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.
Nani
Growing up in Vallejo, CA as a Black girl with social anxiety I was often a loner who bullies targeted, society often treated me like an outcast because they couldn’t figure me out, when I was younger I used to hate not being able to understand where I fit in in society. Read more>>
Giovanna Salas
We are born with all the gifts… Be fearless. On my journey, I have faced many challenges. I have learned that the size of the challenge doesn’t matter. We have the power to continue on our way, along our path. Sometimes it’s extremely hard, especially if you’re trying to follow your dreams. Read more>>
Diana H. Briscoe
I was born and raised in Colombia, where I grew up surrounded by farmers, ranchers, and a family that expressed love through food. From an early age, I learned that cooking is more than preparing a meal—it’s a way to nourish, connect, and care for others. Read more>>
David Poznic
I took my first photography class at UC Santa Cruz in 1997, and instantly fell in love with the magic of photography. I was shooting black and white film and developing by hand in the dark room, and right away I knew I’d be in love with this art for the rest of my life. Read more>>
Joe Garcia
I started at a young Age playing in bands (all instruments) from punk rock all the way up into metalcore and hardcore. I would say that started my roots into music through out my younger years (middle school/High School). After around the end of highschool I Toured with bands around the U.S. Read more>>
Lauren Souter
When my son was born, I spent my days hanging out with him and taking a lot of photos of him with a Dslr camera my parents had gotten me that year. As I started posting more and more, I had some requests from acquaintances for me to take their family photos and it all went from there! Read more>>
Joseph Evers
Lobster Jo’s was founded in 2020 by Joseph Evers while he was a student at UC Santa Barbara, with the goal of creating an affordable, community-centered summer camp that gave kids the opportunity to explore, play, and learn outdoors. Read more>>
Amy Neiman
RISE Literacy grew directly out of what we were seeing every day in the classroom. Lauren and I met while working together as reading intervention teachers at a local school, and we immediately connected over our shared passion for helping struggling readers. Together, we bring more than 45 years of classroom experience. Read more>>
Tanja Alexandra Kern
Animals have been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I often felt that animals understood me in a way that didn’t require words. They were my companions, my teachers, and a source of comfort and connection. Read more>>
Neal Losey
Sharing music has always been a passion. Took records to show and tell. Taped stuff off the radio to play for friends. Worked in record stores to turn people on to music. Got involved with KCPR, Cal Poly’s radio station in 89. Volunteered at KCBX in 93. Got the full time job as Music Director and host of Morning Cup in 1997. Read more>>
Janine Bassler
My story is really about service, motherhood, reinvention, and finding the courage to build a new path. Although my career today looks very different from where I started, the purpose behind my work has remained the same: helping people, building trust, and creating meaningful connections. Read more>>
Devanté Kirkpatrick
Okay soo before anything, growing up my mom cut my hair from kindergarten till about 4th grade, and as I got older I wanted to go to a barbershop to get my haircut. Read more>>
Jenn Schwager
Oh, where to begin! I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire. Picture quintessential suburbia with a lot more green. It was a town where everyone knew everything about everyone else, and a town where parents would even gossip out the teens in town. Read more>>
Rasheeda Parr
I am a passionate community leader, advocate, entrepreneur, and founder of Empowered Women Networking, Inc. My journey is one of resilience, determination, and service to others. As a professional accountant with extensive experience in finance, operations, and human resources, I have built a successful career helping organizations grow and thrive. Read more>>
Cody Jussel
Anatomy of Pilates really grew out of a problem I kept running into as a Pilates instructor and educator: there is so much anatomy education in Pilates, but a lot of it is about memorizing information rather than learning how to actually use it. Read more>>
Karina North
Like many immigrants, I have worn many hats since coming to the United States. Much of my professional life has been devoted to supporting others, particularly adults with developmental disabilities, including autism, and seniors. I worked as a caregiver, case manager, and eventually a program director. Through those experiences, I discovered that art could be much more than an activity. Read more>>
Desiree Bennett
I would say my story has evolved since we last time we had one of these talks, currently working on new music and different projects that contribute to music. i started playing music at a young age teaching myself to play many different instruments and learning about studio production, continuing to build up my songwriting skills and audio engineering myself and others. Read more>>
Julie Atkinson
