The FIU Business Innovation and Growth (BIG) Accelerator program is making waves at home and abroad, earning national recognition through a $25,000 Ford Foundation award and expanding its reach with four student entrepreneurship competitions, including one held in Puerto Rico.
The Ford Foundation selected FIU student venture Fovionics as one of the winners of its national challenge for social mobility and inclusive innovation last April. The startup, led by engineering students Gabriel Habech and Michael Romano, aims to develop assistive technology for the visually impaired. The $25,000 prize will be used to place the company’s first production order, allowing it to test its device in parentship with visually impaired students at FIU.
“This funding is more than just seed capital, it’s the validation these students needed to bring their vision to life,” said Barbara Cotto, director of FIU BIG, who served as faculty lead for the winning team. “We helped them refine their business model, rebrand and prepare to scale.”
Originally launched as “Beyond Sight,” the team rebranded to Fovionics during the competition, shifting from a single-device concept to a broader tech-forward solution for accessibility. With mentorship from Cotto and FIU faculty mentor Robert Hacker, the students also redesigned their pricing and revenue model, positioning themselves for long-term sustainability.
Three months before the Ford Foundation finals, BIG made another bold move – its first ever international collaboration between the FIU Business Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR).
Held in partnership with the Blackstone Launchpad, the event brought together student entrepreneurs from across the island for a full-day experience of ideation, mentorship and live pitching- giving them the tools and skills for career development and more.
The UPR event featured students tackling issues from climate change to community development with the winning team receiving $1,000 and a spot in the finals, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The competition also highlighted FIU’s role as a leader in cross-regional entrepreneurship education.
“The two milestones, the Ford Foundation and the Puerto Rico competition show that our accelerator is delivering on its mission,” said Cotto. “We’re not only helping students build companies. We’re helping them build futures.”
As the Pino Center continues to grow and serve as an entrepreneurial hub for FIU Business students, there will be more collaboration with international universities, giving students a continuously enhanced global perspective.
For more information about the FIU Business Innovation and Growth Accelerator, visit the program web page .