FSU professor wins global entrepreneurship award

A Florida State University Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship professor has earned a prestigious global education award honoring individuals setting new standards in their field.

Juliana Binhote, the Jim Moran Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, accepted the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) Global Award in Entrepreneurship Educator Excellence at the 71st ICSB World Congress Awards Gala in Washington D.C. The honor celebrates visionary educators and programs redefining entrepreneurship education through creativity, innovation and measurable impact.

“This award means so much because it reflects a partnership, not just a program,” Binhote said. “What started as a collaboration between Florida State University and the Armenian State University of Economics has grown into something I am incredibly proud of, and being recognized by the ICSB alongside our Armenian partner was incredible.”

The award recognizes Binhote’s leadership in a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project connecting FSU students with peers at the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE), the second-largest university in Armenia. Through Binhote’s LDR 2325: Leadership & Empowerment course, students from both institutions participated in shared coursework, virtual collaboration and design-thinking-based projects that build cross-cultural understanding and entrepreneurial problem-solving skills.

Binhote’s course is a byproduct of the partnership between FSU and ASUE that is funded by the U.S. Department of State and aims to foster innovation and global connections through STEM and social entrepreneurship initiatives. Each group of students worked in cross-cultural teams addressing real-world societal challenges through entrepreneurship, design thinking and the United Nations sustainable development goals. The students learned entrepreneurship not just by studying it, but by practicing it together, building communication, technology, time management and negotiation skills along the way.

The awards gala, held on July 1, was part of the ICSB World Congress — an annual conference uniting global leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and researchers to advance the role of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in driving economic growth, sustainability and innovation. During her trip, Binhote also gave testimony at the U.S. Congress. In front of the bicameral legislature, Binhote expressed her three pillars for guiding the future of family business policy and research: legacy, connection and continuity.

“Giving testimony before the U.S. Congress was one of the most meaningful moments of my career,” Binhote added. “I had the opportunity to speak directly to the importance of family business for the future of entrepreneurship and the economy. It was a powerful reminder of how essential it is to connect research, policy and practice, and I felt the weight and privilege of representing that connection in that room.”

“Giving testimony before the U.S. Congress was one of the most meaningful moments of my career. I had the opportunity to speak directly to the importance of family business for the future of entrepreneurship and the economy.” 

– Juliana Binhote, Jim Moran Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship

Binhote has taught courses in Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation, and Management and Organizational Behavior in the United States, as well as International Business, Negotiation, Family Business, and Family Law at both undergraduate and graduate levels in Brazil. She emphasizes real-world applications and experiential learning.

The Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship is the nation’s first standalone college of entrepreneurship. The college aims to spread entrepreneurship across FSU’s campus and serve all students through collaborative programs, competitions, resources, and more. JMC offers students three undergraduate majors, five graduate majors, 10 minors and extracurricular opportunities to inspire innovation, instill compassion and ignite an entrepreneurial mindset in the next generation of leaders.

For more information on the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, visit its website.