Mike Goldsby
Chief Entrepreneurship Officer and Stoops Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Management
Michael G. Goldsby, PhD is the Chief Entrepreneurship Officer, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute, the Stoops Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship, Professor of Management, and Director Emeritus of the Entrepreneurship Center and Program at Ball State University. He teaches creativity, innovation, and design in the University’s nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate programs in entrepreneurship. Ball State University’s Entrepreneurship Program and Center earned national rankings under his leadership, including: Top 20 in Business Week, Success, and Entrepreneur magazines; and Top 10 in U.S. News & World Report’s elite ranking. Goldsby has produced 35 refereed journal articles. He is also the co-author of Innovation Acceleration (Prentice Hall) and Design-Centered Entrepreneurship (Routledge). His research has been reported in many international media outlets, such as ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, and the Associated Press. His study on entrepreneurship and fitness was covered by Runner’s World, Prevention Magazine, Muscle and Fitness, and Health Magazine, among others. His video series "The Entrepreneur's Toolkit" was released by the Great Courses, and is available on DVD, CD, and digital download. The Great Courses is a professionally produced series of lectures featuring the top 1% of professors in the country in their area of expertise.
Goldsby attained his undergraduate degree in business economics and public policy from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, his master's degree in economics from Indiana State University, and his doctorate in strategic management and business ethics from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech. While at Virginia Tech, he was awarded the Jack Hoover Award for Teaching Excellence. He is a member of many management professional organizations, and has served as vice president and a member of the Board of Directors for the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), of which he has received a distinguished service award. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Indiana Small Business Development Center, the Innovation Connector, the Ball State Entrepreneurship Center, the Ball State Industrial Design Initiative, and the Ball State Innovation Corporation. He has been a co-principal investigator of three major research grants: The Ball State/U.S. State Department Entrepreneurship Project for Afghanistan, the U.S. Navy/Department of Defense Military 2 Market Technology Transfer Program, and the Launch Indiana Initiative with the Indiana Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
Goldsby’s current research interests focus on opportunity recognition and development, design, innovation, and applied creativity. He specializes in offering strategic guidance during times of creation, change, and growth. As such, he is a frequent speaker to companies, communities, and universities, and offers consulting and workshop services. To learn more about his services, visit www.teamgoldsby.com. In his spare time, Goldsby enjoys athletic pursuits, such as running, triathlon, weightlifting, rock climbing, golfing, hiking, skiing, swimming, and cycling. He has completed 25 marathons, including eight Boston Marathons, and enjoys training and competing in Ironman triathlons. He also enjoys travel, drawing, writing, and reading philosophy, American, world, and business history. With a wide range of interests and activities, he draws inspiration from accomplished polymaths such as Walt Disney, Thomas Jefferson, and Steve Jobs. His personal mission is to inspire others to pursue their opportunities, to become more self-sufficient in solving problems, and to increase personal productivity.