University Entrepreneurship & Innovation Consulting

Build What Matters.

We help universities design entrepreneurship centers, programs, and operations that actually work — built by a practitioner, not a consultant.

See Our Services About Mike Raab →
BUILD
Space Design✦ Programming & Curriculum✦ Operations & Staffing✦ Assessment & Roadmap✦ Center Launch✦ Student Outcomes✦ Space Design✦ Programming & Curriculum✦ Operations & Staffing✦ Assessment & Roadmap✦ Center Launch✦ Student Outcomes✦

I Believe

Mike Raab

Most consultants
study great centers.
We built one.

Mike Raab is the Executive Director of The Garage at Northwestern University — one of the country's most active student entrepreneurship centers, engaging more than 3,000 students per year. He's spent over a decade building programming, scaling operations, and designing spaces where students actually start things. Companies from The Garage have gone on to raise over $1.5 billion.

He's also the award-winning author of Founded: The No B.S. Guide for Student Entrepreneurs — an Amazon bestseller, because the best advice comes from people who've done the work, not studied it.

Now he advises universities that are ready to build something real.

01
Executive Director, The Garage at Northwestern One of the nation's top-ranked student entrepreneurship centers — built and run from the ground up.
02
Award-Winning Author, Founded The no-BS guide to student entrepreneurship. Real advice from a real practitioner.
03
Practitioner-Led Consulting Every recommendation comes from lived experience — not frameworks borrowed from corporate consulting.

My Philosophy

Most universities know they should be supporting student entrepreneurs.
Few have figured out how.

What
We Do.

Three focused engagements — designed to meet you where you are and move you to where you want to be.

Entry Engagement

Assessment + Roadmap

An honest evaluation of where your entrepreneurship center stands today — across space, programming, and operations — and a clear, prioritized plan for what to build next. Includes one full on-site visit, stakeholder interviews, and a formal report presentation to leadership.

Written Report + Leadership Presentation

Project Engagement

Programming & Curriculum Build

Focused engagement to design a full programming calendar, signature events, and student engagement model from scratch. Primarily remote with one on-site working session. Delivered in 6–8 weeks.

Programming Calendar + Implementation Guide

Project Engagement

Center Launch or Rebuild

Full-scope engagement to design and launch — or significantly revamp — your entrepreneurship center. Covers space strategy, program design, staffing model, and launch plan. Includes multiple on-site visits and ongoing remote support over 3–6 months.

Full Deliverable Package

How It Works

Simple.
Direct.
No
Fluff.

01
Intro Call

30 minutes. We learn about where your program stands and where you want to go. No pitch deck, no pressure.

02
Scoping & Proposal

We recommend the right engagement — usually starting with an Assessment — and send a clear, one-page proposal with a fixed fee.

03
On-Site Visit

We come to your campus. We talk to students, staff, and leadership. We see the space. We get the full picture.

04
Roadmap Delivery

You receive a written report and a presentation to leadership — clear priorities, practical steps, and honest assessments. No jargon.

05
Execution Support (Optional)

If you want help building what's in the roadmap, we offer project-based engagements to go deeper. Most clients move from Assessment to a full project.

Ready to
Build
Something
Real?

Whether you're opening a new center or rethinking an existing one — the best first step is a conversation. No agenda, no pitch. Just an honest talk about what you're building.

Start the Conversation