Elena Kennedy
Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship
Department: Management and Entrepreneurship
Email: ekennedy9@elon.edu
Phone number: (336) 278-5929
Professional Expertise
News & Notes
Education
Ph.D., Business Administration: Organizations and Social Change, University of Massachusetts-Boston
M.Ed., Elementary Education, Delta State University
B.S.B.A., Business Administration, College of Charleston
Employment History
2022-present Associate Professor, Love School of Business, Elon University
2016-2022 Assistant Professor, Love School of Business, Elon University
2012-2016 Research Assistant, College of Management, University of Massachusetts-Boston, Boston, MA
2009-2011 Middle School Math Teacher, Ruleville Middle School, Sunflower County School District, Ruleville, Mississippi
Courses Taught
BUS4970- Strategic Management
ENT2500- Introduction to the Doer/Maker Mindset
ENT3400- Entrepreneurial Finance
ENT3550- Entrepreneurship for the Greater Good
ENT4320- Innovation Dynamics
ENT4600- Bringing the Venture to Life
MBA/MSBA6100- Business for the Greater Good
MBA6380- Entrepreneurship 1
Grants Awarded
2024 Summer Research Fellowship, Elon University
2020 IN/CO Grant Outcomes of Entrepreneurial Education: Perceptions of Career Readiness, Colonial Academic Alliance ($40,000)
2018 Summer Research Fellowship, Elon University
2017 Hultquist Funds, Elon University
2015 Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant, University of Massachusetts-Boston
2014 Witting Chair/Syracuse University Scholarship for the Social Entrepreneurship Doctoral Seminar, Syracuse University
2010-2011Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
Publications
Dowin Kennedy, E. Forthcoming. Burlington Beer Works: Balancing cooperative ideals with financial realities. Kucher, J. (eds) Cases on Social Entrepreneurship in the United States. Edward Elgar.
Dowin Kennedy, E., Brannon, D., Henshaw, G., Powell, K. Forthcoming, What happens after entrepreneurship students graduate? Exploring the early career outcomes of graduates. Santos, S.C. & Simmons, S. (eds) Annals of Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy 2025. Edward Elgar.
Dowin Kennedy, E., Brannon, D., Powell, K., McMahon, S., Obedkova, A., Henshaw, G. 2023. Beyond the tip of the Iceberg: Measuring efficacy of entrepreneurship education in outcomes beyond start-ups. Global Journal of Business Pedagogy. 7(1): 144-163. https://www.igbr.org/wp-content/Journals/2023/GJBP_Vol_7_No_1_2023.pdf
Dowin Kennedy, E. Horky, A.B., Kaufmann, E. 2023. Ties that Bind: Leveraging Horizontal and Vertical Ties within an Entrepreneurial Community in Cross-Promotional Social Media Marketing. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. 25(2): 310-327. Doi: 10.1108/JRME-01-2021-0010
Dowin Kennedy, E. 2021. Creating Community: The process of entrepreneurial community building for civic wealth creation. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development. 33(9-10): 816-836. Doi: 10.1080/08985626.2021.1964612
Beaton, E. & Dowin Kennedy, E. 2021. Responding to Failure: The Promise of Social Enterprises as Market Menders. Public Management Review. 23(5): 641-664.Doi: 10.1080/14719037.2020.1865438
Dowin Kennedy, E., McMahon, S.R., Reis, D. 2020. Independence in the making: Using makerspace experiences to build foundational entrepreneurial competencies. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy. Doi: 10.1177/2515127420946036
Ghosh-Moulick, A., Alexiou, K., Dowin Kennedy, E., & Parris, D. 2020. A total eclipse of the heart: compensation strategy in entrprenurial nonprofits. Journal of Business Venturing. 35(4): . 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2019.105950
Dowin Kennedy, E, Beaton, E., & Haigh, N.L. 2020. Increasing social impact among social enterprises and traditional firms. Bills, D. & Rochester, C. (eds.). Handbook on Hybrid Organizations. Edward Elgar. doi: 10.4337/9781785366116.00024
Dowin Kennedy, E. & Haigh, N. 2019. Forging ahead or grasping at straws? Legal structure change in social enterprises and its outcomes. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship. 10(1):30-54. doi: 10.1080/19420676.2018.1541002
Parris, D., Alexiou, K., Dowin Kennedy, E., Linnane, M. 2018. Start with what you have: A leader’s path to innovation. Organizational Dynamics. 47(4): 219-228. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2018.04.002
Haigh, N.L., Dowin Kennedy, E. & Walker, J. 2015. Hybrid Organizations as Shape-Shifters: Altering Legal Structure for Strategic Gain. California Management Review. 57 (3): 59-82.
Presentations
McMahon, S., Obedkova, A., Henshaw, G., Dowin Kennedy, E., Brannon, D., & Powell, K. 2024. Early career outcomes of entrepreneurship graduates. USASBE annual meeting. Birmingham, Alabama. January 12.
This paper was awarded “Best Empirical Paper” and “Best Overall Research Paper” at the conference
McMahon S. & Dowin Kennedy, E. 2023. The Inside Pitch: Entrepreneurial Competencies Through Student-Centered, Experiential Learning. Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Boston, MA. August 4-8.
Lumpkin, T., Bacq, S., Bailey, R., Dowin Kennedy, E., Melendez, E., Rocchino, R. 2023. Researching Civic Wealth Creation: Insights from Qualitative and Quantitative Studies Across Contexts. Sustainability, Ethics, and Entrepreneurship Conference. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 3-5 March.
