Cesar Bandera

Cesar Bandera, Ph.D.

Leir Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship

Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship

New Jersey Institute of Technology

About Me

I am an electrical engineer driven to entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship in the mid-1980’s. At the New Jersey Institute of Technology, I hold the Leir Endowed Chair for Entrepreneurship and the title of NJIT Master Teacher. My research interests lie in entrepreneurship pedagogy, technology-driven business incubation, and mobile healthcare. I lead the Tech Venture Support Program in which students help regional deep tech startups raise funding, and NJIT's participation in the Princeton Review of Entrepreneurship Education Programs in the United States. I have taught every NJIT course in entrepreneurship at least once, and I mentor many of our student- and faculty-led ventures. I also practice what I preach, being a serial entrepreneur and currently the founding partner of an m-health company that serves the emergency response community and is the only small business in New Jersey recognized by NIH for success in the commercialization of translational research.

I received a Ph.D in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University at Buffalo, NY, with a concentration in biomimetic machine vision and AI. My work has yielded journal and conference publications and book chapters, four patents, the NASA Space Act award, and two Small Business of the Year Nominations from the US Department of Defense. I work with an awesome team of Ph.D students in Business Data Science at the Martin Tuchman School of Management, I am National NSF I-Corps Instructor, Associate Editor of the IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine, Associate Editor of the International Journal of Mobile Network Design and Innovation, member of the AACSB Entrepreneurship and Innovation Steering Committee, Senior Member IEEE, and served on the board of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and as Director of the Academy of the International Council for Small Business.

When I am not in publish-or-perish mode, I rebuild antique single-ended vacuum tube amps, jam on vintage Moog synthesizers, and try to keep roadworthy a 5.0 Mustang ragtop, all which are older than most NJIT students and faculty.

