Dr. Donald F. Kuratko (Dr. K)
The Jack M. Gill Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship
Professor of Entrepreneurship
Executive & Academic Director
The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Dr. Donald F. Kuratko (Known as “Dr. K”) is considered a prominent scholar and national leader in the field of entrepreneurship. He has published over 200 articles on aspects of entrepreneurship, new venture development, and corporate entrepreneurship. His work has been published in journals such as Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Operations Management, Journal of Management Studies, Academy of Management Executive, Small Business Economics, Business Horizons, Journal of Small Business Management, Family Business Review, and the Journal of Business Ethics. He has received numerous awards for his published articles including the Journal of Business Venturing Best 2017 Journal Article of the Year” (awarded in 2018), the Academy of Management 2017 “Entrepreneurship Practice Award” for the Best Journal Article Advancing Entrepreneurship Practice, and the inaugural “Journal of Operations Management Ambassador Award” for Best Interdisciplinary Journal Article published between 2011-2016 and based on citation count (awarded in 2016 at Academy of Management). Professor Kuratko has authored 30 books, including the leading entrepreneurship book in universities today, Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice, 11th ed. (2020), as well as Corporate Innovation (2019), New Venture Management (2021), and What Do Entrepreneurs Create: Understanding Different Venture Types (2020). In addition, Dr. Kuratko has been consultant on Corporate Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Strategies to a number of major Fortune 500 corporations such as Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, AT&T, United Technologies, Ameritech, Acordia, Union Carbide Corporation, McKesson, SPX, Walgreens, ServiceMaster and TruServ. Dr. Kuratko was also the co-founder and served as the Executive Director of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC), an organization comprised of over 350 top university entrepreneurship centers throughout the world.
Under Professor Kuratko’s leadership and with one of the most prolific entrepreneurship research faculties in the world, Indiana University has consistently been ranked the #1 Business School for Entrepreneurship Research (Global Productivity Rankings), as well as the #1 Graduate Business School for Entrepreneurship (Public Institutions) and the #1 Undergraduate Business School for Entrepreneurship (Public Institutions) by U.S. News & World Report and Fortune Magazine. Indiana University was awarded the National Model MBA Program in Entrepreneurship for the MBA Program in Entrepreneurship & Innovation developed by Professor Kuratko. Dr. Kuratko’s honors include earning the Entrepreneur of the Year for the state of Indiana (sponsored by Ernst & Young and Inc. magazine) and being inducted into the Institute of American Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame. He has been honored with The George Washington Medal of Honor; the Leavey Foundation Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise; the NFIB Entrepreneurship Excellence Award; and the National Model Innovative Pedagogy Award for Entrepreneurship. In addition, Dr. Kuratko was named the National Outstanding Entrepreneurship Educator by the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and he was selected one of the Top Entrepreneurship Professors in the U.S. by Fortune Small Business magazine. Professor Kuratko has been named one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurship Scholars in the world for his research productivity and was the recipient of the Riata Distinguished Entrepreneurship Scholar Award. He was the inaugural recipient of the Karl Vesper Entrepreneurship Pioneer Award for his career dedication to developing the field of entrepreneurship and has been named a 21st Century Entrepreneurship Research Fellow by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers. Dr. Kuratko was honored by his peers in Entrepreneur magazine as the #1 Entrepreneurship Director in the nation and he has recipient of the Thomas W. Binford Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Entrepreneurial Development by the Indiana Health Industry Forum. The U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship honored him with the John E. Hughes Entrepreneurial Advocacy Award for his career achievements in entrepreneurship and corporate innovation. In addition, the National Academy of Management honored Professor Kuratko with the Entrepreneurship Advocate Award for his contributions to the development and advancement of the discipline of entrepreneurship as well as the prestigious Entrepreneurship Mentor Award for development of the next generation of entrepreneurship scholars. In 2022, the U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship honored him with the Max S. Wortman, Jr. /USASBE Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship for his career research and accomplishments in the field of entrepreneurship.
Before coming to Indiana University, he was the Stoops Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Founding Director of the Entrepreneurship Program at Ball State University. In addition, he was the Executive Director of The Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center. Dr. Kuratko was the first professor ever to be named a Distinguished Professor for the College of Business at Ball State University and held that position for 15 years. The Entrepreneurship Program that Professor Kuratko developed at Ball State University continually earned national rankings including: Top 20 in Bloomberg Businessweek and Success magazines; Top 10 business schools for entrepreneurship research (Journal of Management); Top 4 in U.S. News & World Report’s elite ranking (including the #1 public university for entrepreneurship); and the #1 Regional Entrepreneurship Program in Entrepreneur magazine. In his years at Ball State University he earned the College of Business Teaching Award 15 consecutive years as well as being the first professor in the history of Ball State University to achieve all four of the university’s major lifetime awards which included the Outstanding Young Faculty Award; Outstanding Teaching Award; Outstanding Faculty Award; and Outstanding Research Award.