Local Entrepreneurs Make the Final Cut!

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., October 15, 2009 – 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. The award recipients will be announced at the Nov. 18 black-tie gala at the Riverside Convention Center.

"This year's group of 23 finalists, chosen from over 90 nominees, is very impressive," said Mike Stull, director of the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship. "The Inland Empire region continues to be a hotbed for entrepreneurial activity, and our upcoming awards program recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit that each of the finalists exhibit through the businesses they've created and grown."

The 2009 Inland Empire entrepreneurial finalists include:

Service Industry Entrepreneur

• Marty Kaufman - Accent Computer Solutions, Inc., Rancho Cucamonga
• Allison MacKenzie - E.S. Babcock & Sons, Inc.,Riverside
• Mike Santana - Santana's Auto Body, Ontario

Emerging Entrepreneur

• Ben Cook - Hangar 24 Craft Brewery LLC, Redlands
• Sarah Cullins - Finesse Personnel Associates, Riverside
• Erik Ricardo - Double Barrel Environmental Services, Riverside

Technology Entrepreneur

• Steve Boland - Alta Advanced Technologies, Inc., Ontario
• Kusum and Mukund Kavia - Combustion Associates, Inc., Corona
• James Winsor & Shannon Illingworth - Automatic Vending Technologies, Inc. (AVT), Corona

Supporter of Entrepreneurship

• Robert Saenz - Inland Empire Small Business Financial Development Corporation, Ontario
• Dr. Tillquist - Riverside Community College District, Riverside

General Entrepreneur

• Mike Cachat - Jenson USA, Ontario
• Terry Shearer - Organize.com, Riverside
• Greg & Andrea Stringer - Stringer's Gift Baskets, Temecula

Social Entrepreneur

• Lois Carson - Community Action Partnership of Riverside County, Riverside
• Sheri Davis - Inland Empire Film Commission, Riverside
• Gina Vaughn-Mays - United States Veterans Initiative, Inc., Riverside

Innovator Entrepreneur

• Mike Konrad - Aqueous Technologies Corporation, Rancho Cucamonga
• Michael Pak - Vantage Vehicle International, Inc., Corona
• JD Wang - reRubber, Ontario

Family Business Entrepreneur

• Joe, Mark, & Luke Maiberger and Anne Maiberger-Kopacz - P & R Paper Supply, Redlands
• Gene, Steve, John, & Robert Tuccinardi - TMI Products, Inc., Corona
• Jeff, George, Doug & Dave Wiens - Wiens Family Cellars, Temecula

The 7th Annual Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards program is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009 at the Riverside Convention Center. Individual tickets are 0 per person, and tables of 10 can be purchased for 0. Commencing at 6 p.m., the gala includes a cocktail reception, dinner, awards and entertainment featuring Troy Clarke and his Orchestra. For more information or to make reservations, call (909) 537-3708.