Category: Innovation & Enterprise

Before most first-year students have even settled into campus life, they’re handed a challenge: Here’s a real company. Here’s a problem. Now go figure out what to do about it.

That’s the heartbeat of the First-Year Business Experience (FBE), a course that throws students into the world of business from day one, letting them learn by building, creating, presenting, and discovering. It’s the class that nudges them out of the familiar and into the mindset of someone who asks hard questions, digs for answers, and thinks like a business professional from the start.

Teams begin the semester by diving into a publicly traded company – an intentional decision that gives students access to real data and real insight.

“We choose publicly traded companies because students can dig in and find real research,” Brenda Geib-Swanson, Lecturer of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, said. “They don’t know what they don’t know yet, so exploring everything – from marketing to logistics to organizational structure – opens their eyes to how businesses actually operate.”

This year, every company touched the logistics industry: shipping, fuel, warehousing, and the many layers of supply chain work that shape how products move through the world. For many students, it’s the first time they’ve seen how interconnected business truly is.

The turning point of the semester comes during the final four weeks, when teams enter what Professor Geib-Swanson calls the “sustainability sprint.” After uncovering a sustainability issue within their chosen company – whether it’s emissions, waste, inefficiency, or something less obvious – they begin ideating a bold, research-backed solution. They sketch, test, revise, and refine, often discovering that the solution they start with is not the one they end up championing.

“Sustainability is a hot topic, and we want them to think creatively,” Professor Geib-Swanson said. “This is where they practice ideation, problem solving, business writing, and business presenting. Even if they won’t become entrepreneurs, they still need those skills.”

For first-year exploratory business student Charlotte Potts, the sprint revealed a challenge she didn’t expect to enjoy. “I’m not a numbers person, so the toughest part was getting them right,” she said. “But I ended up handling the cost-benefit analysis, and seeing everything come together – and actually be accurate – felt really rewarding.”

By the end of the sprint, every team produces a research poster, a one-minute elevator pitch, and a full 4–7 minute presentation. Each class section votes on a winner, and those teams advance to one of the most anticipated traditions of the semester: the Top Dawg First-Year Competition, where section winners pitch to a panel of business professionals. The ultimate Top Dawg earns an automatic A and bragging rights that last long past finals week.

“It’s really fun,” Professor Geib-Swanson said. “The energy, the ideas, the excitement – students surprise us every year with how far they take this project.”

By the end of the semester, the transformation is unmistakable. Students who walked in unsure of what business school might look like leave with real experience in ideation, creativity, innovation, and complex problem solving. They’ve researched real companies, uncovered meaningful sustainability challenges, and learned how to communicate their ideas clearly and confidently. They’ve stretched themselves, surprised themselves, and discovered something essential about who they are and who they’re becoming.

For many, Top Dawg is the defining moment – the culmination of a semester of hard work, curiosity, and creativity. For others, it’s simply the spark – the moment they realize they are capable of thinking like a business leader long before they’ve completed their first year.

“It’s important to be open to learning as much as you can. You’ll get out of this what you put into it,” Charlotte said. “Problem-solving, teamwork, communicating – these are skills I know I’ll use in future classes and in my career.”

Lacy School of Business (LSB) is proud to announce that Butler Entrepreneurship has been named a 2026 TechPoint MIRA Awards Finalist for the Community Impact Award, recognizing organizations that are transforming Indiana’s tech and business ecosystem.

Launched in January 2025, Butler Entrepreneurship is more than a program – it’s a campus-wide movement that empowers students, faculty, and alumni to transform ideas into ventures that create measurable social, economic, and community impact. Rooted in the belief that business can be a force for good, the program equips students with the skills, mentorship, and resources they need to launch ventures that generate revenue, create jobs, and strengthen local communities.

“Imagine a student arriving on campus with a spark of an idea, unsure if it can go beyond a class project. Butler Entrepreneurship transforms that spark into real change,” Nick Smarrelli, Director of Entrepreneurship, said. “From their first day to graduation, students engage in experiences that cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets, launch authentic ventures, and create measurable social, economic, and community impact.”

Since its launch, Butler Entrepreneurship has grown into a cross-disciplinary engine of innovation, supporting more than 70 student-owned businesses, partnering with 40+ community organizations, and connecting students with 100+ alumni and industry mentors. Student ventures have generated six-figure profits and have contributed meaningfully to local commerce, employment, and community well-being.

