Michael D. Ames

Michael D. Ames is Professor of Management, Emeritus, California State University Fullerton (“CSUF”), and Chairman of the Board, CSUF Center for Entrepreneurship. He founded CSUF’s entrepreneurship concentrations, its Center for Entrepreneurship, and greatly expanded CSUF’s Small Business Institute. He is a Fellow of the Small Business Institute national association.

California State University, Fullerton's Small Business Institute fields dozens of student Consulting teams every year that help new ventures and small businesses succeed. The teams are supported by over 700 active resident entrepreneurs, volunteers and mentors. Their field work “cases” have won many national awards. Today, cumulative community outreach to small businesses and new venture startups exceeds 2,750 cases and 800,000 hours by teams and supporters.

The Center for Entrepreneurship’s vision is to inspire and educate young people to think entrepreneurially while supporting startups and emerging companies in our community. Understand from the start that we believe entrepreneurship is not just about making money. It is about taking personal responsibility for strengthening our democratic institutions, becoming better citizens and building our future. It is about the courage to innovate and the wisdom to build rather than destroy. It is about self reliance and hard work to serve worthwhile ends.

We teach, coach and lead the principled, cross-disciplinary practice of entrepreneurship. We believe that, through determined practice, leadership and team work, our students, faculty, clients, volunteers and alums can systematically recombine the new and the old to forge new ventures, create an entrepreneurial culture, and dramatically benefit our community.

The entrepreneurial inspiration and education we provide you in the books and videos listed on this page distill a fifty-year track record of self reliance, hard work, and belief in the value of entrepreneurial action. Take advantage of our invaluable resources. To request a list of recommended books written by other authors, contact us at sbiames@fullerton.edu

View the 12 Parable of the Pipes video demonstrations for free! They are playlisted in two locations:

CSUF Center for Entrepreneurship’s YouTube channel. (Select Playlists and Parable of the Pipes).

Pathways to Success Press’ YouTube Channel. Go to https://www.youtube.com/@pathwaystosuccesspress9262