Joseph Business School

What Joseph Business School does

Joseph Business School (JBS) is a private, faith-based business school founded by Dr. Bill Winston in 1998 and headquartered on a 33-acre campus in Forest Park, Illinois. The institution delivers faith-integrated entrepreneurship and business education to Christian entrepreneurs, aspiring business owners, and kingdom-minded leaders who seek to combine biblical principles with practical business acumen. JBS's portfolio includes a four-month on-campus Faith & the Marketplace Entrepreneurship Program, an equivalent online program delivered through the Populi learning management system, self-paced e-learning courses, a six-week Executive Accelerator Program for established businesses with $150,000+ in revenue, a Wealth Creation Center for financial literacy, and a Continuing Education/Professional Development track offering technology certifications and Spanish-language general education.

The school's core technology stack comprises the Populi LMS for online course delivery, an SSL-secured e-commerce and enrollment infrastructure, and a proprietary mobile text-to-give donation platform supporting one-time, recurring, and keyword-managed contributions. Supporting facilities include the Carver Innovation Center (a prototyping hub with Stratasys 3D printing, laser cutting, and vinyl cutting systems), the co-located Illinois Small Business Development Center (which has channeled over $732 million in technical assistance to entrepreneurs — capital flowing through, not revenue to JBS), and a Pearson VUE-authorized testing center at the Joseph Center. Internationally, JBS distributes a nine-month intensive curriculum through a Global Partner Program that has launched 22 sites, with 13 currently active across 10 countries on five continents, supported by an annual Train the Trainer certification held at the Forest Park headquarters.

JBS's revenue model is unusual among educational institutions: the published $3,525 program price is effectively waived for accepted students, who receive full scholarships funded by privately donated contributions to the JBS Scholarship Fund. The institution therefore depends heavily on donations (one-time, recurring, mobile text-to-give, and Financial Seed Prayer channels), conference revenue from the annual Business & Leadership Conference, e-commerce sales from store.jbs.edu, co-working space fees at the Joseph Center, testing center revenue from Pearson VUE, and ancillary contributions from the affiliated Living Word Christian Center ecosystem. The school is ACCET-accredited, Illinois Board of Higher Education approved, and explicitly does not accept federal Title IV financial aid. Demand generation is driven by the Believer's Walk of Faith broadcast (reaching 800+ million households), the Global Business Prayer Network, the Money Mondays podcast, Eventbrite information sessions, and referral channels through Bill Winston Ministries' network of 882 affiliated churches and ministries.

Name

Joseph Business School

Legal name

Joseph Business School

Website

https://jbs.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Joseph Business School is a faith-based business school on a 33-acre campus in Forest Park, Illinois, offering biblical and practical entrepreneurship programs to Christian entrepreneurs globally, funded primarily through donations and delivered via campus, online, and 13 international licensed partner centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Business Education

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

Keywords

• Faith-based business education
• Christian entrepreneurship training
• Biblical wealth creation
• Online entrepreneurship courses
• Business leadership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Forest Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: JBS charges tuition for its Faith & the Marketplace Entrepreneurship Campus program at $3,525 total (including $25 application fee, $63 system fee, $100 graduation fee, and $3,347 tuition and materials). Students receive full scholarship funding through privately donated funds via the JBS Scholarship Fund. E-learning and online programs include course fees.
2. Donations and Charitable Giving: JBS accepts donations through multiple channels including online one-time giving, online recurring giving, mobile quick giving (text-to-give at 28950), financial seed prayer offerings, and in-person giving during services. Donations support the JBS Scholarship Fund which funds student tuition.
3. Store and Merchandise Sales: The Joseph Business School operates online stores (store.jbs.edu and shop.jbs.edu) selling products and merchandise, generating revenue through e-commerce transactions.
4. Business and Leadership Conference Revenue: Annual BLC conference generates revenue through event registration and pre-orders of conference materials and recordings. The conference attracts thousands of attendees and includes a venture capital pitch competition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Joseph Business School (JBS) is a faith-based business school that delivers entrepreneurship and wealth-creation education integrating biblical principles with practical business instruction. It offers a four-month on-campus program and a parallel four-month online program, supplemented by e-learning courses, an Executive Accelerator for established entrepreneurs, a Wealth Creation Center, a Carver Innovation Center for prototyping, a Global Partner Program licensing curriculum internationally, and a Business & Leadership Conference. Accepted students typically receive full tuition scholarships funded through the JBS Scholarship Fund from donated contributions.

