The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at Cal State San Bernardino has announced the finalists for the 2023 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards program. Thirty-two entrepreneurs were selected from a pool of more than 250 nominees. Forty-one semi-finalists participated in a reception on October 4 at Garner Holt Productions, Inc. in Redlands, CA sponsored by RP&B CPAs, where they interacted with the event judges. Immediately following the reception, the judges convened and selected the 32 finalists. The finalists will compete for the Spirit of the Entrepreneur award in seven different categories at the black-tie gala on November 15 at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside. The 2023 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Award finalists include: CORPORATE ENTREPRENEUR Cal Pacific Constructors, Inc., Kirby Hays – Riverside Columbia Aluminum Products, LLC, Drew Mumford Sr – Corona Technical Employment Training Inc., Virginia Martinez - San Bernardino Williams Furnace Company, Williams Comfort Products, Thinh Pho - Colton FOOD/HOSPITALITY/ENTERTAINMENT ENTREPRENEUR Angelo's Brick Oven Pizzeria, Angelo Catalano – Wildomar Arcade Coffee Roasters, Stephen Hasemeyer – Riverside E.A.T Marketplace, Leah Di Bernardo and Joanne Di Bernardo – Temecula Gram's BBQ Restaurant & Catering, Benita Bratton – Riverside My Healthy Penguin, Christine Holyfield - Rancho Cucamonga SkyPark at Santa's Village, Bill Johnson – Skyforest GENERAL ENTREPRENEUR A&R Tarpaulins, Inc., Bud Weisbart – Fontana California Smog Institute, CSAI Auto Service, CSAI Smog Check Center & Sage Leadership Academy, Jonathan and Patricia Summers – Riverside Composition Hospitality, Jeffrey Luchonok – Ontario H&S Transport Inc., Prospero Collado – Fontana North Shore Greenhouses, Inc., Suzette Overgaag - Thermal HEALTHCARE ENTREPRENEUR 360 Human Services, Harry Jackson – Victorville MVS, Inc. (Mountain View Services), Eric Goodman – Redlands Symons Emergency Specialties Inc. DBA Symbiosis, Jeff Grange - Redlands NONPROFIT ENTREPRENEUR Blindness Support Services, Pete Benavidez – Riverside Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce | Welborn Media, Zeb Welborn – Chino Greater Ontario Business Council, Peggi Hazlett - Ontario SERVICE-BASED ENTREPRENEUR Active IT Solutions, Inc., David Shay – Riverside Bid Fast and Last, Jeff Patterson and Johan Graham – Hesperia Biztek Solutions, Inc., Derek Anderson – Riverside Murrish Maintenance Construction Services LLC, Suzie Murrish – Ontario Shoup Legal, Andrea K. Shoup – Murrieta Tomorrow's Talent, Dale Marsden, EdD - San Bernardino SMALL/EMERGING ENTERPRISE Cinderella's Closet Your Specialty Lingerie Boutique, Dana Walker-Jackson - Rancho Cucamonga Heyward Marketing Lab, Chastity Heyward – Temecula McKell Partners Wealth Management, Mark McKell, CPA & Adam McKell, CPA- Riverside Roses Say, Rose Study - Chino Hills Vested Solutions, Vernon WyllieJames - Desert Hot Spring Attendees can RESERVE TICKETS ONLINE with direct seat selection for the 2023 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards gala event. Ticket prices range from $145 each for Gala seating to $195 each for VIP Experience seating. Dedicated VIP and Preview receptions are available to attend upon upgrade. EVENT SPONSORS The Spirit of the Entrepreneur event is presented by the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) and the Jack H. Brown College of Business & Public Administration at California State University San Bernardino and sponsored by a wide range of local organizations including: PLATINUM SPONSORS Best Best & Krieger LLP, U.S. Bank, Southern California News Group, Inland Empire Magazine and Inland Empire Business Journal GOLD SPONSORS Varner & Brandt LLP, San Bernardino County Economic Development, Wilson Ivanova CPAs, JP Morgan Chase, Riverside County Office of Economic Development and Desmond & Louis Inc. SILVER SPONSORS Pacific Premier Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Pepsico JUDGING RECEPTION SPONSOR Roorda, Piquet & Bessee, Inc. VIP RECEPTION SPONSOR - City National Bank, An RBC Company PREVIEW RECEPTION SPONSOR Bank of America AFTER PARTY SPONSOR - ROARK Financial Solutions, Inc. WINE & CHAMPAGNE SPONSOR – BBSI, Inc. ### About the Spirit of the Entrepreneur event founder – The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) In 2003, the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at California State University San Bernardino, founded the annual "Spirit of the Entrepreneur" Awards Program in the Inland Empire. Now in its 21st year, the awards are a reflection of our passionate belief that the Inland Empire community should honor and reward the entrepreneurial men and women who innovate, take risks and build businesses that contribute significantly to our local economy. IECE has been recognized internationally by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and received the Entrepreneurship Spotlight Challenge award for demonstrating leadership in creating (and incubating) cutting-edge business innovations through enriched student learning and experiential education, which ranked them among the top 35 entrepreneurship programs globally. In 2010, the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) recognized IECE as having the top specialty entrepreneurship program in the U.S. IECE offers a wide range of programs and services including academic growth support for the CSUSB School of Entrepreneurship that lead to business degrees in entrepreneurship for undergraduate and graduate students as well as delivering experiential learning and student support programs such as the Fast Pitch Competition, Innovation Challenge, Entre Technician series, and Lunch with the Entrepreneurs. In the local community, IECE offers existing and aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners a wide array of business advisory and mentoring services, consulting resources, and entrepreneurial training programs that help them achieve greater levels of success in their business ventures. For more information about IECE, visit?entre.csusb.edu.

2023 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards Finalists Announced