Nomination period opens for 2025 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards

Do you or someone you know show the spirit of an entrepreneur? The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) is now accepting nominations for the 23rd Annual Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards.

Nominees are evaluated based on their innovation, leadership, performance, character, and entrepreneurial mindset. The nominee must also be an owner(s) and/or active key manager(s) of the firm and be primarily responsible for the overall performance of the company. Self-nominations are highly encouraged. Companies must be founded and headquartered within the Inland Empire California metropolitan area, in business at least 2 years, and have achieved a minimum annual revenue level of $400,000.

Dubbed “The Oscars of Business”, the Spirit Awards is a glamorous affair, complete with red carpet coverage, cocktail and VIP networking receptions, awards presentations, and a 3-course dining experience, and live entertainment.

To nominate an entrepreneur visit spiritawardsie.com/easyNomination.php. To learn more about the process and criteria visit https://spiritawardsie.com/content/nomination-process.

The deadline for 2025 nominations is August 18. This year’s event will occur on November 18, 2025, at the Riverside Convention Center.

Learn more about the Spirit of the Entrepreneur at SpiritAwardsIE.com