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Alisa SYDOW - Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at ESCP Business School (London and Turin campuses)
Founder of Nampelka, a platform facilitating connection and mutual learning between women entrepreneurs in Africa (Kenya, Uganda) and international experts.
What did she study ? how succession within family businesses (i.e., when leadership passes from one generation to the next) can motivate eco-innovation — introducing new environmentally sustainable products, processes, or practices.
Instead of seeing succession as just a risk or challenge, Sydow shows it can be a catalyst for innovation and sustainability.
Why is it interesting ? because we will see how families can be the best business people by fostering community engagement, environmental consciousness, and passion.
What did she identify ? families are composed of different members of all ages and the incoming generation tends to be more environmentally aware and passionate about sustainability.
What is the main result ? For example, younger successors, often with international exposure and education, bring stronger environmental values. And successors want to leave their mark, differentiate themselves, and express their personal identity through sustainable practices. But also, tension exists between maintaining family heritage (brand identity, traditional techniques) and introducing new eco-innovations that help the business.
Managerial application ? In the family business, the older generation allows room for autonomy while providing symbolic legitimacy.
Successors frame eco-innovation as a natural evolution of family values (e.g., caring for the land for future generations). External networks (industry, academia, certifications, sustainability labels) provide resources and credibility.
Boundary conditions ? If the successor prioritizes profit, expansion, or tradition over sustainability, succession may not trigger eco-innovation because eco-innovation is not automatic — it depends on the mindset of the incoming generation.
Also, if the older generation is rigid and resistant, succession may stall eco-innovation and it can't work. Finally, they need to be sure that they have sufficient resources and external incentives.
Founder of Nampelka, a platform facilitating connection and mutual learning between women entrepreneurs in Africa (Kenya, Uganda) and international experts.
What did she study ? how succession within family businesses (i.e., when leadership passes from one generation to the next) can motivate eco-innovation — introducing new environmentally sustainable products, processes, or practices.
Instead of seeing succession as just a risk or challenge, Sydow shows it can be a catalyst for innovation and sustainability.
Why is it interesting ? because we will see how families can be the best business people by fostering community engagement, environmental consciousness, and passion.
What did she identify ? families are composed of different members of all ages and the incoming generation tends to be more environmentally aware and passionate about sustainability.
What is the main result ? For example, younger successors, often with international exposure and education, bring stronger environmental values. And successors want to leave their mark, differentiate themselves, and express their personal identity through sustainable practices. But also, tension exists between maintaining family heritage (brand identity, traditional techniques) and introducing new eco-innovations that help the business.
Managerial application ? In the family business, the older generation allows room for autonomy while providing symbolic legitimacy.
Successors frame eco-innovation as a natural evolution of family values (e.g., caring for the land for future generations). External networks (industry, academia, certifications, sustainability labels) provide resources and credibility.
Boundary conditions ? If the successor prioritizes profit, expansion, or tradition over sustainability, succession may not trigger eco-innovation because eco-innovation is not automatic — it depends on the mindset of the incoming generation.
Also, if the older generation is rigid and resistant, succession may stall eco-innovation and it can't work. Finally, they need to be sure that they have sufficient resources and external incentives.
1. What did she study?
• HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration Business Administration (2009–2012)
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan MSc in International Management (2013–2015)
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan PhD in Management and Innovation (2015–2018), focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation in developing economies.
2. Why is she interesting for a company?
• Emerging Thought Leader: Recognized as a Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2025 thinker, spotlighting her as an up-and-coming voice shaping management practice and thought
• Young Scholar Award: Recipient of the Young Scholar Award 2022 from ESCP Business School, indicating academic promise and recognition
• Academic and Entrepreneurial Fusion: Situated as an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at ESCP Business School (London campus), leading the MSc in Digital Transformation Management & Leadership
• Founder of Nampelka: Established a platform, Nampelka (derived from a Mapuche word meaning “traveler”), to connect women entrepreneurs from developing economies with global experts for shared learning and collaboration
• Specialist Focus: Deep expertise in technology entrepreneurship and women entrepreneurship within developing countries (notably Kenya and Uganda), a valuable asset for companies aiming to expand into emerging, inclusive, and technology-driven markets
3. What did she identify? What is her main result?
Identifications & Key Findings:
• Navigating Institutional Voids: In “Entrepreneurial Workaround Practices in Severe Institutional Voids: Evidence From Kenya” (2022), she and colleagues analyzed how entrepreneurs in Kenya manage weak or absent formal institutions ("institutional voids") by employing hybrid business–social goals, orchestrating relationships strategically, and leveraging informal or micro-institutional mechanisms
• Impact Drift in Social Enterprises: In her 2024 article “Social entrepreneurs concerned about Impact Drift. Evidence from contexts of persistent and pervasive need”, Sydow and co-authors examined how social entrepreneurs in contexts like Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda face risks of drifting away from their mission when addressing overwhelming needs. To counter this, they orchestrate novel coalitions and apply heuristics—anchoring around core narratives—to maintain mission fidelity
Other Notable Works:
◦ Study on trust formation in cross-border stakeholder relationships (South Africa)
◦ Research on eco-innovation and family firms in Germany and Italy
Main Result:
Entrepreneurs operating in severely constrained environments—characterized by weak institutions and pressing social needs—succeed by hybridizing goals, strategically orchestrating networks and relationships, and anchoring around mission-reinforcing narratives. These adaptive capabilities enable sustained entrepreneurial impact despite structural challenges.
