Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship

Kent State University’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship has earned six national rankings for the university in the newly released U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Graduate Schools report, further cementing its reputation as one of the region’s premier destinations for graduate business education.

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.

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 2026 Pitch competition held April 16 at the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. The event was hosted by the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship.

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. Now in its 26th year, RBPC, presented by Rice Business and hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, brings together the most promising graduate student ventures from universities across the U.S. and around the world. 

When Matthew E. Likens, ‘75, returned to Kent State University April 15 for the Michael D. Solomon Entrepreneurship Series, he brought students a candid look at the realities of leading a startup. Students got to see the highs, the failures and the lessons learned across decades in global business.

The Kent State Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship has named the inaugural class of student ambassadors for 2026. Student ambassadors represent various business majors within the college and serve as representatives at college events and recruitment activities.

Kent State University has earned recognition in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Online Programs rankings. Three Kent State programs rank in the top 100 nationally among all public and private institutions in the new rankings.

Kent State University's research impact continues to expand, with many faculty members recognized among the top 2% of the most-cited scientists worldwide, according to research metrics compiled by Stanford University scholars.

New courses and new programs in Kent State's Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, made possible by state-0f-the-art business technology inside Crawford Hall, provide Kent State business graduates with knowledge and skills that give them a competitive edge in the job market. 

The largest single gift in Kent State University history, by Ambassador Edward F. Crawford, will complete the capital campaign to enable the construction of a new College of Business Administration building on the university’s Kent Campus.