After my retirement from the executive board of the retail company my grandfather started in 1887, Royal Ahold, I started a whole new exciting chapter in my entrepreneurial life by opening a shop and a restaurant in my new hometown of Hereford, England.

What inspires people to leave behind certainty to pursue their vision through creativity and entrepreneurship? Sharda S. Nandram and Karel J. Samsom, entrepreneurial researchers at Nyenrode Business University, explore entrepreneurship through the lens of human behaviour. Creative vision, drive, reflection, action, passion, teamwork, achievement, commitment and, significantly, personal values are some of the major elements.

Personal stories of 60 entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial executives from Europe and North America are studied in the context of human and organizational behavior. Case studies range from solo entrepreneurs to fast-growing ventures and from entrepreneurial CEO’s to creative leaders in the public sector. Nandram and Samsom approach entrepreneurship as an interactive process of human forces and the economic, ecological, and social environments in which they manifest. These entrepreneurs’ stories show how mutually beneficial results can be created when the pursuit of profits is balanced with the interdependent needs of individuals, the community and the planet.

"The educational process is critical. European universities must play a key role in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, helping students learn not just how to start, but also how to grow, enterprises and across national boundaries."

- Bert Twaalfhoven, Founder of Indivers and EFER (European Foundation of Entrepreneurship Research) -

"It's quite simple. The success of Ben & Jerry's from the very beginning had to do with really caring for all aspects of the business - our people, our customers, our shareholders, the communities we live in and serve and, of course, the Earth. The reality is that these are really inseparable. That and truly great ice cream, have continued to attract customers, increase shareholder value and nurture creativity. "The Spirit of Entrepreneurship" reveals this integrated approach toentrepreneurship."

- Ben Cohen, Co-founder of Ben & Jerry's -

Ambition, perseverance, intuition, creativity, responsibility, but above all: passion. Those are the terms that help me describe entrepreneurship. Whether you are young or old, man or woman, minority or majority, healthy or disabled, it is the passion for building new ventures and finding new roads that characterizes the entrep- neur. You have to believe in yourself, your team, your product, your company and in your customers. You have to be pragmatic and rational in your approach. But it is the passion that makes you successful. In my own entrepreneurial life, I have covered experiences from working on the grocery shop floor to building the family retail company out into Europe, then the US, then other parts of the world. After my retirement from the executive board of the retail company my grandfather started in 1887, Royal Ahold, I started a whole new exciting chapter in my entrepreneurial life by opening a shop and a restaurant in my new hometown of Hereford, England. The restaurant world is a new one that gives me fun and satisfaction by engaging in new and exciting ch- lenges. Cooking is like entrepreneurship; it is only possible with… passion. So- times things get burned, but there is always a sense of fulfillment when things s- ceed in the way you want them to. It is through mistakes and setbacks that you can value your achievements.