Coachella Valley Women's Business Center staff and business counselors supporting local entrepreneurs

About CVWBC

Elevating Business Owners Fueled by Passion and Purpose

Wherever you are on your entrepreneurial journey, we can help, through our expert mentors, training, and more.

Who We Are

The Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center, a program of the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship at the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), was founded in 2006 by Mike Stull, with Michelle L. Skiljan serving as the founding director and Paula Bahamon as assistant director.

Our mission is simple and powerful:

To empower the women of the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center to become successful and financially independent through entrepreneurship.

At every stage of building and expanding a business, the CVWBC is here to counsel, teach, encourage, and inspire.

Founder- Mike Stull

Mike brings more than 30 years of entrepreneurial and business experience across both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. He currently serves as the Director of the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship (RLCE) at CSUSB, Chair of the Department of Management, and Academic Director for the Randall W. Lewis School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

• Ranked #4 graduate entrepreneurship program in the U.S. by The Princeton Review & Entrepreneur Magazine
• Recipient of the National Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Award (2010) from USASBE.
 • Named one of the top 35 entrepreneurship programs globally (2017) by AACSB International

He has also been widely recognized for excellence in entrepreneurship education and was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) award by Ernst & Young.

Michelle Skiljan served as the founding Director of the Inland Empire Women’s Business Center through 2022. During her leadership, the IEWBC:

• Raised nearly $5 million in federal and match funding
• Trained more than 45,000 workshop participants
 • Provided one-on-one counseling to 3,452 business owners
 • Generated over $17 million in regional economic impact

Michelle has been honored with multiple awards, including:
 • 2014 Corporate Entrepreneur Award – NAWBO Inland Empire
 • Community Bridge Builder Award (2007)
 • Women’s Business Center Director of the Year – U.S. SBA District IX

Funding Disclosures

Federal Share: $150,000 (25%)
Non-Federal Share: $456,000 (75%)
Total Program Cost: $606,000 (100%)

Federal funding disclosure of the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center in accordance with Section 632 of Public Law 117-328.