School of Business Administration

The University of Dayton’s Entrepreneurship Program continues to earn recognition as one of the nation’s best. Ranked No. 34 among undergraduate entrepreneurship programs, No. 10 among entrepreneurship programs at smaller schools with fewer than 10,000 students, and No. 5 in the Midwest, the program is known for fostering innovation, collaboration, and hands-on learning.

Central to the program’s success is the MGT 220 and MGT 221:  Entrepreneurship Sophomore Experience, a unique year-long course immersing students in the challenges and rewards of starting and managing their own businesses. During the first semester, students focus on identifying market needs, evaluating financial viability, and marshaling resources, including funding, technical expertise, and teamwork, to prepare their business ventures for launch. By the second semester, their businesses are fully operational, with students managing marketing, sales, operations, and finance before planning for liquidation or shutdown at the academic year’s end. Each team receives $5,000 in seed funding from the university, enabling them to bring their entrepreneurial ideas to life.

This year, eight teams are participating in the program, including Flyer Comfort Co., Flyer Frames, Flyer Rentals, Flylets, Hometown Flyers, Rudy’s Popcorn, UD Loops, and Vintage Flyers. These ventures reflect both the creativity and determination of the program’s students, as well as the pride of being part of the University of Dayton community.

For many students, the Sophomore Experience has been transformative. Olivia Harwood, president and CEO of Rudy’s Popcorn, said the support of the business community has been invaluable. “Every business professional I have met with or shared my product ideas with has been extremely beneficial to our company’s growth and success,” she said. Katherine Kuttrus, chief marketing officer of Hometown Flyers, added, “It is great that Dayton fosters a community where they have trust in us and in our product.”

Students see the experience as an opportunity to embrace entrepreneurship in a lower-risk environment. “I feel like it is a position with less risk than the typical entrepreneur because we are within our educational experience and have so much outside help,” said Thomas Hartman, chief financial officer of Rudy’s Popcorn. Collaboration has been a key highlight for Nubia Medrano of Flyer Comfort Co. “What excites our team is working with other Flyers to create a product that benefits us and the UD community. In general, the hands-on experience of understanding the inside and out of running a business is important to us as entrepreneur majors,” she said.

Many students cite leadership and teamwork as critical takeaways. Spencer Koen, president and CEO of Flylets, noted the program’s emphasis on self-motivation and accountability. “This experience is certainly improving my leadership skills. It taught me to motivate myself. There's nobody telling me to work on the business or make it better. The success and failure of the business is completely dependent upon my teammates and me. That is something other classes can't teach and is an extremely valuable lesson,” he said. “I feel like this class is doing a great job at teaching me and preparing me for the real world,” added Tavian Parks, also of Flylets.

The program’s structure fosters collaboration while mirroring the dynamics of real-world businesses. “The biggest thing I’ve learned on being on this team was letting my voice be heard and not being worried about things being a stupid idea or not,” said Courtney Carpenter, chief financial officer of Flylets. For Mason Tingley, president and CEO of Flyer Rentals, the experience has shaped his approach to leadership. “The hands-on experience of running a business with a team will help shape the ventures I plan to build in the future,” he said.

The entrepreneurship program’s success is bolstered by its innovative use of resources. Classes are held at The Hub Powered by PNC Bank, one of the largest university-anchored innovation spaces in the country, where students collaborate with local entrepreneurs and businesses alongside underrepresented entrepreneurs through the Greater West Dayton Incubator, fostering community impact and diverse perspectives.

The Sophomore Experience, combined with these resources and opportunities such as the university’s Flyer Pitch Competition, prepares students for the realities of business ownership. “Actually being the CEO of a company has taught me more about business than any other class I have taken,” said David Ruzicka, president and CEO of Hometown Flyers.

With its national recognition and innovative approach, the University of Dayton’s Entrepreneurship Program continues to set a high standard for cultivating the next generation of business leaders. Students leave equipped with technical skills, leadership experience, and the confidence to take risks and succeed in the competitive world of entrepreneurship.