Select Publications

Journal Publications
  • Yasser Farhaa, Cesar Bandera, Nesren Farhah. (2024) Structural topic models for the automated measurement of entrepreneurial motivation among college students of different disciplines. Journal of the international Council for Small Business. January 26, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/26437015.2023.2286644.
  • Ayranci, P., Bandera, C., Phan, N., Jin, R., Li, D., & Kenne, D. (2022). Distinguishing the Effect of Time Spent at Home during COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Urban and Suburban College Students Using Cell Phone Geolocation. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(12), 7513.
  • Cesar Bandera. (2022). Teaching STEM Entrepreneurship with Societal Significance: Building on the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 5(3), July 2022, pp. 406–422. DOI:10.1177/25151274219947852515127421994785.
  • Zhang, X., Gopalakrishnan, S., Roy, R., & Bandera, C. (2021). The impact of entrepreneurs' full-time versus hybrid employment and social connections on new venture survival: a USA–India comparison. South Asian Journal of Business Studies. doi.org/10.1108/SAJBS-01-2021-0040, December 13, 2021.
  • Cesar Bandera, Susana Santos, Eric Liguori. (2021). The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship Education: A Delphi Study on Dangers and Unintended Consequences. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 4(4), 609-636.
  • Bandera, C., Passerini, K. (2020). Personality Traits and the Digital Entrepreneur: Much of the Same Thing or a New Breed? Journal of the International Council for Small Business, 1(2). Taylor & Francis. DOI: 10.1080/26437015.2020.1724838
  • Chou, P., Bandera, C., (2020) An Oligopoly Game with Network Effects for Compatible and Incompatible Standards: As Applied to Short and Multimedia Message Services. International Journal of Business and Economics, 19(1), 27-46.
  • Bandera, C., Thomas, E. J. (2019). The Role of Innovation Ecosystems and Social Capital in Startup Survival. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 66(4), 542-551. doi:10.1109/TEM.2018.2859162
  • Cesar Bandera, Mark Somers, Katia Passerini, Mary Kate Naatus & Kevin Pon (2020): Disruptions as opportunities for new thinking: applying the studio model to business education, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Vol.18 (1), pp 81-92, DOI: 10.1080/14778238.2019.1621225
  • Bandera, C., Collins, R., Passerini, K. (2018). Risky Business: Technology-Supported Experiential Learning and Risk-Taking Attitudes in Entrepreneurship Education. The International Journal of Management Education, 16(2), 224-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2018.02.006
  • Bandera, C., Eminet, A., Passerini, K., Pon, K. (2018). Using Mind Maps to Distinguish Cultural Norms between French and United States Entrepreneurship Students. Journal of Small Business Management, 56(S1), 177-196. doi:10.1111/jsbm.12398
  • Bandera, C., Keshtkar, F., Bartolacci, M.R., Neerudu, S., Passerini, K. (2017). Knowledge management and the entrepreneur: Insights from Ikujiro Nonaka's Dynamic Knowledge Creation model (SECI). International Journal of Innovation Studies 1, 163-174 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijis.2017.10.005
  • Chou, P. B., Bandera, C., Thomas, E. J. (2017). A Behavioural Game Theory Perspective on the Collaboration between Innovative and Entrepreneurial Firms. International Journal of Work Innovation 2(1): 6-31.www.inderscience.com/jhome.php?jcode=ijwi
  • Bandera, C. (2017). Value-Added Service Providers for Mobile Education: Empirical Challenges and Analytics. Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, 17(2), 317-333. doi:10.1007/s10660-016-9235-6
  • Bandera, C., Bartolacci, M., Passerini, K. (2016). Knowledge Management and Entrepreneurship: a contradictory recipe? International Journal of Knowledge Management. 12(3): 1-14.www.igi-global.com/journal/international-journal-knowledge-management-ijkm/1083
  • Bandera, C. (2016). Design and management of public health outreach using interoperable mobile multimedia: an analysis of a national winter weather preparedness campaign. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 1-15. doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3104-z. www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/16/436
Book Chapters
  • Bandera, C., Passerini, K. (2023) What Does My Customer Really Want? Pivoting Technology and Business Models in Emergency Response Management, in C. Gibaldi and L. Iandoli (Eds.), Cases studies in the age of digital entrepreneurship, Edward Elgar (UK). February 2023, ISBN: 978-1-80220-385-1. pp. 1-10.
  • Bandera, C. (2023) Teaching Technology-Based Entrepreneurship with Societal Significance, in C. H. Matthews & S. C. Santos (Eds.), Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy (Vol. 5): Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN: 978 1 80392 618 6. pp. 360-370.
  • Bandera, C., Passerini, K. Bartolacci, M., (2020). Connecting Knowledge Management and Entrepreneurship: Processes and Technology. In Murray E. Jennex (Ed.), Knowledge Management, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship in a Changing World, pp. 31-45, IGI Global.
  • Bandera, C., Eminet, A., Passerini, K., & Pon, K. (2018). Cross-Cultural Entrepreneurship Education: Localization Amidst Globalization. In C. H. Matthews & E. W. Liguori (Eds.), Annals of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy (Vol. 3, pp. 400): Edward Elgar Publishing.
  • Bandera, C., Bartolacci, M., Passerini, K. (2018). Knowledge Management and Entrepreneurship Research and Practice: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities. In Murray E. Jennex (Ed.), Effective Knowledge Management Systems in Modern Society, IGI Global.
  • Bandera, C., Bartolacci, M., Passerini, K. (2017). Knowledge Management and Entrepreneurship: a contradictory recipe? In Mehdi Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Entrepreneurship: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, Information Resources Management Association. IGI Global.
Conference Proceedings
