Grassroots Movements: New Gears in the Engine of Brazilian University Entrepreneurship Ecosystems

Abstract

This chapter is about change in universities. Student-led movements supporting entrepreneurship in universities have become a well-recognized phenomenon in some European countries, such as the United Kingdom and Finland, and are known as grassroots movements due to its bottom-up nature. This chapter presents the rise of these movements in Brazil, in addition to presenting the nature of the phenomenon, international case studies, and the current literature surrounding the topic. The method used was the multiple case study and data was collected through in-depth interviews supplemented by additional documents and participant observation. Our findings bring (i) a maturity model for this kind of movement in Brazil; (ii) best practices and key success factors; and (iii) an overview of the history of these organizations in the country. For practitioners, this study contributes by showing new forms of supporting entrepreneurship inside universities.