Laurel Ofstein

Faculty Director, Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Michigan State University
Laurel Ofstein is Faculty Director of the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Associate Professor-Fixed Term in the Department of Management. Prior to coming to Michigan State University, Dr. Ofstein was Associate Professor of Management at Western Michigan University, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Operations Director of the student business accelerator. Her research examines creativity, innovation and strategy within ecosystems, specifically entrepreneurial teams, organizations, and incubators. Most recently, her research focuses on social entrepreneurship, both within an incubator setting, as well as within the community through cross-sector social partnerships. She recently concluded an academic sabbatical during which she researched community-based incubators focused on poverty alleviation and economic development and the financial and social challenges associated with these efforts.

Dr. Ofstein recently co-authored a white paper on growth strategies of successful women entrepreneurs in partnership with Babson College and Bank of America. Her research has been published in several academic journals, including the International Small Business Journal, the Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, and the International Journal of Management Education.

Dr. Ofstein has taught courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels on entrepreneurship, family business, and strategy at Western Michigan University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and DePaul University. She has presented her research locally, nationally and internationally at academic and practitioner-focused conferences.

Before entering academia, Dr. Ofstein was a consultant in the financial services industry at Accenture, helping several Fortune 500 companies to streamline their financial processes and operations. She was also a Consulting Manager for a risk management company. Following her MBA degree at DePaul University, Dr. Ofstein served as the Assistant Director to the university’s Center for Creativity and Innovation and taught as adjunct faculty before pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Ofstein is a reviewer for several peer-reviewed entrepreneurship journals and has conducted editorial reviews of academic textbooks. She has not only published in academic journals, but also co-authored the book, Women in Business: The Changing Face of Leadership, as well as a related book chapter in the book, Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Workplace.