University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Entrepreneurial Public Private Partnerships: The Case of the Boulder Energy Challenge

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Abstract

This study explores an innovative public-private partnership that leverages the flexibility and docility of private entrepreneurial start-ups to address a public goal. In 2014, the city of Boulder, Colorado launched the Boulder Energy Challenge (BEC) to partner with local entrepreneurs to reduce and mitigate the impact of carbon emissions. Through an inductive study of the two BEC cohorts over a four-year period, we find that the success of an entrepreneurial public private partnership is driven through the establishment of systems that enable collaboration and docility across governmental, entrepreneurial, and market logics. Examining the organizational structure and social innovation process of this unique longitudinal case study expands our understanding of how policy makers and entrepreneurs can form unique organizations to address pressing environmental issues. Our findings bridge the literature on entrepreneurship, public-private partnerships and institutional logics to offer a new model of entrepreneurial collective action. 

Biography

Elizabeth (Beth) Embry is a PhD candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder, studying entrepreneurship and strategy. With a professional background in public health and sustainability, Beth’s research explores how to improve human health and environmental regeneration through innovation and collaboration. As evidenced by the pandemic, businesses cannot ignore the compounding issues of climate change, public health, and social equity. Thus, the overarching question that her dissertation explores is: How do existing sustainability solutions evolve and adapt when confronted with other pressing societal issues?  

 Prior to CU, Beth was the Director of Global Health at Saint Louis University's College for Public Health and Social Justice.  She also worked in both global and local contexts focused on health systems strengthening, and new venture program development. Beth holds a Master of Business Administration from Saint Louis University’s John Cook School of Business, and a Master of Public Health from Boston University.