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Diana Hechavarria

  • Professor
Academic Division: Entrepreneurship
Dr. Diana M. Hechavarria is a professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College who researches nascent entrepreneurship. Her work examines the intricate dynamics people encounter during the early stages of launching new ventures, with a particular emphasis on gender, underrepresented, and social perspectives.

Diana's research has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, among others. She is recognized within the top 2% of scientific authors for 2020-2024 single-year impact by the Stanford study of citation impact.[1] Currently, she serves as an Action Editor at Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice and as an Editor at the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship.
Diana has also played a pivotal role in coordinating and analyzing data for influential research programs such as the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics (PSED) and the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), shaping national and international policy discourse on entrepreneurship.

Prior to joining Babson, Diana served as an Associate Professor of Management at Texas Tech University (TTU), where she served as the Doctoral Coordinator for the Area of Management. She also held positions as both an Assistant and Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of South Florida (USF). During her time at USF, she actively contributed to Tampa's entrepreneurial ecosystem, bringing insights and experiences from local entrepreneurs and industry leaders into the classroom and helping the university's entrepreneurship center earn a top 25 ranking by the Princeton Review.

Beyond academia, Diana is an active member of the Junior League Boston. Previously, she was an active member of the Junior League of Lubbock, chairing the Advisory Planning Committee, and the Junior League of Tampa, where she served as Strategic Director on the Executive Board.

In recognition of her achievements, Diana received the Women in Leadership & Philanthropy's Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award at USF in 2019. Her dedication to exploring minority entrepreneurship was also acknowledged by USF's Status of Latinos Presidential Advisory Committee (SoL).

Diana holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati, an M.A. in Liberal Studies from Florida International University, and a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Women's Studies from the University of Florida. As a first-generation college student and Cuban American, she brings a unique and valuable perspective to her research and teaching endeavors at Babson College.

[1] https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000384

Academic Degrees

  • Ph D, University of Cincinnati
  • MA, Florida International University
  • BA, University of Florida

Academic Interest / Expertise

Nascent Ventures, Women's Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Minority Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

