Post on 12-Aug-2020
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A-20 ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL EXCELLENCE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD NOMINEES AUGUST 10, 2020
2020 EXCELLENCE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD NOMINEES
Accurate Background Inc.,
IrvineDave Dickerson,President/CEO
Agapay, Tustin
Daniel Han, President
AIVITA Biomedical, Irvine
Hans Keirstead, Ph.D.,CEO
All Green ElectronicsRecycling, Tustin
Arman Sadeghi, CEO
All-AmericanLeadership,
IrvineRob Nielsen, CEO
Allied Universal, Santa Ana
Steve Jones, CEO
Alternative DivorceSolutions Inc., Newport BeachLani Baron,
Founding Partner
Alternative DivorceSolutions Inc., Newport Beach
Jeanann Khalife, Partner
Alteryx, IrvineDean Stoecker,
CEO/Chairman/Co-Founder
American Technologies Inc.,
AnaheimGary Moore, CEO
Architecture DesignCollaborative,Laguna HillsCraig Chinn,
Principal/Founding Partner
Austin Taylor Inc., Irvine
Ron Viggiano, President
Avatar Partners Inc.,Huntington Beach
Marlo Brooke,CEO/Founder
Beacon Pointe Advisors,Newport Beach
Shannon Eusey, CEO
Beeya, Laguna BeachLadan Davia,CEO/Founder
Bioniz Therapeutics Inc.,Irvine
Nazli Azimi,Founder/President/CEO
Branch Startup Studio,Irvine
Dalip Jaggi, Principal
Branded Group, Anaheim
Michael Kurland, CEO
CAIN Group Pacific Sotheby’s
International Realty, Newport Beach
John Cain,Founder/Principal
Channel Bakers,Anaheim
Joshua Kreitzer,Founder/CEO
CISOSHARE, San ClementeMike Gentile,President/CEO
CSUF, Fullerton
John Bradley Jackson,Director, Center forEntrepreneurship
Cultivation Kitchen,Anaheim
Dale LaFlam, Owner
David MeltzerEnterprises,
IrvineDavid Meltzer, Founder
Designers ResourceCollection, Costa Mesa
Pamela Kellogg, Principal
Ducere Global Business School, Corona Del MarMathew Jacobson,Founder/CEO
Ephesoft Inc., Irvine
Ike Kavas, CEO/Founder
Finch PC, Costa Mesa
Jonathan Pittard, Co-Founder/ChiefNumber Cruncher
Fusion of Ideas, Lake Forest
Russ Taylor, CEO
Gorilla Stationers LLC,Cypress
Rosemary Czopek,President
Idea Hall, Costa MesaRebecca Hall,President/CEO
INBRACE, Irvine
John Pham, CEO/Co-Founder
JobzMall,Irvine
Nathan Candaner, Co-Founder/CEO
JustFoodForDogs, Los Alamitos
Shawn Buckley, Founder
Kingdom VenturesUnlimited FinancialSolutions Inc.,
IrvineErnesto Diapera, CEO
KPRS ConstructionServices Inc.,
BreaJoel Stensby, President
Leaf CommunicationsConsulting Inc., San Clemente
Dan Leaf, President/CEO
Managed DirectResponse,Irvine
Pat Mercuri, President
Manna Kadar Beauty Inc.,
IrvineManna Kadar,Founder/CEO
Margaux Agency, Long Beach
Monica Garrett,Founder/CEO
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AUGUST 10, 2020 EXCELLENCE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD NOMINEES ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL A-21
Mavenlink,Irvine
Ray Grainger,CEO/Founder
MEESH BoutiqueAdvisors, Dana Point
Michele Noparvar,Owner/Founder
Miracle Mile Advisors,Newport Beach
Nella Webster, ManagingDirector
Modulim, Irvine
David Cuccia,Founder/CTO
Montage International,Irvine
Alan Fuerstman,Founder/Chairman/CEO
Natasha MinasianInterior, The Studio
at DRC, Costa Mesa
Natasha Minasian,Designer/Owner
NetServe Systems Inc.,Laguna Hills
Abdi Ahmed, President
Ocean at Main, Laguna Beach
Craig Strong, Chef/Owner
Old Brea Chop House,Brea
Tony Fasulo,Owner/Operator
Orange Aluminum,Laguna Niguel
Cameron Munson,President
Outshine PublicRelations,
Newport BeachTalia Samuels, President
Pendulum Property Partners,
IrvineKevin Hayes, Managing
Partner
PeopleG2, Brea
Chris Dyer, CEO
Perfect YOUth, Newport Beach
Yeral Patel, CEO/Founder
Pinnacle Petroleum Inc.,
Huntington BeachLiz McKinley,President/CEO
Pinner Construction,Anaheim
Dirk Griffin, CEO
Platinum Wealth Group,Orange
Ken Kladouris,President/Wealth Advisor
PowerhouseCommunications,
Santa AnaKristin Daher,
President/Founder
Profit RecoveryPartners LLC/SteinerInnovations/TwoMasters Win Club,
Costa MesaDonald Steiner, CEO
Restaurant365, Irvine
John Moody, Co-Founder/Chief
Strategist/Board Member.
