The Diversity and Entrepreneurship Initiative
From 2021-2025, the Diversity and Entrepreneurship Initiative expanded Berkeley undergraduate research, advocacy and experiential learning focused on the political and economic challenges faced by diverse entrepreneurs in California. Funding for this initiative has ended, but the impacts of this work continue to resonate across the California and national landscapes. We are deeply grateful to the Wells Fargo Foundation for making the D&E Initiative possible.
About the Fellowship
The Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellowship supported rigorous undergraduate research on topics related to POC- and women-owned small businesses in California. Each year, the Matsui Center selected 10-15 students from the incoming Cal-in-Sacramento Fellowship cohort to participate in the Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellowship. Fellows received extensive research training and mentorship from UC Berkeley graduate students and other experts in the field, along with academic instruction in diversity, entrepreneurship, and California policy, and a stipend to support their research over the course of the 7-month program. 
In the fall, Fellows have the opportunity to present their findings at a research symposium.
Through rigorous training, impactful research, meaningful internships, robust community partnerships, and essential financial support, the program helped 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.
History
In Spring 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 new Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program. The new initiative was developed to support 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.
During the summers of 2021 and 2022, D&E Fellows conducted research on racial disparities in access to PPP loans, the impact of COVID on AAPI businesses, sustainability practices of small businesses, social equity programs for POC cannabis entrepreneurs, and much more. In both 2021 and 2022, Fellows presented their research at a fall research symposium.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2023, D&E Fellows worked on a team-based research project directed at understanding the barriers that women of color (WOC) entrepreneurs face when accessing capital. During the spring semester, Fellows conducted qualitative interviews with over 30 WOC entrepreneurs, exploring the intersections between their lived experiences and their ability to navigate the challenges associated with access to capital and product innovation. Over the summer, D&E Fellows analyzed interview transcripts, identified themes, and shared initial findings in the form of a research brief and public presentations that were also featured at a Fall 2023 research symposium. Read their research brief: "Closing the Wealth Gap: Removing Barriers Faced by Women of Color Entrepreneurs."
In 2024, D&E Fellows built on previous research by focusing their individual or group projects on state and federal initiatives meant to enhance equity for entrepreneurs in California and across the nation. D&E Fellows' research examined how these programs have benefitted diverse entrepreneurs and their communities; the role that equity grants, pipeline programs, and mentors play in helping women and POC business owners thrive; challenges that diverse entrepreneurs face in financing their ventures; and the impacts of various scaling opportunities and targeted programs designed to overcome these challenges.
In 2025, D&E Fellows focused their research on challenges and creative approaches used by women and POC entrepreneurs to finance and launch their small business and ways that diverse small business owners in California are being impacted by and responding to ICE raids, wildfires, and other crises facing the state.
