RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Inland Southern California’s entrepreneurs took center stage on November 12, 2026, at the Riverside Convention Center for the 24th annual Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards. With “The Ascent — Rise. Reach. Realize.” as its theme, the black-tie gala celebrated the people building businesses, pursuing new possibilities and helping shape the region’s economy.
Presented by Cal State San Bernardino, the Randall W. Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship (RLCE), and the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, and Premier Sponsor U.S. Bank, the evening brought entrepreneurs, business and civic leaders, and community members together to recognize this year’s finalists and award recipients. The event is supported by a wide range of organizations, including Premier Sponsor U.S. Bank and Diamond Sponsor Wells Fargo.
This year’s finalists emerged from a field of 256 nominations. The awards recognized achievement across eight business and industry categories, along with the Mary Anne Fox Top Female Entrepreneur Award and the Best of the Best Award, the evening’s final award, sponsored by Best Best & Krieger LLP.
2026 Award Recipients
- Emerging Entrepreneur: Benedetto Gelato (Benedetto LLC) - Andres Ferreira - Riverside
- Manufacturing Entrepreneur: Phenix Technology, Inc. - Angel Sanchez, Jr - Riverside
- General Entrepreneur: CMAX Sanitary Services - Frank Gutierrez - Ontario
- Food, Hospitality & Entertainment Entrepreneur: Sumo Dog - Jeffrey Lunak - Palm Desert
- Distribution & Specialty Commerce Entrepreneur: Cielo Blu, LLC - Kayla DiLullo - Chino
- Service-Based Entrepreneur: Wilson Ivanova Certified Public Accountants, Inc., APAC - Matthew Wilson / Maya Ivanova - San Bernardino
- Social Entrepreneur: Vet Phoenix - Manuel Gomez - Moreno Valley
- Design, Engineering/Construction & Real Estate Entrepreneur: MC Electric - Elvia Chavez - Chino
- Mary Anne Fox Top Female Entrepreneur Award: Combustion Associates, Inc. (CAI) - Kusum Kavia - Corona
- Best of the Best Award: CMAX Sanitary Services - Frank Gutierrez - Ontario
An Evening of Achievement and Possibility
Entertainment, finalist stories and student pitches carried The Ascent theme through the evening. Longtime hosts and producers Mike Stull and Stacey Allis welcomed new emcees Zack Tucker, CSUSB’s associate vice president for University Advancement, and Miranda Lee, a CSUSB entrepreneurship alumna. Stull and Allis returned for the traditional champagne toast honoring all finalists and award recipients.
The program also recognized RLCE team members for their contributions and paused for a moment of silence in remembrance of Dan Hill of Mach One Air Charters, a Spirit Awards recipient in 2013 and past Spirit Awards judge.
Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition
Five CSUSB student entrepreneurs each had 90 seconds to present a business idea in the Garner Holt Student Fast Pitch Competition. Audience members graded each pitch from their phones, giving the students an opportunity to put their ideas before the region’s entrepreneurial community.
Supported by Garner Holt of Garner Holt Productions and San Bernardino County Economic Development, the competition recognized these top three finishers who took home more than $10,000 in startup funding from the competition.:
- 1st Place: Genesis Gutierrez - Harness
- 2nd Place: Kaitlin Darnell - Lanterns' Crossing
- 3rd Place: Judah Rubin - Rally Caddy
The evening also invited guests to support the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Scholarship, connecting the celebration of today’s business leaders with educational opportunities for CSUSB students. The scholarship appeal reinforced the theme’s focus on helping others take their next step.
Following the awards and closing toast, the celebration continued at the VIP After Party in the Raincross Ballroom, sponsored by Customers Bank.
