TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — FSU's Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship is helping students turn business ideas into reality, offering hands-on experience and real support before they graduate.
- The Dean for the College of Entrepreneurship says the program helps students and community members start their own business.
- The program is helping local students learn global skills without leaving Tallahassee.
- Watch the video below to learn how the unique program is preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs to launch and lead.
FSU entrepreneurship program helps students build real businesses before graduation
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship works to prepare students to launch and sustain a business, not just dream about it.
Their experience class helps them do that.
The program is funded by the school and designed to remove barriers for students who want to build something of their own.
Students receive hands-on instruction, mentorship, and access to startup funding, giving them the tools they need to test ideas, make mistakes, and grow in a real-world setting.
Dean Susan Fiorito says the impact extends beyond FSU.
“I think it’s encouraging to people in the community to see students developing new innovative ideas and products, and it may encourage others to be able to start a business. Also in the Jim Moran College, we have the Jim Moran Institute that helps community people start businesses and to stay in business,” Fiorito said.
FSU student Ethan Taylor says he’s gotten hands-on experience through this program, and he’s seen how large organizations operate at both a national and international level.
To gain experience before launching his own venture, he plans to work for a global company with locations in North Florida after graduation in May.
“I think one of my favorite parts about being in the college entrepreneurship is seeing my friends around me, peers that I know, start their own businesses they also contributed to the economy and community here in Tallahassee. If you have an idea that people want to spend their money on, then you can become an entrepreneur very easily,” Taylor said.
According to Florida Commerce 2024 workforce statistics, more than 645,000 employer establishments operate across Florida.
That includes 7,900 in Leon County alone, highlighting how important small and mid-size businesses are to the local economy.
Fiorito says the College of Entrepreneurship is making sure students don’t have to leave town to find global opportunities and gain experience.
Taylor says it is not just about a first job. It is about gaining knowledge, building experience, and bringing those skills back home when he is ready to build something of his own.
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