Incubate ideas. Ignite innovation. Improve communities. Be the change agent you were born to be.
The Randall Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Impact offers students, alumni, faculty and the greater Inland Empire business and non-profit community the resources, tools and networking to help create an entrepreneurial mindset, spark ideas, and help entrepreneurs build businesses from concept to fruition. The center also offers resources to help anyone in any stage of life gain entrepreneurial skills, from students and teachers to those who work in an any level of an organization.
With a generous donation from our benefactor, Randall Lewis (a principal of the Lewis Group of Companies, one of the nation’s leading real estate development companies), we aim to offer an ecosystem of support programs, partnerships and pathways for social entrepreneurship, community engagement, and business workforce development. Although the Center is open to everybody, it holds a commitment to support current and future businesses owned and operated by women, minorities, veterans and others often underserved in the community. We will do this through strategic partnerships at the local, regional, and national level.
The Randall Lewis Center is assembling partners and programming to offer:
- Workshops, trainings, and speakers’ events to teach students, local businesses and non-profits about entrepreneurship and business skills
- Business connections with local workforce partners
- Student support with mentoring, skills development, professional contacts
- Business funding resources
- Resources on innovation, entrepreneurship, and social impact
“I chose University of La Verne for this center because of its unique set of resources and mission of creating leaders and programs that make impact in our region. Through excellent programs and partners, the center will be transformational in the lives of students, faculty, alumni, and the greater Inland Empire business community.
“An entrepreneurial mindset and actions help not just those who want to start a business but those who work in every aspect of business, non-profits, and government work. We have the opportunity to enable the next generation of changemakers with skills to follow their dreams and introduce novel ideas and concepts into society.”
— Randall Lewis
Carrying out the vision of Randall Lewis, the Center’s aim is to:
- create positive social impact at both the individual and community level;
- foster entrepreneurial behavior and empower community entrepreneurs and innovators to bring enterprising solutions to the marketplace; and
- favorably impact the Inland Empire by stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation.
With a focus on serving underserved communities in the region, the Randall Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Impact will be located in the city of Ontario at the university’s College of Law and Public Service and Public Service. The Randall Lewis Center will complement the city of Ontario’s Innovation Center, a state-of-the-art business facility, and enable the university to expand its innovative educational outreach to the surrounding community. Our facility will be developed with the financial support of the County of San Bernardino and include a state-of the-art collaboration and meeting space.