Jeff Gish Joins Whitman as Academic Director of the Orange Business Angels Network
The Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University is pleased to welcome Jeff Gish, Ph.D., to the Whitman faculty as associate professor of entrepreneurship and academic director of the Orange Business Angels Network (OBAN).
OBAN, a signature experiential learning initiative at Whitman, connects Syracuse-affiliated entrepreneurs with seed-stage capital and experienced guidance. In his role, Gish leads the OBAN curriculum, offering students a rare opportunity to evaluate real ventures through the lens of an investor. His work with OBAN furthers the goal of having more immersive, career-ready experiential learning via Whitman’s Transformation 2030 plan, a five-year strategy to elevate the Whitman School into the nation’s top 25 undergraduate business programs.
Gish brings to Whitman a rich blend of academic expertise and real-world entrepreneurial experience. His research explores the psychological dimensions of entrepreneurship, including emotions, cognition and well-being, and has appeared in top academic journals such as Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.
Alongside his scholarship, Gish has founded multiple companies with successful exits and continues to serve as an investor and advisor to early-stage ventures.
His insights have reached audiences beyond academia, with features in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company and Thrive Global. Gish also contributes to the field as an associate editor for Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and as a member of the editorial review board for Journal of Business Venturing.
Prior to joining Whitman, Gish served as a professor of management at the University of Central Florida. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering and technology management from Washington State University and earned his Ph.D. in management from the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business.
“We are excited to welcome Jeff to Whitman,” said Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. “His deep expertise in entrepreneurship and his leadership of OBAN will provide our students with an extraordinary experiential learning advantage. Jeff’s work exemplifies Whitman’s Transformation 2030 goals by bridging scholarship, practice and opportunity.”
Outside of work, Gish enjoys mountain biking, golf, and most outdoor activities. He also engages with startup communities and explores how psychological research can unlock better outcomes for founders and investors alike.