The Many Paths to Innovation: Voices of Migrant, Minority and Gender Diverse Entrepreneurs

Dear Colleagues,

Entrepreneurship has widely been accepted as an engine for economic growth at the local, regional, national, and international levels. In the current worldwide scenario, the contributions of those underrepresented in the mainstream entrepreneurial literature, migrants, minorities, and gender diverse populations, are scarce and remain a critical opportunity for innovation. Migration has negative connotations from the receptive countries, rather than an opportunity for growth. Minorities still face structural barriers to access resources and gender inequity exists in access to funding when it comes to business development.

This Special Issue seeks to examine how diverse experiences reshape entrepreneurial theory and practice and aims to acknowledge the unique perspectives and contributions when it comes to business innovation and growth. Their stories can enrich our understanding of the power of resilience through adaptability and opportunity creation, create awareness of the relevance of cross-cultural competence, and tapping into it can generate innovative solutions to complex problems. A deeper understanding of this topic can inform policy and practice, enrich entrepreneurial theory and practice, shape future actions by using hybrid cultural perspectives, reveal better ways of resource allocation, create awareness on the intersectionality and the structural barriers these populations still face, reveal new leadership styles and ecosystems in place, and contribute to a growing field.

This Special Issue invites scholars to examine how diverse experiences have shaped entrepreneurial intention, opportunity creation, behavior, and success as defined by migrants, minorities, and gender diverse populations. We aim at generating deeper understanding on the intersectionality of entrepreneurial activity, bringing awareness on the structural barriers these entrepreneurs must navigate, innovative processes, leadership styles, novel business models, and ecosystems, to bring about change and innovation. We invite empirical and conceptual manuscripts that investigate how entrepreneurs from historically marginalized groups have transformed the business ecosystems. Of particular interest are studies that examine intersectionality and its interaction to create unique and innovative paths to business development.

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Impact of migration trajectories on entrepreneurial activity, opportunity, recognition, creation, innovation, across countries.
• Cross-border business opportunity and development.
• Success factors of entrepreneurs across different regions and barriers.
• Resource mobilization best practices and structural challenges.
• Institutional and policy environments that foster entrepreneurship for migrants, minorities, and gender-diverse populations.
• The role of intersectionality on entrepreneurial resilience and innovation.
• Approaches to resourcefulness in community engagement through entrepreneurial activity.
• Innovative business models, leadership styles, ecosystem dynamics.
• Theoretical and methodological contributions that expand and challenge mainstream entrepreneurship frameworks and models.

We welcome qualitative, quantitative, and mix-methods research as well as interdisciplinary approaches. Comparative, cross-national and longitudinal studies are especially encouraged.

Practical implications

This Special Issue will offer evidence-based insights for policy-makers to make changes to be inclusive in designing economic initiatives, attracting investors who seek to diversify their portfolios, and create incubators and accelerators that support the underrepresented. By providing successful practices and systemic barriers, the research in this Special Issue will inform policies and programs that drive equitable entrepreneurial growth.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-500 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editor or to the Assistant Editor Ms. Zoya Zhang (zoya.zhang@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Abstract Submission Deadline: 30 June 2026

Notification of Abstract Acceptance: 31 July 2026

Prof. Dr. Helena Knörr
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Administrative Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.