4th Research Conference on Accelerating Growth for Entrepreneurs in Developing Economies

You are invited to submit a paper to the 4th annual Research Conference on Accelerating Growth for Entrepreneurs in Developing Economies, jointly organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank Group, World Bank Group, American University, Imperial College London, and Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). The conference aims to promote new research and evidence on entrepreneurship, with a focus on women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (WSMEs), start-ups, and micro-enterprises with growth potential. Papers using sex-disaggregated data are particularly encouraged.

The conference will also provide a platform for academics, practitioners, policymakers, and private sector actors to network and discuss the application of research findings to project design and implementation. Policy-oriented sessions will strengthen the connection between research and policy, helping to generate new evidence and define key objectives and milestones for the future.

We are pleased to welcome the conference keynote speaker: Seema Jayachandran, Kenneth J. Boudreaux '65 Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University.

To submit a paper (full papers only), please use this link.

The event is free to attend for interested parties, upon registration. The registration link will be made available in winter 2026.