Our Community Partners
The Global Entrepreneurship Institute was created and continues to grow through a unique collaboration of philanthropic, corporate, and nonprofit community partners. Their contributions have involved funding, technical, advisory, and pro bono services. We are grateful to the organizations listed below for their continued support.
American Management Association
American Management Association traces its origins back to 1913 with the founding of the National Association of Corporation Schools (later to become the National Association of Corporation Training). By 1922, this group had merged with the Industrial Relations Association of America (founded in 1918 as the National Association of Employment Managers), to form the National Personnel Association. In 1923, the group chose a new name, American Management Association, to better reflect its mission and goals. In 1973, AMA consolidated five closely related national associations—all dedicated to management education—into one organization. With this consolidation, the Regents of the University of the State of New York granted recognition to AMA as an educational institution.
AMACOM Books
Based in New York, AMACOM Books is the publishing division of American Management Association. Since 1923, the business community has turned to AMA for the practical training and business tools needed to improve individual and organizational performance-and achieve bottom-line results. Today, AMA is a global not-for-profit, membership-based association. AMA provides a full range of management development and educational services to individuals, companies and government agencies worldwide, including 486 of the Fortune 500 companies. Each year, thousands of business professionals acquire the latest business know-how, valuable insights and increased confidence at AMA seminars, conferences, current issues forums and briefings. In addition, business professionals utilize AMA books, publications, research and online self-study courses.
BizWorld
BizWorld’s mission is to enrich every child’s education with experiential learning programs. Our programs add relevancy to academics while improving the understanding of entrepreneurship and money management. BizWorld empowers youth with the knowledge and inspiration they need to succeed in school and beyond.
Business Wire
A wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, is the global market leader in commercial news distribution. Thousands of member companies and organizations depend on Business Wire to transmit their full-text news releases, regulatory filings, photos and other multimedia content to journalists, financial professionals, investor services, regulatory authorities and the general public worldwide. In fact, Business Wire has the most comprehensive news and disclosure network in the world. They originate hundreds of thousands of news announcements each year, with a dramatic impact on capital and commercial markets around the globe and in virtually every industry sector.
Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Draper Fisher Jurvetson is the premier early stage venture capital firm. Founded in 1985, Draper Fisher Jurvetson has created a global network of affiliated venture funds with approximately $3 billion in capital commitments and offices in the major technology centers around the world. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the firm has proven expertise in identifying and helping extraordinary entrepreneurs who want to change the world.
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Program
The Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) awards program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses. The program, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006, honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 125 cities and 40 countries.
GKM Ventures
GKM Ventures invests $2 million to $4 million in later-stage technology companies located in the Western U.S. The primary industry sectors in which the Fund invests are: communications, enterprise software, semiconductors and digital media. GKM Ventures’ significant base of industry executive investors contributes tremendously to the Fund’s due diligence and portfolio enhancement processes. With offices in Los Angeles (HQ) and Palo Alto, GKM Ventures maintains close relationships with other leading venture funds for co-investing opportunities. GKM Ventures is a licensed SBIC.
Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA)
Since 1985 the Los Angeles Venture Association has been providing forums where entrepreneurs and executives of middle-market companies actively meet and learn from fellow executives, investors, bankers, financial advisors and other providers of professional services. Their monthly breakfast meetings and our Presidents and Distinguished Speakers Lectures feature exceptional presentations by prominent members of our investment, entrepreneurial, business and academic communities. Sponsored by a number of financial services companies and business publishers. LAVA hosts the annual Investment Capital Conference, focusing on helping entrepreneurs find venture capital.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education
One of the world’s largest provider of educational materials, information and solutions for the Higher Education and Professional markets, their mission is to be the premier worldwide provider of products and services that improve and shape teaching and learning in the digital age.
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Manatt’s Venture Capital and Technology Group focuses on the representation of emerging companies, principally in the technology and life sciences industries, and the venture capital funds, investment banks and strategic investors that finance these companies. One of the nation’s premier full-service law firms, provides strategic business and legal counsel to clients at every stage of their business life cycle, from formation to the establishment of market leadership.
Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) nonpartisan economic research organization. It was founded in 1991 with a mandate to step outside the box and find new ways to create jobs and generate capital for entrepreneurs both locally and globally. Their researchers work in diverse but related economic fields with one common goal: to improve the lives and economic conditions of diverse populations in the U.S. and around the world by helping business and public policy leaders identify and put into practice innovative ideas for creating broad-based prosperity.
