observing how consumers washed their hair in rural China and how a consumer in Japan used Febreze on furniture she wished she could wash.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 see that looking at a sheet of paper,鈥 Taylor said.

For Taylor, AI can accelerate the work once a company understands the problem it is trying to solve.

鈥淎I will let you have faster, better answers once you know what to work on,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淲hat mountain do you want to climb? And that often comes from a better consumer insight and empathy.鈥

Students seated in LaRose Digital Theatre watch the Lessons from Leaders discussion.
A student asks Taylor a question during the discussion.

For the final student question, Taylor was asked whether there was one piece of advice he had used as a filter when making major decisions throughout his career.

His answer brought the conversation back to learning.

鈥淧robably the simplest one is: Can I make a difference, and can I learn?鈥 Taylor said.

He encouraged students to consider those questions as they evaluate their own opportunities, rather than getting caught up in salary, job titles or whether an assignment appears prestigious.

鈥淧ick a place that you鈥檙e happy to walk in the door every day, you can hold your head up, you can learn and you can make a difference,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淵ou have talents and the ability to do a ton of things. You get to choose how you use those.鈥

福利亚洲国产精品 Lessons from Leaders

Launched in 2017 by Dean Emeritus Raghu Tadepalli, Lessons from Leaders brings senior executives to campus for open talks, small group discussions and purposeful one-on-one networking that connects students with mentors. The program helps bridge classroom learning to real-world decision-making and strategy, and aims for every student to leave with a new contact and meaningful career insights.

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Elon鈥檚 SHRM student chapter earns Superior Merit Award /u/news/2026/09/08/elons-shrm-student-chapter-earns-superior-merit-award-3/ Tue, 08 Sep 2026 19:49:34 +0000 /u/news/?p=1055646 The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Society for is celebrating its fourth consecutive Superior Merit Award.

This marks the tenth consecutive year that Elon鈥檚 chapter has been honored with either a Merit or Superior Merit Award by the national Society for Human Resource Management, highlighting the organization鈥檚 commitment to professional development and its strong presence on campus.

Elon鈥檚 chapter is advised by Professor Brian Lyons and led by a dedicated executive board of students who are passionate about advancing their skills and engaging with the HR community.

鈥淲e are incredibly proud to receive the Superior Merit Award for another year, as it reflects the hard work, dedication, and passion our members bring to the SHRM chapter. This recognition highlights not only the initiatives and professional development opportunities we have created, but also the strong community our members have built together,鈥 said Isabelle Cross 鈥27, a human resource management major. 鈥淎s we look to the future, we are excited to grow our presence on campus, strengthen our connections with HR professionals, and create meaningful opportunities that help our members prepare for successful careers.鈥

The SHRM Student Chapter Merit Award program encourages student chapters to develop more effective operations and promote the value of the human resource profession through outstanding activities and projects.

鈥淓arning a fourth consecutive Superior Merit Award from national SHRM is a remarkable accomplishment and speaks to the sustained commitment of the club鈥檚 student leaders and members,鈥 said Brian Lyons, professor of management and the club鈥檚 faculty advisor. 鈥淲hat makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it reflects years of students building upon the work of the executive board leaders who came before them, while continuing to find new ways to create engaging professional development opportunities, strengthen connections with the local and national HR community, and promote the HRM major and minor on campus. I鈥檓 incredibly proud of Isabelle鈥檚 leadership and the strong culture of engagement and excellence that our students have sustained over time.鈥

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Henry Ginsburg 鈥28 helps build Elon鈥檚 LEGO-themed Family Weekend /u/news/2026/09/01/henry-ginsburg-28-helps-build-elons-lego-themed-family-weekend/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 15:41:02 +0000 /u/news/?p=1054968 Elon鈥檚 LEGO-themed Family Weekend 2026 will feature a special connection to one Elon student: Henry Ginsburg 鈥28, whose business creates custom LEGO models of buildings.

