Peer-reviewed research at the intersection of entrepreneurship, neuroscience, and mental wellness.
FounderScreen is an evidence-based program designed to build resilience, wellbeing, performance optimization and mental health among entrepreneurs.
If you would like to learn more about the science behind FounderScreen, we’d love to share the underlying research with you. Here you will find some of the most important studies in the FounderScreen evidence base. Access to additional research is available within FounderScreen itself, linked to each of the strength-building learning labs.
These studies may be of interest to executive coaches and mental health clinicians who work with entrepreneurs. If you are working with a coach or clinician, feel free to refer them to this bibliography. And if you are a business builder who would like to learn, this is a great place to read the original technical reports. If reading scientific literature is not for you, just work your way through the FounderScreen journey and focus on being your best self as an entrepreneur. And the podcasts, webcasts, and “recommended reading” books you will find elsewhere on this site were created with you in mind, so check out any that may be of interest.
Freeman, M.A., Johnson, S.L., Staudenmaier, P.J., & Zisser, M.R.; Are entrepreneurs touched with fire? (2015). Never published in a peer-reviewed journal, and the paper Dr. Freeman credits with igniting the movement — it went viral immediately, reaching over 100,000 readers worldwide. Its peer-reviewed successor is the 2019 paper listed here, which carries a different title and a different author list. → Read
Freeman, M.A., Lerner, D., & Rauch, A. (2024). Dopamine and entrepreneurship: Unifying entrepreneur personality traits, psychiatric symptoms, entrepreneurial action and outcomes. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 21, e00461. → Read
Alexander-Passe, N. (2025). Neurodiversity entrepreneurship: When enough is never enough. Asia Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences, 12(2). → Read
DeYoung, C. G. (2013). The neuromodulator of exploration: A unifying theory of the role of dopamine in personality. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 63203. → Read
Sharma, G. D., Paul, J., Srivastava, M., Yadav, A., Mendy, J., Sarker, T., & Bansal, S. (2021). Neuroentrepreneurship: An integrative review and research agenda. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 33(9–10), 863–893. → Read
Wiklund, J., Hatak, I., Patzelt, H., & Shepherd, D. A. (2018). Mental disorders in the entrepreneurship context: When being different can be an advantage. Academy of Management Perspectives, 32(2), 182–206. → Read
Wiklund, J., Tran, M. H., & Rahm, R. (2024). Neurodiversity and entrepreneurship. In Neurodiversity and Work: Employment, Identity, and Support Networks for Neurominorities (pp. 283–309). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. → Read
Bouaddi, M., & Chraibi, S. (2026). Psychological well-being and innovative work behaviour among entrepreneurs: A systematic review and integrative theoretical framework. A Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Strategies, 2(2), 10–20. → Read
Dijkhuizen, J., Gorgievski, M., van Veldhoven, M., & Schalk, R. (2018). Well-being, personal success and business performance among entrepreneurs: A two-wave study. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(8), 2187–2204. → Read
Stephan, U. (2018). Entrepreneurs' mental health and well-being: A review and research agenda. Academy of Management Perspectives, 32(3), 290–322. → Read
Tisu, L., Vîrgă, D., & Taris, T. (2023). Entrepreneurial well-being and performance: Antecedents and mediators. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1112397. → Read
Wiklund, J., Nikolaev, B., Shir, N., Foo, M. D., & Bradley, S. (2019). Entrepreneurship and well-being: Past, present, and future. Journal of Business Venturing, 34(4), 579–588. → Read
Baron, R. A., & Tang, J. (2011). The role of entrepreneurs in firm-level innovation: Joint effects of positive affect, creativity, and environmental dynamism. Journal of Business Venturing, 26(1), 49–60. → Read
Baluku, M. M., Kikooma, J. F., & Otto, K. (2018). Positive mindset and entrepreneurial outcomes: The magical contributions of psychological resources and autonomy. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 30(6), 473–498. → Read
Díaz-Pincheira, F., Acosta-Antognoni, H., & Salanova, M. (2025). Effects of positive psychological capital on entrepreneurial success: A systematic review. Intangible Capital, 21(2), 290–310. → Read
