Mentor of the student finalists competing in The Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition of the Spirit of the Entrepreneur awards. As the Entrepreneur in Residence and Lecturer for the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at Cal State university San Bernardino, Steve Abbott has a distinct role with the ever-popular Spirit Awards show segment - The Fast Pitch. Starting in early fall, Steve seeks out the promising students who have a strong business idea and chooses from submissions those students who have the talent, drive, and winning ideas to compete in the Fast Pitch competition. Steve hosts the initial finalists selection round held a week before the Spirit Awards show date to determine “the Final Five” students that have earned the chance to compete for audience voted placement. Steve mentors those select students who have polished their performance pitch to deliver to an elite audience of over 800 at this formal black-tie affair!