Product overview

Joseph Business School (JBS) is a faith-based Christian business school offering a multi-product educational portfolio centered on biblical and practical entrepreneurship principles. The core offerings include the Faith & the Marketplace Entrepreneurship Campus Program (4-month on-campus) and Online Program (4-month distance learning via Populi LMS), both providing comprehensive business education. Supporting products include the Executive Accelerator Program for established businesses, Continuing Education with technology and professional development courses, E-Learning self-paced courses, the Wealth Creation Center for financial education, and the Carver Innovation Center for prototyping services. The Global Partner Program extends JBS curriculum internationally through affiliate centers. Additional services include the Global Business Prayer Network for spiritual support, the Illinois SBDC for business consulting, Pearson VUE testing center, Business & Leadership Conference events, and Mobile Giving donation platform. The school operates from a 33-acre campus in Forest Park, Illinois, with 22 international affiliate sites across 10 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Faith & the Marketplace Entrepreneurship Campus Program Four-month on-campus program delivering accredited entrepreneurship education that integrates biblical and practical principles across leadership, marketing, accounting, finance, and technology for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs.
• Faith & the Marketplace Entrepreneurship Online Program Four-month accredited online program delivering the same practical and biblical business curriculum as the campus program via the Populi LMS, accessible on demand to remote learners globally.
• E-Learning Courses Self-paced online courses covering business, finance, marketing, and spiritual development topics delivered via electronic media with video lessons, quizzes, and interactive elements requiring a minimum 80% passing score.
• Executive Accelerator Program (EAP) Six-week intensive program for established entrepreneurs with $150,000+ revenue focusing on strategic leadership, employee management, economic development, and personalized growth project plans.
• Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) Continuing education department offering general education (Spanish), professional development, and technology courses including graphic design, software development, web development, database administration, and Microsoft Office certifications.
• Wealth Creation Center Financial education program covering financial fundamentals, money mastery, risk management and insurance, credit and credit repair, debt management, real estate, investing, tax planning, retirement planning, and succession planning.
• Carver Innovation Center Rapid prototyping and innovation hub offering 3D printing (Stratasys), laser cutting, vinyl cutting equipment, engineering consultations, training workshops, and custom design/fabrication services to inventors, entrepreneurs, and students.
• Global Partner Program Nine-month intensive business curriculum licensing program for international affiliates covering over 30 subject areas using biblical and practical principles, including Train the Trainer certification and support for establishing JBS centers worldwide.
• Business & Leadership Conference (BLC) Annual flagship conference featuring keynote speakers, a venture capital pitch competition, and sessions on entrepreneurship and biblical success strategies for entrepreneurs, CEOs, investors, and faith-based leaders.
• Testing Center (Pearson VUE) Computer-based testing center partnership with Pearson VUE offering certification and licensure exams across academic admissions, finance, government, healthcare, IT, and military sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 millionaires produced through JBS programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Partner Network (22 Satellite Centers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Global Partner Program is the core international distribution channel for JBS, enabling licensed satellite campuses in 10 countries across 5 continents. Partners include JBS Brussels, JBS Dar es Salaam, JBS Durban, JBS Hyderabad, JBS Kingston, JBS London, JBS Managua, JBS Merrillville, JBS Miami, JBS Overijse, JBS Uyo, and JBS Detroit (2 locations). Each partner operates under JBS's 9-month business curriculum using biblical and practical principles, with Train the Trainer sessions held annually at the Forest Park headquarters.
• Illinois Small Business Development Center (IL SBDC) at The Joseph CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IL SBDC at The Joseph Center provides technical assistance and business consulting to entrepreneurs. Has delivered over $732 million in support to entrepreneurs. Melissa Duff Brown serves as Director of the IL SBDC and Dean of Small Business Programs at JBS, creating an integrated support ecosystem for JBS students and alumni.
• Bill Winston Ministries (BWM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill Winston Ministries, founded by JBS founder Dr. Bill Winston, is a faith-based outreach ministry that produces the Believer's Walk of Faith TV and radio program reaching 800+ million households. BWM co-hosts the annual Business & Leadership Conference with JBS and organizes the International Kingdom Conference in Africa, providing marketing, brand reach, and student recruitment for JBS programs.
