Florida State University’s (FSU) College of Business is expanding support for first-generation students with a $1 million donation from alum Tony DiBenedetto. A longtime advocate for youth empowerment, DiBenedetto founded Think Big for Kids in 2016, providing mentorship, career guidance, and job-readiness training to more than 8,000 students.

His latest contribution establishes the Think Big Endowment Fund, extending his efforts into higher education by providing FSU business students with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed academically and professionally. The fund will support their professional development through industry conferences, internships, networking events, skill-building workshops, and study abroad programs.

DiBenedetto’s journey is one of resilience and achievement. Raised by his Sicilian immigrant grandparents, he became the first in his family to attend college, earning a management information systems degree from FSU in 1987 and graduating in the top 5% of his class.

By age 33, he was a partner at Arthur Andersen, and later co-founded the Tampa-based tech company Tribridge. Today, he serves as chairman and CEO of Appspace while actively supporting organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs and United Way Suncoast.

Through the Think Big Endowment Fund, DiBenedetto ensures first-generation business students at FSU have the same opportunities that he believes shaped his success, while advancing his mission to break cycles of poverty.

This marks his second major donation to FSU. In 2014, his gift created the Tony DiBenedetto Computer-Assisted Career Guidance Lab at the FSU Career Center. Together, these contributions reinforce his legacy and his place in the College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame.