Mission

To help innovators and businesses of all sizes succeed by delivering exceptional entrepreneurial, educational, and workforce development resources.

Vision

To foster a culture of regional innovation where community members, entrepreneurs, and companies are empowered to solve today’s biggest problems.

Awards & Recognition

INBIA 2019 Incubator of the Year
2018 RANKING
INBIA 2018 Incubator of the month
Impact Chamber Award 2017

Our Values

We Prioritize Collaboration

We believe that great ideas are best nurtured in an environment where people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and areas of expertise can work side by side. At every level of business — from startup support to workforce development — the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation encourages, enables and practices collaboration. By being team-oriented and community-centered, we strive to help everyone we work with get further, faster.

We Act with Integrity

We believe in delivering the highest quality support, resources, and programming possible to everyone we serve. We aim for transparency in all aspects of our work, and take the feedback we receive — both internally and externally — to heart. By setting a standard of open and honest communication with those in our community, we are able to reflect, iterate, and improve our services in the pursuit of excellence.

We Strive for Growth

Advances in science, technology and business are nonstop, and it’s crucial that CEI keeps up. With each year since opening, we have committed to growth in big and small ways. By staying flexible and receptive to new ideas, we are able to evolve to best support our clients, partners and community.

Our Team

Tom Schumann
Tom Schumann
Executive Director
Patti DuBois
Patti DuBois
Assistant Executive Director
Ann Marie Rucker
Ann Marie Rucker
CEI Program Coordinator
Johnna Vande Vegte
Johnna Vande Vegte
CEI LabForce Project Coordinator
Carly Figman
Carly Figman
Community Engagement Coordinator
Alexis Kahe
Alexis Kahe
Digital Marketing Coordinator
Rachel_Miller_Circle_Headshot-1
Rachel Miller
CEI LabForce Lab Technician
austin_cottarel2-1
Austin Cottarel
CEI Lab Technician

Industry Experts

Russ Yelton
Russ Yelton
Workforce Development Consultant
Cindy Kjos
Cindy Kjos
Project Manager
Phil Camillo
Phil Camillo
Learning Management Systems Director
aaronbare_updated_headshot
Aaron Bare
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Consultant
Robert Mitchell
Robert Mitchell
Curriculum Consultant

Executive Leadership

Dr. Steven R. Gonzalez
Dr. Steven R. Gonzalez
Interim Chancellor
Maricopa Community Colleges
Dr. Amy Diaz
Dr. Amy Diaz
Interim President
GateWay Community College
Kristen Gubser
Kristen Gubser
Associate Vice President of Workforce Strategy & External Affairs
GateWay Community College

CEI a proud to be a division of GateWay Community College, a Maricopa Community College

GWCC

GateWay Community College has built a legacy of innovation, pioneering vision and responsiveness to the needs of our community: the first technical college in Arizona; first to use community advisory committees; first to tailor courses to the needs of business and industry; first to offer classes at off-campus locations; even the first to install a computer. From a humble beginning in the former Korrick's Department Store downtown, Maricopa Technical College has flourished for 50 years into today's GateWay.

Another first for GateWay Community College is the integration of its Maricopa Skill Center division and alignment of the SouthWest Skill Center under the college, so now all clock programs are under one college. Now the college has three campuses and two extension sites.

Together, the college offers more than 160 degree, certificate, as well as trade, technical and workforce training options to fit your life, your budget and your goals for the future. It's no coincidence our motto is, "Education that works, so you learn more, live better."

 

Maricopa Community Colleges

The Maricopa County Community College District includes ten regionally-accredited colleges – Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale, and South Mountain – and the Maricopa Corporate College, serving more than 200,000 students with two-year degrees, certificates, and university transfer programs.

Maricopa Community Colleges is committed to providing quality, accessible education to as many members of the community as possible.

Partnerships That Empower the Community

As the largest workforce educator in Arizona, MCCCD is committed to the economic development of the state and local communities, and Maricopa serves the government and business institutions in the Phoenix metro area, Maricopa County, and Arizona. Its Workforce Development department creates initiatives to provide skilled individuals who are workforce-ready and who add to the economic wellness of Phoenix businesses. Additionally, the entire Maricopa Community Colleges system is one of the largest employers in the Phoenix area further contributing to economic prosperity in our communities.