TAMPA — Every semester, students in James Taylor's entrepreneurship classes step outside the classroom and into the boardroom.
Instead of tackling hypothetical case studies, they partner with Tampa Bay businesses, solve real challenges and deliver recommendations that business owners can put into action. That hands-on approach recently earned Taylor recognition from the Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at USF.
Taylor, an assistant professor in the USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship, was honored at the 2026 Florida SBDC at USF Business Awards in May after his undergraduate and graduate student consulting teams won Performance Awards and were recognized as the best in the Tampa Bay region. His award-winning teams partnered with MVH Construction and Sweet T's Bakery, helping each business pursue strategic growth opportunities.
For Taylor, the recognition reflects more than successful student projects. It builds on eight years of leading student consulting teams and represents a partnership that has shaped nearly every stage of his career.
Before joining USF as a faculty member, Taylor worked as an SBDC consultant while completing his doctoral degree, mentoring hundreds of entrepreneurs across the Tampa Bay region. Earlier in his career, an SBDC consultant helped him secure a $250,000 investment for a software company he founded by strengthening his investor pitch, an experience that sparked a lasting connection to the organization.
"Since that time, SBDCs have been near and dear to my heart," Taylor said. "To eventually work there, remain a client and now partner with them as a faculty member has been one of the most valuable professional partnerships in my career, from entrepreneur to entrepreneurship faculty member."
Today, that partnership gives students an opportunity to make an immediate impact beyond campus. Taylor brings Big Four consulting experience into the classroom, teaching students how to analyze business problems and develop practical recommendations.
"I've worked with James Taylor over the years and always appreciated how he pushes students to meet real-world consulting standards," said Yanina Rosario of the Florida SBDC at USF. "Working with Jim and his students was a great experience because they applied what they learned in class to help participating local businesses. The teams were presented with real-world challenges and gave local businesses practical solutions."
This year's teams worked directly with business owners to understand their goals before developing customized strategies. For Sweet T's Bakery, students created community-focused and digital growth recommendations. For MVH Construction, they developed a roadmap to help the company expand into commercial construction markets. Rosario said the students consistently delivered professional-quality work that business owners could implement immediately.
The business owners agreed. After receiving the students' recommendations, the owner of Sweet T's Bakery called the team's work "absolutely amazing," adding that the research and recommendations were "invaluable" and helped the business take a closer look at its operations. The owners of MVH Construction also praised the project, saying the students' report provided useful strategies to identify new opportunities while supporting the company's continued growth.
The consulting experience is intentionally designed to move learning beyond the classroom.
Taylor's research in entrepreneurship education identified experiential learning as one of the strongest contributors to positive student outcomes. Rather than relying solely on lectures and textbooks, his consulting courses challenge students to meet with business owners, analyze real problems and present recommendations to clients.
"Student teams are a way for USF students to highlight their skills," Taylor said. "In some cases, students have gone on to work for the companies after the projects were completed."
Rosario said the experience benefits everyone involved.
"By working directly with local business owners, students bridge the gap between classroom learning and the professional world while building essential research, communication and problem-solving skills," Rosario said. "For businesses, the projects provide fresh perspectives, research-based insights and practical guidance."
For Taylor, that's the true measure of success: preparing students to make meaningful contributions while helping local businesses grow.