Cultural entrepreneurship: Challenges and emerging directions

Cultural entrepreneurship (CE) has emerged as a vibrant field of inquiry at the intersection of cultural sociology, organizational studies, and the economics of creative industries. At its core, CE is concerned with how entrepreneurs mobilize cultural resources—stories, symbols, practices, and identities—to create new ventures, generate value, and gain legitimacy. Unlike traditional entrepreneurship, which often foregrounds capital accumulation and market entry, CE emphasizes the symbolic and interpretive dimensions of entrepreneurial activity, where meaning-making and cultural resonance are as critical as financial performance. This dual focus reflects the growing recognition that in contemporary economies, value is rarely “given” but must be actively constructed and communicated. This review seeks to synthesize several premier scholarly contributions, highlight recurring mechanisms, and outline debates that continue to shape the field. By doing so, it situates CE as a domain that bridges meaning and markets, showing how cultural value becomes economic value through entrepreneurial agency.