2023 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards Gala

FOUNDER AND PRESENTER OF THE SPIRIT OF THE ENTREPRENEUR In 2003, the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at California State University San Bernardino, founded the annual “Spirit of the Entrepreneur” Awards Program in the Inland Empire. Now in its 21st year, the awards reflect our passionate belief that the Inland Empire community should honor and reward the entrepreneurial men and women who innovate, take risks, and build businesses that contribute significantly to our local economy. The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at Cal State San Bernardino is the largest and most experienced organization in the Inland Empire dedicated to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurship on campus for the Jack H. Brown College of Business & Public Administration’s School of Entrepreneurship, and within the community throughout the Inland Southern California region. Established in 1999, the IECE has served over 173,000 individuals and business owners with comprehensive business counseling, mentoring, innovative training programs, and engaging events. These services have resulted in the creation and retention of nearly 42,000 jobs and an economic impact of $534 million. The center is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and continues to expand its reach to all business owners to support them through the post-pandemic repopulation and beyond. The top-tier segments of the IECE include the Women’s Business Centers IEWBC.org & CVWBC.org, the Small Business Development Center (IESBDC) and the Cross Border E-Commerce-Asia program (CBEC Asia), and the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards. To learn more about IECE and all of the programs available visit, entre.csusb.edu.