Ginsburg, a junior economics and entrepreneurship double major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has built a business around transforming photographs of homes and other buildings into custom LEGO kits. Through his company, Blueprint Bricks, customers from around the world can turn meaningful places, including their own homes, into one-of-a-kind LEGO creations.

鈥淚 built my own house during COVID using the pieces I had in my basement,鈥 Ginsburg said. 鈥淭hat inspired me to learn the software, make a website and start my own business.鈥

Ginsburg launched the company as a high school freshman in 2021 under the name Henry鈥檚 Custom Homes. He rebranded as Blueprint Bricks this summer, just in time to help bring Elon鈥檚 LEGO-themed Family Weekend to life.

A person holds a red LEGO letter 鈥淓鈥 toward the camera, with a red-brick building and white columns blurred in the background.
Henry Ginsburg 鈥28

Family Weekend 2026 attendees can purchase a limited-edition Elon 鈥淓鈥 LEGO kit when they register for the weekend. The kit features 175 pieces and the final product stands 5.5 inches tall. A portion of each sale will support Elon鈥檚 Greatest Needs.

The LEGO fun will continue at the Fan Fest event on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Schar Center, as attendees will be able to participate in the building of a 40 inch x 40 inch, 16,644 piece Elon-themed LEGO mosaic. Ginsburg will be in attendance and is looking forward to seeing this project come to life.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to be there and see everyone at Fan Fest. I love interacting with people and answering their questions,” he said.

Families checking in at McKinnon Hall during Family Weekend will also be able to view examples of Ginsburg鈥檚 LEGO model of Elon鈥檚 Alamance building.

鈥淚 think Family Weekend is a really important part of the Elon experience,鈥 Ginsburg remarked. 鈥淕etting to be a part of it is such a privilege.鈥

For more information on Ginsburg’s business, Blueprint Bricks, visit

Family Weekend 2026 will be held September 25-27. To register, visit聽/u/parents/family-weekend/.

LEGO model of a red-brick academic building with white columns, landscaped grounds, trees and a fountain in front.

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AI Student Fellows support AI projects across Elon Business /u/news/2026/07/31/ai-student-fellows-support-ai-projects-across-elon-business/ Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:31:27 +0000 /u/news/?p=1052006 AI Student Fellows in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business spent the spring 2026 semester working with faculty on projects ranging from first-year AI workshops to resources for more advanced AI use in business courses.

The program paired undergraduate students with faculty members to support AI-related projects across the school. Student fellows helped develop and deliver workshops, interview faculty and build materials for future courses and boot camps.

Sakura Kawakami 鈥26 worked with Scott Oakes, assistant teaching professor of management, and fellow students Julia Amodeo 鈥26 and Katie Geraghty 鈥26 on workshops for Gateway classes.

The team visited eight classes and reached approximately 240 students through 20-minute sessions with hands-on exercises. The workshops introduced students to Gemini Pro, available through Elon, and focused on practical skills such as improving prompts through iteration and added context.

鈥淭he primary goal was to establish a baseline of AI fluency among Gateway students, who are primarily first-year business students,鈥 Oakes said. 鈥淲e also wanted to test whether a short, bootcamp-style training session could effectively introduce students to practical AI skills within a classroom setting.鈥

Sakura Kawakami stands near Sato Commons wearing Elon graduation regalia, with a Japanese flag displayed behind her.
Sakura Kawakami 鈥26 helped develop and deliver Gateway AI workshops for first-year business students as part of the AI Student Fellows program.

Faculty established the project鈥檚 overall objectives before the students joined. Kawakami, Amodeo and Geraghty then helped develop classroom activities, learning objectives, presentation materials, pre- and post-session surveys, and the rollout plan. The students also led the workshops and helped analyze the resulting data.

