Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) is celebrating over 25 years as the world’s foremost study on entrepreneurship. Building on this foundation, new GEM-GERA board member Maya Dougoud aims to apply her unique expertise to further enhance GEM’s influence and impact.
Professor Dougoud has been an integral part of GEM Switzerland for more than three years and was appointed as its team leader in 2025. As a legal advisor at the University of Applied Sciences for Western Switzerland in Fribourg, she specialises in ICT law, data protection, intellectual property, and public law. Additionally, she serves as an associate professor at the School of Management Fribourg (HEG-FR), where she actively engages in research projects.
A co-author of the forthcoming GEM Sustainability Report, Professor Dougoud was named to the GEM-GERA Board during the GEM Annual Meeting in Bilbao.
"Participating in the governance of a global research group like GEM is both an honour and a responsibility, requiring a steadfast commitment to scientific excellence, academic independence, and ethical rigor,” she said. “Managing highly influential data demands impartiality and precision to ensure meaningful contributions to research and society.”
Her commitment to entrepreneurship extends beyond academia. She is a member of the Federal Commission for Women's Issues in Switzerland, where she advocates for women entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurship at the federal level. A legal expert, Professor Dougoud believes that governance must embrace a social dimension by advocating for women entrepreneurs and fostering social entrepreneurship.
“I am committed to engaging with policymakers to promote a regulatory framework that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship, creating an inclusive and dynamic environment where diverse voices drive progress,” she said. “Strong interinstitutional collaboration maximises the impact of entrepreneurship research. Through a commitment to excellence, innovation, cultural respect, and strategic collaboration, we can ensure that research remains a powerful force for positive change.”
Learn more about governance at GEM.