Calling all dreamers, thinkers, and doers!
Our mission is to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in students, regardless of their major, faculty, or staff, and to connect our campus to the vibrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in the Central Coast and beyond.
The ESBI provides the tools, mentorship, connections, and experiential learning opportunities that inspire creativity, problem-solving, and innovative thinking—valuable skills in any career path. Whether launching a startup or contributing to established organizations, we aim to empower individuals and teams to approach challenges with an entrepreneurial spirit, driving economic growth and positive social impact both locally and beyond.
Additionally, as founding members of B Academics, we actively support our county's emerging social enterprise ecosystem (SEE), which comprises stakeholders committed to using market-based solutions to address societal and environmental challenges.
ESBI remains form-agnostic, encouraging students to pursue both nonprofit and for-profit models based on their venture's mission and goals—believing that “form should follow function.” We have successfully launched both for-profit and non-profit student-run ventures.
Calling all CI entrepreneurs!
We are planning our 2026-2027 Academic Year calendar. The monthly Happy Hour with an Entrepreneur series, B Corp Case Competition, and our annual Startup Day Channel Islands (April 9th) events will be back, but we are working on new workshops and programs. Please check the "Events' section in the right menu for more information.
This Spring (2027), we will also be participating again in the annual Startup Village & PCBT Innovation Awards, the Cal Lutheran New Venture Fair, the Sunstone Startup Launch, and the largest CSU system-wide competition, so please reach out if you would like to represent our campus. Alumni are also welcome!.
We invite you to explore our different areas of activity on the sidebar menu and reach out to get involved. We would love to hear from you.
Connect with Dr. Maria Ballesteros-Sola, our director, online by appointment here or by email at maria.ballesteros-sola@csuci.edu.
Donate now to ESBI!