Shai Vyakarnam

Prof Vyakarnam has had a passion for entrepreneurship education and development for over 30 years. He is currently Visiting Professor at the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship at Cranfield University, having had the honour of being its Director for four years. Previously, for fourteen years, he was founding director of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at the University of Cambridge. His current role entails growing entrepreneurship education, mentoring and inspiring new generations of entrepreneurs.

His latest co-authored book is the Scale-Up Manual. It follows on the heels of Camels, Tigers and Unicorns: Rethinking science and technology enabled innovation. The Scale-Up Manual is designed to help teams navigate their way from early to mature stages of growth through understanding of the three chasms they will encounter on the journey as well as learn of the 12 vectors they can use to help overcome the challenges of the chasms.  His last book with Neal Hartman, Unlocking the Enterpriser Inside, a book of Why, What and How takes readers into the practicalities of how to create courses and learning in education FOR entrepreneurship.

Prof Vyakarnam is active in several stages of business development from start-ups through scale-ups and growing businesses as educator, mentor, and coach. Typically involved in strategy, boardroom dynamics, team building and assisting with getting teams ready to pitch to investors with a particular interest for science and technology enabled businesses. As a result of these experiences, he has been invited to provide policy advice and executive education for larger firms that want to embrace entrepreneurial thinking. He is also on the advisory board of several early stage companies.