鈥淢y role as an AI Fellow was to act as a bridge between students and faculty, advising students on how to use AI to enhance their learning, not replace it,鈥 said Kawakami, a Business Analytics and Project Management major from Rotorua, New Zealand. 鈥淭he goal was to make sure students felt confident using these tools in ways that supported them.鈥

One focus was helping students understand that effective use of AI often requires refining a prompt rather than accepting the first response.

鈥淥ne of our biggest teaching points was the importance of iteration when prompting AI,鈥 Kawakami said. 鈥淏y refining and tailoring your prompts to your own needs, you get far more accurate and useful responses.鈥

Oakes said the student fellows strengthened the project by bringing their own experiences with AI into the classroom.

鈥淧eer-to-peer learning is incredibly powerful,鈥 he said. 鈥淔irst-year students often feel more comfortable asking questions and exploring new technologies when they see successful upper-level students demonstrating how they actually use those tools.鈥

Another team worked with Kem Zhang, associate professor of business analytics, on projects designed to support more advanced AI use in business courses.

Thomas Case 鈥26, a supply chain management and business analytics major from Atlanta, G.A. and Oliver Lorraine 鈥27, a project management and business analytics major from Red Bank, N.J. gathered input from faculty and developed materials for future workshops. One project focused on Associate Professor David Jiang鈥檚, Bring the Venture to Life entrepreneurship course, where students develop and launch venture ideas.

Thomas Case smiles for a headshot in a dark suit jacket, white shirt and patterned tie against a blue background.
Thomas Case 鈥26 worked with Kem Zhang and fellow AI Student Fellows to gather faculty input and develop materials for future AI workshops and course support.

Based on the needs identified for the course, the team created materials for an 鈥淎I-powered entrepreneurship鈥 workshop covering topics such as prompting for code, e-commerce, payment integration and deployment.

Case led the workshop design and drafted presentation materials. Lorraine documented the development process and built reusable coding templates for future workshops and boot camps.

鈥淭he transition from AI users to AI builders or AI architects is an important distinction because knowing how to use a tool generally is much different than knowing how to use a tool to innovate,鈥 said Case.

Oliver Lorraine stands for a portrait wearing a light gray blazer and white shirt against a plain wall.
Oliver Lorraine 鈥27 worked with Kem Zhang and fellow AI Student Fellows to develop materials and coding templates for future AI workshops and boot camps.

Lorraine also created Google Colab notebooks with coding templates for future use.

Zhang said the goal is to help students move beyond basic familiarity with AI tools.

鈥淔or business students, knowing how to use an AI tool is expected,鈥 Zhang said. 鈥淭he real advantage comes when they understand how these tools can be used in problem solving and to create concrete, AI-based solutions.鈥

Several projects from the spring semester are expected to continue during the 2026-27 academic year, including the entrepreneurship workshop, an AI Boot Camp for incoming students and additional work on AI integration.

The spring 2026 AI Student Fellows were Brandon Boudreau 鈥27, Thomas Case 鈥26, Oliver Lorraine 鈥27, Dylan Stone 鈥28, Julia Amodeo 鈥26, Sakura Kawakami 鈥26, Lindsay Balick 鈥27, Katie Geraghty 鈥26, Katrina Papierman 鈥26 and Tristan D鈥橝damo 鈥28.

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Inaugural Elon Phoenix Summer camp brings college life to high school students /u/news/2026/07/22/inaugural-elon-phoenix-summer-camp-brings-college-life-to-high-school-students/ Wed, 22 Jul 2026 19:34:12 +0000 /u/news/?p=1051713 福利亚洲国产精品 hosted its inaugural Phoenix Summer residential camp this month for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in preparing for the transition to college.

Twenty-six students participated in Phoenix Summer, held July 6-17 on Elon鈥檚 campus, where they immersed themselves in hands-on, college-style academics while fostering curiosity, community and independence.

