SU’s Orange Business Angel Network to begin in spring 2026

SYRACUSE — The Orange Business Angel Network (OBAN) at Syracuse University (SU) is a student-led experiential learning program that will provide hands-on startup investment experience for students while connecting SU-affiliated entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship. The program will begin in the spring of 2026 with an inaugural class of about 15 students and a founding cohort of angel investors, per the Dec. 2 announcement that SU’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management made about OBAN’s launch. OBAN places students at the center of “real investment activity,” SU said. Selected students will conduct “professional-level due diligence” on actual startups, organize pitch events, and facilitate the connections between entrepreneurs and accredited angel investors, all while earning academic credit through a three-credit course. Students will conduct the due diligence that investors use to make their decisions and help in deal flow while allowing the angel to make their own investment decisions. “OBAN represents the next evolution in entrepreneurship and experiential education at Whitman,” Alex McKelvie, dean of the Whitman School of Management, said in the announcement. “We are giving our students authentic responsibility in the angel investment process, preparing them to lead in entrepreneurial finance or informed founder roles. For the Whitman School, this program strengthens our position to grow into a top 25 business school while building critical connections for our students and alumni within the Syracuse University network. It is yet another commitment by Whitman to experiential programs, which is central to our education.”

Three OBAN groups

Within OBAN, three groups of selectively chosen, SU-affiliated participants will make up the network, “ensuring the brightest students, most promising ventures and supportive angels are involved,” per the announcement. Whitman students in the program will learn angel investing fundamentals through direct practice, conducting market research, analyzing financials, and organizing pitch sessions. The course will be taught by Whitman professor Jeffrey Gish, who brings experience in both angel investing and entrepreneurship education. Investors accredited with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can join as angels of the network. As a key part of the program is including successful university alumni in the classroom, these “supportive angels” commit not just to potential investments but to mentoring both students and entrepreneurs throughout the process, the Whitman School noted. Entrepreneurs with university affiliations — having an alumnus, student, parent, faculty, or staff member on their founding team — can apply to pitch for seed-stage funding. The program focuses on companies with valuations under $10 million that have raised less than $2 million to date, but with the potential to grow and be an attractive investment. “What excites me most about OBAN is how it transforms the traditional boundaries between classroom and deal room,” Erin Draper, director of experiential programs at Whitman, who is leading the launch of the program alongside McKelvie, said. “Students aren’t just observing the investment process within OBAN. They’re essential to it. And our angels are actively mentoring the next generation of investors and entrepreneurs. This creates a virtuous cycle that benefits everyone involved.”

OBAN participation

The Whitman School is now accepting applications for all three OBAN participating groups: students, angel investors, and entrepreneurs. Students: Upper-level undergraduate and graduate students can apply for the selective spring 2026 cohort. Prerequisites include foundational entrepreneurship coursework. The Whitman School of Management has reached out to students directly. As for angel investors, accredited investors with SU connections can become founding members of the network. “This will be a very select group and grow over time,” the school noted. Membership application information can be found at: https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5u2O7cvBgV65Bmm