Dr Isla Kapasi

Profile

Dr Isla Kapasi is a Senior Visting Research Scholar at the University of Leeds, UK. She earned her PhD examining why individuals pursue entrepreneurship in a home-based context. Her recent research concentrates on entrepreneurship in disadvantaged and marginalised communities. Her scholarship has been published in International Small Business Journal, Journal of Business Venturing Insights, and Journal of Small Business Management.  She has received research funding from BA Leverhulme and the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. 

With a background in self-employment, and the public, private and third sectors, Dr Kapasi uses her diverse experience to integrate the work of academics with policy and practice in the field of enterprise and entrepreneurship. She mentors high growth firms operating across Scotland along with several charitable, social enterprise and public sector organisations. Dr Kapasi has taught enterprise and entrepreneurship across the UK and Europe. She is a certified Team Academy Coach, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. 

Research interests

My current research interests include behaviour change, circular economy, motivations for entrepreneurship, poverty, home-based business, and critical entrepreneurship studies. 

Qualifications

• PhD in Management
• MRes in Research Methods
• MSc in Business Management with Entrepreneurship
• BA (Hons) Arts

Professional memberships

• Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Student education

Research groups and institutes

• Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Studies
• Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change