Professor Anica Zeyen joined Royal Holloway, University of London in 2015 following the completion of her PhD at Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany.

Her research examines how organisations and societies can become more inclusive of disabled people. Her work explores the barriers and enablers of participation, inclusion and belonging across entrepreneurship, work, higher education, leisure, tourism, cultural life and media representation. Through this research, she contributes to debates on creating more sustainable and inclusive organisations and societies.

As a qualitative researcher, Professor Zeyen employs methodologies such as ethnography, diary studies and visual and arts-based approaches, with a strong emphasis on co-created and co-produced research. Her research spans entrepreneurship by and for disabled people, inclusive workplaces, disability in paid and unpaid work, inclusive higher education, leisure, travel and tourism, media representations of disability and accessibility in cultural institutions, including museums. Recent projects have explored sensory access and inclusive design in museum spaces and the representation of blind, partially sighted and other sensory-diverse people in visual media. She has secured multiple external research grants and collaborates with established and emerging scholars across disciplines and countries.

Professor Zeyen is passionate about using research to drive meaningful social change. Working with nonprofit organisations, businesses, cultural institutions, policymakers and public sector bodies, she translates research findings into practical recommendations that promote greater inclusion and accessibility. Her policy engagement includes work with the National Council of Women Great Britain and the Guide Dogs Lived Experience Campaign Team. To engage wider audiences, she has co-curated exhibitions, hosted a podcast series and co-directed a documentary.

Beyond her research, Professor Zeyen serves on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Business Ethics and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and has guest-edited three special issues in leading journals, including the Journal of Business Ethics. She has held visiting scholar positions internationally and serves on the Advisory Board of the Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB), Delhi, India. She is also a member of the Research England Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group and Founding Co-Chair of the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Working Group on Disability, Mental Health and Neurodiversity Inclusion.

In 2021, she co-founded the Spring Institute, an annual five-day virtual event that brings together PhD students, early career researchers, disability leaders and senior scholars to advance disability research in management and business.

In her teaching, Professor Zeyen champions experiential learning and critical discussions around social entrepreneurship and sustainability management. She strives to create inclusive learning environments that support students from diverse backgrounds and with different learning needs. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has received a Royal Holloway Excellence in Teaching Award (2016) and a Team Teaching Commendation for her work in the Enterprise Hub (2020).

Outside academia, Professor Zeyen volunteers as a speaker, campaigner and fundraiser for Guide Dogs UK and as a Peer-to-Peer Support Buddy for the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB).