The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below. Check out our favorite stories from across California’s Central Coast.
Anthony Allesmith
I think I’ve been aiming for this path longer than I care to admit. The very first dinner party I threw was when I was 13 years old. Flipping through my moms clipped out recipe binders I found an assortment of recipes that I wanted to create. Invited my family over and was able to walk them through Taco Canapes and Fireman’s Stuffed Meatloaf. Read more>>
Salvatore Sardina
I was getting close to 60 and I wasn’t getting as much joy out of my work as a general contractor as I used to. I had gotten my C10 license April 2024 and by January 2025 I decided it was time to pivot. So I stopped taking new jobs. It’s funny, I got some of the biggest opportunities at that time. Read more>>
Kelli Poist
I started teaching Pilates in 2002, at a studio in Los Olivos. I went in for one introductory session and signed up for teacher training the next day. I instantly fell in love with the Pilates method. As I began teaching and practicing Pilates on a regular basis I felt the benefits in my own body. Read more>>
Ashley Trotter
After getting my associates degree in Fashion Design I began an internship at Ericka Engelman Couture in Carmel. I worked for Ericka absorbing fitting and alteration knowledge for several years before beginning my solo Bridal alterations business. I started with offering clothing customization and alterations of all kinds, not only bridal. Read more>>
Karlie Story
I grew up loving to bake with my family, making all sorts of desserts for birthdays and parties. I never did any fancy decorating, though, until about 15 years ago when my middle daughter turned 3. She wanted a ladybug cake so I found a tutorial on YouTube, made my own fondant and first specialty cake. It did not look amazing but I was hooked! Read more>>
Jeremy Trujillo
As the founder of TRU FX,I feel I represent a rare intersection of artistry, discipline, and elevated creative execution. Born in Colorado , My artistic foundation began early, with simple drawings with pencil and paper….refined over years of movement, exposure, and self-driven mastery. My upbringing was shaped by travel alongside a military household, which I feel cultivated both adaptability and vision. Read more>>
Jenni Ritchie
My journey with photography began when my oldest son was just a baby. I got my first DSLR camera, and began documenting everything he did, along with my journey through motherhood. As my love for photography grew, I began teaching myself more about the craft and took a few classes in Photoshop and editing. Eventually I started offering sessions to other families. Read more>>
Robin Belfrey
My journey has been anything but linear. I began my career as a licensed cosmetologist with a passion for beauty and helping women feel confident. For many years, I focused primarily on supporting my family and building a life that looked very different from the one I live today. Read more>>
Scarlette Stafford
We are a Louisiana Creole heritage based company with roots deep from southern and central Louisiana. My family roots are both French and Blackfoot Indian, which is where I inherited my culinary interest in exotic spices and seasonings. My grandmother Rosa Baker-Bazron raised me and her mother Rozelia was full-blooded Blackfoot Indian and she was an excellent cook. Read more>>
Lorrie Thomas
I’ve always been fascinated by people. Looking back, every chapter of my life has revolved around communication, connection, leadership, and helping people better understand one another. I grew up in Thousand Oaks, California, and my entrepreneurial journey started early. Like many kids, I sold Girl Scout cookies, babysat, and found creative ways to earn money whenever I could. Read more>>
Joshua Harp
I was born in Redlands, California but moved to Fortuna, California when I was one year old. My family lived in Fortuna until I was eight years old, after which we moved to Cottonwood, California. Read more>>
Shaun Smith
Seth and I are two former athletes turned entrepreneurs. We started researching and playing around with AI, building websites and automations. We realized that with how fast technology is moving, small business we’re going to have a tough time keeping up. So, we started the business, joined BNI, and have been enjoying the hustle. Read more>>
Lamarie Flo
I’m 19 and I’m Black and Guatemalan. I’ve been acting since I was 4 years old, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do for the rest of my life. I’ve always felt a strong connection to storytelling and being able to step into different characters, and over time it just became something I knew I wanted to build my future around. Read more>>
Katherine Rizzo-Benedetti
My story began as a child. I would massage people’s shoulders and give them scalp massage if they sat in front of me. One day my brothers friend told me I should be a Massage Therapist and I was shocked that I had no idea that was a career choice. As the years went on it became time to start looking into careers. Read more>>
