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Key people at Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute.
The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute (GEDI) is a Washington, DC-based research organization and consulting firm that provides entrepreneurial consulting services and policy strategy. The institute develops comprehensive indices, including the prominent Global Entrepreneurship Index, alongside others like the Female Entrepreneurship Index. These tools objectively measure and analyze national and regional entrepreneurship ecosystems, allowing GEDI to gather knowledge and data on the intricate links between entrepreneurship, economic development, and overall prosperity.
GEDI was founded in 2010 by a consortium of world-leading entrepreneurship scholars from institutions such as the London School of Economics, George Mason University, University of Pécs, and Imperial College London. A key figure in its intellectual leadership and development is Dr. Zoltan J. Acs, a distinguished scholar known for his profound contributions to entrepreneurship research. The founding insight stemmed from the need for a rigorous, data-driven framework to assess entrepreneurial environments and guide effective policy interventions globally.
The institute’s clients primarily consist of governments, international organizations, and businesses aiming to cultivate vibrant entrepreneurial landscapes. GEDI helps these stakeholders identify strategic pathways to foster innovation and economic growth. Its long-term vision centers on expanding economic opportunities for individuals, communities, and entire nations by leveraging its diagnostic tools and research to prescribe targeted interventions that unlock countries' full entrepreneurial potential.
The Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute (GEDI) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit research organization focused on advancing knowledge about the links between entrepreneurship, economic development, and prosperity.[2][3][4] Its flagship project is the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI), a validated methodology that measures and ranks national entrepreneurship ecosystems by evaluating resource allocation, ecosystem quality, and dynamics across factors like opportunity perception, startup skills, risk capital, and internationalization.[2][5] GEDI provides entrepreneurial consulting to help clients expand revenues through sales strategies and acquisitions, while diagnosing ecosystem weaknesses for targeted interventions.[3] It influences the startup ecosystem by offering data-driven insights adopted by organizations like Santander for indices and by policymakers via collaborations with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN).[2][3]
GEDI was founded by leading entrepreneurship scholars from George Mason University, the University of Pécs, Imperial College London, and the London School of Economics, establishing it as a rigorous academic-research hybrid headquartered in Washington, D.C.[2][5] The institute emerged to fill gaps in entrepreneurship data and policy tools, launching the GEI as its breakthrough project after peer-reviewed validation.[2][5] Its evolution has centered on expanding from index production to practical applications, including consulting services and ecosystem diagnostics, bridging theory and practice in over 100 countries.[3][6] This academic foundation has positioned GEDI as a trusted source, with its methodology powering global reports and ministerial summits through GEN partnerships.[2]
GEDI rides the global surge in entrepreneurship-led economic policy, where governments and organizations seek data to fuel high-growth startups amid rising public interest in innovation ecosystems.[2] Its timing aligns with exploding demand for smarter instruments—like GEI rankings—to benchmark nations on digital entrepreneurship and prosperity drivers, countering informal economies with formalized support.[2][3][5] Market forces favoring GEDI include GEN's policy expansions (e.g., U.S. ministerial summits) and private adoptions (e.g., Santander Index), amplifying its role in shaping startup-savvy policies.[2][3] By influencing ecosystems through research and consulting, GEDI drives job creation, innovation, and wealth distribution, particularly in underserved regions.[1][4]
GEDI is poised to expand its GEI into emerging areas like AI-driven entrepreneurship metrics and climate-focused ecosystems, leveraging its academic rigor for deeper policy integrations.[2][3] Trends such as digital transformation and global startup competitions will boost demand for its diagnostics, potentially scaling consulting amid GEN's growth platforms.[2][6] Its influence may evolve from index leader to ecosystem architect, powering more national strategies and sustaining its role in equitable prosperity—reinforcing its foundational mission to measure and elevate global entrepreneurship.[1][4][5]
Key people at Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute.
