Member since March 2017
Banu Ozkazanc-Pan is a Professor of Practice at the School of Engineering and Academic Director of the IE Brown EMBA program. She is also the Founder and Director of the Venture Capital Inclusion Lab at the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship. The Lab was started in 2018 with funds from her $260,000 Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation grant examining the decision-making and network behaviors of VCs. The Lab focuses on understanding and solving funding inequities in the VC industry through data-driven research, education and advocacy. Banu’s research interests are mainly in the areas of diversity and inclusion in organizations and in entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Recently, Banu contributed her expertise to the 2021 UNGPs10+ consultation on the gender dimensions of business and human rights, which is intended to inform the work of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights UNGPs10+ ‘next decade’ project. She also contributed her expertise to the 2021 gender dimensions of business and human rights via the Danish Institute for Human Rights. Her piece in The Conversation, focusing on the intersections of gender, inclusion, and tech, has over 33,000 reads and offers ideas and steps that are necessary for the tech sector to become inclusive. It was chosen for essential reading in relation to sexual harassment and discrimination in tech, particularly in regard to the Activation Blizzard lawsuit. She is currently a member of CNBC’s Disruptor 50 Advisory Council Member and Academic Director at Brown University for the IE Brown Executive MBA.
Banu is currently Joint Editor in Chief of Gender, Work & Organization and the author of Transnational Migration and The New Subjects of Work: Transmigrants, Hybrids and Cosmopolitans. She has two forthcoming books with Cambridge University Press titled Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: A Critical Gender Perspective (2021) and A Transnational Approach to Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (2022). She can be reached at banu_ozkazanc-pan@brown.edu.
Banu founded Lunality to support leaders who are interested in inclusive environments for innovation.
Moving beyond talk to take action on innovation, diversity and inclusion!
Understanding that people want to change but may lack the knowledge and skills to engage in action towards innovation, diversity and inclusion--I have such knowledge and skills and am passionate about sharing them!
I am a global traveler and have always loved to work in different cultures and with different people. I can create safe spaces for difficult conversations so that people can engage in authentic conversation and exchange of ideas. As a researcher, I am able to examine how these conversations especially those around innovation, change diversity and inclusion can be better fostered and supported in different places and organizations.
Accelerators are an important part of entrepreneurship: they provide resources, networks and many more benefits to entrepreneurs. So how do you make sure that you're reaching and supporting all entrepreneurs? In this talk, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan discusses best practices for building diverse and inclusive cohorts at accelerators by focusing on effective and appropriate outreach, leadership support and culture. You can be the best and diverse too!
Ongoing issues of discrimination, sexism, and harassment, can it get worse for women seeking VC-fudning? And how do we collectively move beyond 'fixing women' to fixing the system? In this talk, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan discusses the elements that have given rise to the toxic environment in the VC industry and offers sustainable solutions informed by research and experience.
Organizational culture is an important part of diversity and belonging, what are elements of an inclusive organizational culture and how can you build an organization that is both inclusive and creates a sense of belonging for women, minorities and others? Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan outlines the importance of culture and how successful companies leverage their diversity in building inclusive workplaces.
Which cities and regions are the most innovative and entrepreneurial across the globe? What are some lessons we can learn from other nations? To stay competitive in today's global economy, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan discusses how the U.S. can leverage its diversity to continue innovating while also learning some best practices from others around the world.
How do you build ecosystems that benefit everyone including women, minority and immigrant entrepreneurs? In this talk, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan outlines the most innovative and effective ways entrepreneur support organizations and policy makers can support diverse entrepreneurs. Through diversity, we can support inclusive economic development and the next wave of innovation in entrepreneurship!
What are the specific challenges women entrepreneurs face and what are ways that you can overcome these barriers? In this talk, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan discusses different challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and some of the most effective ways to overcome including individual and collective efforts.
Understanding that people want to change but may lack the knowledge and skills to engage in action towards innovation, diversity and inclusion--I have such knowledge and skills and am passionate about sharing them!
I am a global traveler and have always loved to work in different cultures and with different people. I can create safe spaces for difficult conversations so that people can engage in authentic conversation and exchange of ideas. As a researcher, I am able to examine how these conversations especially those around innovation, change diversity and inclusion can be better fostered and supported in different places and organizations.
Accelerators are an important part of entrepreneurship: they provide resources, networks and many more benefits to entrepreneurs. So how do you make sure that you're reaching and supporting all entrepreneurs? In this talk, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan discusses best practices for building diverse and inclusive cohorts at accelerators by focusing on effective and appropriate outreach, leadership support and culture. You can be the best and diverse too!
Ongoing issues of discrimination, sexism, and harassment, can it get worse for women seeking VC-fudning? And how do we collectively move beyond 'fixing women' to fixing the system? In this talk, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan discusses the elements that have given rise to the toxic environment in the VC industry and offers sustainable solutions informed by research and experience.
Organizational culture is an important part of diversity and belonging, what are elements of an inclusive organizational culture and how can you build an organization that is both inclusive and creates a sense of belonging for women, minorities and others? Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan outlines the importance of culture and how successful companies leverage their diversity in building inclusive workplaces.
Which cities and regions are the most innovative and entrepreneurial across the globe? What are some lessons we can learn from other nations? To stay competitive in today's global economy, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan discusses how the U.S. can leverage its diversity to continue innovating while also learning some best practices from others around the world.
How do you build ecosystems that benefit everyone including women, minority and immigrant entrepreneurs? In this talk, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan outlines the most innovative and effective ways entrepreneur support organizations and policy makers can support diverse entrepreneurs. Through diversity, we can support inclusive economic development and the next wave of innovation in entrepreneurship!
What are the specific challenges women entrepreneurs face and what are ways that you can overcome these barriers? In this talk, Prof. Ozkazanc-Pan discusses different challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and some of the most effective ways to overcome including individual and collective efforts.
