Donald F. Kuratko: Pioneering innovation at IU

IU’s Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has distinguished itself as one of the best in the world. Fortune Small Business magazine has praised the center’s programs as well as its director, Donald F. Kuratko.\n“With legendary professor Donald F. Kuratko at the helm of the entrepreneurship center, Indiana is one of the few schools to award Ph.D.s in the topic for those with a scholarly bent,” the magazine said. \nThis is Kuratko’s fourth year at IU, and he said he is living his dream.\n“My goal when I came here was to take entrepreneurship to number one,” Kuratko said. “I am honored on behalf of IU because I think this recognition truly reflects our great faculty and our great students. To me, an honor like this is a shared honor.”\nKuratko said what sets the Johnson Center apart are its research faculty – the largest and most prolific in the world, experiential programs and world-class curriculum. \n“All of the books and research articles that come out from the faculty are used all over the world, making the center very powerful,” said Kuratko, or “Dr. K” as his students call him.\n“Dr. K is my nickname. It was given by students who had trouble pronouncing my name and asked me if they could call me Dr. K. It just picked up from there,” he said.\nKuratko has authored 22 books; he said his book “Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process and Practice” is now in its seventh edition and is the leading book in entrepreneurship. It has been translated into four different languages and is used all over the world. Kuratko said the book recently received an award in Australia for the best publication in entrepreneurship education.\nKuratko has finished co-authoring a new book on corporate entrepreneurship as well. \n“A book I have written with Professor Jeff Covin on corporate entrepreneurship will be the first of its kind to be published,” said. “We think it’s going to be a best-seller.”\nDr. K’s enthusiasm is not only evident but also infectious. \n“It has been a great experience working with Dr. Kuratko,” said Travis J. Brown, a former student of Kuratko and now Entrepreneurial Innovations Lab Manager at the Johnson Center. “With just a handful of staff, it is amazing what he accomplishes.”\nKuratko started in the field 25 years ago. \n“It has been a tremendous journey over the last 25 years, to see everything begin and explode. I didn’t cause it but I was one of the pioneers and it is amazing to look back,” Kuratko said. “I take it upon myself, here at IU, to innovate and take the field forward.”\nBehind Kuratko’s success is his wife, a fitness consultant who teaches aerobics at the Student Recreational Sports Center and the YMCA, and two young daughters. Apart from work, he exercises and likes to go for walks. \nHis passion for his work permeates his surroundings with ease and brings out the best in those who work with him.\n“The best words that describe him would be that he’s a trailblazer,” said Kelli S. Conder, entrepreneurial corporate relations manager at the Johnson Center. “He is passionate about what he does. He is an inspiration to faculty, staff and students.”\nM. Sue Artmeier, who is the assistant director of the Johnson Center and has worked with Kuratko since 2005, can attest to his enthusiasm and passion.\n“The Center is much more focused on helping students and providing new business leaders for the state of Indiana,” she said. “Dr. Kuratko just gets more excited with the possibilities of spreading opportunities across campus.”\nKuratko’s vision has given life to several cross-campus initiatives like the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Medical Life Science Innovation, the Entrepreneurship Law Clinic and the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Science Innovation; as well as collaborations with IU School of Music, School of Informatics and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. \n“One of the major initiatives that we have been developing is the entrepreneurship campus of the 21st century,” Kuratko said. “It is our dream, we will take Kelley School and entrepreneurship to everyone on campus and that is a pretty neat goal. It is very far-reaching.”