Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship

08/28/2026

🏆 Our Online MBA continues to rank among the nation’s best!

Kent State’s Online MBA has been ranked No. 1 in Ohio and No. 30 in the nation in The Princeton Review’s Top 50 Online MBA Programs for 2027 — making Kent State the highest-ranked institution in Ohio! ⚡️

Ready to invest in your future? 🎓

Learn more: https://accbekent.com/4gAyGVv

08/26/2026

Junior business management and finance major and USG of Kent State University President Nathan Smith recently spent three hours alongside Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine at the Ohio State Fair, where the two discussed leadership and government.

Nathan says the opportunity grew from the confidence and connections he’s built during his time at Kent State University. ⚡️

Read more about Nathan’s experience: https://accbekent.com/4wPBS5u

08/25/2026

Professor Pratim Datta, Ph.D., recently joined the Cybersecurity Today podcast to discuss the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and public policy. 🎙️

A faculty member in the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics at Ambassador Crawford College, Datta shared his expertise on topics ranging from AI and cybersecurity to global technology policy.

Kent State University Professor Pratim Datta, Ph.D., a faculty member in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship's Department of

08/19/2026

Gurban Ishanov, a sophomore double-major in finance and accounting came to Kent State from Turkmenistan in 2025 and quickly found a passion for distance running. Since then, he’s completed an ultramarathon, a 100K and a 50-mile race.

Now, Gurban has his sights set on becoming the first Ironman triathlete from Turkmenistan. 🌎⚡

Read more about Gurban’s journey and his recent feature on WKYC-TV’s “Heartstrings” series:

A Kent State University student from Turkmenistan is making a name for himself in Northeast Ohio’s distance running community, as recently featured on WKYC

06/26/2026

Why do some former industrial communities thrive while others struggle to regain economic momentum?

A new Economic Prosperity Research Fellowship between the Barberton Community Foundation and Kent State aims to answer that question. Led by Dr. Shawn Rohlin, professor of economics and director of the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, and KSU graduate student Malia Pittsenberger, the year-long study will examine the factors that contribute to long-term economic growth in historically industrial communities.

Barberton Community Foundation is investing in research that could help answer one of the most important questions facing communities navigating the legacy of deindustrialization: What separates cities that achieve long-term economic growth from those that do not?

05/19/2026

Second-year business management and finance major Nathan Smith of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, was recently elected as president of Kent State’s Undergraduate Student Government, along with his Vice President, Ridwan Olayiwola, a mechanical engineering major. Nathan and Ridwan officially began in their leadership roles on April 29. Learn more about Nathan's future plans in this Q&A: https://ow.ly/YcMb50YZyTL

05/14/2026

students had an opportunity to learn about the realities of leading a startup from alumnus Matthew Likens '75 as he spoke at the Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Speaker Series in April. Read more about his talk:

Kent State alumnus Matthew Likens, '75, shared his journey from global corporations to successful startups like Ulthera during the Solomon Entrepreneurship Series.

05/12/2026

Congratulations to the winners of the Spring 2026 Pitch competition! During the event, six student entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to a panel of executive judges for a chance to win more than $20,000 in cash prizes. Winners were as follows:

First place ($10,000): Senior business analytics major Yamini Kumar and senior entrepreneurship major Braden Hunt with Cottage Core.

Second place ($5,000): Senior business management major Anthony Dalayanis and senior computer science major Nicholas Widmer with Shadowdesk AI.

Third place ($2,000): Senior entrepreneurship major Jake Marriner with Marriner Outdoor.

Read more: https://ow.ly/k0Lw50YV77g

Six student entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to a panel of executive judges for a chance to win more than $20,000 in cash prizes during the Spring

05/07/2026

sales students brought back a number of awards after competing at the Pi Sigma Epsilon National Conference and two Sales Team events this spring. Read more about their accomplishments: https://ow.ly/m3Vx50YV5su

Kent State sales students brought back a number of awards after competing at the Pi Sigma Epsilon National Conference and two Sales Team events this spring

04/28/2026

Kent State alumna Olivia Fenneken MBA ’25, founder of Cottage Core, earned a spot in the prestigious 2026 Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) held earlier this month.

“To be selected as one of 42 startups out of the entire world to compete at this level is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am so proud to be the first Kent State student to participate,” Olivia said.

Read more:

Kent State alumna Olivia Fenneken MBA ’25, founder of Cottage Core, earned a spot in the prestigious 2026 Rice Business Plan Competition (RBPC) held