Inland Empire Innovation and Opportunity Business Forum 2026
Event Sponsors
Strategic Partner
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Business Supporter
Inland Empire Innovation and Opportunity Business Forum 2026
The Inland Empire is growing, changing, and creating new opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
The Inland Empire Innovation & Opportunity Business Forum 2026 is designed to bring people together who care about where our region is headed and want to play a role in shaping what comes next.
This event will feature business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators who are building companies, solving problems, creating jobs, and helping move the Inland Empire forward. Through practical panel discussions and a keynote presentation from Randall Lewis, attendees will hear real stories about growth, leadership, capital, talent, technology, and the challenges that come with building something meaningful.
Whether you are a business owner, executive, entrepreneur, emerging leader, or community partner, this event is an opportunity to learn from people who are doing the work, connect with others who care about our region, and walk away with ideas you can apply in your own business or organization.
Hosted at Topgolf Ontario, the forum will include panel discussions, a keynote presentation, food, networking, and time after the program to connect with other attendees while enjoying Topgolf.
The Inland Empire has talented people, strong businesses, and tremendous potential. Events like this help bring those pieces together so we can continue building a stronger regional economy and more opportunities for the people who live and work here.
Join us for an afternoon of insight, connection, and conversation with some of the leaders helping shape the future of business in the Inland Empire.
Headshots and bios for speakers and panelists will be included at the bottom of the event page.
Featured Keynote Speaker
Randall Lewis - Building the Future of the Inland Empire: Leadership, Innovation, and Long-Term Opportunity
Featured Panels
Growth & Scale: Looking Ahead
Growth does not happen by accident. It takes vision, discipline, leadership, and the ability to make good decisions through different stages of business.
This panel will focus on what it takes to grow and scale a business while preparing for long-term success.
Confirmed Panelist:
Jessica Lum, Diamond Wipes International
The New IE Advantage: Capital, Talent, and Technology
Businesses need access to the right people, resources, and tools to stay competitive.
This panel will explore how capital, talent, and technology are shaping the next phase of business growth in the Inland Empire and how our region can continue building on its strengths.
Confirmed Panelists:
Kody Bakos, Vertical IT Solutions
Kara Dutton, Bank of America
Chris Daden, Criteria Corp
Business in the Trenches
Every business has challenges that do not always show up in the success stories.
This panel will focus on the real work of entrepreneurship: difficult decisions, unexpected obstacles, lessons learned, and the practical realities of building and operating a business.
Confirmed Panelist:
Deepun Desai, Araina Aviation
Admission
Chamber Members: $99
Non-Members: $149
Admission includes access to the forum, panel discussions, keynote presentation, networking, food, and post-program Topgolf networking experience.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Enterprise Leader — $8,000
Exclusive branding as the "Enterprise Leader" of the event.
Digital advertisement opportunities
10 VIP tickets with reserved seating.
Priority placement in TopGolf bay
Acknowledgment in press releases and media coverage.
Special mention during the opening and closing remarks.
Verbal recognition at the event
Strategic Partner — $5,000
Prominent branding as the "Strategic Partner" of the event.
Digital advertisement opportunities
8 VIP tickets.
Priority placement in TopGolf bay
Verbal recognition at the event
Innovation Advocate — $3,000
Recognized as the "Innovation Advocate" of the event.
Digital advertisement opportunities
6 tickets.
Verbal recognition at the event
Priority placement in TopGolf bay
Business Supporter — $2,000
Acknowledged as the "Business Supporter" of the event.
Digital advertisement opportunities
4 tickets.
Verbal recognition at the event
Priority placement in TopGolf bay
Entrepreneur Advocate — $1,000
Listed as the "Entrepreneur Advocate" of the event.
Logo placement on the event website.
2 tickets.
Mention in press releases and media coverage.
Priority placement in TopGolf bay
Verbal recognition at the event
Community Catalyst — $500
Acknowledged as the "Community Catalyst" of the event.
