Jeff Gish

Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship

Jeff Gish is an associate professor of entrepreneurship and serves as academic director of the Orange Business Angels Network (OBAN), a Whitman initiative designed to strengthen the Orange-affiliated entrepreneurial ecosystem through mentorship, early-stage investment and community building. Through OBAN, Gish leads a signature experiential learning course that gives students hands-on exposure to venture evaluation from an investor’s perspective, equipping them with the judgment, confidence and strategic thinking needed to lead in business or launch their own ventures.

Gish’s research explores the psychological dimensions of entrepreneurship, with a focus on moods, emotions, and cognition among entrepreneurs and investors. His work spans entrepreneurial well-being, the depletion and recovery of psychological resources, crowdfunding performance, organizational culture development and the influence of social movements on startup activity. Before entering academia, Gish founded multiple businesses with successful exits and continues to serve as an investor and advisor to early-stage companies.

His scholarly work has appeared in leading journals including Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Management and Personnel Psychology, and has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company and Thrive Global. Gish is an associate editor for Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and serves on the editorial review board for Journal of Business Venturing.

Gish earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering and technology management from Washington State University, and a Ph.D. in management from the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business. Prior to joining Whitman, he served as an associate professor at the University of Central Florida.

Ph.D., Management, University of Oregon M.S., Engineering and Technology Management, Washington State University B.A., Social Sciences, Washington State University

Publications

A values-complementarity model of social movement influence on entrepreneurship

2025 Journal of Management,51,5,1938-1973, Lanahan, L., Beck, J.
Women’s and men’s authorship experiences: A prospective meta-analysis

2025 Journal of Management,51,4,1273-1287, Banks, G., Rasmussen, L., Tonidandel, S., Pollack, J., Hausfeld, M., Williams, C., Albritton, B., Allen, A., Bastardos, N., Batchelor, J., Bennet, A., Briker, R., Castille, C., De Jong, B., Demeter, E., DeSimone, J., Gonzalez-Brambila, C., Field, J., Figueroa-Armijos, M., Gardner, W., Giurge, L., Gonzalez-Brambila, C., Gonzalez-Morales, M., Graf-Vlachy, L., Gupta, R., Hinojosa, A., Howard, Z., Kepes, S., Kohler, T., Kong, D., Langer, M., Loi, T., Maher, L., Miao, C., Mithani, M., Balachandran Nair, L., Obenauer, W., O'Boyle, E., Pierce, J., Powell, D., Reiter-Palmon, R., Rupp, D., Tatachari, S., Thomas, J., Vissak, T., Volschenk, J., Wang, C., Whelpley, C., Wolff, H., Woznyj, H., Yang, T.
Presumed patriarchy: How a CEO’s masculine appearance affects perceptions of sexual harassment in organizations

2025 Journal of Management,51,2,812-842, Barnes, C., Gupta, A., Nair, K.
Establishing a recovery menu to increase the resilience of entrepreneurs

2025 British Journal of Management,36,1,56-72, Battisti, M., Hatak, I., Zhou, H.
When old and new selves collide: Identity conflict and entrepreneurial nostalgia among ex-entrepreneurs

2024 Personnel Psychology,77,1,165-195, Nielsen, J.
Latent profiles of personality, temperament, and eudaimonic well-being: Comparing life satisfaction and health outcomes among entrepreneurs and employees

2022 Journal of Business Venturing Insights,17,e00293, Guedes, M., Silva, B., Patel, P.
Owls, larks, or investment sharks? The role of circadian process in early-stage investment decisions

2022 Journal of Business Venturing,37,1,106165, Guarana, C., Stevenson, R., Ryu, J., Crawley, R.
Let's focus on solutions to entrepreneurial ill- being! Recovery interventions to enhance entrepreneurial well-being

2021 Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,45,6,1307-1338, Williamson, A., Stephan, U.
The weary founder: Sleep problems, ADHD-like tendencies, and entrepreneurial intentions

2021 Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,45,1,175-210, Gunia, B., Mensmann, M.
Sleep and entrepreneurs’ abilities to imagine and form initial beliefs about new venture ideas

2019 Journal of Business Venturing,34,6,105943, Wagner, D., Grégoire, D., Barnes, C.
Rest, zest, and my innovative best: Sleep and mood as drivers of entrepreneurs’ innovative behavior

2019 Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,43,3,582-610, Williamson, A., Battisti, M., Leatherbee, M.

Jan 01, 2025
Received - Research Incentive Award (RIA)
UCF
Jan 01, 2023
Received - Schulze Publication Award
Jan 01, 2022
Received - Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research – Top 40 of 556 submissions to BCERC
Jan 01, 2021
Received - Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research – Top 40 of 705 submissions to BCERC
Jan 01, 2019
Received - Best Reviewer Award
Academy of Management Annual Meeting
Jan 01, 2019
Received - Dissertation Research Fellowship
University of Oregon
Jan 01, 2019
Received - Best Submission Award
Sustainability, Ethics, and Entrepreneurship Conference
Jan 01, 2019
Received - Robin & Roger Best PhD Research Award
Jan 01, 2018
Received - Ph.D. Fellowship
Lundquist College of Business
Jan 01, 2018
Received - Robin & Roger Best PhD Research Award
Jan 01, 2017
Received - Robin & Roger Best PhD Research Award
Jan 01, 2017
Received - Teaching Award – Management Department Commendation
Jan 01, 2016
Received - Robin & Roger Best PhD Research Award
Jan 01, 2016
Received - Kageyama Endowment Fund
Jan 01, 2015
Received - Kageyama Endowment Fund
Jan 01, 2015
Received - Teaching Award – Management Department Commendation

