Beyond the Entrepreneurial Myth: who is really an entrepreneur?

What if the entrepreneur is not a businessperson? In August 2024, I attended the “storytelling in entrepreneurship” session at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, known as the world’s largest professional meeting for management.  I stood up and asked a simple question: “What is the perfect definition of an entrepreneur?” I was surprised by the lack of a shared definition of the entrepreneur. That moment sparked my research, and kept me thinking:  How can we study, teach, or support entrepreneurs if we can not define it? If we listen to the language of many scholars, their unique definitions overlook the bigger picture. Hamdi Ulukaya sought return of kindness. Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought for justice and Frederick Banting saved lives by not requesting an insulin patent. If they are purpose-driven changemakers, aren't they entrepreneurs too? I reimagine the Tower of Babel as an opportunity to build a shared dynamic, inclusive and intercultural definition as a tool to connect academic theory with real-world practice using interdisciplinary insights. Richard Branson said he learned the difference between net and gross profit at 50, illustrating that entrepreneurship is about pursuing a just cause. Let's rethink outdated perspectives. Join me at the 3MT Thesis Competition.