  • Bandera, C, (2025). Experiential Education in Translational Research Through Engagement of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. Proceedings of the 15th IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC), Princeton, NJ. March15, 2025. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conhome/1801287/all-proceedings
  • Bandera, C, Passerini, K., Bartolacci, M., & Kulturel-Konak, S. (2025). Introduction to the Minitrack on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Proceedings of the 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. https://hdl.handle.net/10125/109451
  • Bandera, C, Passerini, K., Bartolacci, M., & Kulturel-Konak, S. (2025). Not So Fast: Mapping the Learning Speed and Sophistication in GenAI. Proceedings of the 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. https://hdl.handle.net/10125/109458
  • Bandera, C, & Thomas, E. (2024). Do Investors Like Pivots? Proceedings of the International Council for Small Business Annual Conference, Berlin. July 1, 2024. https://icsb.org/icsb-events/world-congresses/
  • Bandera, C, (2024). Assessing and Visualizing the Entrepreneurial Mindset with Mind Mapping and Generative AI. Proceedings of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Annual Conference, Birmingham, AL. https://www.usasbelaunch.org/2024/home
  • Bandera, C. (2023). Enriching Curricula with Generative Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT. Middle Eastern & North African Academic Exchange Program (USA Department of State). Dubai, UAE. September 2023. https://menabusinesseducation.org/
  • Bandera, C.. Liguori, E. (2023). Circumventing the Dark Side of Entrepreneurship Education. Saudi Ministry of Education Entrepreneurship Education Conference, Riyadh, August 30, 2023.
  • Thomas, E. and Bandera, C. and (2023). On the Timing of Pivots: Jumping the Gun or Late Out of the Gate? Proceedings of the 56th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. January 2023. https://hdl.handle.net/10125/103213
  • Bandera, C. and E. Thomas (2022). Pivoting Strategies: A Study of Pivot Severity, Investor Reliance, and Revenue among Startups. Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/79991
  • Bandera, C, (2020). Multidisciplinary Experiential STEM Entrepreneurship Education Using the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Proceedings of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA. https://www.usasbe.org/page/2020Conference
  • Bandera, C., Thomas, E. (2019). To Pivot or Not To Pivot:On the Relationship between Pivots and Revenue among Startups. In Murray Jennex (Ed.), Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Jan 5, Maui, HI.
  • Bandera, C., & Passerini, K. (2018). Personality Traits and the Digital Entrepreneur: A New Breed or Same Actor? Americas Conference on Information Systems 2018: Digital Disruption, AMCIS 2018, New Orleans.
  • Bandera, C., Schmitt, P., Rosen, M. (2018). Augmented Reality in HAZMAT Training, Proceedings of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Trainer’s Exchange, May 29, 2018, Phoenix, AZ,
  • Farha, Y., Bandera, C. (2018). Automated Text Analysis Models for Entrepreneurship Education. Proceedings of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Annual Conference, St. Pete, FL. http://www.usasbe.org/page/2019ConferenceHome
  • Bandera, C., Keshtkar, F., Passerini, K. (2018). Looking to the Future While Grounded in the Past: Internalization among Technology Entrepreneurs. In Murray Jennex (Ed.), Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Jan 5, Kona, HI.
  • Bandera, C. (2018). The “Valley of Death” in Entrepreneurship Education: An Exposé Distinguishing between Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In Tony Mendes (Ed.), Proceedings of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Annual Conference, Los Angeles, CA. http://www.usasbe.org/page/2018ConferenceHome
  • Bandera, C., Thomas, E. J. (2017). Distinguishing Access to Social Capital from Using It: A Survival Analysis. In Andrew Zacharakis (Ed.), Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research, Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Norman, Oklahoma. http://www.babson.edu/Academics/centers/blank-center/bcerc/Pages/home.aspx
  • Thomas, E. J., Bandera, C. (2017). Startup Incubators and the Role of Social Capital. In Michael W. Condry, Robert Bierwolf (Ed.), Proceedings of the First IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Conference (vol. 1), Santa Clara, California. temscon.org pgs. 142-147. Invited to Special Issue of IEEE TEM
  • Bandera, C., Thomas, E. J. (2017). Social Capital, Density, and Startup Survival: An Empirical Study Using the Kauffman Firm Survey (pp. 18). In Tony Mendes (Ed.), Proceedings of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA. Best Paper in Entrepreneurship Research Award www.usasbe.org/page/Conference2017

Teaching

My mission is to present to students the many resources available to the deep-tech STEM entrepreneur and intrapreneur working on challenges with societal significance. This includes teaching them how to navigate through these options, and the protocols associated with each. I promote three values:

  1. the value of tacit knowledge: I encourage students to get industry experience before committing to entrepreneurship, because when tech startups fail (which is often) it is typically not because the technology failed but because the business model failed - and nothing improves business models more than experience.
  2. the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration: today's societally significant challenges are inherently multidisciplinary and beyond the capabilities of the “sole inventor”, but establishing collaborations requires the ability to articulate your value proposition (collaborators are stakeholders, just like investors and customers).
  3. the value of some (but not too much) strategic pivoting: it shows appreciation of the uncertainty inherent in entrepreneurship.

Projects & Initiatives

My Stats

  • NJIT Profile
  • Google Scholar Profile
  • ResearchGate Profile
  • CV

    • Contact

    bandera@njit.edu

    +1 973-596-5634

    LinkedIn Profile