In the contemporary milieu of global economic transformation, characterized by rapid technological innovation and dynamic market disruptions, entrepreneurial education has emerged as a pivotal domain for fostering sustainable economic development and social mobility. This article interrogates the multifaceted role of informal learning paradigms within entrepreneurial education frameworks, emphasizing the tacit knowledge acquisition, experiential learning, and social capital formation that underpin the emergent competencies of nascent entrepreneurs. Drawing upon a robust interdisciplinary nexus encompassing educational theory, cognitive psychology, and entrepreneurship studies, this investigation foregrounds the often-underestimated epistemic contributions of informal learning processes as critical catalysts in shaping entrepreneurial identity and praxis.

The study advances a nuanced conceptualization of informal learning—defined as non-institutionalized, self-directed, and socially situated knowledge acquisition—and its symbiotic interaction with formal entrepreneurial curricula. Anchored in an empirically driven qualitative research design, the article presents original data derived from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of young start-up founders operating within Romania’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem, notably linked to academic incubators and entrepreneurial networks facilitated by ASE București. This empirical focus is complemented by an extensive meta-analysis of contemporary literature, providing a comprehensive theoretical scaffold that situates the Romanian case within the broader international discourse on entrepreneurial education.

Analytical findings reveal that informal learning mechanisms—ranging from mentorship, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, digital community engagement, to iterative problem-solving in real-world business contexts—constitute indispensable vectors for cultivating entrepreneurial resilience, adaptive capacity, and opportunity recognition. The research elucidates the dynamic interplay between individual agency and socio-cultural milieu, demonstrating how informal learning environments nurture entrepreneurial mindset attributes such as creativity, risk tolerance, and effectuation reasoning, which are often inadequately addressed by conventional didactic approaches. Furthermore, the study identifies critical institutional gaps and proposes integrative pedagogical strategies aimed at harmonizing formal and informal learning ecosystems to optimize entrepreneurial skill development.

By positioning informal learning as a transformative axis within entrepreneurial education, this article challenges traditional educational paradigms and advocates for a paradigm shift towards learner-centric, contextually responsive, and ecosystem-integrated pedagogies. The implications for educators, policymakers, and entrepreneurship ecosystem stakeholders are profound, offering actionable insights for fostering inclusive, resilient, and future-ready entrepreneurial talent pools in both emerging and developed economies.

In sum, this article contributes a critical, empirically grounded perspective to the evolving scholarship on entrepreneurial education by illuminating the pivotal role of informal learning, thereby catalyzing a reimagining of educational practices and policies that respond to the exigencies of twenty-first-century economic and social challenges.

Keywords: Informal learning in entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial education innovation, knowledge and start-up development, experiential learning and resilience, entrepreneurial ecosystem dynamics.