Whitman School of Management announces hands-on startup investment program
Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management will launch student experiential learning program Orange Business Angel Network in spring 2026. The initiative will teach selected students through hands-on startup investing. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
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Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management will launch a student experiential learning program in spring 2026 aimed at providing students with real-world investment experience, the university announced Monday.
The program — the Orange Business Angel Network — will provide selected students with startup investment experience by conducting professional-level assessments on real startups, organizing pitch events and advancing connections with entrepreneurs and angel investors.
Participating students will earn three academic credits, according to a Monday release.
“OBAN is more than a résumé-builder,” Whitman Dean Alex McKelvie said in a Monday statement to The Daily Orange. “It offers students direct exposure to how investment decisions are made, how entrepreneurs are supported and how capital is deployed.”
The program is open to upper-level undergraduate, graduate students and other SU-affiliated startups. It comes as part of Whitman’s Transformation 2030, an initiative to become a top 25 business school.
Within OBAN, Whitman will choose three groups of SU-affiliated participants. Whitman students in the program will learn “angel level” investing fundamentals by conducting market research, analyzing financials and organizing pitch sessions in a course taught by Whitman professor Dr. Jeffrey Gish.
Whitman is now accepting applications for the three groups. Students must complete foundational entrepreneurial coursework before applying. Potential investors with SU connections can apply now to be founding members, and other entrepreneurs can apply for consideration starting Jan. 12.
SEC-accredited investors will join as the program’s “angels,” to both mentor and provide potential investments to students. Other SU-affiliated entrepreneurs, who will make up the program’s “founding teams,” will include alumni, parents, faculty or staff members. Members of this team can also apply for “seed-stage” funding.
The program will primarily work with companies valued at less than $10 million that have raised less than $2 million, but have the potential to become an “attractive investment,” the release states.
“By working alongside seasoned investors and deeply engaged Syracuse alumni, our students gain the kind of insight and confidence that set them apart in competitive fields like venture capital, finance and consulting,” McKelvie said. “This is the type of experiential learning that defines Whitman and gives our graduates a true edge.”
With over 40 universities implementing startup investment education programs across the United States, several features distinguish OBAN from other angel networks, according to the release.
The program will not pool funds, allowing program angels to make independent investment decisions and negotiate directly with groups. Students will also conduct the research and analysis used by angels, lead discussions before pitching and aid in deals.
Its focus on SU affiliates will ensure all participants make “meaningful” network connections, the release states.
“Launching the Orange Business Angel Network reflects Whitman’s commitment to providing transformative, hands-on learning experiences that prepare our students for the future of business,” McKelvie said.
