NOW ENROLLING INDIANA SCHOOLS FOR THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR!

The Complete Curriculum for Indiana's NLPS Entrepreneurship Pathway

Ready to teach with four complete NLPS courses, teacher resources, professional learning, and ongoing support.

Answers for Everyone at the Table

Created by two Butler University entrepreneurship professors. Recognized nationally by USASBE in 2026. No business background required to teach it. Venture Ready gives each member of the school buying team what they need to evaluate fit, plan implementation, and prepare teachers.

PREVIEW THE 7154 COURSE

For CTE Leaders

Review NLPS alignment, the four-course pathway, funding considerations, implementation support, and purchasing options.

For Teachers

See the student coursebook, teacher guide, pacing plan, slides, assessments, professional learning, and ongoing support.

Created by Entrepreneurship Educators

Kristi Mitchell, MBA, and Dr. Brenda Geib-Swanson, EdD, MBA, are Professors of Practice in Entrepreneurship at Butler University.

From State Standards to Monday Morning

Students using the Venture Ready coursebook to build their own venture in class

Student Coursebooks

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Complete Teacher Resource Suite

Indiana-aligned coursebooks guide students through engaging lessons, authentic activities, and the development of their own ventures.

A teacher organizing the Venture Ready teacher guide, pacing plan, and lesson materials

Complete Teacher Resource Suite

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Complete Teacher Resource Suite

Syllabi, course overviews, pacing guides, unit-by-unit lesson plans, slides, videos, activities, projects, assessments, rubrics, answer keys, and more.

Professional Learning

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Practical onboarding and workshops build teachers’ entrepreneurship knowledge, classroom confidence, and implementation skills.

A teacher using the Venture Ready educator portal for slides, videos, and course resources

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Secure online access to downloadable course resources, updates, office hours, implementation help, and the Venture Ready educator community.

Indiana’s Four-Course Entrepreneurship Pathway

7154 - Principles of Entrepreneurship

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7154 - Principles of Entrepreneurship

Students identify a real problem, validate a solution, build a business model, and pitch a venture.

7147 - Entrepreneurial Operations

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7154 - Principles of Entrepreneurship

Students build the marketing, customer, financial, and operating systems needed to run a venture.

7148 - New Venture Development

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

Students test a minimum viable product, choose a business structure, secure resources, and prepare for launch.

Students in the 7201 capstone course managing inventory and operations of a live venture

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

Students launch or operate a venture while managing legal, staffing, marketing, financial, and day-to-day decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at info@ventureready.education if you cannot find an answer to your question.

1. Is Venture Ready aligned with Indiana’s NLPS Entrepreneurship Pathway?

Yes. Venture Ready courses are built around the current Indiana NLPS competencies for Principles of Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Operations, New Venture Development, and Small Business Operations Capstone. Not pursuing certification? Nothing changes, you get the same complete curriculum, and the alignment simply means your program is built on a rigorous, state-vetted framework.

2. Can we use Venture Ready without pursuing the certification exam or the full NLPS pathway?

Yes. The certification exam is optional, and schools can offer any of the four courses as standalone business or entrepreneurship electives. You receive the same complete curriculum, teacher resources, and support either way. The NLPS alignment simply means your course is built on a rigorous, state-vetted framework, whether or not your school participates in the formal pathway. State CTE funding is tied to qualifying CTE enrollments, so schools teaching outside the pathway should confirm funding questions with their CTE director and official state sources.

3. Does the teacher need a business or entrepreneurship background?

Teachers do not need prior startup or entrepreneurship experience to succeed with Venture Ready. The program provides content support, daily instructional guidance, professional learning, and ongoing support needed to teach confidently. Schools remain responsible for meeting Indiana instructor assignment requirements.

4. What is included with each course?

Each student needs one coursebook for each Venture Ready course they take. Each teacher subscription includes one printed Teacher Success System with course planning materials, a syllabus, course overview, pacing and sequencing guide, unit-by-unit teacher guides, unit overviews, rubrics, answer keys, and implementation support. Teachers also receive access to the Venture Ready Educator Portal with classroom slides, videos, quizzes, assessments, and resource updates. View samples on the Program Preview page.

5. Are resources available to prepare students for the certification exam?

Schools preparing students for the certification exam receive study guides and full-length practice exams formatted to match the real thing. The certification exam is being submitted to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development in October 2026 for approval as a Promoted Industry Certification. We will update schools as official state information becomes available.

