Zero-to-Entrepreneur: Spring 2025
Registrations For Spring 2025 Are Now Open - Applications Close May 15th, 2025
Turn Your Idea into a Real Business—At No Cost
Have a business idea but don’t know how to launch it? Whether you're a working professional, UCR student, or a local community member, Zero-to-Entrepreneur provides the knowledge, mentorship, and funding opportunities to help you build a technology-driven startup. This free 6-month program is designed to take you from idea to execution, with expert-led training, personalized mentorship, and access to startup resources.
What You'll Gain
- Expert-Led Entrepreneurship Training – Learn how to validate your business idea, understand your target market, and develop a winning value proposition through engaging lessons led by the expert mentors of UCR EPIC
- Individualized Mentorship – Work one-on-one with experienced Entrepreneurs-in-Residence who will guide you through every step of your startup journey.
- Networking Opportunities – Build valuable connections with industry professionals, fellow entrepreneurs, and potential collaborators.
- Flexible Learning Schedule – Complete most coursework online at your own pace, with occasional in-person or live virtual sessions. Accommodations can be made for work and life commitments.
- Hands-On Experience – Receive up to 20 hours of in-person training in UCR’s cutting-edge labs: the Center for Environmental Research Technology or the Plant Transformation Research Center depending upon your business focus.
- Comprehensive Online Training – Access up to 40 hours of expert-led online instruction covering key topics in entrepreneurship, agriculture technology, and sustainable transportation.
- Funding Opportunities – Pitch your startup idea for a chance to win up to $20,000 to help launch or grow your business. Additional accelerator resources are available through UCR’s Office of Technology Partnerships.
- University Recognition – Participants will receive UCR Extension course credit and certificates of completion for the introductory entrepreneurial course and courses in the agricultural and transportation pathways. Participants who complete all of the courses in either the agricultural or transportation pathways will receive a Certificate from UCR Extension.
- Cost-Free Program – All training, mentorship, and resources are provided at no cost to participants.
How the Program Works
Phase 1: INNOVAR Entrepreneur Program (May - August 2025)
Your startup journey begins with the INNOVAR Entrepreneur Program, a 10-week course designed to help you:
✔ Validate your business idea through customer discovery and market research
✔ Develop a strong value proposition to solve real-world problems
✔ Create a business model that aligns with your vision and market demand
✔ Learn from expert mentors on strategy, operations, and growth
✔ Pitch your idea at the Final Pitch Competition on August 20, 2025, where $20,000 in support will be awarded to top ideas
The INNOVAR Course (MGTX464) begins May 28th, 2025 and ends August 6th, 2025. Final pitch presentations at UCR on Wednesday, August 20th, 2025 from 5:30pm- 7:30 pm.
Phase 2: Optional Technical Courses (September – November 2025)
After completing INNOVAR, your program manager and mentor will develop a path forward. This may include more detailed courses on agriculture, transportation, or other options. Some of the potential courses are listed below:
- Basics of Plant Biology and Physiology (BPSCX461): September 1, 2025 - October 10th, 2025. Virtual meetings every Wednesday at 5-6pm
- Sustainable Transportation Solutions and Community Impact Mitigation (ENGRX482): dates TBD. In-person commitments are every Saturday 12-4PM at the CE-CERT Lab in Riverside, along with several field trips to happen during the week
- Introduction to Sustainable Transportation and Associated Community Impacts (ENGRX481): dates TBD. Online asynchronous courses and virtual meetings every Thursday at 5-6pm.
- Advanced Controlled Environmental Agriculture (BPSCX463.A): October 13th, 2025 - November 21st, 2025. Virtual meetings every Thursday at 5-6PM. In-person commitments are TBD.
- Advanced Plant Biology Laboratory (BPSCX463): October 13th, 2025 - November 21st, 2025. In-person commitments are every Saturday 1-5PM at the Plant Transformation Research Center Lab at UCR.
- Controlled Environmental Agriculture (BPSCX462): September 1, 2025 - October 10th, 2024. Virtual meetings every Thursday at 5-6pm.
Learn more about the Modern Agriculture Certificate Classes by clicking here.
Learn more about the Sustainable Transportation Certificate Classes by clicking here.
Why Consider the Agriculture Track?
Inland Southern California—which includes Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial County, and Coachella Valley—is rapidly evolving into a prime location for agriculture-focused startups and innovation. Even if you don’t yet have a business idea, the agriculture track offers valuable skills and access to a growing industry full of opportunity.
