Startups are often celebrated for bold founders, but their success also depends on the employees who decide to join them. The PDW, Research on Joiners and Startup Employment: Taking Stock and Identifying New Frontiers, brings together scholars working on one of the most important-and fast-evolving-questions in entrepreneurship and innovation research: who joins startups, why they join, and how startup employment shapes both firms and careers. Join us on Friday July 31st, from 12 noon to 3:30 at the Loews Hotel (Commonwealth C).
The workshop will synthesize emerging research on startup labor markets, compensation, scaling, and the role of joiners across the startup life cycle. It will also create space for lively discussion about how new technologies such as AI, digital collaboration tools, and remote work are changing the nature of startup work. Through expert talks, a cross-disciplinary panel, and interactive roundtables, participants will exchange ideas, identify open questions, and build connections with others interested in this growing field.
Whether you study entrepreneurship, human capital, teams, networks, or organizational change, this PDW offers a chance to engage with cutting-edge work and help shape the future research agenda on startup employment. We welcome doctoral students, early-career scholars, and established researchers who want to explore new ideas and connect with a vibrant community.
The PDW brings together a diverse group of contributors: organizers Rajshree Agarwal (University of Maryland), Michael Roach (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), and Henry Sauermann (ESMT Berlin); speakers Alicia DeSantola (University of Washington) and Daniel Kim (University of Pennsylvania); panelists David Kryscynski (Rutgers University), Ella Miron-Spektor (INSEAD), and Emily Cox Pahnke (University of Washington); and additional roundtable facilitators Saerom Ronnie Lee (University of Pennsylvania), Innessa Colaiacovo (University of Oregon), Travis Howell (ASU), Liinus Hietaniemi (IESE), and Diego Zunino (SKEMA).
Full details can be found at: https://events.aom.org/events/aom-2026/session/wctE4WMBWA4xCtKefwfZp
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Henry Sauermann
ESMT - European School of Management and Technology - Berlin
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