Five entrepreneurs,from a seller of flat-panel TVs to an operator of nursing schools,were honored at Tuesday’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards luncheon in Irvine put on by the Business Journal.
William Wang, founder and chief executive of Irvine’s Vizio Inc., was among the honorees. Vizio, which counts yearly sales of $2 billion, sells flat-panel TVs for $500 to $1,000 less than big rivals such as Sony Corp.
Wang started the company a few years ago, modeled after an earlier venture of his. Before starting Vizio, he was behind local computer monitor companies Mag InnoVision Co. and Princeton Digital Corp., which sold low-cost monitors made in Asia.
Taiwan’s Mag Technology Co. bought the business from Wang in 1998.
Pierre Andre Senizergues, chief executive of Lake Forest-based Sole Technology Inc., was honored for his work building the Lake Forest maker of shoes inspired by skateboarding.
The other winners: Sean Downs of Aliso Viejo healthcare software maker Enclarity Inc.; Shaheen Sadeghi of Costa Mesa-based retail developer Lab Holding LLC; and David Pyle of Costa Mesa’s American Career College.
The Excellence in Entrepreneurship Awards luncheon was held at the Hyatt Regency Irvine.
Michael Gray, cofounder of Santa Ana cookie maker Sweet Life Enterprises Inc., was the keynote speaker. Last year, Gray sold Sweet Life to Brea-based Fresh Start Bakeries Inc.
