Meet the Pacific Southwest finalists

Congratulations to our region’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 finalists, who were selected by an independent of panel judges based on their demonstration of long term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes. Regional award winners will be announced in June 2023.

[ Watch the replay of the event ]Congratulations to the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 Florida finalists. We recognized the achievements of these unstoppable entrepreneurs during a virtual awards celebration on Thursday, August 5 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

[ Watch the replay of the event ]

  • Chance Mims | Academy Securities | San Diego, California

    Academy Securities is our nation’s first Post-9/11 veteran-owned and operated investment bank with strengths in capital markets, asset management, public finance, geopolitical intel, fixed income and equity trading. We operate at the intersection of geopolitical risk and finance.

  • Quyen Nguyen | Alume Biosciences | San Diego, California

    Alume Biosciences is a Biotechnology company developing drug for intraoperative fluorescence detection of nerves during surgery to help surgeons avoid inadvertent injury.

  • John Shen | American Lending Center Holdings Inc. | Irvine, California

    American Lending Center (ALC) is a private non-bank lending institution and nationally recognized leader in small business lending. As a regional center designated by USCIS, it raises lending capital through the EB-5 program.

  • Jimmy Whalen | Arbitech, LLC | Irvine, California

    Arbitech is the world’s leading independent distributor of data center products. Its sister company Velasea builds computer systems for physical security, and its subsidiaries focus on esports and ecommerce.

  • Gary Moore, Ryan Moore, Jeff Moore and Scott Moore | ATI Restoration | Anaheim, California

    ATI Restoration provides restoration, environmental remediation, and reconstruction, including emergency response due to water/fire/smoke damage; asbestos/lead/mold mitigation; biohazard decontamination; demolition.

  • John Beaver | Biolase, Inc. | Foothill Ranch, California

    BIOLASE is the world’s leading innovator in dental lasers. With thousands of lasers in use  worldwide, millions of patients have experienced the benefits of laser dentistry, such as less aerosols, gentler procedures and comfortable healing.

  • Chris Loeffler | Caliber | Scottsdale, Arizona

    Caliber builds wealth for accredited investors and RIAs with real estate investments on an integrated platform.

  • Shahab Elmi | Cymbiotika LLC | San Diego, California

    Cymbiotika was founded in 2018 with the idea of offering clean, natural and plant-based products to people who wanted to reclaim their health.

  • Alexi Venneri | Digital Air Strike | Scottsdale, Arizona

    DAS Technology is the largest automotive Customer Data and Experience Platform (CDXP), enabling over 7,800 businesses and OEMs to increase consumer response.

  • Mark William Schouten | Diversified Roofing | Phoenix, Arizona

    Diversified Roofing is a second generation full service, residential and commercial roofing operation.

  • Sean Lupton-Smith | Electric Bike Co. | Costa Mesa, California

    Electric Bike Company designs, manufactures and sells custom e-bikes built in Newport Beach, CA, using the highest quality parts and components sourced globally and within the United States. Customers choose from 9 models with limitless color combinations and dozens or features, including EBC branded accessories and customizable helmets. EBC also offers a Mini Design Studio including Custom Order Kiosk to Retail E-bike Dealer Locations nation-wide. All EBC pre and post sales work is performed by employees located in the U.S., including R and D, mechanical and electrical engineers, sales department, builders, inspectors, and a 5 star administration/customer service team.

  • Tom Miller | Entos Inc | La Jolla, California

    Founded in 2019 and headquartered in La Jolla, California, Entos is disrupting the therapeutics landscape with its cutting-edge generative AI drug discovery platform. Leveraging breakthrough technology from Caltech, Entos has assembled a world-class team that unites pioneering AI experts and seasoned drug hunters with strong track records of success in delivering clinically validated drugs. The Entos platform has been demonstrated to deliver high quality, differentiated drugs to clinic with unprecedented speed and across multiple target classes and mechanisms of action. The Entos team is advancing an internal pipeline of clinical assets to address urgent unmet patient need in oncology, with particular focus on breast, lung, and brain cancer patients.

