Rural Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Rural Entrepreneurial Ecosystems explores how entrepreneurship unfolds beyond the urban centers that have dominated entrepreneurial ecosystem research. Bringing rural space to the forefront, this book examines how place, institutions, infrastructure, finance, digital connectivity, and social networks shape entrepreneurial opportunities – and how these conditions are experienced differently by women, minorities, migrants, older people, and other marginalized groups.

Drawing on theoretical, empirical, and comparative perspectives from scholars and practitioners, this book challenges the assumption that rural entrepreneurs form a homogeneous group. It reveals how entrepreneurial ecosystems can reproduce exclusion, while also identifying pathways toward greater equity, participation, and resilience. By connecting scholarship with real-world challenges, this book offers a critical and timely roadmap for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to build more diverse, equitable, and inclusive rural entrepreneurial ecosystems.