Feben Teffera
I was born in Ethiopia and as a little girl I was always into fashion and dance. I used to dance for my family whenever they asked and they asked often and I was all in. I would get up in the morning and dress up even just to go to breakfast. I didn’t believe in hanging around in PJ’s and I still don’t. Read more>>
Arturo Ortiz
For years, my life was a blur of endless commutes, late nights analyzing tax codes, and weekends spent taking classes to accomplish the necessary courses to get my IRS E-FIN and CTEC certifications. I did not want to be just a numbers guy; I was a man who understood the worth of hard work and precision. Read more>>
Louis Devas
I still remember where it all started. 2004. Two people, one sewing machine, a small space, and a genuine desire to build something worth building. We weren’t chasing some big business dream back then. We just believed photographers deserved backdrops that matched the quality of their craft. Those first orders? Read more>>
Brittany D’Andrea
So much has led me here, I could really layout has style & fashion has oddly supported me through the grieviest hardest times of my life as well as the biggest joys, but lets start here…I’ve worked across many corners of the fashion world, but what keeps me here is one simple belief: every body, at every stage of life, deserves great style. Read more>>
Kelsea Richmond
Looong story short, we were just traveling the country when we ran out of money in Monterey and had to find real jobs and settle back down. We found ourselves helping this local wealthy guy open up a coffee shop, and just 3 months in he decided he didn’t want to do it any longer. Read more>>
Marissa Martinez
I started skating about 20 years ago, grew up in Carson California. I learned how to make skate pants with deep pockets in DTLA about 10 years ago and started my own business. Now I host mama’s game of skate once a month (girls only). I’m filming a skate part and a video to celebrate 10 years in the pants business. Read more>>
James Linnenkamp
Back in 1986 I got laid off from a job as a production Tig welder. I did that for a couple years and was miserable doing it. I did some other jobs after that, from working for Sherwin Williams Paint, to Maintenance at the local National Guard facility. Then I did concrete pumping. Didn’t care for any of them. Read more>>
Pippa Baker-Rabe
Our connection to plants goes back to the beginning! As siblings growing up in Ojai, California we were raised in the garden. Thomas began propagating California Fan Palms and selling them at our lemonade stand when we were in elementary school! We were lucky enough to be exposed to nature, agriculture, and even our grandfather’s incredible tropical garden in Carpinteria. Read more>>
Jeanette Bent
Jeanette’s path to founding and running Stellaria Creative Company is a clear evolution from performer to multifaceted producer, driven by a desire to unify her background in storytelling, dance, and aerial arts. The journey to creating Stellaria Creative Company came from Jeanette’s diverse performance foundation. She maintained an early career that provided the technical and artistic versatility necessary for her future production work. Read more>>
Sue Saign
I became a business owner by accident. I went to law school while being a single mom in hopes of finding a career that would provide stability for my family. My undergraduate degree was in cultural anthropology, but I could not find a job in that field. Read more>>
lana nassir
i’ve always been drawn to creative work. while attending the University of California, Irvine, i explored my interests in graphic design and photography, which grew into opportunities to create visual content and tell stories through different mediums. at the same time, my passion for cooking led me into private chef work, where i found another creative outlet through food and hospitality. Read more>>
Tara Warwick
My fitness journey began when I moved to San Luis Obispo in 2000 to attend college. One of my first roles was serving as Operations Director for a gym at age 18, but my passion for health and movement started long before that. Growing up, I played multiple sports—including soccer, baseball, track, and cheerleading—and continued competing in soccer and track through college. Read more>>
Gerrie Shapiro
Transplanted from Pittsburgh, Pa in 1998. I’m a dog trainer and a professional artist. I recently had my first one-woman exhibition in 20 years. I’m an active on the B.O.D. of The Friendship Center Adult Day Care. I volunteer there every day and take a dog to visit our members. Read more>>
Patrick Ang
My story began when I was in high school. I made skate videos with my friends and always was the one documenting ‘life’. I begged my mom for a camcorder and filmed anything and everything. I had no idea what I was doing and recorded songs off of the radio, tv and played them over my videos. Read more>>