November 13, 2024 WelletHub
What’s your chronotype? Knowing whether you’re a night owl or an early bird could help you do better on tests and avoid scams
November 06, 2023 The Conversation
How to Get the Exact Amount of Sleep You Need to Keep Your Mind Sharp, Especially as You Age
May 16, 2023 Inc. Magazine
How Entrepreneurs Can Manage Their Workdays For More Restful Nights
May 12, 2023 Forbes
Life Expectancy Just Hit the Lowest Point in Decades. Here’s a Leading Physician’s Formula (and 4 Simple Tests) for Living a Longer, Healthier Life
January 02, 2023 Inc. Magazine
6 ways entrepreneurs can be more emotionally intelligent
December 13, 2022 Fast Company
The Brain of an Entrepreneur
August 22, 2022 Medium
This his how job stress can worsen your health, according to science
July 30, 2022 Fast Company
The No-Excuse Approach to Sleep and Work Performance for Entrepreneurs
June 24, 2022 Entrepreneur Magazine
Want to Be More Focused, Mentally Sharp, and Accomplished? Make Sleep Your Competitive Advantage
May 03, 2022 Inc. Magazine
November 15, 2021 University of Central Florida
Does Having ADHD Help or Hurt Entrepreneurs?
November 03, 2021 Wall Street Journal
Best Mattresses You Can Buy Online
June 18, 2021 Entrepreneur Magazine
Do these 3 things to avoid the serious health risks of running your own businesses
May 26, 2021 Fast Company
New International Research Provides Tips for Entrepreneurs to Beat the Grind
May 25, 2021 University of Central Florida
August 15, 2020 Psych Central
ADHD-Like Behavior Linked to Increased Entrepreneurial Activity
August 13, 2020 Science Times
August 13, 2020 University of Central Florida
How Sleep Loss Impairs Entrepreneurship. Podcast with Dr. Jeff Gish
February 04, 2020 HumanOS Radio
December 04, 2019 University of Central Florida
Sleep helps entrepreneurs gain an edge
August 15, 2019 Orlando Business Journal
UCF researcher: Entrepreneurs' boardroom success might lie in the bedroom
August 12, 2019 Orlando Business Journal
August 06, 2019 Psych Central
August 06, 2019 Thrive Global
Sleep is essential for business leaders seeking next successful venture
August 05, 2019 Science Daily
CEO Power Talks
May 17, 2018 Willamette Angels Conference
Fall back to good sleep
November 08, 2016

Jeff Gish

Publications

A values-complementarity model of social movement influence on entrepreneurship

Women’s and men’s authorship experiences: A prospective meta-analysis

Presumed patriarchy: How a CEO’s masculine appearance affects perceptions of sexual harassment in organizations

Establishing a recovery menu to increase the resilience of entrepreneurs

When old and new selves collide: Identity conflict and entrepreneurial nostalgia among ex-entrepreneurs

Latent profiles of personality, temperament, and eudaimonic well-being: Comparing life satisfaction and health outcomes among entrepreneurs and employees

Owls, larks, or investment sharks? The role of circadian process in early-stage investment decisions

Let's focus on solutions to entrepreneurial ill- being! Recovery interventions to enhance entrepreneurial well-being

The weary founder: Sleep problems, ADHD-like tendencies, and entrepreneurial intentions

Sleep and entrepreneurs’ abilities to imagine and form initial beliefs about new venture ideas

Rest, zest, and my innovative best: Sleep and mood as drivers of entrepreneurs’ innovative behavior

Received - Research Incentive Award (RIA)

Received - Schulze Publication Award

Received - Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research – Top 40 of 556 submissions to BCERC

Received - Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research – Top 40 of 705 submissions to BCERC

Received - Best Reviewer Award

Received - Dissertation Research Fellowship

Received - Best Submission Award

Received - Robin & Roger Best PhD Research Award

Received - Ph.D. Fellowship

Received - Robin & Roger Best PhD Research Award

Received - Robin & Roger Best PhD Research Award

Received - Teaching Award – Management Department Commendation

Received - Robin & Roger Best PhD Research Award

Received - Kageyama Endowment Fund

Received - Kageyama Endowment Fund

Received - Teaching Award – Management Department Commendation

What’s your chronotype? Knowing whether you’re a night owl or an early bird could help you do better on tests and avoid scams

How to Get the Exact Amount of Sleep You Need to Keep Your Mind Sharp, Especially as You Age

How Entrepreneurs Can Manage Their Workdays For More Restful Nights

Life Expectancy Just Hit the Lowest Point in Decades. Here’s a Leading Physician’s Formula (and 4 Simple Tests) for Living a Longer, Healthier Life

6 ways entrepreneurs can be more emotionally intelligent

The Brain of an Entrepreneur

This his how job stress can worsen your health, according to science

The No-Excuse Approach to Sleep and Work Performance for Entrepreneurs

Want to Be More Focused, Mentally Sharp, and Accomplished? Make Sleep Your Competitive Advantage

Does Having ADHD Help or Hurt Entrepreneurs?

Best Mattresses You Can Buy Online

Do these 3 things to avoid the serious health risks of running your own businesses

New International Research Provides Tips for Entrepreneurs to Beat the Grind

ADHD-Like Behavior Linked to Increased Entrepreneurial Activity

How Sleep Loss Impairs Entrepreneurship. Podcast with Dr. Jeff Gish

Sleep helps entrepreneurs gain an edge

UCF researcher: Entrepreneurs' boardroom success might lie in the bedroom

Sleep is essential for business leaders seeking next successful venture

CEO Power Talks

Fall back to good sleep