National Business Incubation Association (NBIA)
The world’s leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. It provides thousands of professionals with the information, education, advocacy and networking resources to bring excellence to the process of assisting early-stage companies worldwide. The association is composed primarily of incubator developers and managers, but technology commercialization specialists, educators and business assistance professionals are also well represented. Its mission is to provide training and a clearinghouse for information on incubator management and development issues and on tools for assisting start-up and fledgling firms.
National Venture Capital Association
The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) is the trade association that represents the venture capital industry. It is a member-based organization established in 1973 to foster a better understanding of the important impact venture capital has on the US economy and to stimulate the flow of private risk equity capital to emerging, high growth potential ventures. Its membership consists of venture capital firms and organizations who manage pools of risk equity capital designated to be invested in young, emerging companies. Currently, the NVCA represents 400+ member firms, representing the majority of venture capital invested in US based companies. Today, the NVCA is the venture community’s leading source of advocacy, networking, professional development and information.
Organization of American States (OAS) brings together the nations of the Western Hemisphere to strengthen cooperation on democratic values, defend common interests and debate the major issues facing the region and the world. The OAS is the region’s principal multilateral forum for strengthening democracy, promoting human rights, and confronting shared problems such as poverty, terrorism, illegal drugs and corruption. It plays a leading role in carrying out mandates established by the hemisphere’s leaders through the Summits of the Americas. With four official languages — English, Spanish, Portuguese and French — the OAS reflects the rich diversity of the hemisphere’s peoples and cultures. It is made up of 35 member states: the independent nations of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. The government of Cuba, a member state, has been suspended from participation since 1962; thus only 34 countries participate actively. Nations from other parts of the world participate as permanent observers, which allows them to closely follow the issues that are critical to the Americas.
Palomar Ventures
Launched in 1999 by veteran venture capitalists to focus on early stage information technology companies that demonstrate the potential for exceptional growth and market leadership. The partners at Palomar have contributed their energy, strategic insight, network of corporate relationships and recruiting skills to assist in building nearly 50 public companies. Palomar Ventures is currently investing Palomar II, a $220 million fund. A typical investment involves $2 million to $5 million in capital, and they prefer to act as a lead or co-lead investor early in the process of value formation. They believe that beginning early with a company is the best way to utilize their experience in building value rapidly by focusing the company on a small number of key milestones.
Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (UCLA)
The Harold Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, a recognized global leader in entrepreneurial education and research, oversees all teaching research, extracurricular, and community activities related to entrepreneurship at the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. Working closely with its Board of Advisors, the Price Center’s goal is to provide a set of academic and extracurricular experiences that advance both the theory and practice of entrepreneurship.
Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP)
Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) is the entrepreneurship center within the Stanford University School of Engineering. STVP is dedicated to accelerating high-technology entrepreneurship research and education for engineers and scientists worldwide. The program prepares students for leadership positions in industry, academics, and society. In addition, STVP disseminates research and teaching knowledge throughout the world.
Tech Coast Angels
Network of over 270 angel investors with a mission to fund early stage technology ventures in Southern California. Group operates three regional networks in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. Provides seed and early-stage capital in the range of $250K-$2M, an investment range not generally served by VCs. Since 1997 TCA members have invested over $65 million in more than 100 Southern California companies, together with $650 million from co-investors. Their members are founders, CEO’s, venture capitalists and business leaders who have funded and built world-class companies. They mentor and coach, serve on their boards, provide contacts, and assist with team building, strategic planning and fundraising.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified financial services company providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance through almost 6,000 stores, the internet and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. Wells Fargo is dedicated to helping small businesses succeed. They provide financial products and solutions to more than one million businesses with annual sales up to $20 million. Wells Fargo is America’s #1 small business lender in total dollar volume according to the most recent Community Reinvestment Act data (2006) and the #1 SBA 7a bank lender in total dollar volume. They are a SBA Preferred Lender in 50 states and originated 4,306 loans for over $613 million in 2007.
Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) is a non-profit corporation recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c) (3) organization. It is affiliated with the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), and aims to advance the goals of the OAS and Presidential Summits of the Americas to create employment opportunities and reduce poverty by supporting and promoting youth entrepreneurship. Currently, YABT also has National YABTs and representatives in twenty-five countries in the Americas. Being located at the General Secretariat of the OAS gives YABT a unique platform for private/public sector collaboration. The OAS provides substantial overhead and management support for YABT, which enables YABT to put more of its resources into fulfilling its mission instead of addressing administrative matters.