Murray B. Low, PhD
Professor Low is an experienced entrepreneur and a leading authority on entrepreneurship in independent, corporate, and not-for-profit settings. His Ph.D. (1991) is from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His previous degrees (BA Sociology 1976; MBA 1985) are from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
Professor Low was an early advocate of entrepreneurship education in business schools. As the founder of the Columbia Entrepreneurship Program (www.gsb.columbia.edu/entprog), he has worked to make entrepreneurship a viable career option for MBA graduates in one of four areas: independent start-ups, new ventures in established companies, private equity and venture capital, and social entrepreneurship.
Starting businesses in several industries led Professor Low to study how the entrepreneurial process differs by context. He has published widely, in journals such as Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, The Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, Journal of Management, Academy of Management Best Papers, and Simulation and Gaming. His current research interests include entrepreneurship and private equity in emerging markets, the fit between strategy and entrepreneurship in established companies, and the dynamics of entrepreneurial careers.
Professor Low teaches executive seminars in the areas of entrepreneurship and strategic management. He has been a professor at Columbia Business School since 1990 where he currently teaches three courses in the MBA program: “Introduction to Venturing and Entrepreneurship,” “Entrepreneurship in Africa” and “Master Class in Entrepreneurship.” He consults to both small and large companies, and not-for-profits. Recent clients include International Finance Corporation, Robin Hood, Glaxo Smith-Kline, Sony, Roche, AT&T, Thomas Publishing, Shell Oil, Con Edison, Brooklyn Union Gas, CGNU, GKN, Brambles, Ericsson, Schroders and Alcatel-Lucent. He is an advisor to many start-ups and is Chairman of Trupanion, a pet insurance company. He makes frequent presentations to industry groups and is a regular commentator in the media.