Fodor, O. C., & Pintea, S. (2017). The "emotional side" of entrepreneurship: A meta-analysis of the relation between positive and negative affect and entrepreneurial performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 310. → Read
Portocarrero, F. F., Newbert, S. L., Young, M. J., & Zhu, L. Y. (2025). The affective revolution in entrepreneurship: An integrative conceptual review and guidelines for future investigation. Journal of Management, 51(6), 2419–2459. → Read
Ayala, J. C., & Manzano, G. (2014). The resilience of the entrepreneur. Influence on the success of the business. A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Economic Psychology, 42, 126–135. → Read
Corner, P. D., Singh, S., & Pavlovich, K. (2017). Entrepreneurial resilience and venture failure. International Small Business Journal, 35(6), 687–708. → Read
Fatoki, O. (2018). The impact of entrepreneurial resilience on the success of small and medium enterprises in South Africa. Sustainability, 10(7), 2527. → Read
Fisher, R., Maritz, A., & Lobo, A. (2016). Does individual resilience influence entrepreneurial success? Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 22(2), 39–53. → Read
Baron, R. A., & Tang, J. (2009). Entrepreneurs' social skills and new venture performance: Mediating mechanisms and cultural generality. Journal of Management, 35(2), 282–306. → Read
Baron, R. A., & Markman, G. D. (2000). Beyond social capital: How social skills can enhance entrepreneurs' success. Academy of Management Perspectives, 14(1), 106–116. → Read
McKeever, E., Anderson, A., & Jack, S. (2014). Social embeddedness in entrepreneurship research: The importance of context and community. In Handbook of Research on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (pp. 222–236). Edward Elgar Publishing. → Read
Mittal, S., Dhand, S., & Nghiem, X. H. N. (2025). Social support networks and their role in entrepreneurial well-being. In Supporting Psychological and Emotional Wellbeing Among Entrepreneurs (pp. 319–344). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. → Read
Newman, A., Mole, K. F., Ucbasaran, D., Subramanian, N., & Lockett, A. (2018). Can your network make you happy? Entrepreneurs' business network utilization and subjective well-being. British Journal of Management, 29(4), 613–633. → Read
Ahlin, B., Drnovšek, M., & Hisrich, R. D. (2014). Entrepreneurs' creativity and firm innovation: The moderating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Small Business Economics, 43(1), 101–117. → Read
Baum, J. R., & Locke, E. A. (2004). The relationship of entrepreneurial traits, skill, and motivation to subsequent venture growth. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(4), 587–598. → Read
Caliendo, M., Kritikos, A. S., Rodriguez, D., & Stier, C. (2023). Self-efficacy and entrepreneurial performance of start-ups. Small Business Economics, 61(3), 1027–1051. → Read
Glosenberg, A., Phillips, D., Schaefer, J., Pollack, J. M., Kirkman, B. L., McChesney, J., … & Foster, L. L. (2022). The relationship of self-efficacy with entrepreneurial success: A meta-analytic replication and extension. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 18, e00342. → Read
Miao, C., Qian, S., & Ma, D. (2017). The relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and firm performance: A meta-analysis of main and moderator effects. Journal of Small Business Management, 55(1), 87–107. → Read
Schmodde, L., & Wehner, M. C. (2024). Integrating emotion regulation, emotional intelligence, and emotion-focused coping in the entrepreneurial context: A review and research agenda. International Small Business Journal, 42(8), 984–1015. → Read
Banerjee, P., & Pathak, R. (2026). Entrepreneurial emotional regulation and its role in founder resilience and sustained business success in India. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT), IJISRT26JUN404, 51–56. DOI: 10.38124/ijisrt/26Jun404. → Read
Williamson, A. J., Battisti, M., Leatherbee, M., & Gish, J. J. (2019). Rest, zest, and my innovative best: Sleep and mood as drivers of entrepreneurs' innovative behavior. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 43(3), 582–610. → Read
Michaud, X., Guiliani, F., Ballesteros Leiva, F., & Simonelli, G. (2026). Entrepreneurs and sleep: A scoping review of barriers, recovery strategies, and effects on performance. Small Business Economics, 1–27. → Read
Eyre, H. A., Freeman, M.A., Ayadi, R., Ellsworth, W., Aragam, G., Smith, E., Dawson, W. D., … & Hynes, W. (2021). Building brain capital. Neuron, 109(9), 1430–1432. → Read
