Trenton (Trent) Williams

Trenton (Trent) Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Management and Entrepreneurship Department Indiana University Bloomington – “Johnson” Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (JCEI).

He earned a B.A. in English and philosophy from Brigham Young University, an M.S. from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management and a Ph.D. in entrepreneurship and strategic management from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Previously, Trent was an assistant professor at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. Prior to pursuing a PhD, Trent worked with two start-up ventures before becoming a Management Consultant in the Dallas area with Deloitte Consulting and then PwC Advisory. Trent has lived in Indonesia, several U.S. states, and Paris, France.

Williams’s research focuses on entrepreneurial venture emergence, resourcefulness, decision-making and resilience. His work has appeared in the Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Annals, Journal of Management, Journal of Business Venturing, Organizational Research Methods, Journal of Management Studies and The Academy of Management Learning and Education, among others. He is particularly interested in idea generation at early stages of venture creation, resourceful venture actions under extreme constraints and teaches Strategy / Entrepreneurship classes at Kelley (MBA, Kelley-Direct MBA) focused on strategic decision making under uncertainty and strategic capabilities.

Trent has taught courses in strategic management; entrepreneurship; social-entrepreneurship (with a Costa Rica travel component); design thinking and opportunity recognition. He has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.