Finalists announced for 2021 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards

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

27 entrepreneurs were selected from a pool of over 250 nominees. The 35 semi-finalists participated in a reception on September 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 (6) different categories at the 19th annual awards black-tie gala on November 10 at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside.

The 2021 Inland Empire Entrepreneurial Finalists are:

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

The 2021 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards gala will take place November 10 at the Fox Theater in Riverside. Tickets range from $35 to $165 and can be purchased online  via Ticketmaster.