Key initiatives demonstrating the program’s impact include Launch HOPE, where students mentor entrepreneurs from marginalized communities, helping them access resources and grow ventures that drive meaningful outcomes. Through Building Indiana’s Tech Future, students leverage AI tools and collaborate with alumni founders, engineers, and investors to bring tech-enabled solutions to life. Community partnerships like the Healthy Care, Healthy Costs Data Challenge & Accelerator and Rolltack Ventures’ First-Year Pitch Competition give students hands-on experience addressing real-world challenges in healthcare, financial literacy, and workplace innovation.

In addition to its campus initiatives, Butler Entrepreneurship is helping lead the way in connecting universities and fostering intercollegiate collaboration. The program has partnered with Notre Dame graduate Adam Andres, as well as CICP, Rolltack Ventures, and 16Tech, to host an intercollegiate entrepreneurship conference and competition in late February. This effort brings together student innovators from multiple universities to share ideas, compete, and build networks that extend Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Butler Entrepreneurship will also participate in the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) Conference on January 26, supporting the community by educating and preparing the next generation of leaders to take over Indiana’s most important businesses.

Student-run ventures under Bulldog Enterprises, including Chimba Bowls, Blue’s Closet, Butler Brew, and Blue Roll Media, generate revenue, employ peers, and reinvest profits locally. Highlights include Chimba Bowls expanding to a second location, Blue’s Closet diverting over 2,200 pounds of clothing from landfills and donating 800 pounds to local nonprofits, and Butler Brew achieving a six-figure net positive while supporting campus and community causes. Every student-run venture in the Real Business Experience donates at least 10% of profits to local nonprofits, totaling nearly $20,000 over three years to support food banks, scholarships, and community programs.

Butler Entrepreneurship bridges students with mentors, investors, and peers through programs like the Private Ventures Association (PVA), Minority Owned Business Initiative (MOBI), and community events including Elevate Sprint Week, Bark Tank, and the First-Year Pitch Competition. Alumni founders from Salesforce, High Alpha, and Elevate Ventures serve as mentors, judges, and investors, creating a strong ecosystem that extends Butler’s impact far beyond the campus.

The program has ambitious goals for the coming years: launching the Butler Accelerator, a year-round hub connecting student founders with mentors, investors, and seed funding; doubling participation in programs supporting minority and marginalized entrepreneurs; piloting new student-run ventures in health tech, sustainable retail, and AI-enabled education tools; and expanding national recognition by sharing Butler’s open-source entrepreneurship framework with other universities.

With these initiatives, Butler is positioning itself as the Midwest’s most accessible university-based startup ecosystem, nurturing the next generation of socially responsible leaders ready to make an impact in Indianapolis and beyond.

The MIRA Awards gala will take place on April 24, 2026, at The Palladium in Carmel, celebrating Indiana’s brightest innovators, impact makers, and tech leaders. Butler Entrepreneurship is honored to be recognized among these outstanding changemakers.

“This recognition is a testament to the creativity, passion, and dedication of our students, faculty, and community partners,” Nick said. “Together, we’re building ventures, building leaders, and building a stronger, more equitable community.”

You walk into a classroom, and it hits you: by the end of the semester, you won’t have merely learned about business – you’ll have built one from scratch. That’s the challenge sophomore students face in the Lacy School of Business’ Real Business Experience (RBE), a program that doesn’t just teach entrepreneurship – it throws you into it. 

Teams of six, randomly assigned across majors, take on CEO, CFO, and CMO roles. Over the next few months, they brainstorm ideas, prototype products, manage budgets, handle suppliers, and sell to real customers. Mistakes aren’t hypothetical; they’re costly. Every decision matters. Every setback teaches a lesson. 

“It’s innovative in a way that Butler does it,” Brenda Geib-Swanson, Lecturer of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, said. “At the start, it’s a class. By the end, it’s a business. And the learning comes from what goes wrong. Teams will face chaos, they’ll hit walls – but those moments are the ones that teach them the most.” 

“Not knowing what you don’t know until you’re doing it, it looks so easy on paper,” the exploratory business and biology major said. “Every decision mattered. And the moment we sold our first flags? That’s when I really believed our idea could work.” 

“We had to drop one style to stay within budget. It’s the kind of thing textbooks don’t prepare you for – you live it,” the accounting and marketing major said. 

RBE isn’t just about making a product – it’s about experiencing every facet of running a business. Butler provides each team with a $1,000 loan to start their business, and students are responsible for repaying it, managing sales, and donating 10% of profits to a local charity. Faculty and professional mentors guide – but never take over – letting students make the big decisions and live with the consequences. 

“I try really hard to give them bumpers at the beginning, but they’re wide. I want them to have room to make mistakes, pivot, and problem solve,” Professor Geib-Swanson said. “That’s where the growth comes from.” 