Abbott, R. et al. (2022). Brain health-directed policymaking; a new concept to strengthen democracy. Brookings Global Economy and Development Program, working paper #178, October 2022. → Read → Mirror copy
Iddouch, K. (2026). Brain capital at the frontier of knowledge, a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of an emerging transdisciplinary fields. → Read
Freeman, M.A., Mazza, A., Johnson, S. L., & Heinz, A. J. (2026). The entrepreneur well-being check: A screener for entrepreneur mental health and well-being. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 32(5), 1333–1354. → Read
Freeman, M.A., Staudenmaier, P. J., Zisser, M. R., & Andresen, L. A. (2019). The prevalence and co-occurrence of psychiatric conditions among entrepreneurs and their families. Small Business Economics, 53(2), 323–342. → Read
Hunt, R. A., Lerner, D. A., Johnson, S. L., Badal, S., & Freeman, M.A. (2022). Cracks in the wall: Entrepreneurial action theory and the weakening presumption of intended rationality. Journal of Business Venturing, 37(3), 106190. → Read
Frese, M., & Gielnik, M. M. (2014). The psychology of entrepreneurship. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 413–438. → Read
Frese, M., & Gielnik, M. M. (2023). The psychology of entrepreneurship: Action and process. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10(1), 137–164. → Read
Yu, W., Wiklund, J., & Pérez-Luño, A. (2021). ADHD symptoms, entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and firm performance. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(1), 92–117. → Read
Patton, E. (2022). The push and pull of entrepreneurship for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. In Research Handbook on Disability and Entrepreneurship (pp. 59–76). Edward Elgar Publishing. → Read
Spivack, A. J., & McKelvie, A. (2021). Measuring addiction to entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 15, e00212. → Read
Johnson, S. L., Madole, J. W., & Freeman, M.A. (2018). Mania risk and entrepreneurship: Overlapping personality traits. Academy of Management Perspectives, 32(2), 207–227. → Read
Johnson, S. L., Murray, G., Hou, S., Staudenmaier, P. J., Freeman, M.A., Michalak, E. E., & CREST.BD. (2015). Creativity is linked to ambition across the bipolar spectrum. Journal of Affective Disorders, 178, 160–164. → Read
Johnson, S. L., Freeman, M.A., & Staudenmaier, P. J. (2015). Mania risk, overconfidence, and ambition. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 34(7), 611–621. → Read
Lechat, T., & Torrès, O. (2017). Stressors and satisfactors in entrepreneurial activity: An event-based, mixed methods study predicting small business owners' health. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 32(4), 537–569. → Read
Omrane, A., Kammoun, A., & Seaman, C. (2018). Entrepreneurial burnout: Causes, consequences and way out. FIIB Business Review, 7(1), 28–42. → Read
Cubbon, L., Darga, K., Wisnesky, U. D., Dennett, L., & Guptill, C. (2021). Depression among entrepreneurs. Small Business Economics, 57(2), 781–805. → Read
Hessels, J., Rietveld, C. A., Thurik, A. R., & Van der Zwan, P. (2018). Depression and entrepreneurial exit. Academy of Management Perspectives, 32(3), 323–339. → Read
Van Doren, N., Tharp, J. A., Johnson, S. L., Staudenmaier, P. J., Anderson, C., & Freeman, M.A. (2019). Perseverance of effort is related to lower depressive symptoms via authentic pride and perceived power. Personality and Individual Differences, 137, 45–49. → Read
Halfpenny, J., & Halfpenny, C. (2012). In their element: The case for investing in dyslexic entrepreneurs. A report published by Halfpenny Development Ltd. → Read
Kruse, E. (2025). Dyslexia and entrepreneurship: Exploring how early adversity, coping strategies, and self-efficacy shape the entrepreneurial journeys of individuals with dyslexia (Doctoral dissertation, Durham University). → Read
Williamson, A. J., Drencheva, A., & Wolfe, M. T. (2024). When do negative emotions arise in entrepreneurship? A contextualized review of negative affective antecedents. Journal of Small Business Management, 62(1), 209–253. → Read
Wolfe, M. T., & Patel, P. C. (2017). Persistent and repetitive: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and self-employment. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 8, 125–137. → Read
Entrepreneurs with a specific personality profile are more successful. Abbreviated as E++ C+- O++ N-- A na, (not applicable), you can learn more about this here.