  • Kathey Wagner | EPS Group, Inc. | Mesa, Arizona

    Headquartered in Mesa, Arizona, EPS Group is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary professional consulting firm providing land and infrastructure development. We are the largest locally owned civil engineering firm in Arizona.

  • David Moatazedi | Evolus | Newport Beach, California

    Evolus is a performance beauty company dedicated to providing extended choices in aesthetic treatments and procedures.

  • Michelle Heeb | Forward Tilt | Scottsdale, Arizona

    Forward Tilt is a commercial furniture dealership located in Scottsdale, AZ offering furniture sales, design and space planning, movable walls, project management, installation services and much more.

  • Scott Shainman | Fusion Care Group | La Mesa, California

    Fusion Care Group is an outpatient mental healthcare company providing multidisciplinary psychotherapy services for clients dealing with: Anxiety, Depression, Stress, PTSD, Grief, ADHD and Autism. Fusion Care has 90+ licensed providers with experience in multiple modalities including CBT, EMDR, Biofeedback and Neurofeedback.

  • Maher Albitar | Genomic Testing Cooperative | Irvine, California

    GTC specializes in DNA/RNA comprehensive genomic profiling of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.

  • Vicki Mayo | Global Market Innovators (GMI) | Phoenix, Arizona

    Global Market Innovators (GMI) is a Secure Managed Service Provider™ specializing in leading growth markets including Cyber Security, Digital Workplace, and Managed Services.

  • David Wachs | Handwrytten | Tempe, Arizona

    Handwrytten is the leading provider of scalable, robot-based note writing services.

  • Maritza Diaz | ITJ USA, Inc | Rancho Santa Fe, California

    ITJ is devoted to serving fast-growing, high-value market sectors that contribute to the growth of the Cali Baja region. With a unique BOT (Build-Operate and Transfer) model, working with the highest quality software engineers, data scientists, and creative designers from across Mexico and LatAm, ITJ enables companies to create world-class software engineering centers of excellence in Tijuana, MX.

  • David Glickman and Rizwan Kassim | Ka'ena Corporation | Costa Mesa, California

    Ka'ena Corporation (Holding company of Mint Mobile, Ultra Mobile and Plum) is a telecommunications company that provides premium wireless service sold in a direct to consumer model. Mint Mobile is a telecommunications company that provides premium wireless service sold in a direct to consumer model. Ultra Mobile is a telecommunications company that provides low cost wireless plans for those looking to call internationally. Plum is a business to business company that provides a suite of telecommunications services to companies in the wireless space.

  • Ahad Khan | Kajabi LLC | Irvine, California

    Kajabi is the leading platform helping creators and entrepreneurs  to turn their knowledge and experience into sustainable online  businesses.

  • John Ho | Landsea Homes | Newport Beach, California

    Landsea Homes Corporation is a publicly traded residential homebuilder that designs and builds best-in-class homes and sustainable master-planned communities in some of the nation’s most desirable markets.

  • Kevin Lind | Longboard Pharmaceuticals | La Jolla, California

    Longboard Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel, transformative medicines for neurological diseases.

  • Donny Salazar | MasonHub | Rancho Cucamonga, California

    MasonHub is a transformative operations platform for beauty & wellness brands, solving pain points of legacy 3PLs with cloud-based technology, retail expertise & first-to-market products. Their bicoastal fulfillment centers offer bespoke svcs. in 400,000 sqf.

  • Russ Garcia, Chris Giovanniello and Chris Keimel | Menlo Microsystems, Inc. | Irvine, California

    Born out of a decade-long effort at General Electric’s Global Research Center, Menlo Micro is bringing to the market a series of technology innovations that have enabled us to reinvent one of the most essential and fundamental building blocks required for nearly every electronic system imaginable… the switch.

