The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at Cal State San Bernardino announced the finalists for this year’s Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards program.

Twenty-seven entrepreneurs were selected from a pool of over 250 nominees.

The 35 semi-finalists participated in a reception on Sept. 30 sponsored by RP&B CPAs, where they interacted with the event judges. Immediately following the reception, the judges convened to select the finalists. The finalists for the event will compete for the Spirit of the Entrepreneur award in six different categories at the 19th annual awards black-tie gala on Nov. 10 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside. Winners will be announced at the event.

The 2021 Inland Empire Entrepreneurial Finalists include:

GENERAL ENTREPRENEUR

  • A&R Tarpaulins Inc. DBA AR Tech, AR Industries, Bud Weisbart, Fontana
  • Continental East Development, Inc., Lydia Percia Rattan, Murrieta
  • Inland Building Construction Companies, Inc., Lori Hyder, San Bernardino
  • StratosFuel, Inc., Jonathan Palacios-Avila, San Bernardino

HEALTHCARE ENTREPRENEUR

  • 3CHealth, Bear Simerson, Palm Desert
  • Alcam Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics, Cameron Stewart, Riverside
  • Aleph Group Inc., Jales A. Mello, Riverside
  • Arrowhead Orthopaedics, Dr. James Matiko, Redlands

MANUFACTURING ENTREPRENEUR

  • DH Casters, Mary Lyn Baker, Ontario
  • Stearns Product Development Corp DBA Proluxe, Steve Raio, Perris
  • The Sash Company, Angelique Barnum, Upland
  • U. S. Rubber Recycling, Inc., Jeff Baldassari, Colton

SERVICE-BASED ENTREPRENEUR

  • AmPac Business Capital, Hilda Kennedy, Ontario
  • In-Roads Creative Programs, Inc., Sharon Barton-Maggio, Highland
  • Murrish Maintenance Construction Services LLC, Suzie Murrish, Ontario
  • Pacific Capital Wealth Management, Chad Willardson, Corona
  • Quality Marble & Granite, Evan Cohen, Ontario
  • Social Catfish, LLC, David McClellan, Murrieta

SMALL/EMERGING ENTERPRISE

  • Arcade Coffee Roasters, Stephen Hasemeyer, Riverside
  • Lucky’s Coffee Roasters, Tyler Smith, Claremont
  • Qwiktarp Inc., Michael Edward Jones, Palm Springs
  • RHC Productions, Ali Ghassemzadeh, Eastvale
  • Stone Church Brewing, Bill Steinkirchner, Corona

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR

  • Corona Chamber of Commerce, Robert (Bobby) Spiegel, Corona
  • Gardenworksforkids, Donna M. Solomon, Yucaipa
  • Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, Katie Stice, IOM, Rancho Mirage
  • The Heart Matters Foster Family Agency, Carrie Mathews, Grand Terrace

 This year marks 19 years of celebrating The Spirit of the Entrepreneur!

 Attendees can book tickets online here with direct seat selection for the 2021 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards gala event via Ticketmaster. Ticket prices for this black-tie event range from $35 to $165 each. Limited VIP Experience Ticketing is available but goes very quickly!

About the Spirit of the Entrepreneur event founder, the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE)

The Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards was founded by the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE), which is headquartered in the Jack H. Brown College of Business & Public Administration on the beautiful campus of Cal State San Bernardino.

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 US.

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.