Revealize, Newport Beach
Cole McKeon, President
Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge,
Rancho Mission ViejoPaige Riordan,Chef/Owner
Seven Gables RealEstate, Tustin
Michael Hickman,President/CEO
SmartBug Media, Irvine
Ryan Malone,Founder/CEO
Spinnaker Investment Group, Newport BeachMorgan Christen,
CEO/Chief InvestmentOfficer
Sterling PublicRelations,
Corona del MarPaula Steurer,
President/Founder
Stretto,Irvine
Jonathan Carson, CEO
Stretto, Irvine
Eric Kurtzman, CEO
Syntiant Corp., Irvine
Kurt Busch, CEO
TAE Technologies,Foothill Ranch
Michl Binderbauer,CEO
Terra Tech Corp., Irvine
Derek Peterson, CEO
The Blind Pig, Rancho SantaMargarita
Tony Monaco, Owner
The Butchery, Costa Mesa
Robert Hagopian, Co-Owner
The Butchery, Costa Mesa
Brian Smith, Co-Owner
The Collective, Costa MesaTony Oliver,Founder/CEO
The Mark USA INC.,Irvine
Traci Shirachi,CEO/President
The Sandwich Society,Tustin
Mi Ho, Owner
The SaywitzCompany,
Newport BeachBarry Saywitz,President
Think Together, Santa AnaRandy Barth,Founder/CEO
Trilogy Financial,Huntington Beach
Jeff Motske,President/CEO
2020 EXCELLENCE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD NOMINEES
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A-22 ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL EXCELLENCE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD NOMINEES AUGUST 10, 2020
US Alliance Group Inc., Rancho Santa Margarita
Fadi Cheikha, CEO
uDirect IRA Services,Irvine
Kaaren Hall, CEO
Unbiazed LLC, Brea
Danny Basu, ManagingPartner
Unbiazed LLC, Brea
Roger Pakalapatty,Managing Partner
Uplift Transport,Irvine
Greg Krueger, Founder
Veronica Kirin Inc.,Long Beach
Veronica Kirin, President
VF Developments LLC,Costa Mesa
Victoria Vu, ManagingPartner/Founder
Vincit, Irvine
Ville Houttu, CEO
ViridiSTOR LLC, Tustin
Terry Mullin,President/CEO
Wahoo’s Fish Taco,Tustin
Eduardo Lee, Co-Founder/Partner
Ware Malcomb, Irvine
Lawrence Armstrong,Chairman
WindWater Real Estate,Irvine
Rudy Caamano, CEO
WurkNow Inc., Irvine
Sammy Singh, CEO/CO-Founder
Zadara Storage Inc., Irvine
Nelson Nahum, CEO
2020 EXCELLENCE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD NOMINEES www.ocbj.com A
Quiksilver Inc. and his son, Robbie Mc-Knight. Together they bring more than 50 yearsof experience in sports apparel and retail. Connections run deep; golf apparel firm
TravisMathew, which acquired Robbie Mc-Knight’s shoe company Cauter ahead of its own$125.5 million sale to Callaway Golf Com-pany in 2017, is also making contributions toSurf City. The casual sports apparel firm’s co-founder
Travis Brasher and president emeritus RyanEllis are both investors and advisory boardmembers, along with the McKnights.Quiksilver, which now operates under the um-brella of Boardriders Inc., and TravisMatheware based in Huntington Beach, a few milesfrom Surf City’s operations.In the beverage department, Surf City has alsowon the attention of Bart and Dan DeClark,co-founders of artificial sweetener maker FlavorInfusion International. The company has op-
� from page 3Surf CityOwners Elena and Josh Kornof and Chris andSara Van Dusen
erations in Laguna Beach and Panama. They’realso investors and advisory board members.“I think I can speak for the advisory boardwhen I say that we’re proud to be in-vesting in our local community and ina product as cool as this,” Bob McK-night said. “We will use our experi-ence to guide the distillery to becomeone of the most recognizable and en-joyed brands in the space.”“We believe our story is one of mo-mentum,” Van Dusen said.“The alcohol business is a difficultone, and finding the right distributionpartner and the right advisory boardmembers is really the challenge. Wethink we’re positioned well in the cur-rent environment, as the only distillery in Hunt-ington Beach and one of the few in OC. We aregrowing extremely fast and we couldn’t be hap-pier to see our brand resonating with the com-munity.”
Sales Afloat Since the pandemic, retail sales via its dis-
tributor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spiritsare up more than 50%, according to VanDusen.
Surf City’s spirits are available atCostco, Albertsons, Total Wine &More, among others.Director of Sales Ben Carpenter,most recently the beverage directorfor Newport Beach’s Balboa BayResort, is driving retail growth andbrand expansion, Van Dusen said.Meanwhile, the company has alsoseen 30% to 40% of its overall salescome from curbside pickup, whileits tasting room remains closed in ac-cordance with the state, he said. Like other area booze makers such
as Santa Ana’s Blinking Owl Distillery, SurfCity has helped make bulk sanitizer for com-mercial and personal use during the pandemic.After an initial flurry of sales, that product linehas seen slower sales as the year has pro-gressed and larger national sanitizer manufac-turers upped their production.Other new hires include Bill Auxier, who
was tapped as head distiller just in time to over-see capacity expansion from 5 gallons perminute to 8 gallons per minute in the distillery.He will bring innovation to the menu in theform of new spirits. Auxier was previously production managerand distiller at Los Angeles-based GreenbarDistillery. Van Dusen said consumers can expect to seenew canned cocktail flavors and a new cate-gory of hard seltzer drinks hit the menu nextyear. �
Surf City Still Works
� FOUNDED: 2018� FOUNDERS: Josh and Elena Kornof � HEADQUARTERS: Huntington Beach � BUSINESS: distillery� PRODUCTS: Shorebreak Vodka, CaliforniaGin, Surfrider Rum, Pierside Bourbon� NOTABLE: expanding to 25K-SF facilitywith $2.7M investment
Canned cocktails: 4-pack for $14.00 Surf City's restored bus won best in class in the Huntington Beach clas-sic car show in 2014
McKnight: ‘proud tobe investing in local
community’
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