Dowin Kennedy, E. & Horky, A.B. 2023. Turning inward: The effect of crisis on social media cross-promotion in entrepreneurial communities. United States Association for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Annual Conference. Tallahassee, FL. 18-22 January.
Dowin Kennedy, E. & McMahon, S. 2022. Evaluating a curriculum: Proposing and Measuring Outcomes of Entrepreneurial Education. North Carolina Entrepreneurship Educator’s Conference. Wake Forest, NC. 8 April.
Dowin Kennedy, E. et al. 2022. Evaluating a curriculum: Proposing and Measuring Outcomes of Entrepreneurial Education. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Annual Conference. Raleigh, NC. 6-8 January.
Dowin Kennedy, E. 2021. Entrepreneurial community development: Longitudinal SNA of cross-promotional behavior. Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Virtual.
Dowin Kennedy, E, Kaufmann, E. & Horky, A. 2020. Cross-promotional strategies in SMEs within an entrepreneurial community. Society for Marketing Advances. Virtual. November 4-7.
Dowin Kennedy, E. 2020. Creating community: Longitudinal social network analysis of a locally oriented entrepreneurial community. The 17 Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference
Dowin Kennedy, E. 2020. The Relationship Between Beneficiary Positioning in Social Enterprises and Depth of Impacts Created. Academy of Management Virtual Annual Meeting, Canada. August 9-11.
Dowin Kennedy, E. McMahon, S. & Reis, D. 2020. Independence in the making: Using makerspace experiences to build independent innovators. United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA. 3-7 January.
Dowin Kennedy, E. 2018. Creating community: Understanding the development of a locally oriented entrepreneurial community. Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. 10-14 AugustAlexiou, K. Moulick A., Dowin Kennedy, E., Parris D. 2018. Strategic social venturing: Examining employee compensation within enterprising nonprofits. Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. 10-14 August
Dowin Kennedy, E., McMahon, S. 2018. Evaluating a curriculum: How can we know what our students are really learning? Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society 2018 Conference. Myrtle Beach, SC. 7-9 June.
Dowin Kennedy, E. & Eric Henry. 2017. Adding to the Bottom Line. The CoOperative Speaker Series, Graham, CA. 25 March.
Parris, D., Alexiou, K., Dowin Kennedy, E., Linnane, M. 2017. Unintended Consequences of a Charity Mindset: Exploring Strategic Social Entrepreneurship as a New Revenue Model for Social Ventures. Sustainability, Ethics, & Entrepreneurship Conference. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 27 Feb-2 Mar.
Dowin Kennedy, E. 2016. Navigating logics: Measuring performance in social enterprises. Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA. 5-9 August.
Dowin Kennedy, E. & Haigh, N.L. 2016. Business model innovation for simultaneously creating social value and capturing economic value. Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA. 5-9 August.
Dowin Kennedy, E. & Haigh, N.L. 2015. Mixing and Matching: Business Model Innovation for Social and Economic Value Creation. 12th Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference, New York, NY. 4-6 November.
Dowin Kennedy, E. 2015. Positioning the Beneficiary: The Role of Entwinement in Social Enterprise Impact. Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia. 9-11 August.
Dowin Kennedy, E. 2014. Positioning the Beneficiary: Entwinement in Social Enterprises. oikos 2015 Young Scholars Entrepreneurship Academy, St. Gallen, Switzerland. 18-23 January.
Dowin Kennedy, E., Poirier M., Williams, K. & Warren, M. 2014. Creating our own history: Youth Power and Leadership in the Boston Youth Justice Movement. Northeastern Politiston, MA. 12-14 November.
Dowin Kennedy, E., Meros, J. & Mooney, E. 2014. Elements of a Social Enterprise Ecosystem: The Role of Experiential Learning. 11th Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference, Boston, MA. 5-7 November.
Dowin Kennedy, E. & Haigh, N.L. 2014. The Role of Beneficiary Engagement in Performance and Impact Measurement in Social Enterprises. Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. 2-5 August.
Service Activities
2024 Graduate Council
2023 Chair—Social Entrepreneurship SIG United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE)
2023-2024 Co-chair—Graduate Student Working Group of the Elon Mentoring Initiatives Design Team
2022 Co-chair—Cocurricular Subcommittee of the Elon Mentoring Initiatives Design Team
2022-present Sustainable Development Minor Advisory Board
2022-present LSB Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee
2022 Chair Elect—Social Entrepreneurship SIG United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE)
2020-2024 President’s Advisory Council on Inclusive Excellence
2020-present Academic Service Learning Advisory Council
2020-2021 Elon Experiences Advisory Council
2020-2021 Faculty Fellow for Leadership Education
2019-2021 LSB PRME Initiative Coordinator
2017-present Elon Innovation Challenge Advisory Committee
2016-2017 We Do! Women in Entrepreneurship Conference Organizer–Elon University, Doherty Center
2016-present Council on Civic Engagement Member—Elon University
Awards
2024 Best Overall Research Paper—US Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Annual Conference, “Early Career Outcomes of Entrepreneurship Graduates”
2024 Best Empirical Research Paper—US Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, “Early Career Outcomes of Entrepreneurship Graduates”
2021 USASBE Social Entrepreneurship SIG Excellence in Teaching-- United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship
2020 Dean's Award for Exemplary Service--Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, Elon University
2019-2020 Faculty Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship—Sullivan Family Foundation
2019 Sustainability Faculty Scholar—Elon University
2019 Leadership Education Faculty Scholar—Elon University
2018 Academic Service Learning Faculty Scholar—Elon University
2014 Doctoral Student Achievement Award, UMB College of Management