$10M lead gift sparks start of KU entrepreneurship hub construction project
At the top of the Hill, a new era of entrepreneurial education at KU is rising, powered by a $10 million lead gift commitment from an anonymous donor.
The new entrepreneurship hub, envisioned as a space that’s of the School of Business and for the university, will foster creativity, collaboration and connectedness across disciplines. Designed to serve students from all academic backgrounds, the building will provide spaces for experiential education and programming that reflect the school’s and KU’s commitment to hands-on learning.
Slated to open in fall 2027, the hub is taking shape at 1420 Crescent Road, formerly home to McLain’s Bakery and, previously, the Jayhawk Bookstore. The location's proximity to other academic units will make student entrepreneurship resources more accessible than ever.
The physical space will exemplify the business school’s student-centric approach to entrepreneurship. The school has spent the past few years expanding its curricular and co-curricular offerings to reach KU students of every major and at every stage of interest, from those exploring ideas to those actively launching ventures. Students learn to solve meaningful problems with purpose and creativity, building a competency that equips them to thrive in any career.
“This extraordinary investment, and the support from others who share our vision, will elevate how the School of Business equips all KU students with the tools and experience to drive innovation,” said Jide Wintoki, dean of the KU School of Business. “This dedicated space represents a major step forward in the school’s and KU’s commitment to hands-on, interdisciplinary entrepreneurial education.”
The $10 million lead gift supporting the building’s construction supplements the donor’s $50 million lead gift to the School of Business in 2023, the largest in school history. A longtime supporter of KU, the donor’s motivation stems from a belief in entrepreneurship as a powerful tool for solving problems and improving lives.
Demolition of the site’s former structure was completed just before fall 2025 classes began. Situated between KU’s historic Chi Omega Sorority House and a residential neighborhood, the new building will span three stories. The building is being designed by PGAV Architects of Kansas City, known for their work on innovative and student-centered spaces. The project’s general contractor is Mar Lan Construction.
The building design will reflect both its surroundings and its purpose: to invite and engage students in every phase of their entrepreneurial journey. A coffee shop on the first floor will serve as a welcoming entry point, drawing students, faculty and staff, and campus visitors into the building.
Each floor will mirror a student’s progression, from exploration to execution, with increasingly immersive learning environments, starting with collaborative and event-centric spaces on the first floor and more experiential learning-centric spaces on the second and third floors.
In addition to the coffee shop, the first floor will include an ideation lab and a flexible multipurpose space for events or classroom use. The second floor will offer open study areas, classrooms, offices and meeting rooms. The third floor will house a seminar room, a content creation and pitching space, offices, meetings rooms and one of the building’s most unique features: a rooftop terrace.
"Throughout this exploration process and early design discussions, we’ve been intentional about designing spaces that complement, not duplicate, existing resources on campus,” said Brian Anderson, executive director of entrepreneurship initiatives at the School of Business. “The hub will offer unique environments for ideation, collaboration and experiential learning.”
The intentionality and adaptability of the building’s spaces will encourage engagement among KU faculty, staff and students. While the School of Business will be the building’s owner and primary user, the hub will welcome other classes and uses, reinforcing its role as a universitywide resource.
Entirely donor-funded, the entrepreneurship hub will further solidify the business school’s place as an academic launch point within KU’s broader entrepreneurship ecosystem, which also includes KU Innovation Park, the KU Small Business Development Center, and The Hill Fund, among others. These entities collectively create a dynamic KU network that supports student ventures and drives economic growth across the state and region.
With construction set to begin in mid-2026, KU’s new entrepreneurship hub promises to be a catalyst of innovation, collaboration and opportunity, both for Jayhawks and for Kansas.
Learn more about KU Business entrepreneurship programs.
If you’re interested in making a gift to support the entrepreneurship hub project, please contact:
- Dave Byrd-Stadler, KU Business Development Director and Team Lead
- John Breford, KU Business Development Director
- Jarred Latta, KU Business Associate Development Director