Vickie Cass
I was working in Finance and was very unhappy. After becoming a mother and volunteering in my child’s Kindergarten class I realized how much more rewarding that experience was. I went back to college to complete a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Development and began working as a Teaching Assistant in early childhood. i worked my way up to Kindergarten teacher and was so happy! Read more>>
Stephanie Payne-Campbell
domecíl began in a very simple way: I was making linen aprons that felt beautiful, inspired by sundresses. I sold them at local craft fairs and eventually began wholesaling them to shops I admired. Along the way, I started sourcing handwoven baskets from southern Chile, always with the dream of opening a shop of my own someday. Read more>>
Kathy Gruver
My career has taken some unexpected turns over the years. As a theatre major in college, I accidently ended up studying massage. When I left Pittsburgh and drove cross country to Hollywood, I figured massage would be a great side gig while I pursued my acting career and collected all those award winning film roles I was sure were waiting for me. Read more>>
Nicoletta Puccini
My path into this work wasn’t a straight line. I grew up in a family where mental health challenges, trauma, and instability were part of everyday life. From a young age, I became fascinated by what helps people heal and what allows us to move beyond our circumstances. Read more>>
Christopher Funke
I arrived San Luis Obispo area purely by chance, but upon arrival I knew I discovered a very special area of the world. At the time I was still playing basketball after college and pursuing my professional dreams. I had also recently suffered an injury and decided it was time to consider a new place to call home. Read more>>
Kimberley Love
I opened the school as an in-home child care in November of 2011, after years of teaching and dreaming of opening a school of my own ~one with low teacher-child ratios, where the curriculum was child-led rather than teacher driven. When my youngest daughter was 18 months, I decided it was time. Read more>>
Deprise Brescia
I believe the paths we take and the experiences we go through along the way give us the texture that creates an interesting life. The ride creates memories, moments and hopefully pearls of wisdom we carry with us throughout our journey. I have always felt connected to my artistic side, those roots run deep on both sides of my family. Read more>>
Joe Aesir
My journey to running Ragnarok Athletics is a story that goes full circle. I started martial arts at 3 years old in Karate. I had to convince my father, who was a sensei at the dojo, to let me train as he didn’t want to feel like he was pressuring me. I found success in karate growing up winning national and world tournaments. Read more>>
Brian Kuhlmann
I’ve had a camera in my hands for most of my life. I began photographing for my high school yearbook and quickly became fascinated by the power of images to tell stories and connect people. Read more>>
Amy George
My grandparents, Marion and Phil Baron, bought our land nearly 90 years ago with only an Adobe Shack on it. My Grandpa ran a dairy farm and had one of the first dairy routes in Atascadero. My da, Robert Baron, was born on this property, as was I and my youngest daughter. Read more>>
Tim Heinrich
If you’d asked 19-year-old me what I’d be doing for a living one day, ‘helping car dealerships rewire their culture using neuroscience’ would not have made the list. Back then, I made the safe, logical choice – a degree in Accounting. It was the right call for a kid who didn’t know what he wanted out of life, other than financial security. Read more>>
Tyrone Armstrong Sr
I’m Ty Armstrong Sr., a 64 year old California Web Developer faced with the life-altering diagnosis of congestive heart failure, chose a path of resilience and creativity. Driven by his passion to make a difference worldwide, he designed a unique, innovative video vlog that offers a dynamic, all-in-one visual browser experience. Read more>>
Deneen DiCarlo
I opened the Tea Trolley in October 2025 after retiring early from a 25+ year career in Medicine. Both of my parents worked in the medical field and encouraged all four of their daughters to become physicians, a path I was grateful to follow. Read more>>
Nick Kvistad
I grew up in Santa Barbara, surrounded by a lot of natural beauty, and that is where my eye for imagery and storytelling really started. I got into multimedia around 2008, studying design, photo, and video all through high school, and over the years what started as a hobby turned into a genuine obsession with visual storytelling and how brands show up in the world. Read more>>
Misha Bechtolsheim
After suffering a severe knee injury in college (straining all 4 ligaments, tearing the patellar tendon and meniscus and dislocating the knee cap), I was determined to rehab fully without surgery and return to a rigorous dance schedule. In order to recover, I was introduced to the Pilates Reformer and fully rehabilitated in 8 short weeks. Read more>>