Name listed on the event website.
Priority placement in TopGolf bay
1 ticket
Questions
For sponsorship opportunities, registration questions, or additional information, please contact:
Zeb Welborn
zwelborn@chinovalleychamber.com
Julia Cabrera
jcabrera@chinovalleychamber.com
Speaker Bios:
Randall Lewis
With over 50-years’ experience in the real estate industry, Randall Lewis is Executive
Vice President and a Principal of Lewis Management Corp., a member of the Lewis
Group of Companies.
The Lewis Group of Companies is one of the most active real estate developers in
California and Nevada. They are developing over a dozen significant master planned
communities and own over 35 shopping centers. In addition, the Lewis Group has many
apartment and industrial projects underway throughout California and Nevada. The
Lewis Group owns over 13,000 apartments and controls land for over 40,000 future
homes and apartments. Throughout its history, they’ve built well over 60,000 homes and
apartments.
Randall served as president of the Building Industry Association Baldy View Chapter and
also served as a lifetime director of the National Association of Homebuilders. He
currently serves on the Southern California Leadership Council. Randall served 12 years
on the Executive Committee of the Southern California Association of Governments. He
supports the Urban Land Institute (ULI)/Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability and the
ULI/Randall Lewis Building Healthy Places Forum. Randall is an active and philanthropic
supporter of health, education, entrepreneurship, and the arts. Through his generosity
and support, Randall has helped establish the University of La Verne’s Randall Lewis
Center for Well-Being and Research, and the University of La Verne’s Randall Lewis
Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Social Impact, as well as Claremont
McKenna College’s Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and
because of his generous support, Chaffey College has opened the Randall Lewis Center
for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and has made a naming gift to California State
University of San Bernardino for the Randall W. Lewis School for Entrepreneurship and
Innovation.
Randall has received numerous awards including the 2016 Inland Empire Champion
Award from the Inland Empire Hispanic Leadership Council, and the 2019 Ontario
Museum Art & Culture Award. In 2021, Randall received the UC Riverside Policy
Innovator Award and in 2024, he received the Growing Inland Achievement Award in
Innovation. In 2026, Randall was named in Inland Empire Magazine one of its “50
Players Who Shaped the Region in the Last 50 Years.”
In 2021, Randall received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from California
State University San Bernardino. He also received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane
Letters from the University of La Verne in 2022.
Panel: Growth and Scale: Looking Ahead
Jessica Lum
Jessica Lum is President of Diamond Wipes, a wet wipes and fillers contract manufacturer headquartered in Chino, CA with a sister plant in Fredonia, WI. She is responsible for the strategic growth and implementation of business initiatives for the company which employs over 400 people. Prior to this role, Jessica has held management positions at Intel, Henkel, and Texen. She is active in the community and supports nonprofit organizations including the American Cancer Society, Disabled American Veterans, Girls Scouts, Working Wardrobes, and Meals on Wheels. Jessica holds a MBA from Duke University and a BS from California Institute of Technology.
Panel: The New IE Advantage: Capital, Talent, and Technology
Kody Bakos
Kody Bakos is CEO of Vertical IT Solutions, a cybersecurity-driven managed services provider based in Chino, California. As CEO, Kody has built a team serving small and mid-market businesses as well as public sector clients across the region. With expertise in network infrastructure, cloud platforms, and security architecture, he combines technical depth with business operations experience, overseeing everything from service delivery and compliance to sales development and team leadership. Kody's approach focuses on helping Inland Empire businesses strengthen their security posture, scale operations, and leverage technology to compete in an evolving market. He lives in Chino with his wife and two children.
Images
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Date and Time
Thursday Jun 18, 2026
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM PDT
Date: Thursday June 18, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location
Topgolf Ontario
1050 N Archibald Ave
Ontario, CA 91764
Fees/Admission
Admission for one:
Chamber Members: $99 (No Golfing)
Non-Members: $149 (No Golfing)
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