Ball State University is centrally located in the state of Indiana and is the home of the nationally ranked Entrepreneurship Program. Ball State University and the Entrepreneurship Program have been committed to the education of entrepreneurship since the early 1980's. It was at that time that Ball State University began its dedication to the growth of entrepreneurship in the state of Indiana. The Entrepreneurship Program has achieved national recognition and has been ranked among the best business schools in the nation for entrepreneurship. The Entrepreneurship Program offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in entrepreneurship.

Within the Entrepreneurship Program is the Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center. The Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center is a consulting and development facility aimed at developing the entrepreneurial perspective in individuals at the collegiate and adult levels. It is the outreach arm of the Entrepreneurship Program, and its main objective is to develop an entrepreneurial environment throughout the Midwest. The Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center accomplishes this through the following programs and areas of development:

Corporate Entrepreneurship
The Corporate Entrepreneurship Program is an intensive training seminar which targets managers of existing corporations. The major thrust of this program is to develop the managers' entrepreneurial abilities by enhancing their creative and innovative potential. Emphasis throughout the program is placed on energizing and reinventing the organization through improved customer service, new product development, and diversification projects.

University Program Development
The Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center consults with universities and colleges across the country. With over two decades of experience, the Center provides advice in developing entrepreneurial curriculum, programs, and centers.

Entrepreneurial Executive Development
The Center's nationally recognized entrepreneurial research provides the basis for training existing business owners in planning, researching, and evaluating the strategic growth and operational aspects of their business. These programs culminate in the development of a viable business or strategic plan for the entrepreneur's venture.

Entrepreneurial Leadership Series
The Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center offers an annual half-day seminar featuring "Entrepreneur in Residence" recipients from Ball State University, prolific CEO's from NASDAQ companies, and other entrepreneurial leaders.

National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers
The National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers has been established for the purpose of collaboration between entrepreneurship centers. It encourages entrepreneurship centers to work together to share information, develop special projects, and assist each other in advancing and improving their centers' impact. The consortium seeks to become a focal point for the Entrepreneurship Centers across the United States to continue the advancement of entrepreneurial excellence. The Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center at Ball State University is the administrative office for the national consortium.

Enterprise Creation Competition
The Enterprise Creation Competition is the preeminent undergraduate business plan competition in the country and is hosted each spring by the Entrepreneurship Program at Ball State University and the Department of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Business at Syracuse University. It gives undergraduate students the opportunity to develop business ventures that demonstrate the ability to be successfully launched. Student teams from around the country are encouraged to create and present business plans that clearly illustrate creativity and the potential for success. All entries are evaluated, based on a written and presented plan, by a preliminary judging panel provided by Ernst & Young, LLP.

Entrepreneurship Dynamics Lab
The Entrepreneurship Dynamics Lab is a newly formed initiative of the Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center that offers hands-on development programs for both entrepreneurship students as well as emerging, high growth entrepreneurial companies from the surrounding communities. The following is a list of a few of the programs that have been developed for the purpose of encouraging and supporting high growth entrepreneurship:

• Idea Accelerator Initiative
• Entrepreneurship Consulting Teams
• MBA Business Plan Review Teams
• Rapid Growth Internship Program
• Cardinal "Tech" Tank
• Ingenuity Days
• Entrepreneurial Mentors Program
• Venture Capital Access Process
• Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO)
• Entrepreneurship Faculty Research Fellows