“The idea behind a Festschrift is to honor the teacher, mentor and friend, not only
the researcher,” says Justine Cullinan, the Managing Editor of the Annals of the
New York Academy of Sciences, “a book of essays and papers contributed by the
honoree's students and colleagues, where even family members and close friends
contribute.”1
And so, this Festschrift aims to provide a short snapshot to highlight all of your
hats: starting in Part I with your family—Joanne and your kids—followed by close
friends staying side-by-side with you in all phases of your life and career. An outstanding researcher is one that creates a research topic that stimulates the world of academia. Part II is dedicated to you David, as a true pioneer in the fields of small business and entrepreneurship research. However, a true scientist does not work in
isolation, but brings in other scholars to collaborate with and push the limits of the
field. The essays in Part III are dedicated to you as a creator of a community. While
the first three parts mostly express the roots of your work, the future of your legacy,
the wings, are laid down in Part IV.
We see from the contributions in this Festschrift that the fields of small business
and entrepreneurship research are thriving and we enjoy being a part of it. So we’re
glad to be able to present to you this Festschrift; a personal gift from your community to you. We feel honored to be able to put these contributions together for you as a symbol of our gratitude, to celebrate your incredible body of work and the immense impact that you have had on all of our lives.