KU leaders, supporters celebrate ceremonial groundbreaking for new Entrepreneurship Hub
LAWRENCE — University of Kansas leaders, alumni, donors and community partners gathered April 24 to celebrate the start of construction for the new KU Entrepreneurship Hub, a donor-funded building designed to serve as an academic launch point for student entrepreneurs.
The Hub will be operated by the School of Business and serve KU students from all disciplines, providing spaces for experiential education and programming that reflect the university’s commitment to hands-on learning.
During the event, university leaders shared the vision for the building and its role within KU’s broader entrepreneurship ecosystem, culminating in a ceremonial groundbreaking.
"The Entrepreneurship Hub is designed to be more than a building,” said KU School of Business Dean Jide Wintoki, who spoke at the event along with KU Chancellor Douglas A. Girod, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Arash Mafi and KU Endowment President Dan Martin. “It will serve as a programmatic home and a convening point for KU students curious about entrepreneurship, whether they are just beginning to explore an idea or actively building a venture.”
The Hub will be a three-story, 29,608-square-foot structure located at 1420 Crescent Road, a site with a long history of serving the KU community, most recently as the former location of McLain’s Bakery and previously the Jayhawk Bookstore. Demolition of the site’s former structure was completed ahead of the start of fall 2025 classes. Construction is set to begin this summer and conclude during the fall 2027 semester.
“This facility will enhance the way we fulfill KU's mission of education, service and research while also enabling us to drive economic growth for our state and society,” Girod said.
KU graduate John Hill also spoke at the event, sharing why he and his wife, Cindy, chose to support the initiative and advance opportunities for KU students pursuing entrepreneurship.
Project planning began following a $10 million lead gift from an anonymous donor in 2025. To date, donors have contributed approximately $17.5 million toward the $21 million fundraising goal for construction of the building.
Designed to draw students in and keep them connected, The Hub will support learners at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey. A first-floor coffee shop will serve as a welcoming entry point, inviting students, faculty and staff and campus visitors into the building.
Each floor will mirror a student’s progression from exploration to execution, starting with collaborative and event-centric spaces on the first floor and advancing to more experiential learning-centric spaces on the upper levels.
Beyond the coffee shop, the first floor will include an ideation lab and a flexible multipurpose space for events and classroom use. The second floor will include open study areas, classrooms, offices and meeting rooms. The third floor will house a seminar room, a content-creation and pitching space, offices, meeting rooms and one of the building’s most unique features: an outdoor terrace.
The project is being designed by PGAV Architects of Kansas City, with Mar Lan Construction serving as general contractor.
More information about the project can be found on The Hub website.