Samantha Steidle

I believe entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful engines for economic growth, social progress, and generational wealth. It creates jobs, builds skills, and scales innovation. This belief is the foundation of everything I do as an educator, researcher, and leader. Whether students choose to start a business, lead inside an organization, or serve their communities, I want every student to leave my classroom equipped to turn ideas into action. 
 
Startups and small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They make up 99.9% of U.S. firms and employ nearly half the private workforce. Microbusinesses, those with five or fewer employees, create 26 million jobs and energize local economies. Entrepreneurs are not just business owners. They are innovators and problem-solvers. Throughout history, they’ve introduced game-changing inventions, from the airplane to the internet, that transformed entire industries. Entrepreneurship is more than an economic tool. It’s a driver of scalable, positive change. 
 
Similarly, I believe that emerging technologies, especially generative AI, will profoundly shape the economy and the workforce. As disruption accelerates, leaders must know how to adapt and pivot business models in times of uncertainty. That’s why I stay on the front edge of tech trends and embed these tools into my teaching. This helps students build fluency in innovation and increases their marketability in both entrepreneurial and professional spaces. I’ve started and sold businesses, and along the way, developed what I consider my superpower: the ability to see around corners. I use that vision to help students anticipate what’s coming and prepare to lead through change. 
 
At Radford University, I bring this vision to life through my role as Assistant Professor of Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy. I’ve directed the Venture Lab in the Davis College of Business and Economics, where I’ve connected with 300+ alumni entrepreneurs and guided over 500 students through experiential learning. I’ve led programs like the Truist Innovation Challenge and contributed to university-wide strategic planning. My research focuses on the impact of entrepreneurship in education, innovation, and community development.  
 
This is my why. I teach entrepreneurship because it builds confidence, adaptability, teamwork and courage. It helps students learn to solve real problems, not just pass tests through rote memorization. It prepares them to lead, build, and create something that matters. Entrepreneurship isn’t one-size-fits-all. It includes artists, social innovators, technologists, rural founders, scientists, inventors, veterans, and intrapreneurs. My mission is to help each student see what’s possible and gain the skills to shape the future, not just react to it.  The future belongs to entrepreneurial builders.