Rajshree Agarwal, the Rudolph P. Lamone Chair and Professor in Entrepreneurship and Strategy at the Smith School, leads the Ed Snider Center as its founding director. Her research, funded by grants from many foundations, notably the Kauffman Foundation and the National Science Foundation, focuses on the implications of entrepreneurship and innovation for firm and industry evolution and has been published in numerous premier journals in both Management and Economics. The Academy of Management and the Strategic Management Society have recognized many of her research articles through Best Paper awards.

Steve Sonka is Emeritus Chaired Professor of Agricultural Strategy at the University of Illinois. Currently he also serves as Fellow at the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets at the University of Maryland and Senior Economist at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. A co-founder of the Centrec Consulting Group, LLC, in Savoy, Illinois, he was a partner there for more than 25 years.

At Illinois, he was the first faculty member to hold the Soybean Industry Chair in Agricultural Strategy, funded by Illinois soybean farmers. During his tenure at Illinois, he served as the Vice Chancellor for Public Engagement, the first Director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory, and the first Director of the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss.

Stevi Calandra joined the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets in 2017. In her role as Media and Marketing Director, she has developed and implemented a successful marketing and communications strategy centered around the production of high quality content. Stevi has been a producer, writer and editor for almost two decades, working for established platforms like Discovery and National Geographic. She's also supported a variety of clients over the years that include educational institutions, independent documentary filmmakers, production companies and artists.

Saul Stoogenke joined the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets as a media specialist in early 2020. With a passion for visual storytelling through photography, video, and design, Saul has a wealth of experience spanning published media, government agencies, and the corporate sector, developing comprehensive visual content strategies and directing award-winning creative teams. Saul supports the marketing and programmatic goals of the Ed Snider Center by developing a creative style that effectively communicates the brand’s messaging. He continues to implement new and creative ways to promote the center and engage audiences with one-of-a-kind content.

Nicholas Appleton joined the Ed Snider Center at the University of Maryland in October of 2019 as the grants and financial assistant. He manages team logistics and international travel arrangements for research grantees. He is also tasked with supporting Consortium projects and acting as a liason between the member institutions. Appleton went to the University of Maryland for his undergraduate and master's education in history with a focus on Western Europe and 19th century Britain.