Micro-Enterprise Program

Palmer Center leadership present Dr. Muhammad
Yunus with the 2006 Social Entrepreneur of the
Year Award at Grameen Bank Headquarters in
Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The Palmer Center Micro-Enterprise Program was established to provide microenterprise training to poor individuals in downtown Los Angeles. Dedicated at Dr. Yunus' 2007 speech on Pepperdine's Malibu campus, the program was launched in Fall 2010.  The pilot group consisted of 16 individuals, selected from the residents of the Los Angeles Union Rescue Mission.

Participants in the Micro-Enterprise Program attend a 24 week training session, during which they learn the basic principles of financial management, business planning, and accountability. These sessions are taught by faculty and Pepperdine alumni.

Students from Pepperdine University participate as teaching fellows for the instructional components of the program and also serve as coaches for individual participants throughout the duration of the program.