Tessa Conroy is an economic development specialist and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She works in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and the Department of Extension. She studies community economic growth and development, small business dynamics, and entrepreneurship. She is especially interested in rural and diverse entrepreneurs and how they contribute to their local economies. Her research and commentary can be found in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, the Wisconsin State Journal, Wisconsin Public Radio, and PBS NewsHour.