The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at Cal State San Bernardino has announced the finalists for the 2017 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards program. Award winners will be announced on Nov. 14 at the black-tie gala at the Riverside Convention Center.

Now in its 15th year, the Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards event has honored the top business leaders of the Inland region since its inception in 2003.

Finalists include:

Eco Entrepreneur

• Taylor Hale, Crown Paper Converting, Inc. – Ontario

• Joe Castro, Greenpath Recovery – Colton

• Roy Dann, Ruuhwa Dann &Associates, Inc. dba Cal Micro Recycling – Ontario

Family Business Entrepreneur

• Manal Iskander, Green Shack Market/ PCTronics/Musicology/Veggiecrumbs – San Bernardino

• Janet Steiner, Thoro Packaging – Corona

• Steve Kienle, Walter’s Automotive Group, Inc. – Riverside

General Entrepreneur

• Craig Danley, Delta Pipeline Inc. – La Verne

• Michael Fox, Fox Transportation, Inc. – Rancho Cucamonga

• Alan Yu, Lollicup USA, Inc. – Chino

• C.C. Vest, Midpoint Bearing – Ontario

Healthcare Entrepreneur

• Dr. Rahmi Mowjood and Dr. Kyle Smart, Cucamonga Valley Medical Group – Fontana

• Jeffrey Bekendam, TEAM Physical Therapy – Rancho Cucamonga

• Michael Rappaport, Total Wellness, Inc. dba Marketplace Physical Therapy and Wellness Center – Riverside

Manufacturing Entrepreneur

• Mike Konrad, Aqueous Technologies – Corona

• Cheryl Young and Jennifer Hall, Ejay Filtration, Inc. – Riverside

• Loren Hanson and Dave Haffter, Fusion Sign and Design – Riverside

• Kathy Bodor, Plastics Plus Technology – Redlands

Service-Based Entrepreneur

• Christina Loza, Loza & Loza LLP – Upland

• Leo Castaneda, Protech Staffing Services, Inc. – Riverside

• Chet Hitt, Sunset Hills Family of Mortuaries –Apple Valley

Small/Emerging Enterprise

• Joshua Kreitzer,Absurd Media Group, dba Channel Bakers – Corona

• Minerva Baral, Oke Poke, Inc. – Chino Hills

• Brad Trevithick, The Goat & Vine, Inc. – Temecula

Social Entrepreneur

• Cesar Navarrete, C.A.S.A. of San Bernardino County – Colton

• Lowell King, Goodwill Southern California – San Bernardino

• Frederick B. Axelrod, MD, MBA, LifeStream Blood Bank – San Bernardino

• Clemente Mojica, Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services, Inc. – Rancho Cucamonga