Donald F. Kuratko

Dr. Donald F. Kuratko (known as “Dr. K”) is The Jack M. Gill Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship; Professor of Entrepreneurship; Executive & Academic Director, Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University–Bloomington. Dr. Kuratko is considered a prominent scholar and global leader in the field of entrepreneurship. He has published over 145 journal articles on aspects of entrepreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship. 

Dr. Kuratko has authored 30 books, including one of the leading entrepreneurship books in universities today, Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice, 12th ed. (Cengage Publishers, 2024); as well as New Venture Management, 3rd ed. (Routledge, 2021); Corporate Entrepreneurship, 3rd ed. (Cengage Publishers, 2011); Corporate Innovation (Routledge, 2025); and What Do Entrepreneurs Create: Understanding Different Venture Types (Elgar, 2020). Dr. Kuratko has been a consultant on corporate innovation and entrepreneurial strategies to several major corporations. 

Dr. K has been named one of the Top Entrepreneurship Scholars in the World by AD Scientific and recognized in two different studies as one of the Most Prolific Researchers in Corporate Entrepreneurship. Dr. Kuratko’s honors include the George Washington Medal of Honor; the Leavey Foundation Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise; the NFIB Entrepreneurship Excellence Award. He was named the National Outstanding Entrepreneurship Educator by the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship as well as being honored with the John E. Hughes Entrepreneurial Advocacy Award. The Academy of Management honored Dr. Kuratko with the Dedication to Entrepreneurship Award for his career contributions to the development and advancement of the discipline of entrepreneurship. He was the inaugural recipient of the Karl Vesper Entrepreneurship Pioneer Award for his career dedication to developing the field of entrepreneurship. He was also honored by the Academy of Management with the Entrepreneurship Mentor Award for his exemplary mentorship to 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. In 2024 he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Member Award for his contributions to entrepreneurship research at the Babson Entrepreneurship Research Conference held in Munich, Germany.