The Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship shapes the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. We offer hands-on experience and an immediately useful education about the process and importance of entrepreneurial enterprises. With a pronounced focus on the particular needs of ambitious visionaries, our programs equip you with knowledge and resources to launch a successful business.
The UCI Stella Zhang New Venture Competition offers you the opportunity to form a team, launch a startup and potentially fund a business idea – all within seven months. The competition is open to all UCI students, staff members and researchers as well as community members. Teams compete for $100,000 in cash prizes plus additional professional services!
Faculty Director
Imran Currim
A world-renowned expert in the design and marketing of products and services, Imran Currim, faculty director of the Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, has published more than 50 articles in top journals and has consulted and conducted projects and executive education for more than 100 companies. Currim’s professional journey has its roots in innovation and entrepreneurship: As a young man in India, he developed two startups in the product (umbrellas) and service (auto rental) spaces.
Under Currim’s leadership, the Beall Center has focused on the development of curriculum and new programs on innovation and entrepreneurship; a new Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the first of its kind of the University of California system; an undergraduate minor; and certificate programs for Merage graduate and undergraduate students. Previously, Currim was the Merage School’s associate dean overseeing master’s, executive, undergraduate and doctoral programs.
Currim is a distinguished professor of marketing at UCI, a title that is the highest campus-level distinction and reserved for senior faculty who have achieved peak levels of scholarship over the course of their careers. He was also awarded the Distinguished Faculty Leadership Award, one of the premier commendations bestowed by the UCI Academic Senate.
Currim earned a BE in electrical engineering from the Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute of the University of Bombay, India; an MBA from the University of Wisconsin; and MS (statistics) and PhD (business) degrees from Stanford University. He has also taught at UCLA, New York University and Yale.
We gratefully acknowledge the contribution that Don Beall and Ken Beall have made to the center. We also recognize the following individuals who generously give their time and resources in support of the center and our programs.
Pamina Barkow, Orange County Pain Management
Ken Beall, Dartbrook Partners, LLC
Jacob Kong, Experian
Ken & Carla Neeld, Delphi Display Systems
Mary Patrick Kavanaugh, Soka University
Matt Bailey, Orange County Community Foundation
Isabelle Bart, RevHub OC
Juiling & Shengfa Johnson, Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Mary Patrick Kavanaugh, Soka University
Howard Mirowitz, Cove Fund
Fiza & Mansoor Shah
Dr. Emanuel Shaoulian, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Numan Siddiqi, Baker Hostetler
Alfred Somekh, GEHR Corporation
Michael Wong, Genea
Catherine Zhou, EcoKMC
Ahmed Zobi, Syntr Health Technologies, Inc.
Rahul Abhyankar
Matt Hanson, Beall Applied Innovation
Roz Huang, Dandelion Global
Cynthia Kirkeby, IntelliTwin
Simon Loo, GE Grid Solutions
M.K. Raheja
Matthew & Lily Sand, 3DEO
Jason Stern, Gift of Time
Dan Jenkins, Monet Networks
David Ochi, Innovation Incubator at Cal State Dominguez Hills
Larry Wilk, UCI Paul Merage School of Business
“A vibrant entrepreneurial educational environment combined with an engaged business ecosystem is critical to creating a region which will deliver strong job growth and an innovative corporate community.” - Ken Beall, Advisory Board Chair
At the Beall Center, you can take your bright ideas from conception to launch and gain the skills to lead a viable and profitable venture. Southern California is rich in resources and opportunities for startups and entrepreneurial ventures, and our programs contribute to that reputation. Within our immersive experiences, you receive useful training, hands-on experience, resources and support, along with valuable connections with our partners and broad network of executives, entrepreneurs and investors.
Industrious, creative and successful business innovators from every industry continuously work with us to provide new opportunities and to bring educational and innovative experiences to the entrepreneurial community and our students.
If you have suggestions for a new program or would like to partner with us on an event, please contact Jenn Huynh.
Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Thinking about pursuing that great idea and turning it into a business? How about launching a new product or service within an established company? What about launching or scaling a social enterprise?
The Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MIE) program is the first and only program of its kind in the UC system, and provides extensive integrated and immersive academic and practical experience for students looking to embark on careers as entrepreneurs (innovating to form new companies) and intrapreneurs (innovating within existing companies). The program provides students with knowledge on core topics on the process of innovation and entrepreneurship, including identifying new venture opportunities through lean startup methodology, developing a business model, preparing a business plan, assembling a team, raising the necessary financing including venture capital, and launching a new business. It is also rich in experiential learning opportunities within the UCI entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Undergraduate Minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Whether your dream is to be an entrepreneur innovating to form new companies or an intrapreneur innovating within existing companies, the Undergraduate Minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship helps you gain the knowledge and practical experience to achieve your career goals. We train you in core topics on the process of innovation and entrepreneurship such as Planning a New Venture, Lean Startup Methodology, Venture Capital, Private Equity,and more. In this program, you are strongly encouraged to apply your acquired skills in the New Venture Competition and internships.
