Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE)

Name

Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE)

Legal name

California State University, San Bernardino

Website

https://entre.csusb.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (611), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI), Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE)

Keywords

• Small business development
• Entrepreneurship education
• Business counseling
• Women's business center
• Export assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

San Bernardino

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from grants including Bank of America Foundation grants ($200K for minority entrepreneurs), government funding, and institutional support from California State University, San Bernardino.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) delivers entrepreneurship education and small business development services through academic degree programs, three Entrepreneurial Resource Centers, Women's Business Centers, a Small Business Development Center, and international trade/export assistance programs. Services include one-on-one business counseling, training workshops, mentorship, access to capital facilitation, co-working and incubation space, and signature events such as the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards and Fast Pitch Competition, primarily serving entrepreneurs and small business owners in California's Inland Empire region.

Product overview

The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE), now called the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship, is a university-based entrepreneurship support organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of educational programs and business development services. The portfolio includes graduate and undergraduate degree programs (MSEI, MBA in Entrepreneurship, BA in Entrepreneurship), certificate and minor programs, and community-facing programs including Women's Business Centers (IEWBC, CVWBC), Small Business Development Center (IESBDC), and International Business Development (STEP). Physical presence through three Entrepreneurial Resource Centers (ERC) in Temecula, San Bernardino, and Palm Desert provides co-working space, training, and counseling. Additional programs include the Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition, Student Startup Program, UpStarters Discovery Camp, Catapult Business Growth Network, Innovation Challenge, Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards, and the State of Entrepreneurship Report. The center achieved $1 billion in regional economic impact in 2025 and launched the Race to Scale Initiative to help businesses reach $1 million revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MSEI) Graduate degree program ranked among the top 50 globally for entrepreneurship by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine, preparing students to be future entrepreneurs and innovators.
• MBA in Entrepreneurship Master of Business Administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship, part of the globally ranked graduate programs at CSUSB.
• BA in Entrepreneurship Bachelor of Arts degree in entrepreneurship, part of the School of Entrepreneurship's undergraduate offerings.
• Minor in Entrepreneurship Minor program for students from other majors to gain entrepreneurial skills and mindset.
• Minor in Entrepreneurship in the Arts Cross-disciplinary minor combining entrepreneurship with arts studies.
• Certificate in Arts and Entrepreneurship Certificate program combining arts and entrepreneurship for students seeking creative business skills.
• Certificate in Early Childhood Administrative & Leadership (ECAL) Certificate program for administrative and leadership skills in early childhood education.
• Mini-MBA Program Intensive business education program delivering MBA-level content in condensed format.
• Inland Empire Women's Business Center (IEWBC) Program providing business counseling, training, and mentoring targeted to women business owners, including Latina entrepreneurs, with services offered in English and Spanish.
• Coachella Valley Women's Business Center (CVWBC) Women's Business Center serving the Coachella Valley region with entrepreneurship support services.
• Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (IESBDC) SBDC providing expert consulting, effective training, and access to resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, with offices in Riverside, Ontario, and eight outreach locations.
• International Business Development (STEP Program) California State Trade Expansion Program helping businesses expand into international markets through export assistance.
• Veterans Entrepreneurship Program Program supporting veterans in entrepreneurship and business development.
• Entrepreneurial Resource Center - San Bernardino (ERCSB) Physical resource center providing training, one-on-one counseling, and business event hosting for entrepreneurs in the San Bernardino region.
• Entrepreneurial Resource Center - Temecula (ERCT) Physical resource center providing business education, technical assistance, and one-on-one counseling for entrepreneurs in the Temecula region.
• Entrepreneurial Resource Center - Palm Desert (ERCPD) Physical resource center across from CSUSB's Palm Desert campus, offering co-working and incubation space, training, and business counseling services for the Coachella Valley region.
• Catapult Business Growth Network Peer mentoring and business growth program for experienced entrepreneurs, consisting of four intensive sessions with proven concepts and tools; full scholarships available through the Bank of America Foundation partnership (normally valued at $6,500).
• Race to Scale Initiative Focused growth accelerator initiative designed to help established businesses break through the $1 million annual revenue barrier, with a goal of accelerating 100 businesses to seven figures in annual revenue by 2030.
• Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition Annual competition where students present 90-second business pitches to investors, with a top prize of $4,000.
• Student Startup Program Program supporting student entrepreneurs in launching and growing their startup ventures.
