Place-Based Policies and Entrepreneurship
Organized by Sabrina T. Howell, Josh Lerner, and David T. Robinson
Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Arnold Ventures
December 3-4, 2026
Royal Sonesta Hotel, Room Longfellow BC, 40 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge, MA
Thursday, December 3
12:00 pm
Lunch - Skyline Rooms
12:50 pm

Geography Matters More for Small Firms: Frontier Skill Supply in Startup Labor Markets

Paul J. Hamilton, Harvard University
David H. Hsu, University of Pennsylvania
Prasanna Tambe, University of Pennsylvania
Zhiwei Wang, University of Pennsylvania

Discussant:
Bitsy Perlman, U.S. Census Bureau
1:40 pm

The Welfare Effects of Place-Based Talent Incentives

Nghiem Q. Huynh, University of Oklahoma
Rui Du, Oklahoma State University
Weizeng Sun, Central University of Finance and Economics

Discussant:
Tong Liu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2:30 pm
Break
2:45 pm

The State of European Entrepreneurship: Trends in Quantity and Quality in France, Germany, and the UK (2009–2023) (slides)

Massimo G. Colombo Prof., Politecnico di Milano
Lena Josep. Füner, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research
Massimiliano Guerini, Politecnico di Milano
Hanna Hottenrott, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Daniel F. Souza, Polytechnic University of Milan

Discussant:
Mario Leccese, Boston University
3:35 pm

The Effects of Place-Based Policies on Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Evidence from 3D Printing

Wendy A. Bradley, San Jose State University
Julian Kolev, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Discussant:
Maria P. Roche, Harvard University
4:25 pm
Break
4:40 pm
PANEL:
Cait Brumme, MassChallenge
Kenan Fikri. Economic Innovation Group
5:30 pm
Adjourn
6:00 pm
Reception and Group Dinner in the Parkview Room at the Sonesta
Friday, December 4
7:50 am
Continental Breakfast
8:20 am

The Persistence of Entrepreneurial Geography: Evidence and Implications for Place-based Policy

John M. Barrios, Yale University and NBER
Yael Hochberg, Rice University and NBER
Daniele Macciochi, University of Miami

Discussant:
Adam B. Jaffe, Brandeis University and NBER
9:10 am

Place-Based Policies and the Changing Geography of American Entrepreneurship

Catherine E. Fazio, Boston University
Jorge Guzman, Columbia University and NBER
Scott Stern, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NBER
Weiliang Tan, Claremont McKenna College

Discussant:
Edward L. Glaeser, Harvard University and NBER
10:00 am
Break
10:15 am

Historical Entrepreneurship and Local Growth

Shawn Kantor, Florida State University and NBER
Zhihao Wang, University of Calgary
Alexander T. Whalley, University of Calgary

Discussant:
Michael J. Andrews, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
11:05 am

Which Firms Drive the Gains from Connectivity and Competition? The Impact of India’s Golden Quadrilateral across the Firm Life Cycle (slides)

Arti Grover, The World Bank
William F. Maloney, The World Bank

Discussant:
Raman Singh Chhina, The University of Chicago
11:55 am
Lunch - Skyline Rooms
12:55 pm

Place-Based Policy for Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Opportunity Zones (slides)

Matthew Freedman, University of California, Irvine
Noah Arman Kouchekinia, University of California, Irvine
David Neumark, University of California, Irvine and NBER

Discussant:
Andra C. Ghent, University of Utah
1:45 pm
Break
2:00 pm

Cycles, Clusters, and VC-Backed Innovation: Evidence from Four Decades of U.S. Patenting

Sabrina T. Howell, Harvard University and NBER
Josh Lerner, Harvard University and NBER
Ramana Nanda, Imperial College London
Richard R. Townsend, University of California, San Diego and NBER

Discussant:
Emmanuel Yimfor, Columbia University
2:50 pm

Fostering Early-Stage Capital Formation: Lessons from BDC

Camille Hebert, University of Toronto
David T. Robinson, Duke University and NBER

Discussant:
Jacquelyn Pless, University of Toronto
3:40 pm
Closing Remarks and Adjourn