This research domain focuses on investigating the entrepreneurial ecologies and relational practices surrounding the development of creative social enterprises (CSEs) and growth of creative social innovation (CSIs), particularly in the United States. This domain is a direct extension of my doctoral research and is positioned within the fields of enterprise and organizational studies in the contexts the creative and cultural sector. I utilize an embedded, reflexive, and autoethnographic approach to explore CSE start-up and new venture development and CSI growth of art-producing enterprises.
Funded Projects
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United States. 2023-2025. University of Kentucky Provost Office IMPACT Award and Gary B. Knapp Endowment
A transformative pilot program to develop curricular partnerships with HBCUs within and outside of Kentucky. Creative Social Entrepreneurship. The skills-based practice of establishing new ventures that combine creative methods with commercial strategies to improve the economic, environmental, political, and social well-being of society. Creative Social Entrepreneurship transcends the arts, entrepreneurship, and leadership practice through the synthesis of these skill sets (communication, resourcefulness, risk-taking, etc.) to bring new and innovative products and services to market – all with the goal of meeting community-based societal goals. Recent creative social entrepreneurship projects in Kentucky include the development of Julietta Market in Lexington and Berea Artisan Village. Students completing coursework and degrees in creative social entrepreneurship would be prepared to develop similar projects and enhance existing projects.
The new curricular offerings will consist of the development of the following:
Online Graduate Certificate in Creative Social Entrepreneurship;
Online Undergraduate Certificate in Creative Social Entrepreneurship;
University Scholars Program in collaboration with an HBCU; and
Six new online courses.
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Glasgow and Edinburgh, UK. 2015 - 2018.
Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde.Fully funded doctoral research.
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United Kingdom. Spring 2018. Barclays and ScaleUp Institute.
Social businesses account for a large and growing portion of the UK business sector. Their business models lie on a spectrum ranging from strongly commercial to purely charitable, with many combining these elements to respond to complex and challenging community, environmental and broader societal concerns. However, these businesses are not usually seen as high growth. Using data from the Annual ScaleUp Survey, in-depth interviews with social scaleup leaders and an analysis of equity investments into 231 social businesses, this report reveals the nature of the social scaleup ecosystem in the UK.
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Scotland, UK. January - May 2017. Creative Scotland.
This searchable excel database provides a summary of the current research landscape across Scotland’s nineteen academic institutions, identifying research and researchers in the field of the creative industries. The database is an output of a short-term project to review research activity in relation to the Creative Industries in Scotland. The work was conducted in Spring 2017 by two doctoral consultants Marta Bernal Valencia (University of Edinburgh) and Jaleesa Wells (University of Strathclyde) as part of a partnership between Creative Scotland and the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities.
Publications
Media
Social Innovators Activate!
Join us as Dr. Serenity Wright discusses the activation of Social Innovation at UK with a panel of UK Social Innovators. Topics will include social innovation in practice, sharing success and telling the story.