Alan Llavore | Office of Marketing and Communications | (909) 537-5007 | allavore@csusb.edu
Cal State San Bernardino’s Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship marked a defining milestone with an evening that was as much about people as it was about numbers.
Held at the historic Mission Inn Hotel in Riverside, the “Billion & Beyond Celebration” on April 23 brought together entrepreneurs, funders, community leaders and university partners to honor more than $1 billion in economic impact generated across the Inland Empire – and to look ahead to what comes next.
Guests entered a ballroom transformed into an immersive experience. Illuminated columns traced the center’s journey from its earliest days to the present, while carefully designed lighting cast a dramatic glow over the space. Conversations unfolded over small bites and cocktails as attendees moved between a curated historical exhibit and a vibrant mix of seated and standing gathering areas, creating an atmosphere that felt both elegant and deeply connected.
For Mike Stull, director of the center, the evening was less about the milestone itself and more about the people behind it.
“Take a look around the room,” he said. “This is what an ecosystem looks like when it works. It’s entrepreneurs. It’s partners. It’s funders. It’s community leaders. And it’s the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship team that makes the whole thing move.”
He continued, grounding the achievement in lived experience rather than statistics.
“We’re celebrating a huge milestone,” Stull said. “But it’s more than that. We’re celebrating people. Because the $1 billion plus number is not a statistic, it is thousands of business owners that took a risk, thousands of moments where someone at the center helped turn that risk into a plan, a win, a contract, an export or a brand.”
Stull reflected on the center’s early days, describing a scrappy beginning built on persistence and belief in the region’s potential. What started as an idea pitched to community leaders evolved into a network of programs – including the Women’s Business Centers, Small Business Development Center and three Entrepreneurial Resource Centers – all designed around a single principle: supporting entrepreneurs strengthens an entire region.
That message resonated throughout the evening, particularly during testimonials from entrepreneurs whose journeys were shaped by the center’s support.
Sonia Stewart, a client of the Women’s Business Center, shared a story that captured both the challenge and possibility embedded in that mission.
“I came from a background that was almost guaranteed poverty,” Stewart said. “No one really expected anything from me, not even my parents. Graduating high school wasn’t even a requirement in my family.”
What began as a simple online search – “how to start a business” – led her to the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center and a turning point that changed her trajectory.
“When I started the IYT (It’s Your Time) program, I was desperate to pay my bills and get my life going," she said. “I only had eight photography appointments in my calendar for the whole year, and it was September. I was only charging $50 a session at that time.”
By the end of the program, Stewart had built both a business plan and the confidence to act on it. “When I was done with that 12-week course, I had 40 new family sessions scheduled at $175 per session," she said. "I thank God every day for putting people in my life who actually believed in me. The team at the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center saw more in me than I did. I am so grateful."
Today, her business has grown into a storefront operation generating significant revenue and impact – including more than $1 million in contribution to the region’s economy.
Stull underscored that while passion drives entrepreneurship, sustained impact requires infrastructure.
“Heart alone does not build a rocket,” he said. “To get real sustained lift, you have to have fuel. You need infrastructure. You need partners who are not just applauding and talking about the importance of entrepreneurship, they’re investing in it.”
That “rocket fuel,” as he described it, includes the public and private partners who have consistently invested in the ecosystem – from financial institutions and government agencies to nonprofit organizations and community advocates.
“Last but not least, this is super important, you don’t get to this point without the incredible support from the campus,” Stull said, as he recognized the role of CSUSB leadership past and present in advancing the center’s mission.
The message of collective effort resonated throughout the program, a theme philanthropist Randall W. Lewis reinforced as he addressed the audience.
“I’m just thrilled to be here. I have to make one public service announcement under full disclosure: everything you’re seeing – these great achievements – I had nothing to do with,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience. “The credit goes to Mike, his team, the university and all of you.”
Lewis highlighted the critical role universities play in shaping future innovators and strengthening regional economies.
“Tonight’s about entrepreneurship and the people,” he said. “I urge you to stay involved, continue to support these future entrepreneurs. We need to create the great jobs, the great businesses that the region deserves.”
Throughout the evening, the concept of impact expanded beyond a single figure. A presentation, “The Multiplier Moment,” illustrated how that $1 billion generates a broader ripple effect across the economy –ultimately totaling more than $2.8 billion in combined direct, indirect and induced impact.
Yet, the event was not solely retrospective. It also served as a launch point.
Stull introduced the center’s new initiative, the “Race to Scale,” aimed at helping 100 Inland Empire businesses grow from mid-level revenue to $1 million by 2030, and unveiled the IE Entre Hub, a new digital platform designed to connect entrepreneurs with resources, networks and opportunities in a single, accessible space.
As the evening concluded, the message was clear: the milestone belongs to a region that has chosen, again and again, to invest in its builders.
Or, as Stull put it earlier in the program, “One billion happens because of people.”
Watch the highlight video about the center's journey: