Maya Kumar

An academic with the goal of contributing the theory and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation – Maya is a global cosmopolitan that has lived in six countries across Europe, North America, and Asia. Her experiences and background allow her to act as a boundary spanner across cultures and disciplines. She has developed relationships with industry experts worldwide in the fields of global entrepreneurship and innovation management, including connections with startup incubators and entrepreneurs in the places she has lived. Her passion and experiences in teaching and mentoring students in business and multidisciplinary programs in Entrepreneurship, Strategy, and International Business can be seen both inside and outside the classroom.

Maya joined IE in 2017 as an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship. She earned her Ph.D. from Ivey Business School in Canada. She also holds an MBA from City University of Hong Kong, an MSc from Tufts University, and a BSc from the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on early stage startups, where she assesses the role of early customers in the innovative startups’ new venture creation process. She regularly presents her research at prestigious international conferences, such as the Academy of Management Annual Meetings and the Academy of International Business Meetings.

Prior to re-joining academia, Maya worked in biotechnology startups, logistics, and banking sectors, and was even then engaged with her local entrepreneurial ecosystems. She has also worked on consulting projects with organizations such as KPMG, SAP, ASEAN, and GP Electronics, and can easily speak of a wealth of real-world examples that illustrate teaching points in the classroom.

Academic Positions

• Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, IE University, 2017 to present
• Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, Western University, 2016 – 2017
• Academic Coordinator, Ivey India Practicum, Ivey Business School, 2014
• Researcher, The Logistics Institute – Asia Pacific, National University of Singapore, 2008 – 2009, 2011

Education

• Ph.D. in General Management and Entrepreneurship, Ivey Business School, Western University (Canada) 2017
• MBA, City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong) 2007
• M.S. in Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University (USA) 2006
• B.Sc. in Honours Biology, University of Waterloo (Canada) 2004

Professional Experience

• Relationship Manager of THINK Executive, The Logistics Institute (Asia Pacific) 2008 – 2009, 2011
• Business Planning Manager, Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) 2010
• Business Relationship Manager, Braintree Initiative, Suzhou (China) 2007 – 2008