The Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept and Innovation Center (EPIC) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Program provides comprehensive, in-depth mentoring support to entrepreneurs seeking business and market development, capital funding, and operations management support. UCR EPIC Mentors are recognized for their "extreme and personalized handholding". They are experts in business formation and development. They have typically, but not exclusively, acquired entrepreneurial experience by either founding and growing a new company, leading a new business initiative at an established company, or providing functional services (e. g. legal or financial) to startups. In addition to their personalized one-on-one counseling and group “Deep Dives” (multiple mentors meet as a team) with startup venture founders, they deliver pertinent topic-focused workshops, symposia, and panels via INNOVAR, SBIR/STTR CON, the Riverside Angel Summit, the Riverside ExCITE Incubator, concentrated Accelerator programs, and special purpose events. All EPIC SBDC mentoring is delivered pro bono. Mentors may not receive compensation or maintain an equity stake in their clients.