Meet Our New Faculty: Jason Greenberg
Meet Jason Greenberg, one of the newest faculty members from across the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. Greenberg previously served as an economist at a venture capital backed startup and taught at Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University. He will join the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration as associate professor of management and organizations. Learn more about Greenberg’s areas of expertise, research focus, courses he is teaching, and other interests in this Q&A.
Jason Greenberg | Associate Professor of Management and Organization | Nolan School
What are your research and teaching areas of focus?
Broadly speaking, I study how technology, networks and social systems impact how information is generated, interpreted and has a bearing on outcomes for individuals and organizations. Generally, I focus on these topics in contexts concerning entrepreneurship, crowdfunding and innovation. For example, I have a National Science Foundation project that focuses on how consumers’ increasing fascination with, and reliance on, restaurant ratings information systems such as Yelp, Google, and previously Zagat has changed how restaurants compete with each other.
What class(es) will you be teaching this year?
I will teach classes at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation and strategy.
What attracted you to the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and to the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, specifically?
The breadth and depth of Cornell’s expertise in the topics I care about is unrivaled in any peer school. From Johnson to Nolan to ILR to the disciplines, each school is formidable in its own right. Having access to all of them in one university is a unique opportunity to continue to learn from and collaborate with scholars I have admired.
What first sparked your interest in (your research/area of study)?
I come from a family business background. At age 13, my father founded a small business and (ahem) “entrusted” me with helping him with various facets of its management. That experience sparked my interest in entrepreneurship and family business.
At various stages of my life, I’ve felt like I’ve seen and experienced both sides of a fence so to speak. Those experiences fostered an interest in inequality and social structures.
How did you know you wanted to teach? What do you like best about teaching?
First and foremost, I am a consummate student. This love of learning, in turn, led me to a life in which I get to continue to learn from all those around me and share what I have learned with others. That naturally led to a career in teaching.
What are you most looking forward to during your first year at Johnson?
Getting to know my colleagues, beginning some new research projects I am very excited about, and becoming a member of the Johnson, Nolan, and larger Cornell communities.
What’s the best book you’ve read this year?
My friend, Catherine Turco’s book about Harvard Square. She is a professor at MIT-Sloan. The book is remarkable insofar as it is at once a personal story that is also rich, deep, and interesting social science that speaks about larger forces that impact many communities.
What do you do to recharge?
I like to ski and bike.