Publications

Journal Articles

  • Kwapisz, A., Hechavarria, D.M. (in press). Tokenomics: challenges for all-female founding teams in accelerator cohorts. Journal of Business Research. link
  • Salvi, E., Hechavarria, D.M., Gimenez-Jimenez, D. (in press). Opportunity Amidst Explosions: How armed conflicts spark informal entrepreneurship in emerging economies. Journal of Business Venturing Insights.
  • Brownell, K.M., Hechavarria, D.M., Robb, C., Kickull, J. (2024). Culture and social entrepreneurship: the role of value-practice misalignment.. Small Business Economics. Springer. link
  • Brownell, K., Kickull, J., Hechavarria, D.M. (2024). Power to the she: early-stage female entrepreneurs and innovation. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. link
  • Brieger, S.A., Hechavarria, D.M., Newman, A. (2024). Entrepreneurship and democracy: a complex relationship. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Vol: 48, Issue: 5, Page: 1285-1307. SAGE Publications. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Guerrero, M., Terjesen, S., Grady, A. (2024). The implications of economic freedom and gender ideologies on women's opportunity-to-necessity entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research. Vol: 30, Issue: 7, Page: 1614-1651. Emerald. link
  • Pidduck, R., Hechavarria, D.M., Patel, A. (2024). Cultural tightness emancipation and venture profitability: An international experience lens. Journal of Business Research. Vol: 172. Elsevier. link
  • Lewis, T., Hechavarria, D.M., Williams, D.W., Cardon, M.S. (2024). Doing the right things at the right times: The role of temporal enactment in venture outcome attainment. Journal of Business Venturing. Vol: 39, Issue: 1, Page: 106344. Elsevier BV. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Brieger, S.A., Levasseur, L., Terjesen, S.A. (2023). Cross‐cultural implications of linguistic future time reference and institutional uncertainty on social entrepreneurship. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. Vol: 17, Issue: 1, Page: 61-94. Wiley. link
  • Brieger, S.A., Chowdhury, F., Hechavarria, D.M., Muralidharan, E., Pathak, S., Lam, Y.T. (2022). Digitalization, institutions and new venture internationalization. Journal of International Management. Vol: 28, Issue: 4, Page: 100949. Elsevier BV. link
  • Crawford, G.C., Skorodziyevskiy, V., Frid, C.J., Nelson, T.E., Booyavi, Z., Hechavarria, D.M., Li, X., Reynolds, P.D., Teymourian, E. (2022). Advancing entrepreneurship theory through replication: methodological challenges, future best practices, and an entreaty for communality. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Vol: 46, Issue: 3, Page: 779-799. SAGE Publications. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Brieger, S.A. (2022). Practice rather than preach: cultural practices and female social entrepreneurship. Small Business Economics. Vol: 58, Issue: 2, Page: 1131-1151. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. link
  • Strawser, J.A., Hechavarria, D.M., Passerini, K. (2021). Gender and entrepreneurship: Research frameworks, barriers and opportunities for women entrepreneurship worldwide. Journal of Small Business Management. Vol: 59, Issue: sup1, Page: S1-S15. Informa UK Limited. link
  • Brieger, S.A., Terjesen, S.A., Hechavarria, D.M., Welzel, C. (2019). Prosociality in business: a human empowerment framework. Journal of Business Ethics. Vol: 159, Issue: 2, Page: 361-380. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Ingram, A.E. (2019). Entrepreneurial ecosystem conditions and gendered national-level entrepreneurial activity: a 14-year panel study of GEM. Small Business Economics. Vol: 53, Issue: 2, Page: 431-458. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Bullough, A., Brush, C.S., Edleman, L. (2019). High growth women’s entrepreneurship: fueling social and economic development. . Journal of Small Business Management. Vol: 57, Issue: 1, Page: 5-13. Wiley. link
  • Liguori, E., Winkler, C., Hechavarria, D.M., Lange, J. (2018). Interdisciplinary perspectives on entrepreneurial ecosystems.. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy. Vol: 12, Issue: 2, Page: 86-91. Emerald. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Terjesen, S.A., Stenholm, P., Brännback, M., Lång, S. (2018). More than words: the impact of language of female venturing. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Vol: 42, Issue: 5, Page: 797-817. SAGE Publications. link
  • Kwapisz, A., Hechavarria, D.M. (2018). Women don’t ask: an investigation of start-up financing and gender. Venture Capital. Vol: 20, Issue: 2, Page: 159-190. Informa UK Limited. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Terjesen, S.A., Ingram, A.E., Renko, M., Justo, R., Elam, A. (2017). Taking care of business: the impact of culture and gender on entrepreneurs’ blended value creation goals. Small Business Economics. Vol: 48, Issue: 1, Page: 225-257. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M. (2016). The impact of culture on national prevalence rates of social and commercial entrepreneurship. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. Vol: 12, Issue: 4, Page: 1025-1052. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Ingram, A.E. (2016). The entrepreneurial gender divide: hegemonic masculinity, emphasized femininity and organizational forms.. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. Vol: 8, Issue: 3, Page: 242-281. Emerald. link
  • Frid, C., Wyman, D., Gartner, W.B., Hechavarria, D.M. (2016). Low-wealth entrepreneurs and access to external financing. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, . Vol: 22, Issue: 4, Page: 531 – 555. Emerald. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M. (2016). Mother nature’s son? The impact of gender socialization and culture on environmental venturing.. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. Vol: 8, Issue: 2, Page: 137-172. Emerald. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Matthews, C.H., Reynolds, P.D. (2016). Does start-up financing influence start-up speed? Evidence from the panel study of entrepreneurial dynamics. Small Business Economics. Vol: 46, Issue: 1, Page: 137-167. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Welter, C. (2015). Opportunity types, social entrepreneurship and innovation: Evidence from the panel study of entrepreneurial dynamics. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Vol: 16, Issue: 4, Page: 237-251. SAGE Publications. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Ingram, A. (2014). A review of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the entrepreneurial society in the United States: An exploration with the global entrepreneurship monitor dataset.. Journal of Business & Entrepreneurship, . Vol: 26, Issue: 1, Page: 1-35. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Renko, M., Matthews, C.H. (2012). The nascent entrepreneurship hub: goals, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and start-up outcomes. Small Business Economics. Vol: 39, Issue: 3, Page: 685-701. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M. (2011). Legitimacy and new firm founding: The role of innovation and kinship ties on start-up activities among US nascent entrepreneurs. Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship. Vol: 23, Issue: 1, Page: 93-121. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Reynolds, P.D. (2009). Cultural norms and business start-ups: the impact of national values on opportunity and necessity entrepreneurs. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. Vol: 5, Issue: 4, Page: 417-437. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. link

Books

  • , M.B., Carsrud,, A.L., Hechavarria, D.M., Kickull, J. (2025). Handback Handbook of research methods and applications in entrepreneurship and small business: Search entire store here... $ Subjects Products Browse Services Open Access Publish with us Author Hub About Join our mailing list Home Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Second Edition Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Second Edition Hardback Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Second Edition. Issue: 2nd Edition. Edward Eglar.

Book Chapters

  • Hechavarria, D.M., Carsurd, A.L., Pandey, P. (2025). Leveraging large-scale secondary data in entrepreneurship research: Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Second Edition. Edward Eglar.
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Ingram, A., Justo, R., Terjesen, S. (2012). Are women more likely to pursue social and environmental entrepreneurship?: Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Research. Edward Elgar Publishing. link
  • Hechavarria, D.M., Schenkel, M.T., Matthews, C.H. (2009). Contextual motivation and growth aspirations among nascent entrepreneurs: International Studies in Entrepreneurship. Page: 35-49. Springer New York. link
  • Matthews, C.H., Schenkel, M.T., Hechavarria, D.M. (2009). Family background and influence on nascent entrepreneurs: International Studies in Entrepreneurship. Page: 51-67. Springer New York. link
  • Schenkel, M.T., Hechavarria, D.M., Matthews, C.H. (2009). The role of human and social capital and technology in nascent ventures: International Studies in Entrepreneurship. Page: 157-183. Springer New York. link

Reports

  • Kelley, D.J., Shay, J.P., Majbouri, M., Brush, C.S., Corbett, A.C., Daniels, C., Hechavarria, D.M., Auguste, D. (2025). Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2024/2025 United States Report. Babson College .