“The transition from high school to college is one of the biggest milestones in a student鈥檚 life, and after working with first-year students for many years, I鈥檝e learned that one of the most common things they say is 鈥業 wish I had known what to expect,鈥” said Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs. 鈥淧hoenix Summer gives students the opportunity to experience college before they get here full time.鈥

Students lived in the residence halls, navigated campus, ate in the dining hall, learned from Elon faculty, connected with staff and explored the academic and social opportunities Elon has to offer.

Phoenix Summer student in the 鈥淐hemistry in the kitchen鈥 class
Student making butter in the 鈥淐hemistry in the kitchen鈥 Phoenix Summer course.

Students selected two courses to take throughout the camp, including Order in the court!, An introduction to law and justice, taught by Shilanka Lewis, assistant professor of law; Chemistry in the kitchen, taught by Mary McManamy, associate teaching professor of chemistry; Exploring astronomical and poetic light, taught by Claudine Moreau, assistant teaching professor of physics; and Start-up Spring: concept to creation, taught by Elena Kennedy, associate professor of entrepreneurship and Dan Reis, assistant director of creative learning technologies.

Student looking at light sources in the "Exploring astronomical and poetic light" Phoenix Summer course.
Student in the 鈥淓xploring astronomical and poetic light鈥 Phoenix Summer class.

鈥淭he Phoenix Summer faculty were truly the highlight of this pre-college experience,鈥 Higgins said. 鈥淭heir enthusiasm, passion and genuine engagement with their subject matter inspired students to see college as a place to explore their interests and discover new possibilities.鈥

Each day the students spent time learning and engaging in the classroom through a variety of hands-on lessons.

“The law class was my favorite part of the camp,鈥 said Ava Hendricks, an eleventh grade student from Raleigh, North Carolina. 鈥淚 have always been interested in law and what we have been doing in the class to prepare for a mock trial has been so cool. Phoenix Summer gave me the opportunity to picture college. I would never have known what college would be like without this possibility.鈥

Three Phoenix Summer students sitting around a fire making s'mores
Students making s’mores as part of the Phoenix Summer activities.

During the day, students participated in their courses, while evenings and weekends were filled with social events, activities, several off-campus excursions and signature Elon experiences to help students build community. Activities students participated in included a trivia night, human bingo, s鈥檓ore making, karaoke, a water balloon fight and a sip and paint.

“My favorite parts of the camp were meeting new people, living in a dorm and attending the classes,鈥 said Sienna Rohan, a twelfth grade student from Greensboro, Georgia. “It鈥檚 been nice meeting new people, and I鈥檝e learned a lot about Elon.鈥

Higgins’ hope is that students left the camp聽with not only a greater appreciation for Elon, but also a renewed excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead as the students transition from high school to college.

鈥淭he primary goal of Phoenix Summer is to provide high school students with an authentic college experience that builds confidence, independence and a sense of belonging before they begin their college journey,鈥 Higgins said. 鈥淭he most exciting part of the camp was watching the students truly thrive in the experiences we intentionally designed for them.

Student standing at a podium during a mock trial in the 鈥淥rder in the court!, An introduction to law and justice鈥 class
Student during a mock trial in the 鈥淥rder in the court!, An introduction to law and justice鈥 Phoenix Summer course.

鈥淚 watched them blossom from students who arrived on the first day feeling nervous and uncertain about what to expect into confident, engaged learners 鈥 and, in the case of our Order in the Court students, budding lawyers in training. I hope they leave believing in themselves. Whether they ultimately choose Elon or another institution, I hope Elon will always hold a special place in their hearts as the place where they first experienced college and began to see themselves as future college students.鈥

For more information about Phoenix Summer and information about future camps, contact Theresa Higgins, academic coordinator for alternative start programs, at thiggings7@elon.edu.

