My disability is a strength: award for a research article on business creation

Disability and entrepreneurship: when social science research redefines models of success

The scientific article “My Disability Is Something We Use as a Strength” — Hero or Not Hero: Revisiting Critical Studies about Entrepreneurship, published in November 2024 in the International Review of Entrepreneurship, receives the Maria Nowak Prize for scientific articles.

This award, presented on 10 December 2025 by the Maria Nowak Institute/Association for the Right to Economic Initiative, recognises research that contributes to a better understanding of entrepreneurship as a lever for economic and social inclusion.

Rethinking entrepreneurship through the lens of disability

Co-authored by Julien Billion, Catherine Lejealle, Olivier Fournout and Claire Doussard, the article “My Disability Is Something We Use as a Strength” — Hero or Not Hero: Revisiting Critical Studies about Entrepreneurship offers an original analysis of critical studies on entrepreneurship based on the experiences of entrepreneurs with disabilities.

The authors question the classic figure of the “hero” entrepreneur, often associated with stories of surpassing oneself, and reveal its limitations. Based on qualitative surveys, they empirically test the “Hero-Leader Matrix ” model (Olivier Fournout, Journal of Business Ethics, 2017).

They show that disability is not only perceived as an obstacle, but can become a resource that can be harnessed in entrepreneurial pursuits. This approach highlights specific forms of creativity, resilience and adaptation.

Recognition for research conducted at Télécom Paris

The first author, Julien Billion, holds a PhD in Management Sciences from the Institut Polytechnique de Paris. His thesis was supervised by Olivier Fournout, a researcher at the Institut Interdisciplinaire de l’Innovation i3 (CNRS, Télécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris). Julien Billion then obtained his Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HDR) at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris under the supervision of Valérie Fernandez, also a researcher at Télécom Paris and i3.

The Maria Nowak Prize highlights the quality of the research conducted at Télécom Paris and its impact on major contemporary issues, particularly inclusion and diversity in entrepreneurship.

This award highlights the importance of committed research that can fuel academic reflection while contributing to societal debates.

The Maria Nowak Institute is an organisation dedicated to promoting research and reflection on inclusive entrepreneurship and access to economic initiative. Created by ADIE (Association pour le Droit à l’Initiative Économique), it continues the legacy of Maria Nowak, a pioneer of microfinance in France. . The institute supports scientific research, promotes dialogue between researchers and practitioners, and rewards contributions that shed light on the social, economic and human issues of entrepreneurship.

 

Article from Télécom-Paris

photo Tony Querrec