How to Join the OC500

It’s now my second year overseeing our editorial department’s selection of the
OC500. I can say without a doubt that every member on this year’s list deserves the
accolades.
One thing you can be sure about members of the OC500—they are familiar names
to our readers, who have read about them over the years in the Business Journal.
For example, we’ve told the story about how Tim Nguyen, who grew up in a
refugee camp after his family fled Vietnam, co-founded MeridianLink, which was
recently sold for $2 billion. Gavin Herbert, founder of Allergan, which made Botox
world famous, told everyone in a Leader Board published in January the secret to his
success. We’ve told you how Vinny Smith, who runs the largest venture capital fund
in Orange County, is investing more than $500 million to ride what he considers the wave of the future: surf parks.
Yes, we enjoy puns at this publication, where we emphasize the “holy cow” nature of fascinating OC business stories and ban smarminess that you’ll find in other publications. We hope you’ll find nuggets of information about OC companies in every issue. An excellent nugget in this OC500 book is that Matt Mauser, the incredible singer and founder of Costa Mesa-based Tijuana Dogs, is the master of ceremonies at President Donald Trump’s annual New Year’s Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
People often ask how to get themselves or their bosses into the Business Journal’s annual list of the 500 most influential in Orange County.
To start with, I paraphrase what legendary Bond King Bill Gross wrote in a Leader Board for us last year about the advice he received from a 75-year-old neighbor when he was trying to meet women for a date.
“Bill, you first have to say hello,” advised his neighbor.

So, say hello!
If we don’t know you or your company, your chances of getting onto the list have significantly decreased.
Tell us news about your company. We’re interested in CEO changes, sales increases (or decreases), acquisitions, divestitures, building purchases and innovations.
Give us tips on other newsmakers. If you recommend another business, you have vetted that company, and we appreciate the tip.
Also, I’ve read many responses throughout this book from OC500 themselves about their most significant accomplishments and favorite books. The number of OC500 members paying attention to AI is staggering. By submitting your responses, I know you are in tune with the Orange County business community.
To reach me, you can find my email on the penultimate page of each weekly Business Journal.

In Memoriam:

Parimal M. Rohit, our real estate reporter, sadly passed away at the age of 48 from a heart attack in October. While he worked at the Business Journal for only a year, he left a lasting impression. He loved life and being a reporter. In our special article about him in our Oct. 13 issue, our
Research Director Desmond Celo put it well:
“He gave me one piece of advice that I will cherish for the rest of my life. He said, “The money, the success, the fortune and the fancy things you have do not mean anything. What matters is the way you treat others, giving love to those who need it and being there for your family, friends and loved ones.”
RIP, my friend.