Donald F. Kuratko (Dr. K)

Jack M. Gill Chair of Entrepreneurship
Professor of Entrepreneurship
Executive & Academic Director of The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Director, Entrepreneurial Innovation Academy

Department: Management and Entrepreneurship

Campus: Bloomington

Biography

Dr. Donald F. Kuratko (known as “Dr. K”) is considered a prominent scholar and national leader in the field of

Dr. Donald F. Kuratko (known as “Dr. K”) is considered a prominent scholar and national leader in the field of entrepreneurship authoring over 200 articles on aspects of entrepreneurship and corporate innovation in journals such as Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Operations Management, Small Business Economics, Journal of Business Ethics, and Business Horizons. Professor Kuratko has authored 30 books, including one of the leading entrepreneurship books in the world, Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice, 12th ed. as well as Corporate Innovation, and New Venture Management. He has been consultant on Corporate Entrepreneurship to numerous Fortune 100 corporations and he was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC). Dr. K was honored by his peers in Entrepreneur magazine as the #1 Entrepreneurship Director in the nation as well as being selected one of the Top Entrepreneurship Professors in the U.S. by Fortune magazine. He has received the Entrepreneurial Advocacy Award from the U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship and the National Academy of Management’s Entrepreneurship Advocate Award - for his contributions to the development and advancement of the discipline of entrepreneurship. 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 he received the National Academy of Management’s Entrepreneurship Mentor Award for development of the next generation of entrepreneurship scholars. In 2022 he was honored with the Max S. Wortman Jr/USASBE Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship. Under his leadership Indiana University has been ranked #1 in entrepreneurship research and the #1 Undergraduate & Graduate Business School for Entrepreneurship (Public Institutions) by U.S. News. In 2023 Indiana University was honored with the National Model Entrepreneurship Program Award from the U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship. In 2024 he was honored in Munich, Germany with The Lifetime Achievement Member Award at the Babson Entrepreneurship Research Conference.

Areas of Expertise

Corporate entrepreneurship; the entrepreneurial mindset

Awards, Honors & Certificates

The Lifetime Achievement Member Award – Babson Entrepreneurship Research Conference (2024)
United States Leader Award - 100 Best Researchers in Business and Management (Research.com - 2023)
The National Model Entrepreneurship Program Award from the U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship
The Max S. Wortman Jr/USASBE Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship
The National Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Mentor Award
The Karl Vesper Entrepreneurship Pioneer Award (inaugural recipient)
Top 50 Entrepreneurship Scholars in the World (Scientifica)
The Riata Distinguished Entrepreneurship Scholar Award
The John E. Hughes Entrepreneurial Advocacy Award
The National Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Advocate Award
Ranked as #1 Entrepreneurship Director in the USA by peers
Distinguished Scholar for Corporate Entrepreneurship (USASBE)
21st Century Entrepreneurship Research Fellow
National Model Innovative Pedagogy in Entrepreneurship Award
National Outstanding Entrepreneurship Educator (USASBE)
National Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award (National Finalist)
Entrepreneur of the Year (Ernst & Young & Inc. Magazine)
National Federation of Independent Business Excellence Award
George Washington Medal of Honor in Private Enterprise Education
Leavey Foundation Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship

