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.
Megan Richert
Sure! I am the founder and owner of BLOOM Maternal Therapy, a boutique group practice on the Central Coast that specializes in perinatal mental health for women and couples. Read more>>
Raven Woodley & Audi Bunchien
Thaiyo is a Filipino + Thai couple ran pop-up (cha)fe that started in San Diego, California. It was inspired by two things – our deep love for the craft of food & drinks, and a passion towards deepening our connection with our cultural roots and shedding light on flavors, experiences, and ideas that aren’t talked about enough in the mainstream media. Read more>>
Elijah Jones 
I grew up in a musical family. My grandfather was one of the original members of the Ohio Players, my dad made music, and my grandmother had jazz playing in the house every morning; I would just find myself surrounded by music. Read more>>
Patricia Silva 
My journey began over 20 years ago as a massage therapist, but everything changed when I discovered aquatic therapy in 2007. I fell in love with the healing power of water and dedicated years to educating myself and becoming a certified aquatic therapist. As a single mother of two with autism, my passion became deeply personal. Read more>>
Michelle Bulda 
I grew up in Lake Arrowhead, and came to San Diego for college. I got my degree, met my husband, started a family and a career. I was an elementary teacher for 31 years, and retired about a year and a half ago. I have been practicing yoga since college and it has been a part of my life, in various forms, ever since. Read more>>
Dr. Jason Branch 
FROM SALAMANDER TO GATOR A professor, therapist, and podcast host walks away from the ivory tower to bet on himself I am a Black male therapist who has a therapist. I am a college professor, a licensed professional counselor, a licensed mixologist, and a podcast host. I’m rare and unique like a unicorn, except I’m Black with a Gold horn. Read more>>
Erica Angius 
I am going to start by saying that I am from Italy, and I moved to California 12 years ago. I am both a makeup artist and a tattoo artist specializing in fine-line tattoos. I started my makeup career in 2008 by attending an academy in Milan that lasted about a year. Read more>>
Bradley DeRuiter 
Architectural Iron Works (AIW) has been part of the San Luis Obispo community since 1997. The company was built around a simple idea: there are certain things that are still worth making by hand, and when you combine that craftsmanship with modern engineering and manufacturing, you can create something that is both beautiful and built to last for generations. Read more>>
Xoxi McCauley
There are moments in life when the past quietly finds its way back to us. For me, it happened after my father passed away. Among the things he had saved over the years were small ceramic pieces I had made as a first grader. I had almost forgotten them. He hadn’t. Read more>>
Elaina Chapman 
My journey has always been centered around two passions: beauty and mental health. I grew up in Corona, California, and attended Arizona State University, where I earned my degree in Psychology with a concentration in Family and Human Development. I began doing makeup in high school and continued throughout college, which eventually led me to pursue my passion for beauty professionally. Read more>>
Karen Ray 
Once upon a time, a gangly girl with a tender heart and big blue eyes that saw much sat at the outskirts of the fireside, listening to storytelling. While the other children played in the summer twilight, chasing frogs and each other by flashlight, she listened to the elders. Read more>>
Ryan Thompson 
I grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina, reading science fiction and assuming somebody else got to make it. I started as an actor in indie film. You learn a lot about writing by saying bad dialogue out loud for free. Eventually I got tired of fixing other people’s lines in my head and started writing my own. Read more>>
Chasejamison Spears 
My mind, body, and subconscious selves were being shaped in my mother’s womb between the winter of 1997 and spring of 1998. I might be biased, but I think this was an unprecedented era of creative storytelling. I didn’t end up with any siblings, so instead I grew up alongside unique and definitive projects that became well known as fluid hybrids of their genres. Read more>>
Emily and Lindsay Stetzer 
My sister Lindsay and I started Presently out of our own experiences living with OCD and anxiety. Through therapy, we learned tools that helped us navigate intrusive thoughts and uncertainty, but we also knew how hard it could be to remember those tools when we were actually feeling anxious. We wanted something tangible we could carry with us—a reminder of the perspective we were practicing. Read more>>
Pamela Grau 
My parents were both visual artists, so art was an important part of my life from the beginning. I was fortunate to receive a wonderful arts education, earning a degree in Art History and Studio Art from Mills College and later attending Art Center College of Design, where I focused on illustration. Read more>>
Kara Worrells-Gutiérrez 
There’s a Mariana Trench to dive into about how I got started and how I got to where I’m at today as a community leader, creative, and small business owner. With consideration to keeping it brief: I began my life’s work with creative and leadership pursuits. I naturally take initiative, create art, and am dedicated to service. Read more>>
Natalie Saensradi 
Delish Thai Kitchen was born from my love of Thai food and my desire to share the flavors, energy, and spirit of Thailand with the community. Thai food has always been more than just food to me—it represents family, memories, culture, and the joy of bringing people together around a table. Read more>>
Jaqueline Lopez 
I was raised in the border city of Tijuana, and for as far as I can remember, I always had a keen interest in the arts. I drew, danced, and painted. But it was not until I was thirteen years old that I had my first encounter with acting. Read more>>
Laura Murata 
Kamaji began as an evolutionary unfolding. I’m a registered nurse working in the IV wellness space, and have a background in business entrepreneurship since my husband owns a local restaurant. And my sister-in-law and business partner, Suzanne, joined me as a receptionist. Read more>>
Joleen Green 
Lucys On Lighthouse opened in the middle of the pandemic in 2020. Starting a business during that time was extremely difficult but we felt we had to keep going into the abyss of uncertainty. After we opened, we weren’t even allowed to have anybody eating inside for the first eight months. It was good for cleaning up but not good for business lol. Read more>>
Tara Owens 
