Hart Institute for Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Innovate. Shape the world. Become an entrepreneur.

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Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership hosts a kick off reception for the LAUNCH Accelerator Program on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. LAUNCH is a 12-week summer startup program that helps SMU student entrepreneurs transform their ideas into market-ready ventures.

Empowering tomorrow's tech business leaders

SMU Cox School of Business and SMU Lyle School of Engineering established the Hart Institute for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or HITIE, as a co-venture in 2019, through the gracious support of Linda and Mitch Hart.

The Hart Institute for Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship brings together the SMU Lyle School of Engineering and SMU Cox School of Business to help students turn ideas into real-world opportunities. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, SMU students develop new products and technologies, explore their market potential and build the business skills needed to move ideas from concept toward commercialization.

Get involved with HITIE

Whether you want to develop an idea, connect with a mentor, collaborate across SMU or explore entrepreneurship through coursework, HITIE offers multiple ways to get involved.

 

Two women in business smiling with eachother

Mentorship

Become a mentor or a mentee. The Hart Institute offers students mentorship opportunities with seasoned industry pros.
Get Matched With a Mentor
A young male student studies on his laptop at the SMU Lyle

Collaborate

Partner with SMU organizations like the Deason Innovation Gym, the Entrepreneurship Club, Big Ideas, and the O'Donnell Institute.
Senior student Seun at Big Ideas

Projects

Conduct technology-driven projects with a path to commercialization. A focus on AI or Generative AI is preferred.
Cedric Nash gives the keynote for DFW Start Up Week Disrupt Dallas Summit at the Cox School of Business, August 4, 2025 on the SMU Campus.

Courses

Take graduate or undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship that cut across Cox School of Business and Lyle School of Engineering.
A photo of Mitch an Linda Hart smiling

A vision for innovation

The Hart Institute for Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship was established through the generous support of SMU benefactors Linda Wertheimer Hart ’65 and Milledge (Mitch) A. Hart III.

Their vision created new opportunities to bring together engineering, business and entrepreneurship at SMU, helping students and innovators turn ideas into real-world impact.

Bringing engineering and business together

The Hart Institute brings together expertise in engineering, business and technology innovation through leadership from the SMU Lyle School of Engineering and the SMU Cox School of Business.

  • Dr. Mahesh Krishnamurthy

    Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Ph.D.

    Co-executive director
    SMU Lyle School of Engineering

    mkrishnamurthy@smu.edu

  • A headshot of Seth Orsborn, a member of the Lyle School of Engineering Faculty.

    Seth Orsborn, Ph.D., MBA

    Co-executive director
    SMU Cox School of Business

    sorsborn@smu.edu