The Union Bank Foundation presented two checks totaling $110,000 to the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration for two of its centers – $60,000 as part of a two-year grant to the Women’s Business Center and $50,000 for a one-year grant to the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center.
 
Union Bank Foundation representatives Rossina Gallegos, JR Raines and Jeff Redondo were on campus Jan. 29 for the check presentation ceremony held at the Jack H. Brown College. The presentation marked five years of partnership between CSUSB and the MUFG Union Bank Foundation in their commitment to strengthen small business and entrepreneurship in the Inland Empire.
 
The Women’s Business Center (WBC) program promotes the growth of women-owned businesses through mentoring, business training and business counseling services, and assists women business owners with management issues, business startup, gaining access to capital, federal contracts and more. The WBC’s mission is to empower the women of the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley to become successful and financially independent through entrepreneurship.
 
The Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides a vast array of technical assistance to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. This includes no cost, extensive, one-on-one, long-term professional business advising, low-cost training and other specialized services. The Union Bank Foundation has given $250,000 to the center over the past five years.
 
Both centers are housed in the university’s Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship whose goal is to cultivate entrepreneurship on campus and in the community. The IECE supports the efforts of students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and small business owners in the Inland Empire by delivering a wide range of programs and services. It founded the distinguished Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards.
 
The IECE has raised over $28 million in grants, gifts and sponsorships. The center has also garnered several significant awards and recognition, including recognition from AACSB International in 2017. IECE was recognized by AACSB as one of the Top 35 Global programs for fostering entrepreneurship and innovation.