By the end of the semester, these teams have more than a grade – they have businesses they’ve built themselves. 

Toni reflects on what she’s learned about leadership: “The value of delegating to a good team – you can get more done. Seeing my team execute ideas I couldn’t have done alone – that’s been incredible.” 

Emily echoes this: “I’ve learned I cannot do this on my own. It’s about finding your strengths and building around them.” 

All of that effort culminates at the RBE Marketplace, where the Butler community can see and buy what these students have created. On Friday, Nov. 14, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the lobby of Dugan Hall, 28 student-run businesses will showcase their products in person. This is the chance to see that ingenuity, creativity, and perseverance in action. For those who can’t attend, online storefronts remain open until Sunday, Nov. 30. 

Over the past year, RBE students have started 63 businesses, generating more than $59,000 in profits – $6,000 of which went straight to local charities. It’s proof that these are real companies, built and run by real students, with tangible impact on both the community and their own experience. 

“At the end of the day, it’s not about the products they sell or the profits they make – it’s about giving students the tools to think critically, solve problems creatively, and lead with confidence,” Professor Geib-Swanson said. “They leave this class not just knowing business – they know themselves.” 

This Friday, October 31, marks the registration deadline for the 4^th Annual National Data4Good Analytics Competition – a national platform where undergraduate and master’s students apply data and technology to solve real-world challenges. The Data4Good Competition is open to undergraduate and master’s students across the U.S. Teams compete within their regions for cash prizes, with regional winners advancing to present at Johns Hopkins University’s Carey School of Business.

While the name highlights analytics, the deeper story is about stewardship: how we use our skills and knowledge to serve others and make meaningful impact. This competition goes beyond technical ability. It’s an invitation to strengthen consulting-style problem solving, analytical expertise, and collaboration through purpose-driven projects. Participants engage in professional development sessions, earn free industry certifications, and connect with leading corporate sponsors – all while using data for good.

Since its founding in 2022, Data4Good has brought together students, educators, and industry leaders to collaborate on data solutions that create social impact:

• 2022: Students partners with SIL Global to create captions for children’s Bible stories in low-resource languages.
• 2023: Teams improved healthcare documentation using AI models to structure physician-patient transcripts from a Prediction Guard client.
• 2024: In collaboration with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), students analyzed grief data to support families of fallen service members.
• 2025: This year’s challenge focuses on improving the factuality of AI-generated educational content, provided by Prediction Guard, to promote truth in an era of misinformation.

Together, these projects have awarded more than $110,000 in student prizes and led over 1,500 students to earn Microsoft certifications in Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) or Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals (AI-900).

Data4Good thrives on strong partnerships and our success is made possible through the support of:

• Dr. Dan Whitenack, CEO of Prediction Guard
• Aaron Burciaga, CEO of ZETEC
• Nick Ulmer, Principal OR Analyst at CANA
• Carol Curley and Bill Griffin of INFORMS
• Mafer Bencomo of DataCamp
• Dr. Lori Downen, Rochelle Fisher, and Liz Moran of SAS

Through these partnerships, students engage with INFORMS and the Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) framework, learning stewardship through structured problem-solving and ethics. DataCamp expands our reach by providing a global learning platform. While SAS’ Global Academic Programs continues to model and lead analytics education.

As Liz Moran of SAS shares, “Data4Good Competition is about more than analytics – it’s about using the data to make a difference. When students tackle real-world challenges, they see firsthand how their skills can create positive change.”

The Lacy School of Business is proud to be a sponsor of this national competition, advancing data-driven innovation and ethical decision-making through education. Leading the charge is our Assistant Professor of Business Technology & Analytics, Dr. Matthew A. Lanham, who teaches predictive and prescriptive analytics at LSB and was recently honored with the 2025 Inaugural INFORMS Data Mining Society Teaching Award for his impact on students within and beyond the classroom. His research focuses on integrating predictive models within optimization models and improving analytics education, reflecting the same spirit of innovation at the heart of the Data4Good competition.

Ready to use data for good? Registration for the 2025 Data4Good Competition closes Friday, October 31. Don’t miss your chance to apply data and AI to a real-world challenge and compete alongside peers nationwide.

Three and a half weeks into college, most first-years are still figuring out where their classes are or which dining hall is the safest bet. At the Lacy School of Business, though, 44 students were already stepping into the spotlight, pitching startup ideas as if millions were on the line.

That was the scene at the first First-Year Pitch Competition, sponsored by Roll Tack Ventures, on September 19. 22 teams, two students each, three minutes on the clock, and just three slides to make their case. A panel of six judges stood in as venture capitalists, pressing them with questions about customers, markets, and why their ideas deserved to exist right now.

