Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Turn Your Vision into Reality
Entrepreneurship is more than starting a business—it’s a mindset of innovation, adaptability, and vision. Whether you want to launch a startup, drive change within an established company, or create a social movement, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation major at Kansas State University equips you with the tools to succeed in any industry.
As a K-State entrepreneurship student, you will learn how to turn innovative ideas into real-world impact by:
- Mastering the entrepreneurial process: Navigate every step from initial idea generation to the successful launch of a new business or social venture.
- Spotting opportunities: Identify, research, and analyze potential markets to maximize value and profitability.
- Managing risk: Understand the realities of risk and learn strategic ways to minimize its impact on your new ventures.
- Acquiring resources: Build the capacity to identify, pitch, and secure the resources and capital needed to bring your ideas to life.
- Traditional entrepreneurship: Start a new for-profit venture.
- Franchising: Operate the right to distribute a company's products, techniques and trademarks for a percentage of gross monthly sales and a royalty fee.
- Family business: Start or continue a family-owned and operated business.
- Social entrepreneurship: Start new or develop a company with a social mission as its primary purpose.
- Corporate entrepreneurship: Develop new operations or products for existing corporations.
- Business coach: Advise owners of small and medium-sized businesses to improve their sales, marketing, management and team building by providing guidance, support and encouragement.
- Commercial banker: Work for banks or other financial institutions specializing in the lending, deposit and other financial needs of businesses.
- Business analyst: Work within existing organizations to help identify, analyze and pursue new markets, new products or new business opportunities.
- Consultant: Engage with multiple and changing clients as an expert or professional in a specific field with a wide knowledge of the subject matter.
- Economic developer: Improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community by creating and retaining jobs, and by supporting or growing income and the tax base.
- Small business development specialist: Assist small business owners with the improvement of business practices in such areas as strategy, accounting, marketing, management, finance, operations, human resources and technical needs.
- Small business executive: Work on the organization and logistics of managing a small business.
- Venture capitalist: Make investments into new ventures and bring managerial and technical expertise, as well as capital, to their investments.
Meet our faculty
Learn from experienced faculty who bring real-world entrepreneurial expertise into the classroom.
Applied Learning Opportunities
The Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship provides many opportunities for students to gain hands-on learning experience. These programs bridge the gap between academics and venture launch.
Entrepreneurship Week: This week is specifically designed to highlight the Entrepreneurship ecosystem at Kansas State University. This initiative empowers the entrepreneurship journey and supports student business owners and students interested in entrepreneurship, with knowledge offered through the week’s events.
K-State Student Business Showcase: This expo-style event is for K-State Students across the University to show off their small businesses. Twenty student-owned and operated businesses will be on display in the Business Building. This is a great way for those businesses to get more exposure and share their business with other students, faculty and staff. Each business that tables at the event will receive $250, in the form of a scholarship.
K-State Accelerator: The Accelerator provides student entrepreneurs access to world-class K-State faculty, students, and alumni support to help launch or grow their business. Learn more here.
Our faculty lead entrepreneurship-themed study abroad courses during semester breaks.