Florida State University's Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship is launching a new Veteran Entrepreneurship Certificate Program in Leon County, offering free, hands-on entrepreneurship training for veterans, service members and military-connected families. The program is delivered in partnership with Veterans Florida and is based in Tallahassee.
The Tallahassee-based cohort will run for six weeks, and space is limited. The program will meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18; from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 25; and will continue Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m. April 29 through May 20.
The program will focus on business modeling, customer discovery and market validation. Participants will work through a structured curriculum designed to help them test ideas, refine business models and build a strong foundation for sustainable growth.
"Veterans bring discipline, leadership and problem-solving skills that translate naturally into entrepreneurship," said Eric Liguori, associate dean for research and external relations in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. "This program is about meeting veterans where they are, providing practical tools and surrounding them with a community that helps turn ideas into viable businesses."
"This program is about meeting veterans where they are, providing practical tools and surrounding them with a community that helps turn ideas into viable businesses."
– Eric Liguori, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship
The Leon County program builds on FSU's longstanding commitment to serving veterans and military-connected families. FSU is designated as a Florida Purple Star Campus and is consistently recognized among the nation's most veteran-friendly universities.
"This partnership with Veterans Florida allows us to extend FSU's impact beyond the classroom and directly into the Tallahassee community," said Susan Fiorito, dean of the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. "By combining high-quality entrepreneurship education with strong local partnerships, we are creating pathways for long-term economic opportunity for veterans and their families."
Program registration is now open. Interested attendees may apply at the Veteran Entrepreneurship Certificate Program application page.
Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate of completion from the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship and become eligible to join the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship's statewide alumni network of more than 2,700 Florida business owners.
The Leon County program is part of a broader initiative that also includes a companion Veteran Entrepreneurship Certificate Program in Bay County (Panama City). Additional details about the Bay County program are available at the program's web page.
The program is delivered in partnership with Veterans Florida, whose mission is to help veterans transition successfully into civilian life through education, entrepreneurship and workforce training.
