Now

What I'm working on right now — updated quarterly. Inspired by Derek Sivers's /now page convention.

Research

Three working papers active with PhD students:

Also working on a methodological paper on AI-enabled social science research design, presented at the FDS Workshop at Yale (May 2026).

Teaching

Spring quarter wrapping up. Summer focused on:

  • Prepping the Stanford BOSP Shenzhen Global Seminar (Faculty Director, August 2026)
  • Continuing the ITRI–Stanford Advancing Technology Ventures Program
  • Running the KFUPM Founders Track with Dhahran Techno Valley — bridging Saudi deep-tech talent to Silicon Valley
  • Continuing the Aramco Lab7 Advancing Technology Ventures executive program through Stanford CGOE
  • Refreshing materials for MS&E 272 (Entrepreneurship Without Borders) with Vimbayi Kajese for Fall

Speaking & convenings

On the calendar:

  • SCECR 2026, Tokyo — two accepted papers (climate-tech industrial policy & China semiconductor export controls), June 21–24, 2026
  • Keio Management Society seminar, Keio Mita Campus, Tokyo — AI Strategy and Entrepreneurship, June 22, 2026 (hybrid)
  • Guanghua School of Management, Peking University — invited seminar, September 15, 2026
  • INFORMS Annual Meeting, San Francisco — session organizer, November 1–4, 2026
  • Ross School of Business, University of Michigan — invited seminar, November 20, 2026

Full upcoming list on the Talks page →

Advising

Actively advising two current PhD students (Yikai Cao and Xilan Zhang) and welcoming an incoming postdoctoral researcher (Tess Lallemant, Fall 2026, King Center sponsored). One recent graduate (Wajeeha Ahmad) heading to Columbia Business School as an incoming assistant professor.

Full group on the Advising page →

Writing

Just out: a sole-author essay at the World Economic Forum on why leading on AI innovation requires building the institutional layer between state funding and market freedom — not choosing between them (June 2, 2026).

Also drafting essays for the newsletter on entrepreneurship and innovation policy — full archive at newsletter.chuckeesley.com. Recent threads: the algorithmic financing of misinformation, what universities actually contribute to entrepreneurship, and reflections on Ed Roberts and the academic lineage I inherited through him.

Reading

Currently on the desk:

  • Chip Champion (Owen Hung-Wen Lin) — complement to Chris Miller's Chip War on the firm-level view of TSMC and Taiwan.
  • Breakneck (Dan Wang) — how China actually builds, alongside our battery-subsidies work.
  • Celebrating Entrepreneurship (Edward B. Roberts) — Ed's career retrospective on the MIT Entrepreneurship Center he founded.

Full curated reading list →

Board & advisory

Continuing as Independent Non-Executive Director and Remuneration Committee chair at Vobile Group (HKEX: 3738), advisor/investor at TSVC, Vectors Capital, and Empo Health, and Venture Partner / LP at Brave Capital. Foundation work with Lijie Zhou at the Zhou & Eesley Family Foundation.

Last updated May 2026. The /now convention is described at nownownow.com.