Selected Publications

Kuratko, D. F., and Covin, J. G. (2025). Fifty Years of Entrepreneurship Research: Recalling the Past, Examining the Present, & Foreshadowing the Future. Journal of Business Research, 186, 114980.
Kuratko, D. F. (2025). Developing a Research-Based Model Program in Entrepreneurship: A Contrarian Approach to Traditional Perspectives. Journal of Technology Transfer, in press.
Neubert, E., Fisher, G., Kuratko, D. F., and Stevenson, R. (2025). Funding Source-Induced Bias: How Social Ties Influence Entrepreneur’s Anticipated Guilt and Risk-Taking Preferences. Journal of Business Venturing, 40(1), 106453.
Marvel, M. R., Wolfe, M. T., Neubert, E., Kuratko, D. F., and Bacq, S. (2025). Female Entrepreneurs’ Thirst for Knowledge & The Dark Side of Customer Learning Actions. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, in press.
Kuratko, D. F. (2024), Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice (12th Edition). Mason, OH: Cengage Publishers.
Kuratko, D. F., and Morris, M. H. (2024). Cross Campus Entrepreneurship: Transforming the Modern University. Journal of Technology Transfer, 49(6), 2159-2183.
Goldsby, M. G., Kuratko, D. F., and Audretsch, D. B. (2024). Site Entrepreneurship: Desolation to Destination. Small Business Economics, 63(3), 971-992.
Burnell, D., Neubert, E., Fisher, G., Marvel, M. R., Stevenson, R., and Kuratko, D. F. (2024). Entrepreneurial Hustle: Scale Development and Validation. Journal of Business Venturing, 39(4), 106407.
Kuratko, D. F., Hornsby, J. S., and McKelvie, A. (2023). Entrepreneurial Mindset in Corporate Entrepreneurship: Forms, Impediments, and Actions for Research. Journal of Small Business Management, 61(1), 132-154.
Kuratko, D. F., Burnell, D., Stevenson, R., Neubert, E., and Fisher, G. (2023). Enacting entrepreneurial hustle. Business Horizons, 66(2), 237-249.
Kuratko, D. F., and Audretsch, D. B. (2022). The Future of Entrepreneurship: The Few or The Many? Small Business Economics, 59, 269–278 .
Morris, M. H., Kuratko, D. F., Audretsch, D. B., and Santos, S. (2022). Overcoming the Liability of Poorness: Disadvantage, Fragility and the Poverty Entrepreneur. Small Business Economics, 58, 41–55.
Marvel, M., Wolfe, M., Kuratko, D. F., and Fisher, G. (2022). Examining Entrepreneurial Experience in Relation to Pre-launch and Post-Launch Learning Activities Affecting Venture Performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 60(4), 759-785..
McMullen, J. S., Kier, A. S., and Kuratko, D. F. (2022). How Venture Team Recommendations Influence Undue Entrepreneurial Persistence: The Impact of Self-Regulation and Experience. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 46(6), 1812–1842.
Kuratko, D. F., Fisher, G., and Audretsch, D. B. (2021). Unraveling the entrepreneurial mindset. Small Business Economics, 57, 1681–1691. DOI: 10.1007/s11187-020-00372-6
Kuratko, D. F., Neubert, E., and Marvel, M. R., (2021). Insights on the Mentorship and Coachability of Entrepreneurs. Business Horizons, 64(2), 199-209.
Kreiser, P.M., Kuratko, D.F., Ireland, R.D., Covin, J.G., and Hornsby, J.S. (2021). Corporate Entrepreneurship Strategy: Extending Our Knowledge Boundary with Configurational Theory. Small Business Economics, 56, 739–758.
Covin, J. G., Garrett, R. P., Kuratko, D. F., and Bolinger, M. (2021). Internal Corporate Venture Planning Autonomy, Strategic Evolution, and Venture Performance. Small Business Economics, 56, 293–310.
Morris, M. H., Santos, S., and Kuratko, D. F. (2021). The Great Divides in Social Entrepreneurship and Where They Lead Us. Small Business Economics, 57, 1089-1106.
Kuratko, D. F., Holt, H. L., and Neubert, E. (2020). Blitzscaling: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Business Horizons, 63(1), 109-119.
Kuratko, D.F. (2020), Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice (11th Edition). Mason, OH: Cengage/Southwestern Publishers.
Morris, M. H., and Kuratko, D. F. (2020). What Do Entrepreneurs Create? Understanding Different Venture Types. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Kreiser, P.M., Anderson, B.S., Kuratko, D. F. & Marino, L.D. (2020). Entrepreneurial Orientation and Environmental Hostility: A Threat Rigidity Perspective. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 44(6), 1174–1198.
Covin, J.G., Garrett, R.P., Kuratko, D.F., & Shepherd, D.A. (2020). Short Leash or Long Leash? Parenting Style, Initial Strategic Clarity, and the Development of Venture Learning Proficiency. Journal of Business Venturing, 35(4), 105951.
Marvel, M. R., Wolfe, M., and Kuratko, D. F. (2020). Escaping the Knowledge Corridor: How Founder Human Capital and Founder Coachability Impacts Product Innovation in New Ventures. Journal of Business Venturing, 35(6), 106060.
Stevenson, R. M., Kuratko, D. F., and Eutsler, J. (2019). Unleashing main street entrepreneurship: Crowdfunding, venture capital, and the democratization of new venture investments. Small Business Economics, 52(2), 375-393. View Full Text

Abstract

Over the past several decades, U.S. venture capital (VC) firms have focused their attention and investment dollars in specialized regional hubs where high-tech entrepreneurship tends to flourish. As a result, “main street” businesses such as retail stores, consumer services, and other non-tech businesses typically find it incredibly difficult to secure equity funding. Yet, in recent years, crowdfunding (CF) has become a viable new source of funding for entrepreneurs. Using a longitudinal assessment of VC and CF at the national, regional, and sector levels in the USA, we demonstrate how the emergence of CF has unlocked new growth opportunities for main street entrepreneurs, particularly those located in underserviced funding regions. Likewise, we expose how CF augments national and regional funding patterns by re-allocating funding to industries that VCs typically do not fund. Lastly, we discuss the practical and theoretical implications of what appears to be a shifting venture funding regime, and shed light on CF’s potential role in enhancing the resurgence of main street entrepreneurship across the USA.
Covin, J. G., Garrett Jr., R. P., Gupta, J. P., Kuratko, D. F., & Shepherd, D. A. (2018). The Interdependence of Planning and Learning among Internal Corporate Ventures. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 42(4): 537-570.
Fisher, G., Kuratko, D.F., Bloodgood, J., & Hornsby, J.S. (2017). Legitimate to Whom? Audience Diversity and Individual-Level New Venture Legitimacy Judgments. Journal of Business Venturing, 32(1), 52-71.
Rutherford, M.W. & Kuratko, D.F. (2016). Toward the Validation of Family Legacy Orientation. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 40(6), 1233-1239.
Kuratko, D.F., Morris, M.H. & Schindehutte, M. (2015). Understanding the Dynamics of Entrepreneurship through Framework Approaches. Small Business Economics, 45(1), 1-15.
Covin, J. G., Garrett, R. P., Kuratko, D. F. and Shepherd, D. A. (2015). Value Proposition Evolution and the Performance of Internal Corporate Ventures. Journal of Business Venturing, 30(5), 749-774.
Audretsch, D.B., Kuratko, D.F., & Link, A.N. (2015). Making Sense of the Elusive Paradigm of Entrepreneurship. Small Business Economics, 45(4), 703-712.
Morris, M.H., Neumeyer, X., & Kuratko, D.F. (2015). A Portfolio Perspective on Entrepreneurship and Economic Development. Small Business Economics, 45(4), 713-728.
Anderson, B.S., Kreiser, P.N., Kuratko, D.F., Hornsby, J.S., & Eshima, Y. (2015). Reconceptualizing Entrepreneurial Orientation. Strategic Management Journal, 36(10), 1579-1596.

Edited on February 20, 2025

Donald F. Kuratko (Dr. K)

Biography

Areas of Expertise

Awards, Honors & Certificates

Selected Publications

Abstract

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