Dr. Mai Thi Thanh Thai is an Associate Professor at HEC Montréal and the founder and director of Social Business Creation (SBC), an impactful global platform promoting social entrepreneurship and enhancing ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance. Mai Thai has won numerous local and international awards for her outstanding performance and dedication in various roles as a researcher, teacher, and entrepreneur, throughout her career. She has won many prizes for teachers, notably the Top 50 Women Leaders in Education in 2024 by Women We Admire, HEC Montréal’s Hall of Fame, Pedagogical Innovation Prizes, and the Alma-LePage Award. Her research delves deep into the intricate connections between entrepreneurship and its complex web of socioeconomic, cultural, and political contexts. Her work has been published in prestigious journals in the field of entrepreneurship. She has served as an editorial board member and ad hoc reviewer for reputable journals. She has received several prizes for the impact of her research, including the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Past President’s Award, and the Emerald Literati’s Highly Commended Paper Award, among others. She served as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship from 2015 to 2020, during which time she led the journal to unprecedented growth in terms of full-text downloads, manuscript submissions, and journal rankings.
HEC Montréal
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Best Presenter Award, 06/2010
Management, Finance & Accounting Research
Selected by Management, Finance & Accounting Research for the best presentation at the International Business & Management Research Conference in 2010.
Finalist Robert H. Schaffer Best Paper Award in Applied International Management, 8/2011
Academy of Management
Selected by the Academy of Management for the best research article on international management applied to the annual conference in San Antonio, Texas, August 12-16, 2011
Best Paper Award, 03/2012
Academy for Global Business Advancement
Selected by the Academy for Global Business Advancement for the best paper accepted for presentation at the annual conference in 2012.
Distinguished Scholar, 3/2012
Academy for Global Business Advancement
Selected by the Academy for Global Business Advancement as a researcher who has made significant contributions to business development.
Alma Lepage Award, 12/2012
International Journal of Case Studies in Management
Selected for the best pedagogical case featuring women managers (http://www.hec.ca/centredecas/cas_primes/prix_alma_lepage/prix_alma-lepage.html#38619).
Pedagogical Innovation Award, 12/2013
HEC Montréal
This prize, awarded by HEC Montréal, recognizes the innovation and impact of the International Graduate Competition, a co-opetition aimed at improving the learning of graduate students and the transfer of knowledge to companies.
Highly Commended Paper Award, 4/2014
Emerald Literati Awards
This award recognizes the excellence and impact of the article “Social capital, networks, trust and immigrant entrepreneurship: a cross-country analysis” co-authored with Ekaterina Turkina and published in 2013 in the Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Vol 7(2): 108-124. Emerald Literati Awards (https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/our-awards/emerald-literati-awards)
Past President's Award, 10/2020
Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
This award recognizes the excellence of an editor who has significantly advanced knowledge and research in the field of entrepreneurship and has had a global impact on entrepreneurial practices. Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (CCSBE, https://www.ccsbe.org/)
Pedagogical Innovation Award, 11/2022
HEC Montréal
2022 Pedagogical Innovation Award, HEC Montréal, for the most innovative pedagogical achievement, conceived and implemented during the year, by a member of the HEC Montréal teaching staff. https://www.hec.ca/nouvelles/2022/prix-recherche-et-pedagogie-2022.html.
Top 50 Women in Education of 2024, 08/2024
Women We Admire
This award, given by Women We Admire, recognizes the impact of women at the forefront of breaking down educational barriers. They are committed to ensuring that every student has access to the knowledge and skills that pave the way to a promising future. In addition, they cultivate environments where educators, administrators and support staff can excel, whether in educational institutions, healthcare facilities, non-profit organizations or businesses. https://thewomenweadmire.com/2024/08/08/the
Competitions Hall of Fame, 11/2024
HEC Montréal
This award, given by HEC Montréal, recognizes the impact of the two international competitions on student learning and community development (International Graduate Competition and Social Business Creation Competition).
Medal for the Coronation of King Charles III, 12/2024
Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall, Government of Canada
This coronation medal commemorates the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III as King of Canada. The medal is administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall. This award is dedicated to Canadians who have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a province, territory, region or community in Canada, or who have accomplished something exceptional abroad that brings honour to Canada.