OC's Greater Irvine Chamber Highlights Innovation at 2026 Meeting

Greater Irvine Chamber Highlights Innovation Economy and Honors Members at 2026 Annual Members Meeting

Greater Irvine Chamber President & CEO Dave Coffaro delivered a forward-looking presentation at the Chamber’s 2026 Annual Members Meeting on Jan. 21, offering insight into the unique composition of Irvine’s business community—that he described as a Fortune 500 Small Business Community.

He emphasized Irvine’s innovation economy, driven by entrepreneurs who cluster and connect to accelerate commercialization, create high–value-added opportunities across sectors, and fuel growth throughout interconnected supply chains—ultimately generating broad economic and fiscal benefits.

During the interactive presentation held at the Greater Irvine Chamber, Coffaro outlined anticipated areas of economic growth for the City of Irvine, including healthcare innovation, next-generation defense technologies, enabling and creative technologies, and cleantech. He also highlighted key Chamber achievements from 2025 and shared priorities for elevating business success in 2026. These include the launch of cluster-specific councils in high-growth sectors; expansion of the Irvine Gateway program, which connects businesses to no- or low-cost resources to help accelerate success; programs tailored to small- and mid-sized businesses; deeper integration of higher education institutions and large employers as strategic partners; and strengthened engagement with nonprofit organizations.

The Annual Members Meeting also served as an opportunity to recognize Greater Irvine Chamber members whose leadership, involvement, and contributions strengthen the organization and advance a thriving business community. Award recipients were recognized before a full audience by Coffaro and Irvine Vice Mayor James Mai; Irvine Councilmembers William Go, Melinda Liu, and Betty Martinez Franco; Jeanne Baran representing Irvine Mayor Larry Agran’s office; Al Tello representing the office of Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner; Lillian Hollar representing the office of Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris; and John Ding representing the office of State Senator Steven Choi.

Greater Irvine Chamber 2026 Annual Member Award Honorees:

Lifetime Member – Bruce Greenberg
Recognized for long-standing membership, since 1990, and sustained leadership through service on Leads Groups, the Board of Directors, committees, and the Irvine Forward Foundation.
Member of the Year – David Donnelly
Recognized for outstanding engagement, leadership, and support across multiple areas of Chamber involvement.
Ambassador of the Year – Jocelyn Ruiz
Honored for exceptional dedication to the Ambassador Program, earning the highest service point total through outreach, ribbon-cuttings, and consistent support of the Chamber.
Rainmaker of the Year – David Feldberg
Celebrated as the top-performing Leads Group member for generating $6.9 million qualified business referrals to fellow members, the highest number in 2025.
Chamber Engagement Leader – Behzad Faridnia
Honored for consistent participation across Chamber events, programs, and committees, contributing meaningfully to the Chamber community.
Membership Builder – Jorge Mora
Recognized for referring new businesses that joined the Chamber, directly contributing to membership growth.
Social Media Champion – Anh Huy Nguyen
Celebrated for an active and impactful digital presence that regularly engages audiences and amplifies Chamber content across social platforms.
Outstanding Member Profile Page – Kathie Allen
Recognized for excellence in digital presentation through a standout Business Directory listing featuring compelling visuals, strong copy, and helpful links.