The W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Chris Broberg as Interim Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE). Dr. Broberg currently serves as Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Associate Dean for Faculty and Research within the Barton School.  We extend our sincere gratitude to Nancy Kersenbrock for her service as Interim Director. She will return to her longstanding role as Associate Director of the Center, a position she has held since 2015.

Founded in 1977 by Fran Jabara—professor, former dean of the Barton School, and inaugural member of the Barton School’s "Beyond" 2024 Hall of Fame—the Center for Entrepreneurship has been internationally recognized as one of the finest and most comprehensive programs in the nation. The Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) was one of the first of its kind on a college campus, launching with a workshop titled “Entrepreneurship: Your Future in Business,” developed by Jabara.

Dr. Broberg brings a rare combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial insight, and institutional leadership to the role. He holds an MBA with an emphasis in entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in strategy and entrepreneurship from Texas Tech University. Prior to entering academia, he worked for six years as a researcher and consultant at the Gallup Organization.

Since joining Wichita State in 2008, Dr. Broberg has played a pivotal role in advancing the Barton School’s entrepreneurial mission. From advising WSU’s student entrepreneurship group and leading the small business consulting program to mentoring interdisciplinary teams for the Shocker New Venture Competition, he has consistently championed innovation and venture creation.

He served as campus director of the Coleman Fellows Program (2014–2017), mentoring non-business faculty in integrating entrepreneurial thinking into their curricula. He co-developed the curriculum for WSU’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (iCorps) Site and served as a lead instructor from 2016 to 2020, guiding both campus and community teams through the commercialization process.

Dr. Broberg has been a dedicated instructor in the Barton School’s Growing Rural Businesses program, helping entrepreneurs across Kansas scale their ventures through customer discovery and market validation. He has also contributed globally, serving since 2019 as a faculty member in the MBA Berlin program, where WSU students collaborate with international peers to consult for startups in Berlin and Wichita.

His research—focused on business model innovation, family firms, and the drivers of entrepreneurial activity—has been published in leading journals, including Family Business Review, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, and Small Business Economics.

“The Center for Entrepreneurship has long been a catalyst for innovation in our region,” said Dr. Chris Broberg.  “I am honored to step into this leadership role at such a transformative time. We have an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine what entrepreneurship can look like at Wichita State—and to create a Center that not only serves Kansas, but inspires on a national and global scale.”

“Chris brings a powerful combination of strategic thinking, deep entrepreneurial expertise, and a passion for interdisciplinary innovation,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the Barton School. “His leadership comes at a pivotal moment as we work to position the Center for Entrepreneurship as a world-class destination for innovation and venture creation.”

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Broberg on this important interim appointment—and stay tuned for exciting developments. The Barton School is preparing to unveil a bold new vision to transform the Center for Entrepreneurship into a global epicenter of entrepreneurial excellence. A national search for the Center’s next transformational leader will be launched at the appropriate time.