Iona University’s Dr. Christoph Winkler Earns National Recognition for His Commitment to Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Community Impact
From left to right: Dr. Jill Kickul, Professor at EGADE Business School, Dr. Christoph Winkler and Dr. Lois Shelton, Professor at California State University, Northridge.
New Rochelle, N.Y. Dr. Christoph Winkler, endowed professor and founding program director of the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Iona University, recently earned two prestigious honors that spotlight his leadership, innovation and commitment to student and community impact through entrepreneurship education.
Most recently, Winkler was inducted as a United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Justin G. Longenecker Fellow – the organization’s highest honor.
The award, presented at the USASBE annual conference in Las Vegas, recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of small businesses and entrepreneurship education through teaching, research, writing and public service. Since 1986, 98 distinguished educators, researchers, government officials, small business advocates and trade association leaders have been selected as fellows.
At the conference, the Hynes Institute also won the 2025 Model Program Award, Small Institutions Category.
“Congratulations to Christoph and the Hynes Institute team on these outstanding recognitions,” said Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D. “At Iona, we believe education should extend beyond the classroom. The Hynes Institute exemplifies that spirit by connecting students with real-world experiences, which not only enhances their learning but also makes a meaningful impact in the communities they serve.”
In addition, Winkler was also named as a Faculty Innovation Fellow by the University Innovation Fellows (UIF) program, housed at Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). This recognition was the culmination of a rigorous two-year journey of collaboration with global peers to design unique projects that enhance the innovation ecosystems at their schools and help students gain vital real-world skills and mindsets.
“These recognitions are deeply meaningful, not only as a personal milestone, but as a reflection of the incredible work happening at Iona University,” said Dr. Winkler. “At the heart of our mission is a belief in the power of entrepreneurship to transform lives and communities. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside students, colleagues and community partners who share that vision and who continue to inspire innovation with real-world impact.”
Rooted in a personal journey that began in a small rural town in Austria, Winkler’s passion for expanding access to entrepreneurship has shaped his approach to innovation and education. As part of the UIF program, he designed and implemented a strategic initiative to deepen Iona’s community engagement through entrepreneurship.
Notably, building upon successful partnerships with The Business Council of Westchester and The Viscardi Center, Winkler’s project focused on expanding experiential learning opportunities that connect Iona faculty and students with real-world problem-solving.
About the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Located in a new, state-of-the-art co-working space in the heart of campus, the Hynes Institute is an interdisciplinary hub for the development of creativity and leadership skills critical for success in a global economy. It offers a range of degree programs and certificates and is available to students across all academic disciplines.
For more information about the Hynes Institute please visit here.
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 nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 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 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 5 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 recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. 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.