Imge Kaya-Sabanci

Imge Kaya-Sabanci Photo

I am an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Management and Technology at Bocconi University. I earned my PhD with honors from IE Business School and was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Business School. I also hold a Master of Research in Management Science from IE Business School, an Executive MBA from Ozyegin University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Sabanci University.

My research focuses on entrepreneurship, particularly the mechanisms that drive gender inequality and the impact of gender bias on entrepreneurial outcomes. Theoretically, I adopt an interdisciplinary approach that builds on entrepreneurship research and integrates insights from social psychology, economics, and strategic human capital. Empirically, I employ quantitative methods, including panel data analysis, field experiments, and laboratory experiments.

I also have extensive international expertise in women’s economic empowerment, gender and development, and entrepreneurship. Before pursuing my PhD, I worked at Goldman Sachs and Ernst & Young, where I managed entrepreneurship programs across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa. I have designed and led international development and education programs focused on women’s economic empowerment, women’s entrepreneurship, and gender equality. I have advised and partnered with policymakers, international organizations, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as private-sector organizations, NGOs, and universities.

I collaborate with an international and interdisciplinary team of social scientists exploring democratic and sustainable ways of working and organizing. As part of this collaboration, I wrote the chapter “Democratizing Work to Reverse Increasing Inequalities” in Democratize Work: The Case for Reorganizing the Economy, published by the University of Chicago Press.

Adjunct Professor
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Research interests

My research interests span entrepreneurship, women’s entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial finance. I examine the mechanisms that drive the persistent gender gap in entrepreneurship, with particular focus on how gendered perceptions and biases influence entrepreneurial entry, access to resources, and long-term outcomes. 

Working papers
Kaya-Sabanci, I., Grégoire, D. A., and Justo, R.
Revisiting the Role of Trustworthiness in New Venture Investing: A Gendered-Signaling Perspective
Kaya-Sabanci, I., Sabanci, H., and Elvira, M.
The Gendered Impact of Job Insecurity on Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Spain
Martiarena, A., Jennings J., Justo R., and Kaya-Sabanci, I.
Resource for Him, Constraint for Her? Entrepreneurship and the Gender Gap in Parenthood Intentions

At Bocconi University, I teach “Organizing Entrepreneurship.” I have also taught “Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing” and “Topics in Social Entrepreneurship” at IE Business School. I have received the IE Teaching Excellence Award multiple times and have taught entrepreneurs and executives at various levels, consistently receiving excellent teaching evaluations. I also co-authored a business case published by Ivey Publishing, focused on innovation, opportunity identification, gender issues, and women’s entrepreneurship.