Oct 29, 2024 New director appointed to Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute

Oct. 29, 2024 - This Fall semester, a new director is at the helm of the Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute (ESBI) in the Martin V. Smith (MVS) School of Business & Economics at CSUCI. Associate Professor of Management, Maria Ballesteros-Sola, DBA, MBA is thrilled to assume the new role. She said, "I am excited to keep building on the work done by my predecessors. My focus will be on cultivating an entrepreneurial socially oriented mindset in our students regardless of their major by providing tools, mentorship, connections and experiential learning and research opportunities." 

The ESBI enables CSUCI students to work with and learn from local business leaders and design, launch and run their own businesses. The ESBI stresses learning through experience, providing a wealth of opportunities to interact with the business community, with a special emphasis on businesses involving some element of STEM.

Susan Andrzejewski, Ph.D., Dean of the MVS School of Business & Economics, said, "We are thrilled to have Dr. Ballesteros-Sola, assume the role of Director of the Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute (ESBI). In addition to being an award-winning scholar and educator, Dr. Ballesteros-Sola co-founded several organizations including B Academics, demonstrating her commitment to fostering innovative business models. She also served in different local, national and international boards, including CI's partner Women Economics Ventures. Her extensive work in the areas of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and B (Benefit) Corporations, combined with her industry experience in marketing, financial services and management consulting, will undoubtedly serve her well in this role."

As the director, Ballesteros-Sola will use her experience working with the business community and her innovative teaching style to bring students new learning experiences to build their skills.

"I am also keen on expanding our social impact-related work. Ultimately, we aim to create a welcoming hub for students, faculty, staff, alumni and our community partners connected to the vibrant entrepreneurial and small business ecosystem in the Central Coast and the CSU-system. We have a packed agenda for the coming months, so I encourage everyone to reach out and get involved," she said.

Andrzejewski continued, "Under her leadership, I'm confident that the ESBI will continue to offer students across all disciplines exceptional opportunities to gain hands-on experience working with local business leaders and developing their own ventures." 

To learn more about the Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute reach out to [email protected] or [email protected].