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Elon professor publishes Harvard Business School case study /u/news/2026/07/10/elon-professor-publishes-harvard-business-school-case-study/ Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:37:16 +0000 /u/news/?p=1051319 Jose Cerecedo Lopez, assistant professor of management in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, co-authored a new Harvard Business School case study that brings students into a strategic decision facing a Mexican hospitality and artisanal mezcal group.

The case, 鈥溾 focuses on Grupo Los Danzantes as the company considers whether to launch a lower-cost mezcal line to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded global spirits market.

The proposed line, Encantado, could help the company reach broader international audiences and respond to distributor needs. But the move also raises questions about whether expansion could weaken the brand鈥檚 artisanal identity, cultural mission and long-standing relationships with producers.

The case asks students to weigh the strategic, operational and cultural trade-offs of growth within a mission-centered organization. Students must consider whether Destileria Los Danzantes should pursue category expansion or preserve its differentiated identity amid industry pressures.

The case was published by Harvard Business School through Harvard Business Publishing with co-authors James Riley and David G. Fubini at Harvard Business School and Bernal Cortes.

Harvard Business Publishing case studies are used by business educators to bring real-world decision-making into undergraduate, MBA and executive education programs.

Cerecedo Lopez joined 福利亚洲国产精品 in Fall 2024. Lopez鈥檚 teaching and research focus on organizational theory, entrepreneurship and strategy, with particular interest in how individuals make decisions under uncertainty.

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Elon professor research links community inclusion to employee retention /u/news/2026/07/10/elon-professor-research-links-community-inclusion-to-employee-retention/ Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:58:43 +0000 /u/news/?p=1051299 A new study co-authored by Barjinder Singh, associate professor of management in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, finds that employees鈥 experiences outside the workplace can affect how they feel at work and whether they intend to stay with their employer.

The research, 鈥溾 looks at how perceptions of inclusion and acceptance in residential communities carry into the workplace.

Using survey responses from 151 employees at a U.S.-based manufacturing company, the researchers found that employees who viewed their communities as more inclusive reported greater psychological safety at work. That sense of psychological safety not only inspires the confidence to express the one鈥檚 true self at work but is also linked to a stronger intent to stay with their organization.

Key findings:

  • Community experiences carry into the workplace. Employees who perceived their communities as more inclusive reported greater psychological safety at work.
  • Psychological safety is linked to retention. Employees who felt psychologically safe reported stronger intent to stay.
  • Support from inclusive communities may also help when workplaces are perceived as less supportive. The connection between community inclusion and psychological safety was strongest among employees who viewed their organization鈥檚 diversity climate as less supportive.

The research is also part of discussions in Singh鈥檚 Organizational Behavior and DEI courses at Elon.

鈥淚t serves as a great way to help students understand that employees鈥 perceptions regarding organizational culture and inclusion are not confined to the workplace alone but are shaped by larger societal contexts,鈥 Singh said. 鈥淚 incorporate these discussions in my classroom to encourage students to think about how leaders can create psychologically safe environments and how organizations can engage with communities to support inclusion and employee retention.鈥

The study was co-authored with Sarthak Singh of Sheldon B. Lubar College of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and T.T. Selvarajan of the College of Business and Economics at California State University, East Bay and published in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal.

Singh, who joined Elon in 2017, teaches courses in organizational behavior, human resource management and business ethics. His research has appeared in leading journals, including the Journal of Organizational Behavior, the Journal of Business Ethics and Human Resource Management.

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Elon professor research reviews rise of religious entrepreneurship /u/news/2026/07/07/elon-professor-research-reviews-rise-of-religious-entrepreneurship/ Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:28:46 +0000 /u/news/?p=1051100 Religion can shape how people see work, purpose, risk and success. New research by Jose Cerecedo Lopez, assistant professor of management in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, examines how those beliefs and practices may also influence entrepreneurship.

The co-authored article, 鈥,鈥 looks at entrepreneurship beyond traditional business measures such as profit, growth and market opportunity.

