Connect with us

Business

Multi-Cultural Business Initiative Is Launched and Ready to Take Off

Published

on

Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce spearheads Southern California ‘Multi-Cultural Business Initiative’ (MCBI); A Collaborative between ethnic-driven business organizations coming together to support minority-owned businesses.

By Eric Sandoval | Freelance Reporter for IEBJ

This past Wednesday, June, 23 Spectrum Reach and Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce, along with other partners, launched the Multi-Cultural Business Initiative. 

“What we want to do is, help the multi-cultural business segments of Southern California,” Shared Joe Flores, Director of Sales at Spectrum Reach. “With this initiative, we are providing free commercials and marketing advice to 160 multi-cultural businesses in Southern California from July to September.”

Over 15 million dollars in advertisement and marketing advice is being donated, thanks to Spectrum Reach, Inland Empire Chamber of Commerce, and partners. Part of the donation is free marketing advice for businesses. This advice is to help ensure long-term success.

“There are lots of benefits to teaching marketing practices. Marketing is a fragmented landscape; it’s hard to find the right person at the right time at the right place. The whole idea is to stay current and be authentic over the long haul,” said Jordan Beilin, West Division Director of Advanced Advertising.

The idea for this initiative was formed organically. Edward Ornelas, President of the Inland Empire Chamber of Commerce, wanted to help multi-cultural businesses in Southern California. Spectrum Reach wanted to help their multi-cultural community businesses. This partnership was a perfect match. 

“Edward was a huge part of putting this together; we can’t thank him enough,” explained Carrie Ward, So Cal Marketing Manager for Spectrum Reach. “We at Spectrum Reach wanted to help our community businesses with the Pay It Forward program. Edward was a great connection between Spectrum Reach and our Southern California businesses.” 

Pictured from left to right is Carrie Ward, So Cal Marketing Manager for Spectrum Reach, and Edward Ornelas, Jr., President of Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce. Photo credit Tonia Ross.

Working together, Spectrum Reach, Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce, and partners have been able to push their initiative to the forefront.

In attendance at the MCBI were multiple chambers. The idea for having these multiple chambers and businesses come together is so they can help build and bounce ideas off each other.  

“This initiative is great; what I love about this initiative is that it allows for the opportunity for multiple chambers from different regions to come together and share ideas and resources to support minority-owned businesses. The MCBI is a multi-county partnership between ethnic-driven business organizations throughout Southern California,” Shared Edward Ornelas, President of Inland Empire Chamber of Commerce. 

Collage of MCBI event attendees

Having these Chamber members in attendance, showing the unity between Southern California Chambers and their partners. The goal is to help every business, and they want to put their efforts and ideas together to strengthen the businesses of Southern California. 

“What this event and the Pay it Forward Program shows is, at Spectrum Reach, we’re about our community, said Joe Flores. “We aren’t asking for anything in return; we just want to build our community businesses and economy.”

With over 160 people in attendance, you can feel the excitement to be back in person. The hope is this is just the beginning of a great partnership that will strengthen multi-cultural businesses throughout Southern California.

Some of the partners include: Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce​, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce​, Black Chamber of Commerce-Inland Empire,​ Inland Empire Regional Chamber of Commerce,​ Greater Riverside Hispanic Chamber of Commerce​, Pomona Chamber of Commerce,​ Greater Coachella Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,​ Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce and Los Angeles Chargers.

View full photo album from the event here.

The Inland Empire Business Journal (IEBJ) is the official business news publication of Southern California’s Inland Empire region - covering San Bernardino & Riverside Counties.

Business

Fire Helmet Manufacturer Helps Disabled Community find Employment

Published

on

Riverside’s Phenix Technology Leads with Inclusion, Empowering the Disabled Community Through Workforce Training and Employer Education

Written by Logan Rosselli, IEBJ Content Contributor

In the heart of Riverside, off of Chicago Avenue, a small, but mighty team has been quietly manufacturing life-saving equipment for firefighters across the world for over 50 years. Phenix Technology Inc. is an internationally recognized fire helmet manufacturer who builds their products from start to finish right here in the Inland Empire. For their great products, they’ve received numerous awards such as the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Innovator of the Year, a 2016 “E” for Exports award from the U.S. Department of Commerce, a finalist position in the “Coolest Thing Made in California” competition and more. However, their most recent accolade doesn’t involve their products at all.

In 2024, Phenix founded the ground breaking “Opportunity for All” program to provide disabled community members with the opportunity to access career education, hands-on experience and employment opportunities through an 11 week training cohort. In this program, neurodivergent individuals wanting to find stable employment learn about standard hiring practices, writing a resume, effective interviewing and professional attire while getting on-the-job training with a partnered employer in the community. It has helped dozens of disabled community members to find a new sense of independence and achieve their full potential while helping local employers find dependable employees who bring a unique perspective to the workplace.

It’s for this program that the National Association of Workforce Development Boards (NAWB), a representative of over 570 workforce development boards across the United States, honored Phenix with the prestigious W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award in late March.

“While we take tremendous pride in the products we make, we also believe we have a mission to create a better world through developing opportunities,” said Angel Sanchez, CEO of Phenix Technology in a statement released in early April. “Opportunity for All has helped prove that individuals who have historically been excluded from the workforce don’t just contribute — they elevate organizations. We are honored to receive this national award and grateful to the partners who have helped us make this vision a reality.”

