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SAN BERNARDINO, CA – The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at Cal State San Bernardino has announced the finalists for the 2015 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards program. Award winners will be announced on November 10 at the black-tie gala at the Riverside Convention Center. Now in its 13th year, the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards event has honored the top business leaders of the Inland region since its inception in 2003.
“We continue to be amazed at the truly unique entrepreneurial success stories in the Inland Empire,” said Mike Stull, founder of the event and director of IECE. “This year’s finalists are another group of advanced companies that represent the type of innovation and risk taking that this event celebrates.”
The program will feature awards given out in nine categories, and also presentation of the 2015 “Best of the Best” award to one of the nine (9) award recipients that best exemplifies what it means to be an entrepreneur in terms of taking risks and building a successful enterprise that creates jobs and value where none existed before.
Entrepreneurial finalists for 2015 include: Consulting Entrepreneur: Mary Barnett, Another Brilliant Idea, Inc. – Corona; Patti Drinville – The PLD Group Inc. – Thousand Palms; and Virgal Woolfolk – VIRTEK Company – Menifee. The Corporate Entrepreneur includes Kathy Griset, Cibaria International, Inc. – Riverside; David J. Greiner, Greiner Buick GMC – Victorville; Antonio Myrell, Premier Medical Transportation, Inc.- Colton; and David Hsu & Ching Liu, SolarMax Technology, Inc. – Riverside.
In the Family Business category is Bud Luppino, Bud’s Tire Pros – Riverside; Mark Peabody and Larry Peabody, Peabody Engineering & Supply, Inc. – Corona; and Wesley L. Golay, Redlands Prosthetic & Orthotic Group, Inc. – Redlands.
The General Entrepreneur section includes Angela Weymar & Tony Di Guglielmo, ICON Vehicle Dynamics, LLC – Riverside; DeAnne Stidham – LuLaRoe – Corona; and Jeff Van Dam, That Solar Guy – Murrieta.
The Innovator/Technology Entrepreneur includes Shahriar “Nick” Niakan, Advanced Flow Engineering, Inc. – Corona; David Bertolini – HotelRSV – Murrieta; and Eddie Rowland – Nexbelt LLC – Rancho Cucamonga. The Manufacturing Entrepreneur includes Taylor Hale, Crown Paper Converting, Inc. – Ontario; Dave Grimes, Edge Plastics Inc. / ODI Grips – Riverside; and Jack Fovell, Southwest Sign Co. – Corona.
The Service Based Entrepreneur includes Daniel Hallisey, Artic Mechanical, Inc. – Rancho Cucamonga; Cory Chalmers, Crime Scene Steri-Clean, LLC – Rancho Cucamonga; and Manuel Acosta, Pepe’s Towing Service – Moreno Valley. The Small/Emerging Enterprise consists of Don Gilmartin, APRIS Fire & Water Restoration – Corona; Nathan Greenberg, Arkside Marketing, Inc. – Riverside; and Gene Sherman – Vocademy – The Makerspace – Riverside. Lastly the Social Entrepreneur consists of Jed Davis, HomeStrong USA – Rancho Cucamonga; Dr. Temetry A. Lindsey, Inland Behavioral and Health Services, Inc. – San Bernardino; Damien O’Farrell, Path of Life Ministries – Riverside; and Karen DiCarlo, Santa Claus, Inc. of Greater San Bernardino – San Bernardino.
The finalists and award recipients are selected by an independent panel of judges consisting of past Spirit Award recipients. The 29 finalists represent the culmination of a nomination and evaluation process that included more than 130 nominees.
Individual tickets for the Nov. 10 event are $110 per person and tables of 10 can be purchased for $1,000. Special Premier VIP experience ticket packages are also available. For more information or to make reservations, call (909) 537-3708 or visit www.spiritawardsie.com
Commencing at 5:30 p.m., the gala includes a cocktail reception, dinner, special entertainment guests and the awards presentation. All proceeds benefit the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Scholarship at Cal State San Bernardino.
