Dr. Susan Clark Muntean is an American political scientist and theorist from the University of California, San Diego and holds an MBA from the University of Oregon and a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship (USASBE). Dr. Clark Muntean is a former Management Fellow with the London School of Economics and Political Science, San Diego Fellow, Institute for Humane Studies Fellow, and Fletcher Jones Fellow. Her research focuses on building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems and organizations as well as the political strategies, behaviors, actions and ideologies of corporate owners. She is the co-author with Banu Ozkazanc-Pan of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: A Gender Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2024), Contextualizing the Experiences of Women Entrepreneurs and Comparative Responses to Challenges during a Global Pandemic (in edited volume, Routledge, 2021), and the Intersection of Women and Neurodiversity (in edited volume, Emerald, forthcoming). Recognition for her research includes the UNC Asheville's Scholarly and Creative Achievement Award, 2017-2018, USASBE's Best Paper in Entrepreneurship and Ethics Award in 2017, USASBE's Best Paper in Family Business honorable mention in 2014, and Best Paper in Women's Entrepreneurship at the International Council for Small Business in 2011. Dr. Clark has held both academic and professional positions in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, including with the London School of Economics, IBM Consulting Group, Ernst & Young LLP, and Arthur Andersen LLP. Her books and manuscripts are available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Research Gate and Google Scholar.

Undergraduate Researcher J. Preston Core is an undergraduate student-athlete at the University of North Carolina at Asheville pursuing a double major in Economics and Business with minors in Finance and Accounting. Preston’s academic interests intersect with community resilience and economic recovery. His current research focuses on the experiences of women entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, exploring feminine dynamics in post-disaster business recovery. Preston aims to bring analytical insight and human perspective to economic challenges through both qualitative and quantitative lenses.