Meet the iHub Director

Dushan Nikolovski is the inaugural Director of the Innovation Hub (iHub) and a member of the College of Business as a Clinical Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship. As the Director of the iHub, Dushan’s goal is to bring students, faculty, community members and innovators & entrepreneurs from Valparaiso, Northwest Indiana, the State, U.S. and beyond to share their ideas, discoveries, and solutions

Dushan has taught thousands of undergraduate, graduate, executive MBA and community members in variety of subjects and concentrations including Design Thinking, Lean LaunchPad, Creativity and Innovation, Business Model Canvas, Business Planning, and more. He emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes and shares his own experiences to help others avoid common pitfalls.

Dushan is also the founder and president of IKANSTART; created to educate, inspire and motivate people to make a change in their life and start working on their dream: to establish a new business, create a new product or service, become a better leader or just a better version of themselves and take on the next challenge in their life by learning new skills and strategies.

Having served as the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Success at Purdue NW for a decade, Dushan implemented regional, national, and international programs, including the national idea competition, The Big Sell Entrepreneurship Competition, and the Chinese Executive Leadership Program. Starting Fall of 2023, Dushan will once again launch his idea competition and numerous other workshops and activities during Global Entrepreneurship Week for the citizens of Northwest Indiana, the State and beyond.

Dushan’s entrepreneurial journey began when he established his first business right after high school. He went on to create a successful entertainment business and establish several other ventures, including a fast-food chain. He has provided expert advice to numerous companies, spoken at various events, and conducted virtual workshops during the pandemic. Dushan has been involved in advising organizations in China for over a decade, including conducting workshops for the prestigious Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

Dushan’s commitment to giving back extends to volunteering on community boards, speaking at public events and non-profit organizations, and providing educational programs for young people. He continues to serve on the ECIER Foundation Board the last 10 years and was an original founding member. The ECIER Foundation (ecier.org) was created to educate, empower and provide opportunities and skills to future young leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs in majority-minority and lower-income areas, like Gary, Indiana. Empowering today’s youth, ensures the success of students in a thriving community, and developing leadership skills can impact self-esteem and help to build students’ character.