After teaching middle school for 12 years I thought I was prepared for parenting….how humbled I was! Parenting is the toughest job any of us will have and it can leave us feeling vulnerable and unskilled—a lot! I remember one of the first moments I realized that parenting was going to be challenging, and I needed help. Read more>>
Crystal Garcia
I was in healthcare for almost 20 years as a Phlebotomist or lab tech assistant but my real passion was skin. I grew up watching my mom, sister, Dad and family be into skincare and an aunt that got me started on my very first skincare routine from Mary Kay. That’s when I was so intrigued about skin. Read more>>
Bob Camacho
I am second generation Portuguese-American and I was born into our Portuguese tradition and heritage. Where our family helped our parents and grandparents, along with going every weekend to Portuguese Festa which started after Mother’s Day and normally ended in October. Read more>>
Betsy Behan
The Santa Cruz Art League’s story begins in 1919, when a group of local artists decided that Santa Cruz needed a place where artists could come together to learn, exhibit their work, and support one another. The group grew out of an informal plein air painting circle known as the “Jolly Daubers,” led by Santa Cruz painter Frank Heath. Read more>>
Paige Steffen
I’ve always loved drawing and being creative, but tattooing wasn’t something I initially imagined becoming my career. I got my first tattoo when I was 18, and the experience immediately sparked my interest in the art form and made me want to try it for myself. Read more>>
Susan Postigo
As a parent and grandparent of special needs boys, my dream was always to provide employment for our special needs community. This enables them to feel independent! They are very valuable employees. My husband passed away and the opportunity came up for me to take over a Thrift and Resale Store in Hollister. Read more>>
Rebekka Tucker
My journey started with a lifelong involvement in sports and a genuine passion for understanding the human body. I began playing softball at the age of 8, which taught me discipline, teamwork, and consistency early on. Read more>>
Nicklaus Smith
I grew up in a small town in Washington with ambitions that always felt bigger than what was in front of me. I knew from an early age that I wanted more. Inside I knew I wanted to reach the sky, go to space, become an astronaut. Read more>>
Caitlyn Morgan
I started tattooing from a dream I had as a 14 year old girl, looking in car magazines- admiring the tattooed guys and gals, and creating artwork my friends parents would say “that would make a great tattoo” It was always my intention but worry in the back of my mind told me it wasn’t realistic. Read more>>
Arsen Misakyan
I started my career in banking and government before moving into entrepreneurship and building LAXcar and Angel City Limo from the ground up. Over the years, we grew from a transportation service into an operation serving executives, production companies, corporate groups, and major events across California. Running those businesses showed me how outdated many of the industry’s systems were, which led me to create fleeter.ai. Read more>>
Lisa Smith
Long before Westside Pets existed, animals had always been a part of my life. As a kid, I volunteered at local pet stores, dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, and later worked in veterinary hospitals. Life eventually took me in a different direction, and I built a career in the corporate world. Read more>>
Kristie Crowl
I started tattooing in 2017 out of a small shop in Penryn Ca (on the outskirts of Sacramento). I’ve always loved art and had an interest in tattooing as long as I can remember. I spent a good part of my late teen years in tattoo shops and between the love of drawing and the comradery, it always felt like home. Read more>>
Channing Benjamin
My career behind a camera really began in the mid-1990s at Light of the World Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. My father, Bishop T. Garrott Benjamin Jr., was the pastor, and I grew up around a church that understood very early how powerful media could be. I became the church’s media director, and that was essentially my training ground. Read more>>
Allison Leone
My path to becoming an esthetician and starting Haneul Glacé was definitely not linear. I graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Communication and also earned two associate degrees centered around business administration, marketing, and social and behavioral sciences. Read more>>
Samantha Bounkeua
I often feel “in-between” identities. My father was born in Laos and my mother was a first-generation immigrant from Germany, and both spoke English as a second language. Even now, I sometimes pronounce words or phrases differently—a small, inherited sense of otherness that has always been present in my life. Read more>>
Jose Valdez & Estefania Valdez Amy Landeros
The Story Behind Trazos Trazos is more than a printing and design company, it is the story of a family, a dream, and the belief that creativity can change lives. Our journey began when my brother and I decided to start a business together. Read more>>
Kristen Thomas
My journey into design truly began long before I officially stepped into the industry. It first took root thirteen years ago when I started my career in real estate. From day one, I was driven by a simple philosophy to help people through a lens of intentional living. Read more>>
