Grassroots innovation ecosystems supporting low-income innovators in emerging markets: A study on the Honey Bee Network

Existing research on innovation ecosystems has primarily focused on advanced economies or higher income settings within emerging markets. This study aims to address how to nurture an innovation ecosystem that fosters entrepreneurship in low-income contexts in emerging markets. This question is explored through a case study approach, studying the India-based Honey Bee Network, an organization with extensive experience in poverty alleviation and a specific focus on innovative low-income innovators and entrepreneurs. This study contributes to the literature on innovation ecosystems by identifying the grassroots innovation ecosystem as a unique type of ecosystem. Furthermore, it theorizes the role of the grassroots orchestrator as the actor who builds bridges between resource-rich actors and innovators lacking entrepreneurial resources and capabilities.