• UpStarters Discovery Camp Summer discovery camp for high school students introducing entrepreneurship and providing college experience, delivered as a 3-day, 2-night program with entrepreneurial instruction and experiential learning.
• Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards Black-tie awards gala celebrating top entrepreneurs in the Inland Southern California region, featuring multiple award categories and the student fast pitch competition.
• Innovation Challenge Campus-wide competition giving students, staff, faculty, and alumni the opportunity to team up, bring new solutions to real-world problems, and compete for cash prizes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved $1 billion in regional economic impact
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• U.S. Navy / Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona DivisionstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2025Education Partnership Agreement signed May 5, 2025 aimed at supporting innovation, job growth and increasing opportunities for students through internships, research and hands-on learning.
• City of Palm DesertcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2025Vision and support drove the transition of Palm Desert iHub to become Palm Desert Entrepreneurial Resource Center in March 2025, with collaboration from County of Riverside.
• U.S. BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2025ERC partnership to provide essential resources to help small businesses grow and prosper.
• City of TemeculacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnered with Riverside County Office of Economic Development to open ERC Temecula in January 2024, located in the Temecula Valley Entrepreneurs Exchange.
• City of San BernardinocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Supported the opening of ERC San Bernardino in November 2023, located inside Studio D co-working community in downtown San Bernardino's Chase building.
• Riverside County Office of Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support ERC locations and economic development initiatives in Riverside County.
• Temecula Valley Entrepreneurs ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for ERC Temecula on the second floor, dedicated to business education, technical assistance and one-on-one counseling.
• Studio D (Chase Building)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-working and business hub hosting ERC San Bernardino, designed for entrepreneurs at every stage committed to building a dynamic and diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• U.S. Small Business AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Inland Empire Women's Business Center program, providing business counseling, training, and mentoring for women business owners.
• Garner L. HoltcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition since 2010. Owner of Garner Holt Productions, Inc., the world's largest animatronics manufacturer. Local entrepreneur supporting student entrepreneurship.
• Aspen Institute / City Action LabstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC San Bernardino grew out of participation in the Aspen Institute Latinos & Society Program's City Action Lab. San Bernardino was one of six cities nationally chosen.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• MIT Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship: MIT's university-based entrepreneurship hub offers accelerator, mentorship, and curriculum programming. Closely mirrors IECE's blend of academic degree programs plus extracurricular startup support.
• Wharton Entrepreneurship (University of Pennsylvania): Wharton's entrepreneurship center provides degree-aligned programming, accelerators, and alumni network support. Comparable in academic-program-plus-incubator structure and ranking category.
• Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP): Stanford's flagship entrepreneurship center offers courses, fellowships, and ecosystem programming. Direct comparable on the 'university-based entrepreneurship center' axis and a consistent Princeton Review Top-10 program.
• Babson College — Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship: Babson is the globally dominant university-based entrepreneurship educator. Its Blank Center runs degree programs, accelerators, and centers similar in scope to CSUSB's entrepreneurship school and center, and Babson appears on the same Princeton Review/Entrepreneur rankings.
• Arizona State University — Entrepreneurship + Innovation: ASU's entrepreneurship and innovation programs combine academic degrees with venture accelerators and community programming. Comparable in scale, public-university positioning, and ecosystem-driven mission.

Others

• Kauffman Foundation: The Kauffman Foundation (which originally co-funded IECE in 1999 through the Ewing Marion Kauffman Center) is the national thought leader in entrepreneurship education and ecosystem support — an enabling/thematic peer rather than direct competitor.

Regional players

• UCLA Anderson — Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation: UCLA's Price Center is a California university entrepreneurship program offering courses, competitions, and accelerators. Closest geographic/regional academic competitor to CSUSB's program.
• USC Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies: USC Marshall's entrepreneurship center runs degree programs, competitions, and incubator support within a Southern California public-adjacent ecosystem — a regional peer for student and programming competition.

Emerging players

• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): NFTE delivers entrepreneurship curriculum and programs to youth and underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable on the youth and minority entrepreneur development mission and on regional program delivery.

Direct peers

• Rice University — Liu Idea Lab / Rice Business Plan Competition: Rice's entrepreneurship ecosystem (Idea Lab, RBPC) is the most direct comparable: a university-based center that runs degree programs plus a student startup pitch competition that a CSUSB student startup is competing in during 2025.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mstullcsusb
• Facebookfacebook.com/EntreCSUSB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/entrecsusb
• Instagraminstagram.com/entrecsusb

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE)