Westcliff University celebrates the grand opening of its College of Nursing in Corona ANTHONY LEE CEO WESTCLIFF UNIVERSITY WHY: Took over Westcliff University from his father who founded the school, growing its student base from 20 to thousands by combining technology-based learning with traditional campus classes. Expanded the school’s academic Read More
Brent Kulp accepts his entrepreneurship award BRENT KULP CEO / PRESIDENT TRAFFIX DEVICES INC WHY: Joined family business year after his parents founded it in 1987 to make products for highway safety, from signs to barricades. In 2020, took over business from parents. What started as a self-storage unit in Read More
Arthur Kuan at Nasdaq on CG Oncology’s IPO day ARTHUR KUAN CEO / CHAIRMAN CG ONCOLOGY WHY: The 34-year-old leads research for bladder cancer treatments that investors have called “game changers.” Went public in January 2024 after raising $380M in an initial public offering, marking the largest IPO for an Read More
Twenty-seven of the largest restaurant chains headquartered in Orange County generated $37 billion in systemwide sales for 2024, an 8.5% increase from last year. While local headcounts fell 6.4% to 20,900 people across the board, that’s not stopping OC-based restaurant companies seeking to grow stores over the next five to Read More
Editor’s Note: Brothers Wing Lam, Ed Lee and Mingo Lee opened the first Wahoo’s Fish Taco location in Costa Mesa in 1988. The Tustin-based restaurant chain has more than 40 locations throughout California, Texas, Nevada and Japan. Ed Lee is also the founder of Toast Kitchen & Bakery in Tustin. Read More
Picture an Italian café where you can enjoy coffee and pastries in the morning, sandwiches, salads and charcuterie in the afternoon, and wine and tapas in the evening. That is the description of CasaDamí, a European-style eatery tucked within the luxury waterfront villas at Peninsula Village on the Balboa Peninsula. Read More
After several stints working at some of Orange County’s most critically acclaimed restaurants, Antonio Bevacqua is finally striking out on his own. “I always wanted to open a restaurant,” Bevacqua told the Business Journal. He’s now managing partner at the newly opened Il Girasole at South Coast Collection (SOCO) shopping center Read More
Editor’s Note: Newport Beach’s Christopher Cox has a long history in national politics, becoming the fifth-ranking leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, senior associate counsel to President Ronald Reagan, and working with four U.S. presidents. Using his vast knowledge about how Read More
Most restaurants are fortunate if they survive five years. But five decades? Nearly impossible. Avila’s El Ranchito in Newport Beach has defied the odds, marking its 50th anniversary this month. It’s been an exciting ride for the family-owned restaurant, which now boasts 12 locations, most in Orange County (one is Read More
Business may be picking up for locally-based drugmakers just a year after the local sector was showing declines. Employee headcount for the top seven pharmaceutical companies with offices in Orange County increased year-over year by 7.3% to 2,959 as of April. The growth represents an about-face for the local sector, Read More