For course descriptions, prerequisites, and enrollment restrictions, please visit the Undergraduate Course Catalog.
Undergraduate Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
As an undergraduate student, pursuing the Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers you an opportunity to put your entrepreneurial skills to the test. The hands-on experience and core topics covered provide you an extra edge which can make all the difference in your success in opportunities after graduation.
To be eligible for this certificate, you must be a UCI undergraduate student enrolled in either the Business Administration or Business Information Management major.
1. Participation in the Merage School's New Venture Competition
2. Enroll in and pass two approved Innovation/Entrepreneurship courses.
You are encouraged to check with the Undergraduate Programs Office on enrollment limits and criteria for each requirement. For course descriptions, prerequisites, and enrollment restrictions, please visit the Undergraduate Course Catalog.
MBA Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
As an MBA student, pursuing the MBA Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers you an opportunity to put your entrepreneurial skills to the test. The hands-on experience you will gain through the competition will give you an extra edge which can make all the difference in your entrepreneurial endeavors.
Merage School graduate students (FTMBA, FEMBA, EMBA, HCEMBA, MSEM and MSBTM) are eligible to pursue meeting requirements for this certificate.
1. Participation in the Merage School's New Venture Competition
2. Enroll in and pass two approved Innovation/Entrepreneurship courses.
You are encouraged to check with your program office on enrollment limits and criteria for each requirement. For course descriptions, prerequisites, and enrollment restrictions, please visit our Graduate Course Catalog.
“Participating in New Venture Competition is the single most rewarding experience in my MBA journey. I befriended many mentors in different fields that continue to guide me through my career. The knowledge I gained expanded my entrepreneurial spirit and enabled me to visualize my business and career from a holistic point of view.” - Simon Loo, FEMBA '17
“Participating in The New Venture Competition gave my team and I the opportunity to experience all the highs and lows of bringing a startup to life. Not only were we able to gain real life skills in creating a pitch deck, conducting market research, and public speaking; we also learned how to better collaborate as a team and become leaders. NVC was the best catalyst Nutripair could have had to begin our journey into the market.” - Catlin Tran, business economics & management minor, class of 2023, 1st place winner in business services track in Stella Zhang NVC 2022
There are many opportunities within the Beall Center for successful entrepreneurs and business executives to share knowledge and experiences with the next generation of entrepreneurs:
Become a Mentor
As a mentor during the annual New Venture Competition, you work with a student team from February to May. You set expectations and provide structure while creating an environment for success.
Become a Speaker
Business leaders and innovators like you frequently headline our Beall Center presentations, including the quarterly speaker series, Beall Center Bashes, New Venture Competition workshops and other events.
Invest in Our Future
Support the Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship by sponsoring events such as the New Venture Competition, speaker series and more. The center’s programming depends on the generosity of the business community, and your contributions make a big impact on the work we do.
The New Venture Competition, presented annually by the Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Merage School, will be known as The Stella Zhang New Venture Competition for the next five years (2021-2026).
The Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The UCI Paul Merage School of Business hosts the annual New Venture Competition (NVC). This year, nearly 100 concepts were whittled down to ten finalists and ultimately Shaka, a culture-building app for workplaces, reigned supreme.
Gina Heitkamp, MBA ’14 and her sister Jenae launched Gengirl Media Inc.
Merage-born startup myHealthToday has launched a health management service for senior patients called MyHealthJournal.
Zarina Bahadur MIE ’20, built Baby Box to help new parents shop for their growing family. She is the first Master of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MIE) student to win the New Venture Competition.
Anderson, a veteran and founder of The Green Beret Foundation, hopes to inspire innovators to new heights by helping them visualize their designs.
ELF Therapeutics won two categories at this year's New Venture Competition with it's fat-zapping device. The team was just one of 54 teams out of 106 who advanced to the final round of the competition, which is hosted by the Beall Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the UCI Paul Merage School of Business.
BEALL CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Jenn Huynh
Program Manager
949.824.1172
jennh@uci.edu
Imran Currim
Faculty Director
949.824.8368
beall.center@merage.uci.edu