The case studies students worked from were inspired by real-world startups: HeartHalo, a wearable sensor that prevents heat stress in industrial workers; ReturnRaccoon, a B2B software that streamlines product returns; ShieldFox, a real-time risk monitoring tool; and TrueVibe, an employee sentiment platform mapping workplace “vibes” in real time. Each team wasn’t just pitching a product – they were stepping into the role of founder, showing why this company, why now, and why them.

And they didn’t hold back. Some dressed in coordinated outfits, others designed their own logos, and one team triggered an alarm mid-pitch to demonstrate HeartHalo in action. It was Shark Tank energy; with all the guts and creativity you’d expect from entrepreneurs – only these “founders” had been on campus less than a month.

Judges pushed hard, asking questions like: Who’s the decision-maker? Why hasn’t this problem been solved yet? What makes this the right time? But they also offered encouragement that left students buzzing. “Even if you don’t know the answers, come with confidence and give it your best shot,” Tyler Mantel, General Partner at Roll Tack Ventures, said.

At the end of the day, two teams stood out. Peri Mossman and Ava Mehling walked away with first place and a $1,000 prize for their compelling pitch of TrueVibe, showing how live “vibe maps” could transform employee engagement. Charlotte Potts and Kara Rady earned Best Presentation and a $500 prize for their polished and creative HeartHalo pitch, impressing judges with both style and substance.

But the real story wasn’t about the big checks. It was about students pushing themselves out of their comfort zones and gaining skills that will serve them well beyond this competition.

“Pitching allows students to practice nearly every skill they’ll need after graduation – working as a team, presenting ideas clearly, thinking through problems, leveraging research, balancing accuracy with creativity, and showing themselves well,” Nick Smarrelli, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation said. “And the best part? It’s fun. Every team exceeded expectations. The students who said ‘yes’ to this competition have already set themselves apart just a few weeks into the school year.”

As Roll Tack Ventures mentors reminded students, not every business is right for venture capital funding, and part of the process is learning to spot which ideas have the potential to scale. Just as importantly, students connected with peers and industry leaders, building networks that will fuel their growth throughout their academic and professional journeys.

“To do something that doesn’t exist in the world, you have to have confidence – maybe even a little arrogance – to believe you can,” Mantel said. “Today, students showed they have a piece of that confidence. And that’s the start of something great.”

The buzz inside Fairview House was undeniable. More than 200 students, alumni, and community members gathered shoulder to shoulder on September 10 for the Entrepreneurship Kick-Off, hosted by the Lacy School of Business’s Private Venture Association (PVA) and Butler DECA. This wasn’t just another campus event – it was a celebration of bold ideas, resilience, and the drive to build something new, capped off with insights from Indy 500 champion Alex Palou.

That spirit was reflected in the audience itself: more than 50 student founders were in the crowd, joined by peers from across Butler’s colleges, all eager to learn and connect.

Nick Smarrelli, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship & Innovation, set the tone early. “About 70% of people in this generation want to start a business at some point. How can Butler help in that journey?” he asked the crowd. He pointed to the ways Butler already fuels that ambition, from Bulldog Enterprises – where students run real, functional businesses like Butler Brew and Chimba Bowls – to the PVA program, which helps students explore venture capital and angel investing. “We have a decade-plus of entrepreneurship at Butler and we’re continuing to take it to the next level,” Smarrelli said. “It’s about creating value, solving problems, making connections, and being inspired by creativity.”

Dean Craig Caldwell echoed that sentiment, reminding the audience that Butler’s commitment to entrepreneurship goes far beyond the Lacy School of Business. “Everyone needs to know that the university, not just LSB, is leaning into entrepreneurship now more than ever. LSB is just leading the charge,” he said. He also highlighted the upcoming Butler Angel Network, set to launch in Spring 2026. The initiative will connect Butler with accredited investors to back early-stage firms, with the ultimate goal of seeing Butler-born startups thrive.

From there, the focus turned to students and alumni who had already brought their ideas to life. John Dunn, a recent graduate and founder of EntryPoint SRM, spoke about his edtech company that helps K–12 schools streamline operations. His advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? “Have realistic expectations of what entrepreneurship looks like,” he said. “Talk to people as much as you can to get their feedback. Don’t try to do everything on your own.”

Felipe Reyes, founder of Chimba Bowls, told the story of turning a class project into a restaurant that now employs more than 22 people. For him, the key lesson was that passion and persistence matter more than experience. “Butler gave me the yes and the opportunity,” Reyes said. “Know that you have the capacity to build cool things and make an impact. Don’t let the things you haven’t experienced hold you back.”