  • Jeff Spight | MIND 24-7 | Scottsdale, Arizona

    MIND 24-7 operates three walk-in mental health and substance abuse clinics in metro Phoenix providing express care (treatment in two hours or less), crisis stabilization and ongoing counseling to patients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

  • Steve Zhou | Moov Technologies, Inc. | Tempe, Arizona

    Moov is the world's largest marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

  • Chris Karkenny | NVISION EYE CENTERS | Aliso Viejo, California

    NVISION is one of the nation's leading providers of ophthalmic physician services. NVISION operates over 70 locations. NVISION is an innovative leader in ophthalmology, with a patient first commitment. Eye Care is delivered using the latest clinical and surgical technology by the most talented and experienced surgeons in the industry.

  • Kentaro Kawamori | PERSEFONI | Tempe, Arizona

    Persefoni's Climate Management & Accounting Platform provides businesses, financial institutions and government agencies software to manage their climate-related data and decarbonization strategies with the same confidence as their financial reports.

  • Chuck Casano | Pitaya Foods | San Diego, California

    Pitaya Foods is a certified B-Corp Pitaya Foods started with a simple mission. To promote sustainable organic farming, create jobs in the poverty-stricken areas we source from and produce the healthiest products possible.

  • Jack Kennedy | Platform Science | San Diego, California

    Platform Science connects enterprise fleets with the technology solutions they need to future-proof their operations. As part of our mission to transform transportation, we make it easy for fleets to develop, deploy, and manage their vehicles’ mobile.

  • Mark McKenna | Prometheus Biosciences | La Jolla, California

    Prometheus Biosciences is a clinical stage biotechnology company creating new precision medicines for severe autoimmune disease.

  • Brad Hillier | Re-Bath | Phoenix, Arizona

    Re-Bath is the nation's largest complete bathroom remodeler. We provide full bath remodels, tub/shower updates, and aging-in-place solutions. A one-stop service covering the entire process in 3 easy steps: consultation, removal, & installation.

  • Greg Flesher | Reneo Pharmaceuticals | Irvine, California

    Reneo is focused on improving the lives of patients with rare genetic mitochondrial diseases.

  • Stephanie Venn Watson and Eric Venn Watson | Seraphina Therapeutics | San Diego, California

    Seraphina Therapeutics is a health and wellness company dedicated to improving global health by discovering and developing essential fatty acid therapeutics to slow aging, extend wellness, and prevent, manage, and treat chronic diseases.

  • Lucas Haldeman | SmartRent | Scottsdale, Arizona

    SmartRent is a leading provider of smart home and property solutions for the rental industry.

  • Anthony Margaraci | Trinity Packaging Supply | Newport Beach, California

    Trinity Packaging Supply is packaging's largest catalog. Powered by a proprietary e-commerce platform, SupplyStream™, Trinity aggregates hundreds of supplier catalogs to find the best prices and quickest lead times based on shipping zip codes.

  • Cody Barbo | Trust & Will | San Diego, California

    Trust & Will is simplifying estate planning and settlement with attorney-approved, legally valid documents and processes designed to adhere to individual state guidelines. Since 2017, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of Trust & Will members leave their legacy with an affordable way to create an estate plan or settle the estate of a loved one. Our platform uses bank-level encryption that protects customer data and complies with the highest security standards, including SOC 2 and HIPAA. Trust & Will is the official estate planning benefit provider for AARP members, along with several leading financial institutions, who all believe in our mission of helping every family leave their legacy.

  • Simer Mayo | Valor Global | Phoenix, Arizona

    Our services include Contact Center, Call Center, Customer Care, Retention, BPO (Business Process Outsourcing).

  • Ville Houttu | Vincit USA | Irvine, California

    We’re a software development company who builds tailor-made/results-driven/innovative e-commerce platforms, mobile apps, web services, and embedded systems that set companies apart from their competition.