FSU administrator receives prestigious recognition for helping students, peers in entrepreneurship success

The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship has selected Wendy Plant, assistant dean of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, as a Justin G. Longenecker Fellow.

A Florida State University administrator is being recognized by one of the country’s largest entrepreneurship education associations.

The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) has selected Wendy Plant, assistant dean of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, as a Justin G. Longenecker Fellow. This is the highest recognition the organization gives to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the development, furtherance and benefit of small and medium businesses.

“I am so honored to be included in this esteemed group of entrepreneurship education leaders and pioneers, and I am grateful for the nomination,” Plant said.

Since 1986, only 98 educators, researchers, government officials, small business advocates and trade association leaders have been selected.

For more than eight years, Plant has served in progressive leadership roles on the USASBE board, including secretary, director at large and senior vice president of operations and finance. She also served as chair of the Minority and Women Entrepreneurs Special Interest Group.

“The experiences and connections I gained have helped me better serve students in my role at the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship (JMC) and opened a network of professionals who can benefit the organizations and alumni of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship (JMI),” she said. “Becoming a Longenecker Fellow brings international recognition to all we’re doing in JMC and JMI.”

In Plant’s induction speech, JMC Professor and Associate Dean for Research and External Relations Eric W. Liguori shared how Plant embodies the spirit of this honor.

“Wendy has a long history of supporting entrepreneurs and building world-class entrepreneurship programs,” Liguori said. “Supporting entrepreneurship and small business has been an area of profound passion that has driven her career for decades.”

Plant’s work has supported research efforts in the college, including $25,000 in research support funding offered through the Jim Moran Institute and the $325,000 Blackstone Launchpad® grant in the Jim Moran College that offers all FSU students access to networking opportunities, learning tools and scholarships.

In 2015, Plant oversaw FSU’s co-curricular entrepreneurship programming and helped launch the Jim Moran School (now College) of Entrepreneurship in 2017.

Plant previously served the University of Tampa as coordinator of centers and institutes for the Sykes College of Business, helping lead the launch of their award-winning entrepreneurship center, as well as the TECO Center for Leadership, the Naimoli Institute for Business Strategy and the Center for Ethics. From 2011-2014 she led both the Blue Sky Incubator and the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator at the University of South Florida and managed STAR Technology Enterprise Center’s incubation and acceleration of early-stage startups.

For more information, visit jimmorancollege.fsu.edu.