Brandstätter, H. (2011). Personality aspects of entrepreneurship: A look at five meta-analyses. Personality and Individual Differences, 51(3), 222–230. → Read
Zhao, H., & Seibert, S. E. (2006). The big five personality dimensions and entrepreneurial status: A meta-analytical review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(2), 259–271. → Read
Jones Christensen, L., & Embry, E. (2026). Now you see it: Using a trauma-informed lens to redirect conversations on health, human capital and entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 32(5), 1156–1178. → Read
Halko, M. L., Lahti, T., Hytönen, K., & Jääskeläinen, I. P. (2017). Entrepreneurial and parental love—are they the same? Human Brain Mapping, 38(6), 2923–2938. → Read
Hartmann, S., Backmann, J., Newman, A., Brykman, K. M., & Pidduck, R. J. (2022). Psychological resilience of entrepreneurs: A review and agenda for future research. Journal of Small Business Management, 60(5), 1041–1079. → Read
Santoro, G., Messeni-Petruzzelli, A., & Del Giudice, M. (2021). Searching for resilience: The impact of employee-level and entrepreneur-level resilience on firm performance in small family firms. Small Business Economics, 57(1), 455–471. → Read
Michaud, X., Guiliani, F., Ballesteros Leiva, F., & Simonelli, G. (2026). Entrepreneurs and sleep: A scoping review of barriers, recovery strategies, and effects on performance. Small Business Economics, 1–27. → Read
Africa: Flourish Ventures Endeavor Launch Africa Econa Startup Snapshot (2023). African founders’ wellbeing report. → Read
Brazil: Endeavor (2023). Health and performance of high-impact entrepreneurs. → Read
Canada: Business Development Bank of Canada (2025). 7th annual report of the mental health of Canadian entrepreneurs. → Read
Canada: Canadian Mental Health Association (2019). Going it alone: The mental health and well-being of Canada's entrepreneurs. → Read
India: Jagah (2024). Founders' wellbeing: The emotional journey of Indian entrepreneurs. → Read
International: Startup Snapshot (2023). The untold toll: The impact of stress on the well-being of startup founders and CEOs. → Read
Latin America and the Caribbean: Pan American Development Bank (2023). The invisible factor: How well-being and mental health can improve the high-impact entrepreneurship ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean. → Read
New Zealand: Callaghan Innovation (2023). Kiwi founders' wellbeing: Experiences and needs. → Read
Women: Zisser, M. R., Johnson, S. L., Freeman, M.A., & Staudenmaier, P. J. (2019). The relationship between entrepreneurial intent, gender and personality. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 34(8), 665–684. → Read
Military Veterans: Heinz, A. J., Freeman, M.A., Harpaz-Rotem, I., & Pietrzak, R. H. (2017). American military veteran entrepreneurs: A comprehensive profile of demographic, service history, and psychosocial characteristics. Military Psychology, 29(6), 513–523. → Read
The EWC is a validated, peer-reviewed instrument built specifically for entrepreneurs — not adapted from general-population tools. Published 2026. Validated with 314 entrepreneurs across the US, Canada, the EU, the UK, and Israel.
Econa collaborates with university-based entrepreneurship departments and leading entrepreneurship researchers around the world. Together we build the scientific foundation to improve entrepreneur resilience, wellbeing, mental health and performance at scale.
The EWC was developed and validated with 314 entrepreneurs across the US, Canada, EU, UK and Israel, and published as a peer-reviewed validation study in the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research (2026).
His landmark studies — including the 2019 peer-reviewed study in Small Business Economics with over 123,000 accesses — found that entrepreneurs experience significantly higher rates of mental health differences, and that these traits correlate with entrepreneurial performance.
Yes. The Entrepreneur Wellbeing Check is in the public domain and free to use — placed there deliberately so it can be used by anyone, in order to maximize its impact.