The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) and CSUSB School of Entrepreneurship have partnered with the Riverside County Office of Economic Development to support veteran entrepreneurship in Riverside County. The free Veteran Entrepreneurship Program is designed for Riverside County veterans, active-duty members, and their direct family members. It will teach the skills, knowledge, and mindset needed to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape.
“Veterans and their families give so much to this country,” said Rob Moran, Deputy Director for the County of Riverside Economic Development Agency. “By supporting programs like this, we can give back to our service members and give them the skills to be successful entrepreneurs.”
The five-month program starts September 14 and is divided into two phases. The first phase includes foundational workshops covering mindset priming, problem ideation, validation, and market entry strategies, followed by individualized consulting, pitch competitions, and specialized knowledge sessions.
Program Highlights:
- Session I: Saturday, September 14 – Engage in activities to prime your entrepreneurial mindset.
- Session II: Saturday, September 28 – Delve deeper into customer interviews and solution ideation.
- Session III: Saturday, October 12 – Interpret customer discovery data and develop market hypotheses.
- Session IV: Thursday, November 21 – Celebrate at the Spirit of Entrepreneurs Award ceremony.
Upon completion of the program, the top entrepreneur will receive up to $7,000 towards starting their business.
“Thank you to the Riverside County Office of Economic Development for sponsoring this vital program,” said Mike Stull, a professor of entrepreneurship and director of the IECE and the CSUSB School of Entrepreneurship. “Veterans are increasingly turning to entrepreneurship as a post-service career path, and programs like this help to give them the skills to succeed in the business world.”
The Palm Desert iHub is a regional business resource center that provides training and counseling services to small businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as co-working and incubation space. For more information or to register, visit pdihub.org