4. Managerial Implications
• Enable improvisational agility: Equip teams with the ability to design workaround strategies when traditional institutional support is lacking.
• Anchor mission and impact: Clearly define core values and narratives ("impact anchors") to steer mission-aligned decision-making, even under external pressures.
• Orchestrate broad coalitions: Cultivate diverse stakeholder partnerships—including informal and non-traditional allies—to unlock support and access.
• Embrace hybrid goals: Recognize that blending commercial and social aims can be instrumental in high-need environments, serving both mission and business viability.
• Leverage informal networks: Acknowledge and activate informal community structures and relationships where formal systems fall short.
5. Boundary Conditions
Be mindful of the contexts that frame her findings:
• Geographic specificity: Research is rooted in developing or emerging economies, notably Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa, where institutional voids are pronounced
• Sector and venture stage: Findings primarily reflect early-stage, socially-driven, or small/medium entrepreneurs, particularly women-led ventures—not large corporations in developed settings.
• Contextual dependence: Effectiveness of workaround strategies and stakeholder orchestration likely varies depending on cultural, regulatory, and institutional landscapes. These models may not translate fully to environments with strong, formalized systems.
• HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration Business Administration (2009–2012)
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan MSc in International Management (2013–2015)
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan PhD in Management and Innovation (2015–2018), focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation in developing economies.
2. Why is she interesting for a company?
• Emerging Thought Leader: Recognized as a Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2025 thinker, spotlighting her as an up-and-coming voice shaping management practice and thought
• Young Scholar Award: Recipient of the Young Scholar Award 2022 from ESCP Business School, indicating academic promise and recognition
• Academic and Entrepreneurial Fusion: Situated as an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at ESCP Business School (London campus), leading the MSc in Digital Transformation Management & Leadership
• Founder of Nampelka: Established a platform, Nampelka (derived from a Mapuche word meaning “traveler”), to connect women entrepreneurs from developing economies with global experts for shared learning and collaboration
• Specialist Focus: Deep expertise in technology entrepreneurship and women entrepreneurship within developing countries (notably Kenya and Uganda), a valuable asset for companies aiming to expand into emerging, inclusive, and technology-driven markets
3. What did she identify? What is her main result?
Identifications & Key Findings:
• Navigating Institutional Voids: In “Entrepreneurial Workaround Practices in Severe Institutional Voids: Evidence From Kenya” (2022), she and colleagues analyzed how entrepreneurs in Kenya manage weak or absent formal institutions ("institutional voids") by employing hybrid business–social goals, orchestrating relationships strategically, and leveraging informal or micro-institutional mechanisms
• Impact Drift in Social Enterprises: In her 2024 article “Social entrepreneurs concerned about Impact Drift. Evidence from contexts of persistent and pervasive need”, Sydow and co-authors examined how social entrepreneurs in contexts like Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda face risks of drifting away from their mission when addressing overwhelming needs. To counter this, they orchestrate novel coalitions and apply heuristics—anchoring around core narratives—to maintain mission fidelity
Other Notable Works:
◦ Study on trust formation in cross-border stakeholder relationships (South Africa)
◦ Research on eco-innovation and family firms in Germany and Italy
Main Result:
Entrepreneurs operating in severely constrained environments—characterized by weak institutions and pressing social needs—succeed by hybridizing goals, strategically orchestrating networks and relationships, and anchoring around mission-reinforcing narratives. These adaptive capabilities enable sustained entrepreneurial impact despite structural challenges.
4. Managerial Implications
• Enable improvisational agility: Equip teams with the ability to design workaround strategies when traditional institutional support is lacking.
• Anchor mission and impact: Clearly define core values and narratives ("impact anchors") to steer mission-aligned decision-making, even under external pressures.
• Orchestrate broad coalitions: Cultivate diverse stakeholder partnerships—including informal and non-traditional allies—to unlock support and access.
• Embrace hybrid goals: Recognize that blending commercial and social aims can be instrumental in high-need environments, serving both mission and business viability.
• Leverage informal networks: Acknowledge and activate informal community structures and relationships where formal systems fall short.
5. Boundary Conditions
Be mindful of the contexts that frame her findings:
• Geographic specificity: Research is rooted in developing or emerging economies, notably Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa, where institutional voids are pronounced
• Sector and venture stage: Findings primarily reflect early-stage, socially-driven, or small/medium entrepreneurs, particularly women-led ventures—not large corporations in developed settings.
• Contextual dependence: Effectiveness of workaround strategies and stakeholder orchestration likely varies depending on cultural, regulatory, and institutional landscapes. These models may not translate fully to environments with strong, formalized systems.