FSU's LEAP Welcomes 35 Entrepreneurs, Funds Three Alumni

Florida State University's Leon Entrepreneurship and Adversity Program welcomed 35 local entrepreneurs to its third Tallahassee cohort on Sept. 26, and surprised three 2025 graduates with microgrants for their businesses.

The grants went to three LEAP alumni who returned for a kickoff panel: Shishandra Devlin of Bougie With A Board, Sarah Babchuck of Love Story Book Co. and Latasha Davis of Wisdom Adult Day Care Services. Two of the awards were funded by the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative network and one by Bank of America, which recently awarded a grant to FSU's Jim Moran Institute to support LEAP and other small business programs.

What is LEAP and who runs it?

LEAP launched in 2024 through FSU's Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship and the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship as part of the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative, a global network housed at the University of Notre Dame that treats entrepreneurship as a pathway out of poverty. The 10-month program serves aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs in Leon, Gadsden and Wakulla counties through a community bootcamp, with mentoring from local business owners and consulting from FSU students.

The 2026 cohort is now in a six-week bootcamp running through Oct. 31, featuring 12 guest speakers including local entrepreneurs and community leaders.

In short: it's a structured, mentor-heavy pipeline that moves founders through 80 defined steps toward a sustainable venture over 10 months.

How were the microgrants awarded?

Grants are tied to each entrepreneur's progress through those 80 steps. Marina Lickson, Northwest Florida director at the Jim Moran Institute, said the money rewards persistence after the bootcamp ends.

"These microgrants recognize the work our graduates keep putting in long after the bootcamp ends," Lickson said. "Each of these entrepreneurs made real progress toward a sustainable business, and we are grateful to the UPBI network and Bank of America for helping us invest in that progress. A small grant at the right moment can make a big difference."

For the recipients, the sums have concrete destinations:

• Devlin will buy tools and resources for Bougie With A Board's growth.
• Babchuck will fund a new sign that will "literally light the way to our store and bring in new customers."
• Davis will purchase activity supplies and equipment for seniors living with Alzheimer's and related dementia at Wisdom Adult Day Care Services.

Each founder credited the program with more than money. "LEAP has provided community, resources and the confidence to continue building with intention," Devlin said. Babchuck noted that instruction and guidance continue past graduation. Davis said LEAP pushed her to "step back from the daily demands" and plan for a stronger, more sustainable business.

What does the program's expansion signal?

LEAP is one of several Entrepreneurship and Adversity Programs the Jim Moran Institute runs across Florida. In August 2026, the Institute launched the West Palm Entrepreneurship and Adversity Program at FSU's West Palm Beach Collaboration Space, where 53 delegates completed the first Community Bootcamp.

Susana Santos, Jim Moran Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, said the participants' motivations go beyond personal income. "They bring so much passion and commitment to every session," Santos said. "Many of them are building ventures not only to support their families, but to serve their community and help build up Tallahassee. That spirit is what LEAP is all about."

Mike Brady, Interim Dean of the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, attended the opening day and the microgrant ceremony. "LEAP shows what is possible when a university invests in the people around it," Brady said. "These entrepreneurs bring the drive, and our faculty, students and community partners help them turn it into lasting businesses."

With a third Tallahassee cohort underway, a West Palm program already at 53 graduates, and Bank of America money now in the mix, FSU is scaling a model that pairs university resources with founders the traditional lending system often overlooks.