Celebration Kicked off Orange County Innovation Month and Was Attended by More Than 200 of the County’s Business and Academic Elite

TUSTIN, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Orange County Innovation, a coalition of business, civic and academic leaders, recognized five companies contributing to the state of innovation at the 2006 Orange County Innovator Showcase & Innovation Awards, held on Oct. 4 at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin. The celebratory event was designed to kick off Orange County Innovation Month, as designated by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, and to bring public attention to Orange County as a hotbed of innovation.

“Orange County Innovation wanted to help celebrate the local growth of technology, science, entertainment, the arts and industry,” said John Garcia, chairman of the board, Orange County Innovation. “Innovation drives the global economy, and Orange County’s local innovators have contributed significant achievements that deserve recognition. Our program allowed some of these innovators to exhibit their works, and allowed our organization to recognize some of the luminaries.”

Orange County Innovation handed out four awards to exemplary companies in fields of philanthropy, technology, science and art. A fifth award recognized the top emerging company.

Philanthropy — The Henry Samueli Foundation received this award. The Foundation was founded by Dr. Henry and Susan Samueli in 1999 and is a private grant-making institution dedicated to facilitating positive change in our community and enabling individuals to achieve their potential.

Arts – The Segerstrom Family, one of the driving forces in real estate in Orange County, won this honor. One of their top real estate ventures is the world-renowned South Coast Plaza, which has become a staple in Orange County. South Coast Plaza is one of the highest-grossing shopping centers in the country, with more than 300 stores contributing approximately $1 billion in annual sales. The family’s monetary donations provided for the construction of the Orange County Performing Arts Center, on land also donated by the venerable company.

Science – LifeStem, a wholly owned subsidiary of CalbaTech, is positioning itself to become a leading supplier of cellular logistics. The company’s focus is to provide services and technologies to facilitate the efficient acquisition and delivery of adult stem cells, development of stem cell delivery devices for clinical applications and clinical applications of specific stem cell based therapies.

Technology – Eon Reality Inc., the world’s leading interactive visual content management software provider, earned this award. Its powerful software solutions help companies increase sales, communicate product functionality more effectively and decrease the cost of service, training and technical support.

Emerging Business — Local company m2vc won this award. m2vc is a category management solutions provider dedicated to providing the tools and services necessary for sound merchandising decisions. Its chief objective is to increase communication between retailers and suppliers through superior products.

Orange County Innovation activities are spearheaded by the collaborative efforts of numerous business, civic and academic groups, including Angel Strategies, OCTANe, the Office of Orange County Supervisor Lou Correa, The Orange County Business Council, Tech Coast Angels, Tech Coast Venture Network and University of California at Irvine. Sponsors include Cisco Systems, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Saddleback College Advanced Technology Center, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, The Irvine Company, Toshiba and WunderMarx Inc.

About Orange County Innovation

Orange County Innovation celebrates the significant growth of technology, science, entertainment, arts and industry in Orange County and promotes the advancement of these industries. Learn more at www.ocinnovation.org.