Meet Our Team
Brett Smith
Founding Director
Amanda Lawson
Assistant Director of Research
Dr. Kylie Heales
Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship
Michael Conger
Assistant Director of Research
Dr. Kylie Heales
Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship
Dr. Kylie Heales is an incoming (Fall, 2023) Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Farmer School of Business at Miami University (Ohio). Her research interests are at the intersection of entrepreneurship and organizational theory where she studies how institutions shape and affect entrepreneurial activities, outcomes, and behaviors. Kylie is currently exploring the role of social norms related to innovation, religion, and entrepreneurship in Haiti and Tunisia. Specifically, her vision for contributing to a better global future is to explain why entrepreneurs in contexts of poverty struggle to scale, and how these entrepreneurs can overcome growth challenges to move themselves and their communities out of poverty. Kylie completed her MBA at The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University where she interned at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and co-founded a fintech firm. In addition to academics, Kylie has seven years of business experience helping non-profits, start-ups and Fortune 500 companies enhance operational performance. She has also worked directly with entrepreneurs in Kenya and Zambia to grow their ventures.