Informal Entrepreneurship within Vintage Malls
Author:
Amelia Peters ’27Co-Authors:
Faculty Mentor(s):
Dr. Leandro Bonfim – Management and OrganizationsDr. Robyn Eversole – Management and Organizations
Funding Source:
Presidential FellowshipAbstract
Our research will be centered around how antique malls or vintage shops can work as places of encounter in which people can experiment with informal entrepreneurship in rural areas. We will study these informal spaces to determine why people get into the temporary entrepreneurship field around vintage items. We aim to explore the paradox that these spaces provide the opportunity for experimentation and temporariness, even though they are sustained over time. Community, entrepreneurship, belonging, memory, culture, and identity can make these experiences meaningful to prospective temporary entrepreneurs and connect them through a common passion for antique items. We are interested in exploring these topics and understanding how these forms of entrepreneurship differ from traditional entrepreneurs who are sharing the same space but use the antique trade as a form of subsistence.