For Sam Farber, founder of Zealot, the path was even more unexpected. He described selling his company for millions at just 24 and stressed the importance of taking risks rather than waiting for perfect timing. “Life is won by people who say yes – not those who wait,” Farber said. “You don’t learn to swim by reading about it, you learn by jumping in.”

The energy in the room carried into the night’s headline moment: a fireside chat with IndyCar star Alex Palou. Though most know him as the 2025 Indy 500 champion, Palou spoke candidly about how his entrepreneurial spirit shaped his career. “Racing is not a straightforward process,” he told the audience. “I spent a lot of time making calls asking for money and support just so I’d have the opportunity to chase my dreams.” At just 20 years old, while in Japan, he even started a coffee shop as a backup plan. “I didn’t know anything in advance, but it was very successful,” he admitted with a grin.

When asked what success means to him, Palou offered a simple but powerful definition. “When I was a kid, I just wanted to be a professional racer. To reach that dream was success. To be able to wake up every morning and work on what you love while trying to be better every day – that’s the goal.” And when it came to motivation after a big win, his words resonated with both racers and entrepreneurs alike: “Business is the same as championships. When you’re successful, it’s like a high for a few hours – then you want more. At the end of the day, you need to do it all over again.”

As the crowd filtered out after an evening of insight, inspiration, and plenty of applause, one thing was clear: this event was more than a launch of the program. Thanks to the leadership of PVA and Butler DECA, it showcased the very heart of Butler entrepreneurship: students turning ideas into thriving businesses and alumni proving what’s possible after graduation.

Imagine being a college student and having the chance to evaluate real startups, connect with investors, and make funding decisions that could shape the next big idea – all before you graduate.

That’s exactly what students at Butler University will be able to do through the upcoming launch of the Butler Angel Network in Spring 2026, a student-led initiative that bridges classroom learning with real-world venture capital experience.

“This is more than an investment vehicle,” Craig, Caldwell, Dean of the Lacy School of Business, said. “It’s a living lab for our students, another example of student-run enterprises at Lacy, a bridge to our alumni, and a bold step toward making Bulter a hub for entrepreneurial leadership and economic development in the Midwest.”

Developed and executed by LSB, the Butler Angel Network will give students the chance to actively participate in deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolio analysis, and communication with angel investors – gaining hands-on experience that will go far beyond the traditional classroom setting.

The Butler Angel Network is the newest addition to a growing lineup of immersive, student-led ventures at the Lacy School of Business. These initiatives are designed to emphasize real-world experience over theory.

Students have the opportunity to manage a captive insurance company, oversee a multimillion-dollar Student Managed Investment Fund, conduct company valuations through Bulldog Reports, and even launch their own businesses as sophomores.

Additional enterprises, including the student-run coffee shop and thrift store, further expand these hands-on learning opportunities. Together, they position Butler among the nation’s top institutions for experiential business education.

Through this model, graduates leave prepared to step confidently into their careers as leaders, problem solvers, and entrepreneurial changemakers.

The network will also create new ways for alumni and accredited investors to get involved. Alumni will be able to mentor students, invest in startups, and directly contribute to Butler’s growing ecosystem.

“By empowering students and connecting them with real-world investment opportunities, Butler is positioning itself as a critical partner in driving regional economic development,” Travis Stegemoller, General Counsel with gener8tor said.

The initiative complements Butler University’s collaborations with organizations like gener8tor, TechPoint, and the Indiana Economic Development Corp, positioning the university as a leader in innovation and experiential business education. By deploying a part of its endowment as co-investment alongside accredited investors, Butler will help promising startups grow while giving students a truly hands-on learning experience. The network’s goal is to amass $10 million in investable capital and hold its first pitch event in Spring 2026.

Returning to his alma mater as Executive Director, Dr. Paul Newsom will lead the initiative. “I’m thrilled to return to Butler University and contribute to student success by connecting them with practical, real-world business experiences,” he said. “After a decade of guiding early-stage startups toward growth and enhancing returns for accredited investors, I look forward to leveraging those insights at the Lacy School of Business to strengthen ties between students, accredited investors, and entrepreneurs.”

The Butler Angel Network will redefine how students learn about entrepreneurship, giving them real responsibility, mentorship, and the opportunity to impact the regional startup ecosystem. For students, alumni, and investors alike, it’s an exciting step forward – and a reminder that innovation is a team sport.

Accredited investors or alumni interested in joining the Butler Angel Network or learning more can contact butlerangels@butler.edu.