6. Is funding available?

Yes. Qualifying student enrollments in Indiana CTE courses may generate state CTE funding. All four Entrepreneurship pathway courses are classified as High Value courses in the 2026-27 CTE Funding Memo. Principles of Entrepreneurship (7154), Entrepreneurial Operations (7147), and New Venture Development (7148) are listed at High Value Level I; Small Business Operations Capstone (7201) is listed at High Value Level II.

Funding is tied to qualifying enrollments, eligibility, reporting requirements, annual appropriations, and state guidance. It is not a direct reimbursement for Venture Ready materials.

Funding classifications, rates, course requirements, and assignment rules can change. Schools should refer to official Indiana state websites and current state documents for the most up-to-date information, and confirm questions with their CTE director and applicable state officials.

Private, charter, co-op, and career center programs may also explore Indiana's Career Scholarship Account program and federal Perkins V funding.

Official Indiana CTE resources and current funding documents: https://www.in.gov/che/cte/cte-resources/

Last verified August 2026.

7. Will there be teacher workshop opportunities?

Yes, we are preparing teacher workshop opportunities. More information coming soon.

8. What is the relationship between CTE and NLPS?

Career and Technical Education (CTE) is the broad category. Next Level Programs of Study (NLPS) is Indiana's name for its redesigned secondary CTE programs of study. In other words, the Entrepreneurship NLPS pathway is Indiana's four-course Entrepreneurship CTE pathway: Principles of Entrepreneurship (7154), Entrepreneurial Operations (7147), New Venture Development (7148), and Small Business Operations Capstone (7201). Venture Ready is built specifically for that sequence.

View Indiana's official NLPS resources: https://www.in.gov/che/cte/career-pathways-programs-of-study/

9. Who Created Venture Ready?

Venture Ready was created by co-founders Kristi Mitchell, MBA, and Dr. Brenda Geib-Swanson, EdD, MBA, both Professors of Practice in Entrepreneurship at Butler University. Together, they bring decades of business ownership, corporate leadership, curriculum development, and experiential entrepreneurship education. They designed Venture Ready to give students meaningful, real-world learning experiences and teachers the structure, resources, and support needed to teach entrepreneurship with confidence. Venture Ready LLC is an independent company and is not sponsored by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Butler University; founder titles are provided for identification only.

10. Where should schools send official NLPS questions?

Schools should refer to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s official CTE resources for current NLPS course sequences, teacher assignment codes, adoption guidance, and other state requirements. Send official CTE programs-of-study questions to CTE@che.in.gov. View Indiana’s current NLPS resources: https://www.in.gov/che/cte/career-pathways-programs-of-study/

The Complete Curriculum for Indiana's NLPS Entrepreneurship Pathway

Answers for Everyone at the Table

For CTE Leaders

For Teachers

Created by Entrepreneurship Educators

From State Standards to Monday Morning

Student Coursebooks

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Complete Teacher Resource Suite

Complete Teacher Resource Suite

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Complete Teacher Resource Suite

Professional Learning

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Indiana’s Four-Course Entrepreneurship Pathway

7154 - Principles of Entrepreneurship

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7154 - Principles of Entrepreneurship

7147 - Entrepreneurial Operations

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7154 - Principles of Entrepreneurship

7148 - New Venture Development

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

Already Offering the Pathway?

From Program Preview to Classroom Launch

1. Review the Materials

2. Plan Your Program

3. Prepare the Teacher

Bring Venture Ready to Your School

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a Question Before Requesting Information?

The Complete Curriculum for Indiana's NLPS Entrepreneurship Pathway

Answers for Everyone at the Table

For CTE Leaders

For Teachers

Created by Entrepreneurship Educators

From State Standards to Monday Morning

Student Coursebooks

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Complete Teacher Resource Suite

Complete Teacher Resource Suite

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Complete Teacher Resource Suite

Professional Learning

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Educator Portal & Ongoing Support

Indiana’s Four-Course Entrepreneurship Pathway

7154 - Principles of Entrepreneurship

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7154 - Principles of Entrepreneurship

7147 - Entrepreneurial Operations

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7154 - Principles of Entrepreneurship

7148 - New Venture Development

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

7201 - Small Business Operations Capstone

Already Offering the Pathway?

From Program Preview to Classroom Launch

1. Review the Materials

2. Plan Your Program

3. Prepare the Teacher

Bring Venture Ready to Your School

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a Question Before Requesting Information?

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