Overview
Miller Center has been a leader in the global social entrepreneurship movement for more than 25 years. Based at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley, it leverages a proven model that unites executive mentors, world-class programs, and a heritage of social justice to support social entrepreneurs. Since 1997, it has accelerated 1,600 social enterprises across 100+ countries, improving an estimated 200 million lives in the first three years post-program.
Mission and focus areas
Our mission is to accelerate entrepreneurship to end poverty and protect the planet. We are focused on social enterprises working in the areas of women’s economic power and climate resilience for their disproportionate potential to eliminate poverty and the opportunities they provide to achieve outsized impact. We believe that local leadership is the most effective approach to creating lasting social change because local leaders have a deep connection to their communities and an intimate understanding of the problems they face.
Structure and governance
Miller Center is a Santa Clara University Center of Distinction, serving as a major point of interaction between the University and local and global communities. It is committed to being a learning organization that employs feedback loops and prioritizes diversity, ethics, and integrity across its staff, mentors, and partners.
Programs and offerings
Miller Center offers business accelerator programs, including an In-Residence program that brings social entrepreneurs to California for intensive support. Participants receive world-class mentorship from executive mentors to create more integrated, credible, and investable plans for scaling. Miller Center Capital, an impact investment fund, provides debt financing and investment readiness support to top-performing graduates. For students, the center provides the Miller Center Lewis Family Fellowship, paid internships, and opportunities to learn about social entrepreneurship through academic coursework and real-world experience.
Our mission is to accelerate entrepreneurship to end poverty and protect the planet
