Iona’s Dr. Christoph Winkler Named USASBE Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year
The USASBE award recognizes exceptional leadership and innovation in entrepreneurship education.
Iona University’s commitment to fostering an entrepreneurial spirit across campus has once again earned national recognition. Christoph Winkler, Ph.D., founding program director and endowed professor at the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, has been named the 2026 Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), one of the field’s highest honors.
The prestigious national award is presented annually to an educator who has demonstrated distinguished leadership in entrepreneurship education. Recipients are recognized for advancing how educators think about and approach entrepreneurship teaching and learning, as well as for making a lasting impact on students, institutions and the broader field.
“It is an honor to be presented with the Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award by the USASBE,” Winkler said. “Being an entrepreneurship educator is both a privilege and a responsibility — empowering students to recognize that they have power and that they are capable of pursuing their dreams or discovering new dreams through the entrepreneurial process.”
Winkler’s selection reflects his commitment to bolstering a culture of entrepreneurship at Iona that spans across disciplines and into the Iona community. Last year, the Hynes Institute earned the prestigious 2025 Model Program Award by the USASBE, a recognition highlighting the Hynes Institute’s impactful programs.
Throughout his time at the University, Winkler has led the development of innovative programs and initiatives designed to equip students with the mindset, skills and real-world experience needed to thrive in an evolving economy. Examples include, among many others, the Iona Innovation Challenge business competition; Gael Ventures business incubator program; and partnership with The Business Council of Westchester’s City Labs initiative, offering students first-hand experience addressing problems in the county’s biggest municipalities.
From left: Christoph Winkler, Ph.D., Lendynette Pacheco-Jorge, MS, and Aakash Sapru, Ph.D.
“Christoph has inspired so many educators with his innovative ideas and ability to unite a campus under the umbrella of entrepreneurship,” said Jennifer Capps, CEO of USASBE. “The programs and teams under his leadership will positively impact students and communities at Iona University and well beyond for many years to come.”
Under Winkler’s leadership, Iona has also expanded its degree offerings in entrepreneurship. The Hynes Institute now offers degrees in Entrepreneurial Leadership (BS), Entrepreneurship (BBA), and Health and Wellness - Entrepreneurship (BS) along with undergraduate minors in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and AI, as well as advanced certificates in AI for Business and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Winkler has also been integral in the development of Iona’s new Healthcare Leadership & Innovation (MS), a collaborative degree offered in partnership between the Hynes Institute, LaPenta School of Business and New York-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences.
“Iona is tremendously proud of Christoph for his leadership and impact through the Hynes Institute and across campus,” said Iona University Provost Tricia Mulligan. “This award affirms what we have long believed — that Iona is a place where dedicated educators inspire our students to think boldly and develop into the innovators and leaders world needs.”
The USASBE is the premier national organization dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship education.
Winkler’s approach focuses not only on launching ventures, but on helping students think creatively, solve real problems and lead with integrity — core elements of an Iona education.
"Christoph has been an extraordinary leader in advancing entrepreneurship education,” said Dr. Sara Cochran, USASBE’s Board Chair. “Through his service to USASBE including serving on the board, directing the Doctoral Consortium, and serving as Executive Editor of Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, he has made a remarkable impact on our field. We are proud to recognize him as the USASBE Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year.”
For Winkler, entrepreneurship education is about more than launching businesses; it is about empowering students to recognize opportunity, create value and lead with purpose in any field they choose.
Winkler was formally recognized in February at USASBE’s annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, where educators and thought leaders from across the country gather to share research, best practices and innovations in entrepreneurship education.
About the USASBE and the Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award
USASBE is the premier national organization dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship education through bold teaching, scholarship and practice. The Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year award highlights individuals who have provided distinguished educational leadership within the field of entrepreneurship and who have contributed advancements to the way in which educators think about and approach entrepreneurship teaching and learning.
Last year, the Hynes Institute earned the prestigious 2025 Model Program Award by the USASBE, a recognition highlighting the Hynes Institute’s impactful programs.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.