It asks how religious beliefs and practices may shape the way entrepreneurs understand risk, make decisions, build organizations and define success. The research also considers how entrepreneurship may affect religious organizations and communities, making the relationship more complex than religion simply influencing business.

Key Highlights:

  • Religion may shape entrepreneurship at multiple points, from how entrepreneurs recognize opportunities and judge risk to how they seek funding, respond to uncertainty and define success.
  • Different religious traditions and practices may influence entrepreneurs in different ways. The article notes research connected to Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Judaism and other traditions, while cautioning that religion should not be treated as one single influence. Religious practice can also vary within the same religion.
  • The article introduces a framework showing how religious beliefs and practices may overlap with entrepreneurial thinking and action. Religious beliefs may shape how entrepreneurs think about opportunity, while religious practices may shape how they build relationships, access resources or run organizations.
  • The relationship may work both ways. Religion may shape entrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship may also shape religious organizations, practices and communities.
  • Future research could look more closely at how religious entrepreneurs measure success beyond profit, including financial, social, psychological and spiritual outcomes.

鈥淭his research helps students think more carefully about how religion and faith can shape entrepreneurs鈥 motivations, decisions, relationships and definitions of success,鈥 said Cerecedo Lopez. 鈥淭hat is especially relevant for students in the inaugural Love School of Business Summer Business Institute, who are serving as consultants for Hustle USA, a non-denominational, faith-based entrepreneurial support organization launching in Charlotte.鈥

The article was published in Entrepreneurship & Regional Development with co-authors Chris Welter and Brett Smith at Miami University Ohio, Amanda Lawson at the University of Cincinnati and David Townsend at Virginia Tech.

Cerecedo Lopez joined 福利亚洲国产精品 in Fall 2024. Lopez鈥檚 teaching and research focus on organizational theory, entrepreneurship and strategy, with particular interest in how individuals make decisions under uncertainty.

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Global business leader joins Executive in Residence /u/news/2026/06/01/global-business-leader-joins-executive-in-residence/ Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:01:44 +0000 /u/news/?p=1049324 , former senior vice president and chief global product officer for Champion at HanesBrands, brings global leadership experience in brand strategy, product innovation and organizational transformation to the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business鈥 Executive in Residence program.

Teza shares what she hopes to accomplish in her new role and how 福利亚洲国产精品 students can benefit.

How would you describe your career path?

My career path consists of a series of lateral and advancement roles that provided exposure to multiple facets of the apparel industry. These positions prepared me to lead several market-leading brands, develop strong teams and implement transformation across complex regional and global businesses.

What does serving as an Executive in Residence at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business mean to you?

I am excited to mentor and guide the next generation of leaders. I look forward to translating classroom learning into real-world scenarios and creating professional pathways through networking, internship opportunities and exposure to different industries.

What kinds of conversations and experiences do you hope to create for Elon students during your time on campus?

I look forward to meaningful conversations regarding leadership, insights into managing domestic and global businesses and how students can create a pathway to finding a career in which they will thrive.

What perspectives from your work in global consumer brands are you most excited to share with Elon students?

Leading a winning global brand combines emotional brand equity, operational scale and local execution. Managing global teams is both challenging and rewarding; it is critical to be well-versed in regional cultures to maximize employee engagement, create consistency in brand positioning and delight consumers.

What advice would you offer students who are interested in leading teams or managing large, complex organizations?

Leading a large organization requires the alignment of people, capital and processes to deliver results at scale. Aligning on priorities, building strong teams, operational excellence, constant communication, establishing decision-making rights and protecting a culture are the foundational blocks for success.

Beyond your r茅sum茅, what should people know about you and what you enjoy outside of work?

My primary focus is my family and making the most out of every day. My husband and I travel extensively to explore off-the-beaten-path locations, and we have a passion for boating, pickleball and golf. We enjoy spending time with our three children as they navigate their own career and life journeys, and we continue to coach people and businesses to help them maximize their potential.

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