Lindsey Hahn
Ever since I was a little girl, I remember looking around and wondering who made all these rules for women in the first place. Who decided what was beautiful enough, young enough, in shape enough? I was fortunate to be raised believing I could think independently, trust my own voice and create freely. Photography naturally became an extension of that. Read more>>
Jared Wade
My path to becoming a professional jiu-jitsu athlete was anything but traditional. Growing up, I always dreamed of being a professional athlete. The problem was that I never found a sport I truly connected with. As I got older, I followed a more conventional path instead. I attended Northeastern University, studied finance, and eventually found myself working in New York City on Wall Street. Read more>>
Nathan Daigle
You bet! – I grew up in Canada surrounded by family members who always had a project car in the garage. It was being around old vehicles from a young age that sparked a fascination which eventually became my livelihood. My introduction to Volkswagen vans came during university. Read more>>
Beth Young
I spent two decades as a licensed architect specializing in healthcare facility design: hospitals, cancer centers, medical office buildings, etc.. Evidence-based design became my professional home: the science of how the built environment affects patient outcomes, stress levels, and recovery. I led teams designing spaces where people face some of the hardest moments of their lives. Read more>>
Lala
Hi! My name is Lala and I’m the owner of Pourfection Mobile Bartenders. I started my journey here on the central coast 13 years ago. I got into catering serving about 10 years ago, which led me to wedding bartending. I was humbly blessed with the opportunity to aquire my business and decide to take a leap of faith towards my future. Read more>>
Nic Wilson
Born and raised in Toronto, I was the quintessential happy-go-lucky Canadian kid. Hockey obsessed, endlessly energetic, and always chasing the next adventure. What started as a passion for music eventually led me into DJing and content creation, before a cancer diagnosis and profound personal loss reshaped my perspective on life. Read more>>
Candice Renner
I’ve always had a passion for hospitality and spent much of my career working in the wine industry, fine dining, and sales. During COVID, I was furloughed from my job and shortly after became pregnant with my second son. While figuring out what returning to the workforce would look like, I began assisting a close friend who owned a wedding planning business. Read more>>
Suzy Radonsky
In 2017 and 2018, I had two wonderfully rambunctious toddlers at home. I was thinking about returning to work after those early baby years, but both of my boys were struggling in preschool settings and kept getting asked to leave. At the time, we didn’t yet understand that they were neurodivergent. Read more>>
Gavin Jones
It all started when I was away at college in Virginia and I noticed the landscapers putting in little to no effort and I realized I could do it way better, heck if they could get a commercial contract with that effort what could I do? This also coincided with me being surrounded by a large network of entrepreneurs encouraging me to go for it. Read more>>
Michael Baez
I first discovered yoga over 20 years ago when I moved to L.A. from N.Y. A good friend of mine named Onahoua Rodriguez took me to a ‘living room’ yoga class (at someone’s house) and 10 minutes into the class I was hooked! I instantly felt the connection between yoga & the martial arts and it was incredible. Read more>>
Brian Van Hecke
For years, I struggled with severe, chronic gut issues. I went to doctor after doctor, but no one could help me find the actual cause of my symptoms. Instead of getting answers, I was continually handed temporary fixes that never really solved the problem. My life completely changed when I finally started working with a holistic nutritional therapist. Read more>>
Janet Allinger
Hi, I’m a California based Illustrator/artist known for bold colors, vintage-ish feel, and edgy designs with a sense of humor. I enjoy creating fun posters for events local and far away, painting original art using acrylics, gouache and torn paper. Read more>>
Andi Metzler
I never set out to become a sleep consultant. I was a high school Spanish teacher before becoming a mom, and after my daughter, was born, I was barely surviving. I was exhausted, going to bed at 7:00 every night, and just trying to make it through each day. Desperate for help, I hired a sleep consultant. Read more>>
Doug Hofkins
I’ve been performing magic since I was about 10 and surfing since I was about 10 I was born and raised in Santa Cruz my dad lived in San Jose whenever I go visit him there was a magic shop in Fremont called the Magic touch. Read more>>
Josh Fisher
