Entrepreneurship in Latin America : Perspectives on Education and Innovation

Entrepreneurship drives growth in any economy. It is about combining people with good ideas, vision, and courage, who risk their own capital—and their investors'—to develop new products and services. It is about innovation, technology development, and wealth creation. As a field of research and education, it is relatively new, and in the case of Latin America, it is full of promise. Studies undertaken by Babson College, one of the world's premier centers of entrepreneurship, show that Latin America is a hotbed of new business creation, but largely without the educational or institutional infrastructure to support it. This volume, the first of its kind, documents the initial state of the art in Latin American entrepreneurship—in practice, research, and education. This volume, the first of its kind, documents the initial state of the art in Latin American entrepreneurship—in practice, research, and education. Featuring contributions from local experts, the book explores a wide range of issues, including startups, venture capital and angel financing, technology incubators, family businesses, and management and gender issues, against the backdrop of innovations in education and government policies designed to develop entrepreneurial skills and promote economic growth through new business creation.