Mays Business School Launches Center for Applied Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Levi Belnap, Executive Director, Center for Applied Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Photo by Chloe Kryzak (Mays Business School Marketing & Communication)

As the Texas economy rapidly grows, Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School has launched the Center for Applied Entrepreneurship and Innovation, positioning Aggies at the center of that momentum by helping students identify and pursue entrepreneurial pathways grounded in real opportunity, real markets, and real execution. 

“At Mays, we see entrepreneurship and innovation as powerful engines for advancing the growth and competitiveness of Texas,” said Dr. Nate Y. Sharp, dean of Mays Business School. “The Center for Applied Entrepreneurship and Innovation will bring together emerging technologies, market insight, and real-world application to prepare students for how entrepreneurship is practiced today — through venture creation, acquisition, and AI-enabled transformation of existing firms.”

An experienced startup founder and executive with multiple successful exits, Levi Belnap has joined Mays as executive director of the Center for Applied Entrepreneurship and Innovation and is excited to support entrepreneurship and innovation efforts across Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M System to expand pathways for students and partners. Belnap and the center will lead applied entrepreneurial learning for students and collaborate with faculty, industry partners, and former students to advance real-world experimentation, venture development, and business acquisition.

“Successful entrepreneurship demands disciplined execution, rigorous market testing, and thoughtful acquisition strategy,” said Belnap. “We are building an applied platform where students build, buy, and transform companies in real markets, under real constraints, with AI strengthening their preparation and judgment.”

The center will host venture creation programming grounded in real market testing, entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) initiatives, AI-enabled venture and experimentation challenges, industry-connected innovation collaborations, experiential venture labs and applied discovery projects, Texas-focused opportunity discovery initiatives, and mentorship and advisory networks tied to real ventures and transactions. Each initiative will be designed to accelerate learning speed, expose students to real constraints, and build transferable entrepreneurial judgment.

With its location in College Station at the geographic center of the Texas Triangle — Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio — where energy, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and technology sectors are growing, the center positions students to engage with these markets in real time and prepare to build, acquire, and lead companies across Texas and beyond as these industries continue to evolve.

The Center for Applied Entrepreneurship and Innovation serves undergraduate and graduate students at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey, from low-risk exploration to venture founding and acquisition. As AI transforms venture formation, accelerates acquisition-driven entrepreneurship, and transforms existing industries, the center will equip Mays students with the analytical rigor and real-world readiness required to lead in a rapidly evolving business environment.