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Biotechnology, Information and communication technologies, Regional innovation networks, Technology transfer and commercialization, Intangible assets, Risk capital,

PurposeThis study focuses on the lived experiences of early-stage women founders in a venture accelerator context. In particular, this work explores how gender shapes entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) development in early-stage female founders in the venture accelerator context.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative, feminist-sensitive research methodology was utilized, with empirical evidence drawn from interviews with fifty one female founders and four accelerator managers located in four, competitive accelerator programs located in the Northeastern United States.FindingsStudy findings highlight how accelerators contribute to ESE development. Data also shows how the micro-processes related to masculinized discourse, culture, as well as mentorship and training, contribute to the “othering” and minimization of women during early-stage venture development.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the accelerator literature through a provision of insights into the ways a dominant, masculinized discourse and culture alienates female participants, making them feel “othered’, and resulting in a lack of fit with critical networking and funding opportunities. Second, this study builds on self-efficacy theory by applying a gender lens to the areas of mastery learning, vicarious learning, social persuasion and mental state, thus illuminating ways that the masculinization of these processes negatively disrupts the ESE development of female founders. Third, this study builds more broadly on the women's entrepreneurship literature by showing how masculine norms and culture ultimately impact upon the well-being of women in an early-stage entrepreneurship context.

This learning innovation article’s purpose is to provide educators with a course assessment tool that can be used to improve student outcomes in an undergraduate, production innovation, and development course, comprised of cross-functional teams (business and engineering students). We demonstrate how over a period of three years, we used the assessment tool to help make course changes that would influence student learning outcomes. In addition, we illustrate how the tool helped us to focus on particular student skills, make specific changes targeted at selected skills, and measure if these course changes were effective with engineering student outcomes.