About The Center for Entrepreneurship

 

A leading voice for entrepreneurial growth, learning and action

The Center for Entrepreneurship is a Center of Excellence at Mihaylo College of Business and Economics, which serves as an outreach center and support organization for Mihaylo Entrepreneurship – the collection of entrepreneurial initiatives within Mihaylo College. Mihaylo Entrepreneurship includes the Center for Entrepreneurship, its advisory board, staff, and donors; the Small Business Institute (SBI) and its present and past student-consulting clients; student members of the Entrepreneur Society and the Entrepreneurship Fraternity; students, and faculty involved in the Mihaylo Entrepreneurship Concentrations (Undergraduate and MBA) and the Mihaylo Entrepreneurship Minor; and entrepreneurial alumni. Additionally, Mihaylo Entrepreneurship multiplies its effectiveness by enlisting entrepreneurial volunteers to support learning in the classroom and in the field.

Our Purpose

We teach, coach and lead the principled, cross-disciplinary practice of entrepreneurship. We believe that, through determined practice, leadership and team work, our students, faculty, clients, volunteers and alums can systematically recombine the new and the old to forge new ventures, create an entrepreneurial culture, and dramatically benefit our community.

Our Guiding Principles*

* Please click the Fifteen Guiding Principles that contains a complete list with supporting comments.

History

Established in 2001, the Center for Entrepreneurship is a Center of Excellence within the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton. The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics is the largest accredited business school in the State of California and the second largest accredited undergraduate business school in the country.

The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at CSUF has the distinction of holding two AACSB International Accreditations – one for the College and one for the College’s accounting program. Centers of Excellence within the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics are completely supported by private donations and, in the Center for Entrepreneurship’s case, from fees derived from its award winning Student Business Consulting Program. These Centers address a variety of needs and issues in the community, provide an array of services to local business and government sectors and provide academic and practical learning environments for CSUF students.

The formal study of entrepreneurship as an academic concentration at the College is now 15 years old, reflecting the importance of entrepreneurship to our region’s economy. However, CSUF Entrepreneurship has a more than 40 year, nationally recognized track record beginning with the establishment of the Small Business Institute® in 1974. SBI student consultants have served over 1,700 businesses. During the school year, this program will serve over 125 clients through its consulting services.

Awards and Honors

California State University, Fullerton's Small Business Institute® has won dozens of awards for outstanding student consulting to business owners. Most recently, it won the National Undergraduate Case of the Year Award from the Small Business Institute Director's Association (SBIDA) and placed third in the same competition for the graduate level.

Advisory Board

In 2002, the Center for Entrepreneurship created an Advisory Board to provide strategic guidance and community outreach. The Entrepreneurship Advisory Board is comprised of a select group of distinguished entrepreneurs, business and civic leaders, and alumni who help the Center fulfill its mission, set and execute its plans, and advance its overall outcomes. It strives to create an interdependent relationship between the Southern California business community and CSUF’s outreach and teaching efforts in entrepreneurship.

Functions of the Advisory Board include:

• Setting the Center’s long-term strategic plan
• Advising on policies, strategic decisions, and business and entrepreneurial trends
• Supporting initiatives that advance the Center
• Providing advice, opportunities, and networks for CSUF students and alumni

Current members of the Entrepreneurship Advisory Board include:

• Dr. Michael Ames, Mihaylo College
• Dan Black '67, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist
• Richard Becktel '77, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist
• Andrew Carroll '06, CFO Andrew
• Karl Freels '17, Black Family Foundation
• Cathleen Greiner, Ph.D., California Community Colleges
• Ken Guchereau ’74, Guchereau Company
• Robert Jechart, RJE International
• Raj Manek ’94, Vesuki Inc.
• David Morris, Royal Business Bank
• Natalia Razeghi '00, MUFG Union Bank
• Jeffrey S. Van Harte '80, Jackson Square Partners

Board Member Emeritus

• Wally Hicks, Affluent Target Marketing Inc
• Kristen Llorente, Llorente SIU
• Alan Mannason, SCORE
• Laurie Resnick, ’77, Associated Group
• Michael Sawitz, FastStart.studio
• Ron Stein, PTS Staffing Solutions
• Art P. Villa, Breakthrough Business Solutions, Inc.

Titan Fast Pitch Platinum Sponsors - 2019

• Union Bank, N.A.

Titan Fast Pitch Gold Sponsors - 2019

• The Dan Black Family Foundation
• Royal Business Bank - David Morris
• California Community Colleges
• KDI Partners - Ken Guchereau
• Vas Arora Family Foundation
• CSUF Startup Incubator

CSUF Startup Competition Cash Sponsors - 2019

• The Dan Black Family Foundation
• Royal Business Bank - David Morris
• KDI Partners - Ken Guchereau
• Dr. Deborah Ferber

CSUF Startup Competition In-Kind Sponsors - 2019

• CSUF Startup Incubator
• Jose Calero
• Michael Daehn
• Jeff Greenberg
• France Helfer
• Justin Sanders, Esq.
• The BirdDog Group

Entrepreneurs in Residence

• Alan Mannason, OC SCORE 114
• Alex Rutledge, Entrepreneur
• Andrew Lamb, Sunwest Bank
• Ben Baumgardner, Baumgardner & Associates
• Bernie Spear, Dynamics Signals-WEST
• Bob Godlasky, OC SCORE 114
• Brian Finnegan, Independent Consultant
• Charles Simon, Big Salad Party
• Curtis Chan, Chan & Associates, Inc
• David Kinnear, Executive Leadership Coach/Vistage, Chair
• David Warner, CSUF OLLI
• Don Del Mazzio, DDM Sports Investments
• Donald R. McCrea, Ph.D., Bus-Ed Partners, Inc.
• Doug Sproal, Cobra Systems
• Glen Carnes, LPL Financial
• Henry Cohen, Retired
• J. R. Shah, Century 21 Discovery
• Janet Steiner, Thoro Packaging
• Jay Lieberman, Bolcof Plastic Materials
• Jeff Trower, Data Aire, Inc.
• Jerry Conrey, Conrey Insurance Brokers & Risk Managers
• Joe Burke, Independent Consultant
• Joe Kibbe, Joseph Kibbe & Associates
• John Brake, Desco Industries
• John Broussard, CPA, Retired
• Jose Calero, Lap Works, Inc.
• Kelly J. Anderson, T3 Motion
• Ken Guchereau, Guchereau Company
• Ken Townsend, Colortone Crafx
• Kyle Keller, Entrepreneur
• Loren Doll, LCP Tracker
• Michael Gancar, Retired
• Michael Sawitz, FastStart.studio
• Nancy Miller, California Bank & Trust
• Nirbhai Singh, Value Autos, LLC
• Randy LeSage, Growth Leadership
• Ron Chang, Hopkins Advisory
• Ron Stein, Principal Technical Services
• Sam Afshar, AOR Consulting
• Scott Goldfarb, Window Restoration & Repair
• Suzanne DeRossett, Empire Building Services
• Sylvan Swartz, Swartz Commercial Real Estate
• Ted Butteriss, E. J. Butteriss
• Teresa Koch, Orange County Credit Union
• Tim Welch, Brite Idea Foods
• Tom Bogan, Action Coach
• Wally Hicks Sr., Affluent Living Publications
• Zack Dafaallah, Pacific Coast Reprographics