Education

1992 Miami University of Toledo, BBA
2002 Miami University, MBA
2013 University of Louisville, Ph.D.

Courses Taught

Managing Innovation Strategically
Creativity and Innovation for Entrepreneurs
Communicating with Investors and Partners (Capstone)
Introduction to Entrepreneurship/Feasibility
Managing the Startup Venture
Business Model Development (Capstone)

Academic Seminars: 

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – Visiting Professor for PhD Seminar (2023): Why Use Computational Models to Build & Test Theories? A Power Law Perspective. 

Free University of Bozen-Bolzano – Visiting Professor for Two-Day PhD Seminar (2016): The Emergence of Outliers in Social Systems: Power Laws, Mechanisms, & Super Stars in Bolzano, Italy.

Seoul School of Integrated Sciences and Technologies & Aalto University – Visiting Professor for two-week Executive MBA Capstone Seminar (May 2015 & 2016): CAPSIM Simulation Competition in Seoul, Korea.

Career Specialties

G. Christopher Crawford, an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at The University of Tampa, combines extensive industry experience, including founding his own consulting company, with academic expertise acquired through his PhD in Entrepreneurship from the University of Louisville in 2013. Renowned for his teaching in entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, and strategic management across various institutions worldwide, Crawford has earned recognition and awards, including Best University Professor at Ohio University (four times) and the Sykes College of Business Teaching Innovation Award at Tampa for integrating AI into the classroom. His research, notably his dissertation "Causes of Extreme Outcomes in Entrepreneurship" which garnered a $20,000 Kauffman Dissertation Fellowship Award, focuses on developing a comprehensive theoretical framework to explain and predict the emergence of outliers in entrepreneurship. This work, underpinned by the '4E Framework' (Endowments, Expectations, Engagement, Environments), leverages complexity science and power law distributions to understand the dynamics of entrepreneurial success beyond traditional linear models. Crawford's 'Rock Star Theory'—a universal framework for predicting high-performing ventures—has not only been published in leading journals like Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, and Small Business Economics but has also attracted a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's Science of Organizations Program. His commitment extends to disseminating this knowledge through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and collaborations, aiming to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application in entrepreneurship.

Professional and Community Activities

Guest Associate Editor, Academy of Management Perspectives, Special Issue on the topic of Outliers and Exceptionalism (2024-2025)

Editorial Board Member: Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice (2021-Present); Journal of Business Venturing (2017-2020).

Ad-hoc Reviewer (2015-2025): Academy of Management Review, Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Journal of Simulation, MIS Quarterly, Academy of Management Meeting, Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference, and Small Business Economics.

Li, X, & Crawford, GC. (June 2025) Taking a Configurational Approach to Study the Emergence of Outlier Technology Entrepreneurship in Crowdfunding. Accepted as full refereed paper at 2025 Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference in Boston, MA, USA.

Additional professional and community activities are listed in Dr. Crawford's ​CV​Mollmann has written about science fiction for popular venues such as the Tor.com blog, Unreality SF and Sense of Wonder (a science fiction textbook). He has also co-authored several works of Star Trek fiction.

Peer-Reviewed Research

Skorodziyevskiy, V, Crawford, GC, Davidsson, P, Honig, B, & Hayes, N. (2025) Old Truths, New Insights, and the Nonlinear Potentialities of Human and Social Capital: A Constructive Replication of Davidsson & Honig (2003). Conditional acceptance: Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. (IF: 10.50).

Crawford, GC, Joo, H, & Aguinis, HA. (2024) Under the Weight of Heavy Tails: A Power Law Perspective on the Emergence of Outliers in Entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing Insights. e00447. DOI. (Cite Score: 8.80) Sketchbook of theory is here.

Crawford, GC, Linder, C, Lechner, C & Villani, E. (2024) Outlier Entrepreneurs: Nonlinear Paths and Novel Ventures. Journal of Business Venturing Insights. 21, e00437. DOI.

Clark, DR, Crawford, GC, & Pidduck, RJ. (2023) Exceptionality in Entrepreneurship: Systematically Investigating Outlier Outcomes. Journal of Business Venturing Insights. 20, e00422. DOI.

Bort, J, Wiklund, J, Crawford, GC, Lerner, D, & Hunt, R. (2023) The Strategic Advantage of Impulsivity in Entrepreneurial Action: An Agent-Based Modeling Approach.  Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. (IF: 10.50). DOI.

Booyavi, Z, & Crawford, GC. (2023) Different, But Same: A Power Law Perspective on How Rock Star Female Entrepreneurs Reconceptualize “Gender Equality.” Journal of Business Venturing Insights. 19, June, e00374. DOI.

Crawford, GC, Skorodziyevskiy, V, Frid, C, Nelson, TE, Booyavi, Z, Hechavarria, D, Li, X, Reynolds, PD, Teymourian, E. (2022) Advancing Entrepreneurship Theory through Replication: A Case Study on Contemporary Methodological Challenges, Future Best Practices, and an Entreaty for Communality. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. 46(3): 779-799. (IF: 10.50). DOI.

Additional research is listed in Dr. Crawford's ​CV​

Honors and Awards

Finalist, Excellence in Co-Curricular Innovation Award for The University of Tampa's Fall Venture Showcase, 2025 USASBE (USA Small Business and Enterprise) Conference, Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.

National Science Foundation Grant, Science of Organizations Program: $204,000. (#1734567 & #1853586) Crawford, GC as sole Principal Investigator (September 2017-2021) Modeling the Emergence of Outliers in Entrepreneurship. 

Sykes College of Business (2023) Teaching Innovation Award, $500. Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Learning, Maintain Academic Integrity, and Prepare Students for the Global Marketplace.

University of Tampa (2023) Faculty International Professional Development Travel Grant, $4,610. Funded presentations in London, Ontario, Canada (@Ivey Business School) and Rome, Italy (@Luiss Business School). 

Sykes College of Business (2023) Awarded Course Release for Research for AY2023-2024.

Additional awards are listed in Dr. Crawford's ​CV