Simon Raby

Simon Raby is a 'pracademic' working as a Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Mount Royal University's Bissett School of Business and Co-Founder of Business Improvement and Growth (BIG) Associates Ltd. BIG identifies the drivers of growth, challenges convention and offers practical ways for ambitious business owners and their organizations to achieve sustained growth and performance.

Simon's research program is focused on uncovering the strategies, practices and methods of support that enable business growth, leadership transitions and people performance. Most recently, Simon delivered a program of research on the growth of Alberta's Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to understand the drivers of growth, innovation and diversification for these firms. This research has since led to the creation of The Leader's Growth Mindset.

Simon completed his Masters and Ph.D. part-time while working as a private sector consultant and is an accredited and practicing coach and facilitator. Simon continues to write for academic and practitioner audiences. Co-author of The ten characteristics of successful SMEs, Simon has researched thousands of growth-oriented organizations and has distilled this into an accessible, applicable and practical guide, downloaded over 11,000 times and internationally recognized for its quality and value for business innovation and growth.

Simon strongly believes that the world of research has a lot to offer those who run their own businesses, if this knowledge is delivered in accessible and practical ways. Simon loves to challenge, learn and find new ways of thinking, and has a deep-seated passion for facilitating strategic change.

Simon is a trustee and board member for the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, a large, well established network that enables excellence in small business and entrepreneurship, and builds bridges between research, policy and practice. Simon serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research.