The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, part of Florida State University’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, is now accepting applications for its Fall 2026 Small Business Executive Program (SBEP) in South Florida. The program, funded by The Jim Moran Foundation, Jan Moran and the late Jim Moran, is offered at no cost to participants. Applications are due by Tuesday, March 31 and can be submitted online through the Jim Moran Institute programs website.
Jennifer Kovach, director of the institute’s South Florida region, highlighted the multiple responsibilities business owners face: “Business owners wear many hats. In addition to day-to-day operations, they’re often tasked with managing sales, marketing, accounting, and more,” she said. “Our Small Business Executive Program helps leaders learn to manage these responsibilities and lead their organizations more strategically, efficiently and successfully for long-term growth.”
The SBEP targets CEOs, entrepreneurs, business owners and presidents of small businesses who want to develop strategic management skills. Since it began in 2013, over 800 leaders from a range of industries have graduated from the program in South Florida.
Kovach also emphasized the value of investing in personal development: “Why not invest in yourself and your business?” she said. “Our no-cost program pairs you with other entrepreneurs and small business experts who share real-world examples and practical strategies to help take your company to the next level.”
The nine-session program runs every two weeks from July through November at a Broward County location. Each session focuses on different aspects of growing and managing a business. To qualify for SBEP participation, applicants must be key decision-makers actively involved in their organization’s daily operations; their company must have been established for at least three years with three or more employees or volunteers.
Graduates receive a certificate of completion and may join an ongoing peer roundtable as well as participate in additional workshops or events organized by the Jim Moran Institute.
For further details or application information about SBEP or other programs run by the Jim Moran Institute’s South Florida office—which supports both nonprofit and for-profit businesses—interested parties can visit jimmoraninstitute.fsu.edu or contact southflorida@jimmoraninstitute.fsu.edu.
The institute was established following contributions from Jim and Jan Moran along with JM Family Enterprises in 1995. Its mission is to provide executive education and training that supports entrepreneurial growth across Florida through local offices in Fort Lauderdale as well as Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Tampa Bay.