• Living Word Christian Center (LWCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiving Word Christian Center is the host church of JBS founder Dr. Bill Winston, with over 20,000 members. LWCC provides the spiritual foundation and community ecosystem from which JBS emerged, sharing faculty, facilities, and the faith-based mission. LWCC's 882 affiliated churches and ministries through Faith Ministries Alliance serve as an additional distribution network for JBS programs.
• Joseph Center FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Joseph Center Foundation supports the transformation and empowerment of lives through the JBS ecosystem, providing funding, resources, and community development initiatives aligned with JBS's mission to eradicate generational poverty.
• Various Financial Professionals (Money Mondays)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Wealth Creation Center's Money Mondays podcast features guest financial professionals including Daryl L. Barnett, Dr. Bill Winston, Dr. Deena Marie Carr, Ibukun Awosika, and others who contribute content and expand JBS's reach into financial education and wealth creation audiences.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Regent University: Regent University's College of Business and Leadership offers Christian-integrated business degrees and entrepreneurship programs at graduate and undergraduate levels. Like JBS, it combines biblical principles with practical business training, serves faith-based learners, and is accredited, making it the closest direct peer in mission, model, and target audience.
• Oral Roberts University: ORU is a Spirit-empowered Christian university whose College of Business offers faith-integrated entrepreneurship and business education. Its combination of Pentecostal/charismatic identity and practical business curriculum makes it highly comparable to JBS's faith-based positioning and similar target audience of kingdom-minded entrepreneurs.
• Biola University: Biola's Crowell School of Business provides Christian business education emphasizing integration of faith and marketplace leadership. Comparable to JBS in faith-based positioning, accredited degree offerings, and emphasis on biblical business principles, though Biola operates primarily as a traditional university.
• Dallas Baptist University: DBU's College of Business offers Christian-integrated undergraduate and graduate business programs with practical entrepreneurship training. Its faith-based mission, Texas-anchored campus, and similar mix of business education and ministry alignment make it a strong direct peer to JBS.
• Colorado Christian University: CCU's School of Business and Leadership delivers faith-based business degrees with emphasis on ethical leadership and entrepreneurship. Comparable to JBS in Christian-integrated business education and adult-learner focus, particularly through its accelerated degree completion programs.
• Indiana Wesleyan University: IWU's DeVos Center for Faith & Business and MBA programs emphasize faith-based leadership and entrepreneurship. It overlaps with JBS in serving adult Christian learners seeking practical business skills integrated with biblical worldview, with comparable program lengths and online delivery options.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty University: Liberty's School of Business offers Christian business degrees, including online MBA and entrepreneurship programs, with significantly larger scale, federal aid eligibility, and broader program catalog. It overlaps with JBS on faith-based business education but operates as a much larger incumbent with degree-granting authority JBS lacks.
• Babson College: Babson is the leading secular institution focused exclusively on entrepreneurship education, with undergraduate, MBA, and executive programs. While not faith-based, it overlaps with JBS in entrepreneurial mindset curriculum and SMB-founder target audience, operating as a much larger and more established incumbent in entrepreneurship education.

Others

• SCORE: SCORE is the largest volunteer mentor network for small businesses in the U.S., providing free business mentoring and education. While not faith-based, SCORE is comparable to JBS's IL SBDC partnership as adjacent small-business development infrastructure serving entrepreneurs with education and advisory services.

Emerging players

• Praxis: Praxis is a faith-based startup accelerator and fellowship combining Christian worldview with entrepreneurship education and venture-building. Comparable to JBS in integrating biblical principles with practical entrepreneurship, but focused on a narrower, higher-potential subset of founders and serving as an emerging niche player in faith-based entrepreneurship training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJ8gJ4oq8rmDlMEnzJefG7g
• Facebookfacebook.com/josephbusinessschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/joseph-business-school
• Xx.com/JBSedu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Joseph Business School