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Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson on Thursday is set to present the 2024 Mayor’s Innovation Award the creative team behind the @inlandempire Instagram page, which harnesses social media to promote local small businesses, officials announced last week.
The award will be presented to @inlandempire founders Mark Menezes and Justin Hudson during the annual State of the City address, this year themed “Riverside in Motion,” at the Riverside Convention Center, 3637 5th St. Registration and networking start at 4:30 p.m., and the program is scheduled to begin at 5:30.
“Mark and Justin have captured the imagination of the region with their insightful and fun videos that highlight the depth of Inland Southern California,” Lock Dawson said in a statement. “Their innovative approach to social media helps bring our diverse region together.”
Menezes, who grew up in Riverside and moved back from the East Coast about six years ago, said @inlandempire has attracted 19,000 followers in just four months, according to the city’s announcement. Menezes and Hudson publish three posts each week from locales throughout the Inland region, such as a recent two-part episode on the successful home kitchen Cali Tardka in Orangecrest.
“It’s grown really quickly,” Menezes said in a statement. “The results are just really amazing.”
His personal Instagram page, @markfromriverside, gained nearly 48,000 followers in 18 months, but Menezes expects @inlandempire to surpass that.
“The Inland Empire is so big, we’re covering from Ontario to Temecula to the desert,” he said. “We have such a bigger group of people to pull from.”
Menezes and Hudson — who had owned the @inlandempire account name for years prior to launching it with Menezes — began their partnership after Hudson appeared as a guest on his future collaborator’s podcast from the Made store at 6520 Magnolia Ave. in Riverside.
“We had a lot in common right away,” Menezes said. “We joke around a lot, and that really played into the chemistry of it.”
Prior to Instagram publishing, Hudson has been an entrepreneur who created the 1LoveIE clothing line featuring hats, shirts and jackets that are sold at the Galleria at Tyler, Victoria Gardens and online, officials said. Hudson
“He’s doing amazing things highlighting Riverside on his own page,” Hudson said in a statement. “I thought, ‘Let’s take that energy to the entire IE.’ We’re spotlighting our community and seeing people come together.”
Video posts on @inlandempire “are unscripted, humorous and evolve from the interaction of the two hosts as they explore restaurants around the area and enthuse over their favorite dishes,” according to the city. The shows focus on the region’s natural beauty and spotlight local small businesses.
“We’re sharing the stories of the folks behind the restaurants, the people making the food,” Hudson said. “I really consider myself a son of Riverside, and an ambassador for the Inland Empire, and I take great pride in representing Riverside. So, to get this award, it means a lot to me.”
The State of the City event, which is produced by the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce produces in partnership with the city, is streamed on RiversideTV and the city’s social media channels. More information is at https://riversideca.gov/press/state-city-2024.
For information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities, visit riverside-chamber.com/chamcart/index.cfm?categoryid=3. Individual tickets cost $50, and group rates are also available.
