Innovation Month celebrates entrepreneurship in Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY – The Riverside County Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation Tuesday, March 14, declaring April as “Innovation Month.” The Riverside County Office of Economic Development announced the return of Riverside County’s Innovation Month, which has taken place every April, since its launch in 2017 and excluding 2020.

Riverside County Innovation Month is a celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship and the ecosystem that supports small business. Innovation Month is designed to foster the entrepreneurial spirit by connecting innovators and entrepreneurs to workshops, panels, business leaders, investors and more. During April, stakeholders throughout the county will host many events including regional fast pitch competitions that will showcase local business ideas. Riverside County innovators and entrepreneurs who are interested in showcasing their own business or product concept are urged to register for a regional fast pitch event. Contestants who participate in a regional fast pitch will showcase their ideas in front of a live audience including judges that are business investors, local elected leaders and successful business owners. Winners of the regional events will advance to the fast pitch finale to be held in downtown Riverside at the University of California Riverside Arts Block Thursday, April 27, where the top three contestants will take home cash prizes.

The Riverside County Office of Economic Development welcomed a new website, http://www.RivCoInnovation.org, that will highlight innovation happening all year long in the county, from biotech to cleantech, as well as the county’s Innovation Incubators and much more. The website features a webpage dedicated to Riverside County Innovation Month, which can be visited for more detailed information on Innovation Month and how to participate at these events. For more information, contact bizinfo@rivco.org or 951-955-0493.

Submitted by the Riverside County Office of Economic Development.

Inland Empire Education and Workforce Summit wraps with record attendance and strong collaboration among business, education and community leaders

RIVERSIDE – Think

Together,California’s leading nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs, in partnership with the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce, hosted the 2023 Inland Empire Education and Workforce Summit at Loft 84 in downtown Riverside Wednesday, March 15, bringing together nearly 200 leaders in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. This year’s summit convened a diverse set of stakeholders to discuss ways to improve education and workforce development in the Inland Empire, with a focus on increasing access to quality education, preparing students for the job market and creating equitable career pathways. “ We have a responsibility to provide our youth with the re - sources needed to succeed in t oday’s economic landscape,” Randy Barth, founder and CEO of Think Together, said. “The turnout and engagement from fellow educators, business executives and community leaders is a sure sign that together, we can give students the tools, and businesses the talent needed for success.”

The event opened with Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson emphasizing the need for access to meaningful career pathways, college readiness and job opportunities that allow youth to achieve their full potential regardless of zip code or circumstance. The summit transitioned to Think Together alum Diego Martinez who shared his first-hand experience in Think Together’s Hack Club and his post-graduation work with Think Together to help expand Hack Clubs to additional program sites.

“Afterschool programs like the ones I was able to participate in inspired me to dream big,” Martinez said. “Today, I’m proud to share those same dreams with other students as a Hack Club leader and be a positive change to my school and community.” Bank of America’s Inland Empire Market Executive Cathy Paredes led the panel to showcase regional perspectives on how today’s current economic environment impacts workforce development and what educators are doing to prepare students for today’s job market. Panelists included Ted Alejandre, county superintendent of San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools; Randy Barth, founder and CEO of Think Together; Dr. Angelo Farooq, chair at California Workforce Development Board; Dr. Edwin Gomez, Riverside County superintendent of schools at Riverside County Office of Education and Charles Henkels, executive director of LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network.

“The Inland Empire is poised to experience tremendous economic growth, and businesses have a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between classroom education and workforce needs,” Paredes said. “This is why Bank of America makes it our top priority to invest into workforce education programs and summits like this one that help create pathways to careers in the region.”

The 2023 Inland Empire Education and Workforce Summit was proudly sponsored by Bank of America with Think Together and the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce partnering to produce the annual summit.

“The Inland Empire Education and Workforce Summit has become a vital platform for building connections and driving change in our community,” Edward Ornelas, Jr., president and CEO of the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce, said. “The energy, enthusiasm, and commitment of everyone involved was truly inspiring.”

The summit closed with a networking reception to provide a forum for collaboration among peers, exchange of ideas, and exploration of potential partnerships to support education and workforce development in the region.

For more information about the Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce and its programs, visit http://www.iechamber.org.

Those looking to get involved with Think Together can visit http://www.thinktogether.org/getinvolved.

Submitted by Think Together.

Temecula’s TVE2 announces new business incubator tenants

TEMECULA – The Temecula Valley Entrepreneur’s Exchange recently welcomed two new business incubator tenants – IatrixAir Inc. and Terra Network Solutions. IatrixAir Inc. is a health tech startup using machine learning to stop airborne pathogens and biothreats. They design and sell their products and services through independent representatives; contractors; small-, mid- and large-sized companies and government agencies on a subscription or product basis. Their technology of fast detec- tion, protection and information is based on aerodynamics of air; air chemistry; photonics; mechanical and electrical engineering and internet-connected device design and connectivity to cloud databases.

Terra Network Solutions is a veteran-owned, information technology managed service provider that launched in May 2022. They provide IT consulting to smalland-medium-sized businesses and work together to streamline workflows, boost productivity and maximize product and service delivery for its customers. Their goal is to understand and simplify their customer needs so they can maintain focus on their businesses.

TNS also provides IT procurement services that provide the hardware and software requirements that a company would need to keep up with today’s IT advancements.

“I met the owners of IatrixAir Inc. and Terra Network Solutions in November 2022. As we toured the center and briefly discussed the programs and services at TVE2, their eyes lit up,” Mary Cervantes, manager of TVE2, said. “They expressed that this ecosystem and support network is exactly what they had been looking for. Over the last few months, I have been connecting these teams with the resources they need and working with them through the tenant onboarding process, and they have been a pleasure to work with. I look forward to watching their businesses launch-and-grow and ensuring that they have the tools and support to bring their visions