Introducing Goleta’s Finest

The Goleta’s Finest Celebration is a 62-year-old tradition honoring remarkable individuals who have had a positive impact on the community of Goleta. This year’s awards ceremony, held on Wednesday, November 30, was presented by the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce and Bacara Resort and Spa with music provided by the Montecito Jazz Band. It was a night of extravagance and honor as some of the city’s finest citizens and companies gathered together to recognize those who have gone above and beyond to give back to their community. Cox Communications, Business First Bank, Deckers Outdoor Corporation, Montecito Bank & Trust, UCSB, The Towbes Group, and The Santa Barbara Independent were among the many distinguished sponsors of the event.

The Entrepreneur of the Year award went to Primit Parikh and Umesh Mishra, cofounders of Transphorm, an electricity solutions company. Transphorm optimizes power conversion through new technologies to eliminate 90 percent of all electric conversion losses. Transphorm saves a significant amount of money and energy for many companies and individuals.

The Small Business of the Year award went to Palius and O’Kelley CPAs Inc. Palius and O’Kelley host small business seminars and help local businesses with anything from tax planning to profit analysis. The firm members are not the typical CPAs, as they focus on building personal relationships with their clients and describe themselves as flexible and fun. They stay true to their company motto, “exceptional service, valued product.”