Started a small Gourmet local sausage and hotdog stand in 2016, managed the property im in from 2014-2026, another beer garden moved in to thr space im in in 2024 and failed by Jan 2025, I took a chance and took over the space in March 2025 and we opened May 2025. Read more>>
Heather Gallegos
My business partner Christina and I have been friends for over thirty years, and we both call Morgan Hill home. Read more>>
Tristin Tracy
Photography has been part of my life forever. I started taking photography classes in junior high and high school at Anacapa School, where I spent six years learning everything from composition to developing film in the darkroom. My Canon Rebel went everywhere with me, and I photographed anything I could, especially the beautiful architecture and gardens of Casa del Herrero, where my grandparents lived. Read more>>
Antonia Sullivan
Indigo by Boutin’s handmade decor from Jaipur, Bali, Vietnam, and Cambodia bring the beautiful art of artisan communities to your home. I founded Indigo by Boutin after a trip to India seven years ago, when I immediately felt an instinctive pull to return someday. Inspired by my mother’s Czech heritage and her love for culture and food, I’ve always carried a deep sense of wanderlust. Read more>>
Chris Meugniot
Hey there, I’m Chris, a travel / commercial photographer based in Ventura, CA. I’m fortunate enough to live minutes from the beach and just a short drive to the mountains. It’s been the perfect hub to build a creative career and serves as inspiration for a vast number of projects. Read more>>
Jewell Harloff
When Starbucks first hired me as a barista at 16 years old, I instantly fell in love with coffee culture. I loved the energy of the café, connecting with people, and the feeling that a coffee shop could become part of someone’s daily ritual and community. From that point on, I always dreamed of owning a coffee shop of my own one day. Read more>>
Fabio Benedetti
Cocorino started from a very personal place. When I was a kid growing up in Italy, my brother and I loved collecting and trading stickers. We didn’t have much, but those small pieces of printed art felt incredibly special to us. Read more>>
Jessica Carroll
Radio was always something I was fascinated by. When I was a kid, I pictured the DJs playing CDs in a little building up at the top of the mountain near that tall stick with the flashing red lights. Read more>>
Miriam Montoya
I started Sugar Treats n Cakes from home with a passion for creating desserts that felt more artistic and personal than traditional grocery store cakes. What began as a creative outlet slowly turned into a business a friends, family, and eventually clients started requesting custom cakes for their special events. Read more>>
Brian and Lauren Cat Alley Street
The concept for Cat Alley Street began with our theme camp at unSCruz called Snarklefarker’s Nightclub. UnSCruz is the annual Santa Cruz regional Burning Man event, built around community, creativity, radical self-expression, and participation. Snarklefarker’s was created as a roaring 20’s-inspired, swanky vampire nightclub — equal parts elegant, high-energy, and welcoming. Read more>>
Matthew Rips
What started as a passion for helping people feel their best evolved into a vision for a more personalized and proactive approach to healthcare. Read more>>
Christina Romney
I started teaching swimming more than 18 years ago because I saw how important water safety is for children and families. Over the years, what began as a passion for helping kids become comfortable in the water turned into something much bigger. I realized that swimming lessons are not just about learning strokes — they build confidence, teach life-saving skills, and help children overcome fears. Read more>>
Deva Laggner
My Story: Growing up in a pristine setting at the foot of the magnificent Mt. Shasta, I have been immersed in health and wellness for as long as I can remember. My love of beauty and nature was supported by my parents’ lifestyle. They enjoyed organic food, herbal medicine, yoga and meditation. Read more>>
Leo Kildani
I’m currently a Computer Science student at San José State University. As I got closer to graduation, I started thinking seriously about what my career path would look like. With the rise of AI and the wave of tech layoffs affecting the industry, landing internships became increasingly competitive. Read more>>
Beth Suafoa
In 2012, I started working at a small, private preschool as an after school assistant. I worked my way up in the company… adding Early Childhood to my education so that I could have my own class, taking on administrative tasks and becoming Assistant Director and then Director. I met Robin in 2014. We were assigned to co-teach in the two year old class. Read more>>
Jessica Campos
We initiated our business endeavor in the fall of 2024. We met through our church community and believe that divine guidance played a significant role in our journey. I (Jessica) was finalizing my health coaching certification with the goal of supporting women in achieving their health goals. Read more>>
