In Spring of 2021, the Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) at the University of California, Berkeley, was awarded a grant of more than $333,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation to launch a two-year Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program. The new initiative expands Berkeley undergraduate research, advocacy and internship experiences that focus on how small businesses, especially those that are POC (People of Color)- and women-owned, are faring across California and what can be done to strengthen them. IGS’s Diversity and Entrepreneurship initiative brings resources and attention to the political and economic challenges faced by diverse entrepreneurs and the need to ensure an equitable recovery in the post-COVID-19 commercial landscape.
The Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program includes hands-on research and summer internship experiences for Cal undergraduates focused on diverse entrepreneurship and small businesses, along with academic instruction in diversity, entrepreneurship, and California policy. Students receive training and mentorship from Berkeley graduate students and other experts in the field, and an opportunity to present their findings at a research symposia in the fall. The goal of the program is to build a diverse cohort of future civic and political leaders who understand the challenges and opportunities facing women- and POC-owned small businesses and who are committed to promoting entrepreneurship in diverse communities through public policy, advocacy, and other forms of creative engagement.
In the summer of 2021, our inaugural cohort of D&E Fellows conducted research on racial disparities in access to PPP loans, sustainability practices of small businesses, social equity programs for POC cannabis entrepreneurs, and much more. Students presented their research at IGS's October 2021 research symposium. Read more about their research projects below!
CONGRATULATIONS to our 2022 & 2023 cohort of Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellows!
2023 Cohort of Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellows
Beck Tran | Ethan Kim | Fatima Jara | Fiona Volger |
Kristel Casio | Matthew Aini | Molly Jacoby | Sofia Greenwald |
Tristan Keene | Vivian Yu | ||
2022 Cohort of Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellows
Alexis Aguilar | Allyson Velez | Ayline Ruelas | Cindy Nguyen |
Jackson Smith | Jenifer Lopez Osorio | Jennifer Serrano | Jose Gonzalez Ramirez |
Lesly Castro | Michelle Yiu | Rebecca Tran | Sam Greenberg |
Shaily Bajracharya | Sidney Carrigan | Tristan Shaughnessy | Yvette Hernandez |
More information about 2022 D&E Fellows' research projects is coming soon!