Introduction
Dr. Marissa Kaloga is a Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Otago where she teaches community and organizational development in the Social & Community Work Programme. She is the founding director of STARlab, Systems Transformation Action Research Lab, where she leads research on the role of social innovation and social entrepreneurship to foster systems change for a more just and sustainable future. Previously, she was the Director of Innovation and training for the Economic and Community Development Institute and is a former US Fulbright Scholar to Guinea.
Expert
Dr. Kaloga is an expert in the field of inclusive entrepreneurship, in particular in the development and implementation of services and interventions that support access to and participation in entrepreneurial ecosystems. Her PhD in Social Work from the Ohio State University included two years of dotoral research coursework in mixed-methods translational and intervention research. In her applied research and professional practice she has led partnerships to create sucessful programs to meet the needs of diverse populations including women, refugees, and diverse ethnic groups.
Fields of expertise: Economic policy / inclusive economic development, Inclusive social development / inclusive societies / social inclusion, Social change / social transformations, Social innovation / public sector innovation / policy innovation