Lauren Chaney
I grew up with a passion for horses, art, photography, and design. I began freelancing while still in high school and had my first work published during that time. Determined to follow my dreams, I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and Media Arts in 2018. Read more>>
Ross Turner
Neon Clean honestly started pretty organically. I saw that a lot of service businesses, especially in cleaning and property maintenance, were either hard to get ahold of, inconsistent, or just didn’t feel very professional. I felt like there was room to build something that looked and operated differently. Read more>>
Caden Kulp
My background is in software engineering, but my story has always had a strong creative thread running through it. I began my career in the Space Force working in product development and software engineering. Through several moves and different assignments, my wife and I had the chance to meet some incredible people and learn about the businesses they were building. Read more>>
Norm Groot
My college degree is in Accounting and Finance from the University of Southern California. During my senior year I determined that being a CPA was not the career path I desired. At that time, my Dad’s horticulture business was transitioning from entrepreneurial to systems-based and I agreed to spend two years computerizing the operations. Read more>>
Angela Evenich
I am a disabled Speech-Language Pathologist, disability activist, and small business owner with cerebral palsy. My small business (Angie Advocates LLC) offers disability-led trainings, consultations, and educational resources grounded in anti-ableist frameworks. With over six years of experience as an established presenter and writer in speech-language pathology, I am actively expanding my work across healthcare, education, and community spaces. Read more>>
Taylor Boone
My story really began long before I had a business. I became deaf in my left ear when I was five, and I grew up with dyslexia. At the time, those felt like obstacles. Looking back, they were my training ground. I learned how to read a room before I could fully understand the words. Read more>>
dominique hannaux
I moved from Paris France end of 1998, looked for a business to buy and after a few failed attemps was lucky to find the Secret Garden Inn and cottages. We closed escrow the day of the elections Nov 4, 1999 Read more>>
Jason Jones
The story of The Red Piano really begins with a simple belief: that live music has the power to bring people together in a way that almost nothing else can. My business partner, Colin Campbell, and I have spent most of our adult lives in hospitality. Read more>>
Graham Shadwick
I grew up in the Midwest in the Kansas City area. Dentistry was in my family- my grandpa was an orthodontist, my uncle was a general dentist and my cousin became a dentist after he graduated from college. I attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas for my undergraduate degree. I entered college with my sights set on becoming a dentist. Read more>>
Dominique Gonzales
My story really starts behind the bar. I’ve spent over 15 years in hospitality, bartending everywhere from Sacramento to Chico, San Francisco, and eventually back home to San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast. Working in restaurants and bars taught me so much about flavor, service, and the little details that make a drink feel special. Read more>>
Carolyn Jaynes
As a child, I loved listening to my female relatives talk about ghosts and spirits. This fascinated me! I began reading more about it from the library as young as junior high. I found stories about near death experiences and reincarnation so compelling. I started having my own spiritual experiences with seeing auras, manifesting desires, miracles and strange occurrences. Read more>>
Geary Whiting
My journey really started back in 1963 when I began as a personal trainer. Growing up with horses — chasing cattle, hauling hay, driving tractors, plowing fields, showing animals at the local fair — somehow wasn’t enough to keep me in the agriculture world. Sports and athletics seemed more up my alley, but little did I know what adventures were ahead. Read more>>
Jack Taylor
Blue Belle Weddings was born out of something we noticed after years of working in the wedding photo and video industry. Along the way, we met an incredible network of talented photographers, videographers, and creatives throughout California. Read more>>
Laryssa Suaid
I started photography in Brazil in 2005 and quickly fell in love with documenting real moments and human connections. After earning a degree in Design, I continued building my photography career and eventually moved to the United States, where I rebuilt my business from the ground up. Read more>>
Taylor Gonzalez
