Meet Amy

DR. AMY GANNON is a change agent dedicated to identifying and unleashing entrepreneurial talent, particularly in places where others aren’t looking for it. Her work focuses on building pathways to entrepreneurship for those traditionally ignored by existing entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Dr. Gannon is a Co-founder and Director of Operations for Doyenne, a Madison-based organization advancing women’s entrepreneurship in Madison and beyond by transforming ecosystems to be more inclusive. With more than 10 years experience working with startup businesses, Dr. Gannon has expertise moving entrepreneurs through the idea validation, launch and growth stages. She designs, plans and facilitates developmental opportunities for entrepreneurs, including: 2-day strategic planning retreats, a year-long founder series for leadership development, and one-on-one and group peer coaching sessions. Learn More....

Dr. Gannon is also an Assistant Professor at the Edgewood College School of Business in Madison, WI. She teaches courses in entrepreneurship and organizational behavior. For two years (2014-16), Amy served as the interim dean, providing leadership in all administrative and curricular aspects of the school, including designing and deploying an innovative undergraduate business curriculum. Her research explores how entrepreneurs’ different social and role identities shape the experience of becoming an entrepreneur and growing businesses. She is particularly interested in helping individuals construct an identity as an “entrepreneur” “founder” and/or “CEO” in a way that leads to success – both personally and professionally.

Dr. Gannon currently serves on three startup advisory boards: Health Decision, a local health IT startup with a platform for facilitating shared decision making between doctors and patients; DotCom Therapy, a startup that provides online therapy for students in K-12 school systems; and Infamous Mothers, a social venture changing the narratives and public perception of Black mothering through programming, publications and art exhibits. She is on the organizing committees of Startup Weekend Madison, Startup Weekend Madison EDU, the Social Good Summit, and Madison’s Forward Festival.

Dr. Gannon earned a Doctorate of Business Administration in Organizational Behavior with a focus on Entrepreneurship from Boston University, a MBA from Boston College, and BA in International Studies and Economics from The American University. Dr. Gannon has worked in government, non-profit, and private sector organizations launching new programs. She grew up in a small town in Ohio and has lived in Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Boston. Since 2010, she has lived in Madison with her husband and two children. She LOVES traveling, reading, listening to podcasts while walking her dog, and watching her kids compete in the sports they love.