Saying Jacksonville fits its niche, The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship intends to open an office on the Southside about May 1.
“Our job is to help existing businesses grow and sustain. We do this through our programs, which help businesses think differently and be more efficient,” said Mike Campbell, director of the institute’s North Florida Operations based in Tallahassee.
The North Florida area stretches from Jacksonville west to Pensacola and down to Gainesville, with a strong focus on Tallahassee and Jacksonville.
Jacksonville will serve as a satellite office and hire an associate director. Building plans show an office, meeting room, presentation area and reception area.
The city issued a permit for JMB Contracting to renovate about 1,500 square feet of space for the institute in suite 151 in the Quadrant I office building at 4651 Salisbury Road.
Campbell said the office will encompass its training and meeting space along with offices for staff.
The institute says it offers services for nonprofit and for-profit businesses and is geared toward CEOs, entrepreneurs, business owners and presidents of small businesses whose companies have been established for at least three years with three or more employees. It says there is little to no cost for those services.
The Jim Moran Institute is part of the Florida State University College of Business and already runs programs in Jacksonville.
For example, its Nonprofit Executive Program takes place at the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida in the Jessie Ball DuPont Center in Downtown. It is taking applications until April 7 for the inaugural class, which is April 18.
Campbell said the plan is to keep that program at the Nonprofit Center because it fits with other resources there.
The Nonprofit Executive Program is a spinoff of the institute’s Small Business Executive Program.
Rena Coughlin, CEO of the Nonprofit Center, said Florida is lucky to have the institute as a resource, “and we’re glad they’ve decided to bring their training to North Florida.”
Coughlin said the Nonprofit Center offers many types of business and leadership courses. “But there’s no such thing as ‘too many’ learning opportunities. We’re both focused on strengthening the nonprofit business community,” she said.
A 1995 contribution from Jim and Jan Moran and JM Family Enterprises established The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at the FSU College of Business.
In December 2015, Jan Moran, Jim Moran’s wife, and The Jim Moran Foundation committed $100 million to FSU to expand the Jim Moran Institute statewide and to establish the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship.
It was largest gift in the university’s history.
The late Jim Moran’s corporate holdings included Southeast Toyota Distributors for the Southeast U.S. and multiple auto dealerships. Southeast Toyota maintains several operations in Jacksonville.
Campbell said Jacksonville business demographics fit the institute’s mission.
The institute fits well because the city includes several collaborative organizations, such as the Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida and the nonprofit center.
In addition, the institute refers participants to existing organizations for additional help. “That’s part of our M.O.,” he said.
Campbell said the institute pursues the strategy side of entrepreneurship.
He said it will start CEO peer-to-peer groups this summer at the Quadrant building, although as the groups expand, other locations around Jacksonville might be used.
Each CEO Peer2Peer Group comprises eight to 12 CEOs who are presidents and business owners of similar companies in non-competing industries.
The institute says meetings are held monthly at a member’s business, private club or restaurant. Each group is self-led and develops its own agenda, covering topics such as managing growth, finding and retaining top talent, dealing with health care costs or developing retirement plans.
In addition to the administrative offices at FSU, the institute’s South Florida Operations are based in Fort Lauderdale. Campbell said a Central Florida Operations office should open in 2019 for the Orlando and Tampa corridor.
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