I grew up in Escondido, California, and was diagnosed with ADHD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder at a young age. Throughout school, I often felt misunderstood by teachers, peers, and even some adults around me. I struggled socially, battled depression, and frequently felt like I didn’t fit in. Read more>>
Charlotte Smith
I grew up in Valencia, California. Science and math have always been my favorite subjects in school. In fact, my dad bought me a periodic table of elements placemat when I was 3 years old and he started teaching me the chemical formulas of everyday molecules such as table salt, NaCl, and glucose, C6H12O6. Read more>>
Tatsiana Kantsavaya
My journey into photography began long before I moved to the United States. I was already working with a camera in Belarus, exploring visual storytelling and discovering the power of photography to connect with people. However, I always felt that I wanted more – more growth, more opportunities, and a chance to challenge myself on a bigger stage. Read more>>
Melanie Raver
I left my Interior Design job to be a stay at home mom. I felt called to spend the time with them. I knew it would affect my career, but not creating when you are an artist is impossible. When my youngest was two, I needed to jump back into design in any way possible. I started to style areas in my home. Read more>>
Dotan Trabulsi
I grew up with a strong interest in how things are built and how good design can improve the way people live. That led me to study civil engineering, where I developed a deep understanding of structural systems, construction methods, and problem-solving. Read more>>
Fernando Gomez
I started working in my industry 2005 as a flatbed tow operator for various companies in Los Angeles county then eventually operating a wheel lift tow truck for 3 yrs then moved to San Diego in 2018 with my current wife who is born and raised in San Diego…..in 2019 i started working with a towing company named roadone towing of San Diego then eventually started towing for guarding towing out of mira mesa, ca Read more>>
Skippie Fritz
Well, I was born at a young age, and it all spiraled from there. Seriously though, growing up homeschooled in a sibling-filled house, I didn’t have a lot of things to myself. I didn’t really have any extra-curriculars asides from sports (which I hated), so art was my outlet. Something I could do by myself and for myself. Read more>>
Vanessa Manes
Growing up, I loved Ryan Seacrest and Oprah. I would listen to KIIS FM on the way to school and then rush home to watch Oprah at 3pm. For a long time, I thought I wanted to be a talk show host because I loved stories, connection, and understanding people. So naturally, I started college as a Communication and Journalism major. Read more>>
Chloe Blunt
As a young Black girl, I moved from Texas, where African-Americans were majorities, to a new state of California, where African-Americans were now minorities. In Texas, my culture wasn’t something I had to explain or shrink to fit. It was something that could be embraced. But when I moved to California, surrounded by faces that no longer mirrored mine. Read more>>
Dr, Megan Johnson McCullough
Fifteen years ago, I took a risk and decided to open my own fitness studio, Every BODY’s Fit. A kind landlord said I looked like a girl with a vision, and now, years later, the studio’s success helped me move to downtown Oceanside. I’m now a block from the beach and own a second business next door, Mindful BODY’s Recovery, an outpatient addiction treatment center. Read more>>
Kathy Leader
My story started as a little girl growing up in South Africa. My mother was a wonderful artist and I used to accompany her on outdoor adventures painting the African horizon. I was always influenced by the richness of the colors, textures and bold shapes of the landscape. Read more>>
Darrie Ganzhorn
The Homeless Garden Project (HGP) was founded in 1990 to provide meaningful work to people experiencing homelessness and to bring the community together in the beauty and security of our organic farm, while also providing fresh, local organic produce to community members. Read more>>
Tamara Coffey
The Road Continues, a non-profit I found and named from my initials, TRC. The Road Continues is on a mission for Women Helping Women by providing donations of professional business and business casual clothing among other things. Read more>>
Venessa aka alma Henry
My journey has always been rooted in service, healing, and community. For much of my life, I have been drawn to creating spaces where people can reconnect with themselves, with one another, and with a greater sense of purpose. This calling eventually led me to co-found Alma Wellness, a vision centered around holistic wellbeing, stewardship, education, and community connection. Read more>>
Jennifer Park
I am baker/pastry chef, worked in the industry since 2008, have a passion for baking and upon graduating college wet pastry school in Chicago and have experience working in bakeries, restaurants, hotels, until finally deciding it was time to try venturing out on my own. Read more>>
