Jeffrey A. Robinson is a business scholar, an entrepreneur and an advocate for community economic development. Professor Robinson co-leads the Rutgers Business School’s efforts at the Center for Urban En trepreneurship and Economic Development. Prior to joining Rutgers, he was an Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at the Stern School of Business, New York University from 2003-2008.
Professor Robinson is the recipient of the 2007 Faculty Pioneer Rising Star award from the Aspen Institute for his research, teaching and service activities at the intersection of business and society. His research projects cover the areas of high growth African American women entrepreneurs, early stage social entrepreneurship, inner city business development and economic development in western and southern Africa.
Professor Robinson is the co-editor (with Johanna Mair and Kai Hockerts) of the research volume Social Entrepreneurship and the forthcoming, International Perspectives in Social Entrepreneurship and co-founder of the International Social Entrepreneurship Research Conference. His most recent papers explore the role of social entrepreneurship and social venture incubators in economic development and the intersection of wealth, race and new venture creation. He advises several social ventures and social entrepreneurship initiatives including the Louisiana Lt. Governor’s Office of Social Entrepreneurship. He is a sought after speaker, author and media commentator appearing on PBS, Dateline NBC, NBC Nightly News and in the New York Times.
Professor Robinson holds degrees in engineering, urban studies and organization theory. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; an M.S. in Civil Engineering Management from Georgia Institute of Technology and an M. Phil. and a Ph.D. from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.