By participating in the agriculture track, you’ll gain specialized knowledge and hands-on experience in one of the region’s fastest-growing sectors—positioning yourself to tap into the immense potential of Inland Southern California’s evolving agtech landscape.
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Abundant Space for Agricultural Development
The region boasts vast open land and rural areas ideal for farming, agtech testing, and greenhouse development. This abundance of space offers startups the flexibility to scale operations, experiment with sustainable farming techniques, and develop infrastructure without the high costs of urban centers.
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Ideal Climate for Year-Round Agriculture
Inland Southern California’s mild winters and long growing seasons create the perfect environment for agricultural productivity and innovation. The region’s climate supports a wide variety of crops and allows for continuous farming cycles, which is advantageous for both traditional agriculture and advanced agtech systems like controlled environment agriculture (CEA).
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Emerging Agricultural Resources
New developments such as Riverside’s forthcoming Northside Agriculture Innovation Center signal the region’s growing commitment to climate-resilient agriculture and food innovation. This 8.8-acre facility will feature solar-powered greenhouses and advanced farming systems, serving as a hub for sustainable agriculture, local food production, and economic growth.
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Supportive Innovation Ecosystem
Inland Southern California is building a strong network of research institutions, innovation centers, and entrepreneurial resources tailored to support startups in agriculture and related fields. This collaborative environment fosters innovation, facilitates access to funding and mentorship, and connects entrepreneurs with valuable industry partners.
Flexible Class Schedule
Both Zero-to-Entrepreneur programs are a combination of online and in-person curriculum. Phase 1 of the course is a hybrid online course and offers the flexibility to study the curriculum at your own pace, while Phase 2 commences in September and lasts 10 weeks with a combination of in-person and virtual classes.
Receive Course Credit
Participants will receive UCR Extension course credit and certificates of completion for the introductory entrepreneurial course and courses in the agricultural and transportation pathways. Participants who complete all of the courses in either the agricultural or transportation pathways will receive a Certificate from UCR Extension.
Funding Opportunities
You will also have the opportunity to pitch your startup idea to UCR'S Office of Technology Partnerships for entry into one of UCR’s incubator programs and win up to $20,000 to further develop your business idea.
Who Should Apply?
- You have a tech startup idea but need guidance to develop it.
- You're an entrepreneur looking to validate and refine your business model.
- You want to build a company while balancing work, school, or other commitments.
- You're interested in agriculture technology or exploring new venture opportunities.
- You live in Inland Southern California and are at least 18 years old.
Key Dates & Events
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Applications Close: May 15, 2025
- Info Session & Mixer: April 12, 2025 | 10 AM – 12 PM | ExCITE Riverside (3600 Lime St Building 7 Suite 725, Riverside, CA 92501)
- Meet instructors, network with fellow entrepreneurs, and learn how the program can help you succeed. Click here for more event information.
- Mandatory Program Orientation: May 26, 2025 | 5:30 PM – 7 PM | Online
Apply Now & Learn More By Clicking Here
Your startup journey starts here - apply today!
Zero-to-Entrepreneur Success Story
From the Land – Turning Innovation into Impact
From the Land is transforming local food systems through energy-efficient indoor micro-farms, designed to boost food security and sustainability. Their flagship project, The Littlest Big Farm, launched in partnership with Huerta del Valle, serves as a model for scalable, community-based agriculture.
Dr. Gina Oliver and Richard Hutchison's journey began in the 2023 Zero-to-Entrepreneur program, where they validated their business idea through the INNOVAR Entrepreneur course, refined their pitch with expert mentorship, and aligned their mission with real-world demand. From the Land went on to win the 2023 SoCal OASIS™ Pitch Challenge and secured $250,000 from the Catalyst Fund, enabling the launch of their first micro-farm.
Ready to turn your idea into a thriving business just like them? Apply now to join the next Zero-to-Entrepreneur cohort.
Next Steps For Registration Process
After you've submitted your application via the Google Form in the above link, the next steps in the registration process are to complete your application on the UCR Extension website, acquire your UCR NetID, and set up your required accounts. For the complete list of instructions, please visit this page and bookmark for reference:
Zero-to-Entrepreneur Certificate Program: Complete Your Registration
*Please note: Your registration is not complete until your UCR Extension application is complete, and you need to set up your NetID, Multi-Factor Authentication, eLearn, and Zoom accounts prior to the start of classes.
If you have any questions, concerns or would like to follow-up on the status of your registration, please feel free to contact The Office of Technology Partnerships at tp@ucr.edu or Nicole Cleary at nicoled@ucr.edu.