Jarlyne Batista wants everyone to know that thinking like an entrepreneur can enhance success in any kind of business or field of study. Such is the mission of Iona College’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which Batista is helping to build from the ground up, coordinating workshops, competitions, and events that aim to awaken students and faculty to the power of the entrepreneurial mindset.
“I think what makes a successful entrepreneur is someone who doesn’t stop solving the problems in their everyday experiences — it’s that innovative thought process, when something comes in front of you, and you find a way to get over it,” Batista says.
Joining the Hynes Institute when it launched in 2017 was an ideal match for the recent Baruch College grad (with a degree in business administration). “My goal is that every student at Iona is impacted by the Hynes Institute in some shape or form,” she explains. “I would like them to feel that the way they think can impact other people and that they can be change-makers in our society.”
The Brooklyn native is also currently pursuing an MBA at Iona while incubating ideas for her future, which include helping to launch a corporation with a social mission. “That would be the ultimate dream come true,” Batista says.