Kurt Busch KURT BUSCH CO-FOUNDER / CEO SYNTIANT CORP. WHY: Co-founded, runs Irvine-based AI computing company Syntiant Corp.; a winner of Business Journal’s 2020 Innovator of the Year Award. IN THE NEWS: The company was founded in 2017. Since then, more than 100M of its chip sets and machine learning Read More
Brandon Dekker Architecture and Design Brandon Dekker has been named CannonDesign’s Executive Director of the West Region. In this firmwide role, Dekker will focus on advancing strategic growth and design impact, both across the firm and specifically in the West Region. He will support the continued success of CannonDesign’s design Read More
TIM BRITT FOUNDER / EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN SYNOPTEK WHY: Grew up in Wyoming, where he knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur. Earned industrial engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA degree from J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. In 2001, began building Synoptek. Made 10 Read More
Emad Sarieddine Civil Engineering Emad Sarieddine, PE, is now Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Kier + Wright (K+W). Since joining in 1999, he has guided teams, strengthened culture, and driven growth. As COO, Sarieddine oversees operations, optimizes systems, ensures quality, and mentors future leaders, maintaining K+W’s high standards across all Read More
Alex Bhathal Lisa Bhathal Merage ALEX BHATHAL LISA BHATHAL MERAGE CO-FOUNDER CO-FOUNDER / MANAGING PARTNER RAJ CAPITAL RAJ CAPITAL WHY: Siblings founded Newport Beach-based RAJ Sports, a subsidiary of RAJ Capital. Parents Raj and Marta are entrepreneurs who built swimwear empire. Awarded a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) expansion franchise Read More
Nektarios Matheou Civil Engineering Nektarios Matheou, PE, steps into his new role as Principal at Kier + Wright (K+W). With nearly 15 years at the firm and two decades in the industry, he’s helped shape K+W’s collaborative culture, mentored rising talent, and guided strategic growth through his leadership, client focus, Read More
Bobby Azamian BOBAK “BOBBY” AZAMIAN CEO/CHAIRMAN / CO-FOUNDER TARSUS PHARMACEUTICALS WHY: Spearheaded the development and commercialization of Xdemvy, the first FDA-approved treatment for Demodex blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelids caused by mites. Raised $101M in IPO in 2020; company so successful that it was able to raise another $125M in Read More
Adam Mahoney Civil Engineering Kier + Wright (K+W) has promoted Adam Mahoney, PE, PLS, to Principal in a newly created role centered on Technical Design and Implementation. With over 20 years at the firm, Mahoney is a dual-licensed expert known for mentoring teams, solving complex challenges, and strengthening the company’s Read More
Loretta Rivas Construction With 20+ years in preconstruction estimating, Loretta Rivas guides projects from concept to construction. She delivers accurate budgets, design input, and value engineering aligned with market trends. As Director, Rivas will continue to service our clients’ preconstruction needs while providing oversight of all budgeting deliverables for Oltmans’ Read More
Kamran Ansari (left) invented a wearable device to alleviate his sister Nadia’s (right) pain KAMRAN ANSARI FOUNDER FLUXWEAR INC. WHY: 20-year-old co-founder of wearable tech startup FluxWear Inc. with his sister Nadia Ansari. Invented a neuromodulation device, designed as a hat, to alleviate his sister’s chronic pain using pulsed electromagnetic field Read More
