Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

UCLA Anderson initiated Entrepreneurs of the West to create a series of oral history interviews with entrepreneurs who have played a significant leadership role in the growth and development of California and the West, and to supplement the existing historical record of their accomplishments. Participating entrepreneurs meet with a carefully supervised and trained MBA student for a recorded interview to discuss preselected topics and questions. Interviewers complete a thorough background study of the entrepreneur and his or her accomplishments to conduct as many as 10 two-hour sessions to produce the history, which, following approval by the entrepreneur, is preserved and available for use by qualified researchers. The project aims to create a positive and unique learning experience for the student interviewer, an enhanced historical perspective of business and individual entrepreneurial success, and a permanent record of the initiative and risks involved in helping to build the economy of California and the West.

Entrepreneurs of the West benefits from the rich resources of the UCLA Oral History Program, one of the nation’s oldest and most distinguished university programs in that field. The program is sponsored by the Price Center, UCLA Anderson, the UCLA Oral History Program, and the Price Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.