UC Berkeley Is a Powerhouse for Entrepreneurs Interested In Building Things, Especially For Women

Won't this surprise you!  UC Berkeley graduates have founded more venture-backed companies than undergraduate alumni from any other university in the world, according to the 2024 PitchBook university rankings. 

Venture capital is paying attention to Berkeley-generated companies. And they claim they are just getting started.

Big note:  Berkeley was ranked first for female graduates who started businesses, first for female-founded companies and first for the amount of capital raised by women. 

“That UC Berkeley is No. 1 globally across five major categories, including three for female founders, shows how Berkeley continues to light the way, and we do so inclusively,” [Laura] Hassner [executive director of UC Berkeley Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Berkeley Changemaker] said.

Women and Entrepreneurs of Color Are Flocking to Entrepreneurship

What's the biggest rival for businesses?  Self-employed individuals, better known as entrepreneurs.  They are creating jobs and economic opportunity.

According to recent research by Gusto in its New Business Owner Survey, 36% of entrepreneurs said they started their business after voluntarily quitting their job. 

One of the key trends from the survey is that women and entrepreneurs of color are flocking to entrepreneurship.  

Founders of new businesses were much likely to be Black, Hispanic, and female in 2020 and 2021 than in 2019. In 2019, 28% of new business owners were women, versus 49% in 2021. And in 2019, Black or African American entrepreneurs made up less than 3% of entrepreneurs; by 2021 that share had tripled to 9%.

New business creation is making a comeback.  Why not control your destiny?

Entrepreneurs Always Spot Opportunity, Especially In Times of Disruption

The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has presented both dramatic disruption and unique opportunities. In fact, more American entrepreneurs report seeing increasingly more business opportunities despite the economic challenges of the pandemic, according to research from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM).

Read on to examine entrepreneurship – positive perceptions of starting a business and a world still rich with opportunities.

Work Less for More Success

How many times have you said to someone, "I am working my a*^ off but I love what I am doing!"  But what if I told you that rest is as important as work?  Yes, according to the article below, rest will really propel you to new efficiency heights.

The answer isn't to forego work for sleep or vice versa. It's to make sure you have the right amount of time for both. By learning to work smarter, you can become a better leader -- and a healthier one, too. Here are four ways to work less and achieve more.

Read:  4 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Work Less For More Success

What the World Needs Now is ... More Entrepreneurs

According to Dell, the world needs 600 million new jobs by 2025 to handle the growing working-age population. Those jobs, Michael Dell points out, aren't likely to come from big corporations like Dell, but instead from entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Rhonda Abrams says, "if you think that small companies and start-ups can change the world, you're not alone."

"Nothing will build a country out of poverty more quickly than jobs," said [Elizabeth] Gore [former Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) for the United Nations Foundation and now EIR for Dell]. "And entrepreneurs create 70 to 90 percent of jobs worldwide. In turn, that supports building a health infrastructure, leads to better governance, and focuses on what people need to succeed."

Read more:  Why the world needs entrepreneurs

Screenshot:  Elizabeth Gore

Intuit Gets It

Intuit has announced a small business “stimulus package” that will provide the 27 million small businesses around the country with a monetary boost totaling $1,000 per small business and more than $350,000 in grants and donations.

They are doing their part to give us entrepreneurs and small business owners the support we need.

Read more about Intuit's offerings here.