Dr. Matthew Allen

Biography

Matthew Allen is the John L. Ward Clinical Professor of Family Enterprises and the Executive Director of the Ward Center for Family Enterprises at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Professor Allen specializes in family learning, family entrepreneurship, and development across generations. He has taught courses in entrepreneurship at undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels. His teaching approach has been recognized with numerous awards, including being listed as one of Poets & Quants' Undergraduate Business Professors in 2020. He has extensive experience working with audiences around the world, including special interest markets in the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, and is fluent in Spanish, making him comfortable teaching in both English and Spanish. His research focuses on assisting families in preparing for generational transitions within family businesses. Professor Allen is a leading figure in the field of family entrepreneurship research, with publications in top academic and practitioner outlets such as Harvard Business Review and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. In addition, he has taken on significant roles in broader academic family business initiatives, including as the founding Faculty Director of the Institute for Family Entrepreneurship at Babson College and the Academic Director of the Global STEP Project.

Research Interests

Courses