CEO Angel Sanchez Jr. accepts the NAWB Award

CEO Angel Sanchez Jr. accepts the NAWB Award

Though “Opportunity for All” is certainly the cornerstone program for the company, Phenix’s leadership team was not satisfied to leave their mission there. Thus, in 2024, the company founded its nonprofit arm, Phenix Gateway to offer more programs and advocacy to the community. Through Phenix Gateway, the company offers workforce development workshops for individuals who don’t need the full scale of the “Opportunity for All” program, but want to improve a specific skill like resume writing or workplace social skills.

However, Phenix knows that preparing disabled people for the workforce is only one end of the equation; the workforce also has to be prepared to accept the unique skills, perspectives and challenges of the disabled community. For this reason, Phenix Gateway offers employer training workshops as well as educational materials available to businesses and the community. Training programs cover a lot of ground, ranging from assistance with optimizing interviews for people with neurodevelopmental disorders to creating sensory-friendly environments in the workplace.

In Riverside, these programs have had a huge impact on the local community. As of March 2025, Phenix’s Opportunity for All program has had over two dozen participants and 44% found stable employment through or after the program. Their one-off workforce development workshops have seen over 200 participants learn new skills and help them find employment and the nonprofit currently partners with close to 90 businesses to assist them in their endeavor to create a more inclusive workforce.

Phenix Gateway staff helps a program participant with his skills

For businesses or community members interested in learning how they can support or participate in these programs, Phenix encourages them to reach out by email to info@phenixgateway.org and to attend their First Annual Gala: Rising Together, A Phenix Gateway Celebration, on Thursday, May 15th. Tickets for this event are available at phenixgateway.org.

Continue Reading

Business

Supported by Local Leaders, CALED’s Annual Conference will be in Ontario this May

Published

on

Empowering Economic Growth: CALED Conference Set to Unite Industry Leaders in Ontario

CALED’s ‘Growing Local Economies from the Ground Up’ Conference is being held in Ontario at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Ontario Airport on May 7-9. This event is co-hosted by the City of Ontario and San Bernardino County, with Jennifer McLain Hiramoto, CALED’s Chair of the Board and Derek Armstrong respectively representing their city and county as Co-Chairs of the event.

With over 950 members and 45 years of empowering economic developers, CALED is the largest economic development association in the country and the annual conference is the number one place to meet and connect with the boots-on-the -ground, decision makers in our communities. 

The conference will include a pre-conference teaching tour, ‘Building & Paying for Development Projects’ on May 6th and then begin in full on May 7th, with a welcome session and breakouts. Overall, there will be four general assembly sessions and 18 breakout sessions, which will delve into local economic development practices and innovative tools.

In addition to compelling content, the conference will have numerous opportunities to connect with community leaders and valued peers through networking receptions, the culinary crawl, and new this year, the Tournament of Champions, where conference attendees will navigate a gauntlet of games to win the grand prize on the evening of Thursday, May 8th.

To learn more about the conference and register, visit the CALED website at www.caled.org.

Continue Reading

Business

Strengthening Community Connections: Our Exciting New Partnership with Toyota Arena, Ontario Convention Center, and GOCAL

Published

on

Contributed Content | By Chris Venhoff, Senior Vice President and Inland Empire Market Leader for Consumer and Business Banking at U.S. Bank

As the Inland Empire market leader for U.S. Bank, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news: we are proud to be the Official Bank Partner of Toyota Arena and Ontario Convention Center. This partnership represents a reflection of our deep commitment to the Inland Empire and our dedication to fostering a vibrant, thriving community.

At U.S. Bank, we believe that strong partnerships drive meaningful progress. Toyota Arena and Ontario Convention Center are at the heart of the region’s culture and economy, bringing people together for world-class entertainment, business conventions, and community events. By joining forces, we’re not only expanding our presence but also creating opportunities to engage with residents, businesses, and organizations in ways that make a lasting impact.

Through our sponsorship, we’ll support concerts, sporting events, and conventions that showcase the diversity and energy of the Inland Empire. But this is only the beginning. As our partnership evolves, we’ll work closely with Toyota Arena, Ontario Convention Center, and GOCAL to introduce community-focused programs, including financial literacy workshops and charitable giving initiatives.

This partnership is designed to bring added value to the people we serve. For our customers, we’re introducing the U.S. Bank Fast Pass Lanes, providing priority access at Toyota Arena events. Special offers, exclusive event experiences, and tailored financial solutions for businesses operating in the region are just a few of the many perks we’re excited to roll out.

Our employees are at the core of our success, and this partnership allows us to recognize their dedication. Through exclusive access to events, corporate hospitality opportunities, and community volunteer programs, our team will have new ways to engage with and celebrate the community they serve.

The Inland Empire is a dynamic, fast-growing region, and we’re committed to supporting its continued success. By investing in Toyota Arena and Ontario Convention Center, we’re helping to create and sustain jobs while driving local business growth. These venues bring in visitors, revenue, and visibility, strengthening the region’s economy.

This collaboration is about more than just sponsorship—it’s about making a difference. By working together, we can elevate not just these venues but the entire Inland Empire. At U.S. Bank, we’re committed to being a partner in progress, supporting our customers, businesses, and communities every step of the way.

Continue Reading

Business Journal Newsletter



Trending