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The Entrepreneur Mentors
Program at the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
continues to grow and improve. The program is led by Dr. Timothy
Stearns, executive director of the Lyles Center at California State
University, Fresno.
Stearns said it is unlike other similar programs around the county, in
that it focuses on quality, not quantity. "This program is not about how
many students we have. We take an elite group and try to be impactful
with a lot of resources," he said.
The Entrepreneur Mentorship Program teaches key entrepreneurial skills
such as leadership, vision, team building, networking, and selling.
Students are provided with resources to build their skills and network
with professionals in their field.
More than twenty entrepreneurs in the community have volunteered their
time to mentor the students in the program. Each student is matched
one-on-one with a mentor that best fits their area of interest. Stearns
said the program provides connections, resources and experiences that
help the students in their entrepreneurial endeavors.
The program has been in place for five years. Last year, it developed
into a three-unit, year-long class. Students attend weekly seminars,
listen to entrepreneur presenters, participate in workshops and take two
field trips. This semester they traveled to Visalia and in the spring
semester they will visit Modesto.
Mentorship students also take a trip to San Francisco to take the
Johnson O’Connor aptitude test, the most widely used skills assessment
to help students discover natural potential and identify personal
strengths. The students in the program go through an interview process
and are selected from a pool of candidates who have made a commitment to
pursue resources and experiences that will result in the enhancement of
their entrepreneurial skills. Students network with other students and
professionals during class and are able to develop a stronger
relationship with their particular mentor.
The main goal of the Entrepreneur Mentors Program is for students to
develop skills that will prepare them to succeed professionally as
entrepreneurs. "This class is about more than learning" Stearns said.
"You can learn about entrepreneurship anywhere. This class is about
building skills in entrepreneurship."
Rather than sitting in class, a main part of the students’ grades is
their community involvement. Grades in the class are based on student’s
participation in class and with their mentor, community involvement, a
culminating project and evaluations by other students and mentors.
This year, students in the program are working with each other and their
mentors to plan and execute a $25,000 student business plan competition
that is open to Fresno State students as well as students from
participating Central Valley community colleges. "This class is a chance
for students to actively ‘pitch-in’ and add value to their
entrepreneurial skills as a group," Stearns said. "The Lyles Center
provides the space and mentoring for them to do so."
For more information, contact the Lyles Center at 559.294.2045.
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