Founded by Babson in 1981, the Entrepreneurial Research Conference was established to provide a dynamic venue where academics and real-world practitioners, through spirited dialogue, could link theory and practice. Each year, the Conference attracts more than 300 entrepreneurial scholars who come to hear the presentations of more than 180 papers.

A Doctoral Consortium is held in conjunction with the Conference and was created as a means to unite future entrepreneurship educators and scholars with established leaders and researchers in the field.