IMD is proud to host the Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference for its 22nd anniversary. Over the last 21 years we have welcomed hundreds of scholars as well as practitioners and students interested in social enterprise, innovation, sustainability and impact. While our perspectives and viewpoints are diverse and multi-faceted, we are united in our commitment to building and supporting social entrepreneurs and their organizations.
As we celebrate two decades of collaboration, we hope you will join us to gain unique and useful insights and enduring inspiration during our time together in beautiful Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Welcome Reception: Thursday April 30, 2026
- Practitioner-Researcher Exchange Day: Thursday April 30, 2026
- Research Conference: Friday and Saturday, May 1 & 2, 2026
This event is sponsored by IMD and EGADE Business School Tecnológico de Monterrey.
Submission process
Authors who wish to present their papers or lead a panel at the conference should submit electronically a three-page abstract + references (double-spaced, Times New Roman font, size 12) by Friday January 16, 2026. Abstracts will be selected and authors will be notified and invited by February 6, 2026. A full paper will be due on March 31, 2026.
Conference registration fees
- Early-bird rate, before February 27, 2026: CHF 600
- Standard rate, after February 27, 2026: CHF 700
- PhD student rate: CHF 250
- Practitioner-Researcher Exchange day: CHF 200
Please note: We seek representations from all regions, and this is why we offer 5 slots at a special price to include authors of accepted papers who might otherwise not attend for cost-related reasons. The selection for these slots is based on personal circumstances, distance of travel, country of residence’s GDP, and more. Slots will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.
What to expect of the conference
The Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference provides unique opportunities to hear from and interact with world-class speakers and to make valuable connections. Dozens of accepted papers will be presented and discussed in parallel sessions, which will include featured discussants. The conference will also feature panels on critical and relevant topics, and compelling keynote speeches.
A number of established social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship scholars will be present at the conference, including associate editors at the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Small Business Management, Small Business Economics, and Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, and more.
Why join us?
The Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference, co-directed by Dr. Sophie Bacq and Dr. Jill Kickul, is the largest academic gathering of its kind globally, convening scholars, students, practitioners and keynote speakers from around the world to explore the most critical topics, concepts and themes in social entrepreneurship, social enterprise, social innovation, sustainability and impact today.
Our purpose is to support the continuing development of theory and research on social entrepreneurship and its impact on global communities. We welcome and showcase both conceptual and research papers presenting quantitative and/or qualitative data. We also invite proposals for expert panel sessions: conversations that bring together the diverse perspectives and expertise of three to five panelists, facilitated and chaired by an expert speaker and enriched by audience participation. Note: panel sessions do not include individual paper presentations.
Past keynote speakers
Over the past 21 years, the conference has featured foremost thought leaders, scholars, and social entrepreneurs at host universities including New York University, Northeastern University, University of Southern California, and Indiana University.
Schedule of the conference
The program will be made available by early April (a draft will be circulated with presenters a little beforehand).
The day will be devoted to practitioner-research exchanges.
The research conference program will start with a welcome reception at 6pm. Early registration will be open that day.
We will kick-off the main conference program with registration and a light breakfast at 8am, followed by welcome and opening remarks from David Bach, President of IMD, and your Conference co-Directors, Sophie Bacq and Jill Kickul. The day will be filled with keynotes, panel and presentation sessions. We will close the day with our conference dinner.
We will start our day with a keynote, followed by panels and presentation sessions. The conference will end with a celebratory closing reception, from 5:30 to 7:30pm.
The 22nd Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference will take place at IMD Business School, located in Lausanne, Switzerland. To organize your trip, here is a list of hotels we recommend:
Lake
We have rooms pre-booked for the Conference, to reserve, you can contact: [email protected]
City center
Contact: +41 21-546-0530
