Lauren Card Live

Tonight I had an opportunity to celebrate the success of some truly exceptional entrepreneurs. The setting was the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, and the event was the Orange County Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Privately Owned Companies for 2009!

Each year, the Orange County Business Journal does extensive research to identify and acknowledge firms with exceptionally high growth rates, profitability, and year-over-year success. While 100 make the list, only ten are honored at a gala event that is sponsored by firms like Stradling Yocca Carlson and Rauth, Rothstein Kass, and Cox Business.

We arrived a few minutes after the schedule 5:30PM start, and the hall was buzzing with the excitement. Great food, drink and conversation flowed as the guests speculated on who would win the awards…as it turned out, our table-mates turned out to be one of the top honorees!

Rick Reiff, host of Inside OC, was Master of Ceremonies and opened the event with kind words about the honorees and the sponsors. Each sponsor was given an opportunity to highlight their business and then present an award, starting with number ten.

The winners were humble and authentic…some had come from modest beginnings. They spoke of their businesses, their employees and the trials and tribulations of being entrepreneurs. I was truly inspired and couldn’t help but imagine that someday I might be up on the stage accepting an award. What an honor that would be! Please check back tomorrow to meet one of OCBJ’s Top 10 Honorees, Vikas Vanjani and his company Point One Technologies!

Many thanks to the Orange County Business Journal for creating an event that was fun and inspirational. If you’re interested in the stories of the winners, please click here. My blog will feature a video and blog on one of the winners!

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