The City of Irvine hosted the inaugural Business Executives and Owners Forum, facilitated by the Greater Irvine Chamber, on June 26 at the Quail Hill Community Center. This first-of-its-kind gathering provided an interactive platform for more than 50 local business leaders to share their perspectives with City officials and engage in timely discussions on the future of doing business in Irvine.
The forum provided attendees with an opportunity to explore emerging trends, identify growth opportunities, and voice the challenges they face in the current economic climate.
Greater Irvine Chamber President & CEO Dave Coffaro moderated a dynamic discussion featuring expert insights from the business, academic, and civic sectors. The agenda included:
- Current Business Trends – Presented by Dean Ian Williamson, Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine
- City of Irvine Economic Development Priorities for 2025 – Presented by Pete Carmichael, Assistant City Manager
- Local Business Leader Perspectives – Featuring Marina Dutton, general manager, Irvine Marriott; Reza Mortazavi, general manager, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar - Irvine; and Ben Alvarado, executive vice president, director, Core Banking, California Bank & Trust
- In addition to directly connecting with Irvine Mayor Larry Agran, attendees participated in a live poll that revealed the top-ranked challenges, opportunities, and growth strategies for Irvine businesses in 2025.
- Overall, how has your business’s performance (i.e. growth, revenue, profit) in the first half of 2025 compared with performance in 2024?
- Where are the greatest opportunities for your business this year?
- What are the biggest operating challenges your business faces this year?
- As you look ahead to the second half of 2025, what is your expectation for your business performance:
“This forum reflects our shared commitment to advancing Irvine’s business environment through real-time feedback, collaboration, and actionable insights,” Coffaro said. “The conversation and results from the live poll underscore the importance of continuing dialogue between the business community and City leadership to ensure Irvine remains a premier place to do business.”
Future forums in this series will be announced soon.
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