Felipe G. Massa
Loyola University New Orleans
“Dr. Massa is a leading startup educator who blends world-class knowledge with cutting edge experiential education and passion for community building to equip students to lead within the innovation workforce. He has helped build a nationally ranked MBA program in Entrepreneurship and is now translating that work to extensive impact on undergraduates and community members. His teaching makes startups accessible to all and inspires confidence in the next generation of builders. He is a thought leader who has helped re-imagine startup tools for the masses and has helped shape the culture and trajectory of a burgeoning local startup community that has had over $2.5B in realized exits in 2021.” – Jon J. Atkinson, CEO The Idea Village
Felipe G. Massa, 40, is Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Loyola University New Orleans. He has several years of experience in the banking, software, and translation industries.
His research focuses on the formation of innovative entities, practices, and ideas in diverse settings, including online communities, architecture, music, and more. His work has appeared in leading journals and media outlets including the Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Organization Studies, and Journal of Business Ethics. He recently published a learn-by-doing guidebook for testing and pitching a startup idea, “Entrepreneurship in the Wild: A Startup Field Guide” (MIT Press, 2021).
He is co-founder and faculty director of the Loyola Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development. He is lead instructor of the Idea Village’s IDEAinstitute program, a community-focused pre-accelerator for innovative startups. He is Loyola’s inaugural holder of the Thomas H. and Catherine B. Kloor Professorship in Entrepreneurship and Small Business. He also has been named to the Silicon Bayou 100, a list of the 100 most influential and active people in technology and entrepreneurship in Louisiana numerous times.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2012
Education:
- Ph.D. in Organization Studies, Boston College 2013
- Master of Science in Organization Studies, Boston College 2010
- Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance Major, University of Miami 2004
List of Undergraduate courses you teach:
- Entrepreneurship
- Consulting
- Entrepreneurial Strategy
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when… I realized that it was possible to get paid to do deep dives into fascinating topics and then turn around and facilitate wonderful experiences for students. It looked from afar like every day would feel new and interesting and, for the most part, it has been that and more.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? I’m currently looking into how self-organized collectives such as networked hacker groups and cryptocurrency communities can accomplish complex tasks and scale without relying on a managerial hierarchy. We have found that non-hierarchical organizations rely on software-supported participation architectures that help them integrate newcomers and resolve conflict without succumbing to chaos.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be… an architect designing incredible buildings that manage to both wow people and make them feel at home.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? Most of my colleagues end up making a choice: they devote themselves to their research and publish high quality work that moves their discipline forward or they devote themselves to teaching, creating learning experiences that are transformative for students and their communities. Both are noble pursuits, but I’ve been told that trying to do both is a recipe for burnout. My problem is that I love both aspects of the job and, at least for now, I decided not to choose. I’m in the field doing an ethnography while updating my textbook and making practitioner-focused videos in the evenings. I think that makes me unusual.
One word that describes my first time teaching: The first time I stood in front of a classroom as a teaching assistant at Boston College I had a huge case of imposter syndrome. I did everything I could to emulate my favorite professors and to follow a carefully laid out plan. It took me years to stop looking for a style to emulate and to start figuring out what kind of teaching would fit me and make me happy.
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: I wish I would have known when I was a graduate student that being a business school professor meant that I had a responsibility not just to my students and to my discipline but to a community of practitioners that would rely on me for advice. It has been eye-opening and humbling to see how much influence a conversation with a startup founder or an e-mail exchange with a product manager can have on the trajectories of companies.
Professor I most admire and why: This is a tough one because Professors are, for the most part, caring people who do their jobs well and are wholly worthy of admiration. I will, however, give kudos to Richard Nielsen, who has been a Professor at Boston College for many years. He never faltered in reminding his doctoral students that work should be meaningful and that we should be working toward a better world. He instilled in us the notion that we are more than the sum of our publications and that being a professor is a privilege that shouldn’t be squandered on work that doesn’t make a difference.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? My favorite moments happen when students who have been struggling to identity a good business idea or come up with a suggestion for a client experience an ‘ah-ha’ moment. I’m not always there to witness it, but I really love seeing them not just master a topic but learn that they have what it takes to be agents of change in the real world.
What is most challenging? I really don’t like seeing students with incredible creative potential and intelligence shortchange themselves by picking the ‘safe job’ or less ambiguous path because it is easier. Now is the time to feel what it is like to stretch!
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Tenacious
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Apathetic
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… tough, but fair. My courses typically involve intense group projects, and my students are often graded by their teammates, their clients (consulting), and their instructor. By triangulating feedback, they learn a lot about how people they work with see them and their work.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? I love my dogs and really enjoy finding new places to take them on walks. I also love to cook without ever looking at a recipe. It works out most of the time.
How will you spend your summer? I have a growing book pile that I would love to tackle, but I expect that I will have articles to revise and classes to plan. I will also attend a couple of conferences and try to extend them into vacations if possible!
Favorite place(s) to vacation: I love relaxing on a beach and swimming until my hands are completely wrinkled. There is also nothing quite like sipping on coffee while watching life go by in an old European city.
Favorite book(s): I don’t often get to read fiction, but I have loved science fiction and fantasy books since I was a little kid. My research on hacker groups has prompted me to go back and reread a few of the cyberpunk classics.
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? I use movies and TVs to escape stress and experience new places and ideas. I’ve always had a soft spot for British comedies and really appreciate that I can now easily stream amazing Japanese and Korean shows.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? I am lucky in that most of the places where I lived – São Paulo, Miami, Boston, New Orleans – are awash in wonderful music. I love live music of all sorts but am currently enjoying a Funk phase.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more… of a focus on how they improve and sustain their local community. Unfortunately, many schools remain ivory towers that exist in a field of highly ranked institutions more than they exist in their own towns.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at… understanding what motivates employees and designing enlightened, humanistic systems that make life at work enjoyable and not just profitable
I’m grateful for… the opportunity to stand in front of people eager to improve themselves and listen to me deliver one cheesy joke after another
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