Since founding Ballard Partners in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1998, Brian Ballard has grown his public affairs firm into one of the state’s great success stories. Under his direction, Ballard Partners has expanded across the Sunshine State, opening eight offices where teams of highly experienced government relations professionals provide top-notch advocacy to some of the world’s leading organizations.
Brian Ballard, who has also grown his firm outside of Florida by establishing Ballard Partners locations across the country and around the world, has made it a point to give back to the state where he made a name for himself. In fact, a major recipient of his generosity has been Florida State University (FSU), an institution located in the same city where he launched his public affairs firm.
A history of giving back
Brian Ballard and his wife, Kathryn, an FSU alumna who serves on its Board of Trustees, gave to the university most recently in January of 2026, when they donated $1 million to FSU’s Food for Thought Pantry. This wasn’t the first time the couple had supported the FSU community.
In 2020, the Ballards launched a scholarship fund at the FSU School of Music. Earlier, in 2016, they donated a building valued at $1.1 million to the university. Today, that building houses the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship.
The Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship is dedicated to fueling the success of the next generation of entrepreneurs. The nation’s first and only stand-alone college of entrepreneurship, it was named for Jim Moran, an automotive dealer who pioneered the use of television to sell cars. Moran’s success was so extraordinary that, in 1961, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine, the only automotive dealer ever to do so.
Moran’s legacy lives on
Moran’s legacy continues to live on through the Jim Moran Foundation. Together with Moran’s wife, Jan, the foundation was responsible for a $100 million gift to FSU to establish what was then known as the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship. The gift occurred in February of 2016, less than two months after the Ballards’ donation of the $1.1 million building.
The timing was not coincidental. In fact, according to university leaders, the availability of the building, which is located in downtown Tallahassee—and was previously the home of Guaranty National Bank—was a major factor in Jan Moran’s decision to support the university.
“As discussions with Jan Moran progressed, the idea of locating the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship [in downtown Tallahassee] became very exciting to everyone,” said Tom Jennings, FSU’s vice president for university advancement. “The Ballards’ offer to give the building to FSU enabled the discussions about the School of Entrepreneurship to move more quickly.”
“We are honored to be able to play an integral role in providing a home to Florida State’s newest school, which will revitalize a highly prominent corner in downtown Tallahassee,” Brian Ballard added.
An innovative and immersive learning experience
Today, that prominent corner is where students from across the country and around the world flock to prepare themselves for their entrepreneurial journeys. Through three undergraduate and five graduate degree programs, the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship provides an innovative and immersive learning experience.
In addition to preparing the next generation of business leaders, the College of Entrepreneurship, which also maintains an additional location on FSU’s main campus, supports leaders through the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship. Across four regional offices, one of which is in Tallahassee, the institute offers low- or no-cost executive educational programs aimed at maximizing the success of companies, nonprofits, and small businesses.
At the time of their donation, the Ballards had expressed a desire to give a gift that strengthened the university’s mission.
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