As we close out a year in which higher education has faced unprecedented challenges, ranging from cuts in federal research funding to visa and immigration policies that may impact international students, the wider business community is facing its own challenges. In this issue of FIU Business Now, we offer insight about how businesses can protect profits amid tariff threats, shifting China policies, and supply chain questions.
Read MoreWilliam Hardin
Dean, FIU College of Business
A generational shift is quickly gathering force across the U.S. economy and is poised to transform the small business landscape: the wave of baby boomer entrepreneurs retiring in the coming years. According to a report from Guidant Financial, about 41% of small businesses are run by owners over the age of 55, with an average 10,000 boomers retiring per day.
Recent tariff volatility and international instability have combined with economic nationalism to hurt profit margins and create uncertainty for businesses. In response, say thought and industry leaders affiliated with FIU Business, U.S. companies must rethink their strategy to remain resilient.
A high spender who frequents luxury boutiques in Miami's Design District and loves tennis is gifted Miami Open tickets by a sales associate. A man who proposed to his girlfriend brings her into the jewelry store to pick up the box for her engagement ring and finds it engraved with the proposal date.
Mary Usategui (MSF '08, BBA '07) has made history by opening the first new bank in Miami in more than 16 years. BankMiami, which officially opened its doors in March of 2025, marks a significant milestone in the city's financial landscape, bringing a fresh, boutique-style experience to the city's rapidly growing market.
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Brand knowledge came early to Ken Ninomiya (MBA '03) when, at 17, he got a job with chewing gum and candy maker Wrigley's, to organizing its grocery store displays. Not long after that, he worked with Argentina-based candy company Arcor USA as he crafted a career in sales, marketing, business development and ecommerce with several well-known brands.
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While attending Miami Dade College, Jorge L. Delgado Jr. (MBA '18) started his career as an "outbound telephone collector" at Florida Power & Light, starting in 2008. His job was to request payment by phone from delinquent customers. "It's not easy to call someone to make them pay," he said. "It teaches you to be more understanding and empathetic."
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