My story has always been rooted in beauty, creativity, and independence. I began modeling in London as a teenager and spent many years working in fashion, which gave me an early understanding of image, storytelling, and the emotional power of beauty. Over time, though, I became far more interested in what beauty could mean beyond appearance. Read more>>
Hana Mackenzie 
Curated started from my own experience in the modeling and creative industry. As I became more involved, I started noticing issues that I felt were not talked about enough, especially around safety, representation, body image, and models being taken advantage of through unpaid work or being placed in harmful situations. I wanted to create something different. Read more>>
Hannah Locsin 
I started my business during Covid season when my hours at my job got cut short. At first, I was deeply fascinated by the product and made it for my close family and then after hearing how the product was beneficial for them, I started posting about it on social media. Organically people wanted me to drop them off a jar. Read more>>
Dawna Strouse
My story is about building something I believed in, even when life didn’t make it easy. I’m a single mother with a background in business development, cybersecurity, AI, and strategic partnerships. Read more>>
Kimberly Lau and Linda Young 
Project ReWear really started with two moms, a lot of clothing, and a question we couldn’t stop thinking about: Where does all this go? We’re Kimberly Lau and Linda Young, and we came to this from very different professional backgrounds. Kim spent years in wealth management, where she developed a strong foundation in strategy, operations, and financial planning. Read more>>
Ashlie Kègo 
My journey as an artist began somewhat unexpectedly. I’ve always been creative. I grew up singing, playing instruments, finding different ways to express myself, but visual art eventually became the medium through which I found my strongest voice. Read more>>
TA-1.0 
My name is TA-1.0 (Tee-Ayy One). I grew up on the east side of LA. Willowbrook, to be specific. I started writing around age 14. From that point, it was constant progression. Dropped my first solo project in 2016 called Infatuated Allegory. Dropped my second project, which was a joint project, with my boy Jaayy that same year. Read more>>
Sarah Slurpie 
my story’s kind of all over the place. I became a mom pretty young, and for most of my adult life, my world was basically my kids and my family. But honestly, I think social media has been part of my life for almost as long as I can remember. Read more>>
Charlotte Lao 
I picked up a camera when I was young. I was always the kid who liked to tinker, taking things apart around the house to figure out how they worked. One year my uncle gave my dad a DSLR, and my dad handed it to me and told me to learn how to use it. Read more>>
Bianca Zepeda 
My journey started in 2021 when I received my very first tooth gem. I instantly fell in love with the new sparkle in my smile, but not long after, it fell off. I had it replaced with another one, but shortly after that, that one fell off too. Read more>>
Stefany Hernandez 
My journey as a content creator and entrepreneur started long before I ever thought of myself as either one. I began my creative career as a professional makeup artist while attending college, working backstage at fashion shows, teaching seminars, and representing major beauty brands. Read more>>
Frankie Blair 
I’ve always been a dreamer, but I’m also someone who eventually learned that dreams require action. I’m originally from Texas, and my journey in entertainment started with acting. I trained at KD Studio Actor’s Conservatory in Dallas before making my way to Los Angeles to continue pursuing my career. Read more>>
Juliet Martin 
We are a family-owned Mexican café, bringing house made flavors from current family recipes, and heartfelt hospitality. We started in the front of our yard a couple months after both my parents got laid off from their jobs. With only 12 months of savings in the bank, we knew we had to make a move and fast. We took 3 months to build. Read more>>
Melissa Garcia 
As a teenager, my dad traveled a lot as an amateur and professional boxing trainer. He eventually focused on professional boxers. My mom decided that the best way to keep our family close, was to also get into the pro boxing business as well. She became a manager. My parents led several young professional fighters with a dream to world rankings and world title fights. Read more>>
Lauren and Frank Leon 
Frank and I are both Southern California natives, and we met in a very LA way: in a band. I grew up singing and performing, and Frank had been playing in bands since high school. We were friends for years before falling in love, getting married, and having two kids. Through it all, we never stopped creating together. Read more>>
Andrea Hernandez 
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been interested in all things beauty. I began the Gavilan College Cosmetology Program in 2010 began building my clientele and porfolio. My weekends were consumed with special event makeup and hair clients. I had a blast. In 2012, I graduated and received my State Board License. Read more>>
Kelli Brennecke
I have been working in education for a decade! I really found my way into education while I was still in college, working in a local preschool. I loved the energy of being around kids, the tiny breakthroughs, the funny moments, and the fact that no two days ever felt the same. Read more>>
Sally Adams 
Amy Mihal and I were two young women teaching hot yoga at the same studio (Global Yoga) in San Francisco. San Francisco was saturated with Hot Yoga studios at the time and since there was no hot yoga in Santa Cruz, Amy suggested we should open one. Read more>>
Avery Arthelia 
I have always been an artist at heart – From painting in my kindergarten class, to falling in love with writing at an early age, to aspiring to be ‘like Steven Spielberg’, and direct movies when I grew up. This core need to create followed me into adulthood, when I came up with the name ‘Funeral Slut Creations’. Read more>>
Jasmin Tupy 
I’ve always had this need to obsessively document moments in my life. To me, photos serve as a journal. Documentation of the big moments, but also the small, mundane ones that probably don’t seem important at the time. I think a part of me always knew that life changes quickly, and it’s so easy to forget the mundane, or how life once was. Read more>>
Courtney Wilson 
I’ve been a registered nurse for over 14 years, and my background has included cardiac and plastic surgery nursing. I’ve always loved medicine and taking care of people, but when I found aesthetics, I immediately loved that it combined the clinical side of nursing with artistry, creativity, and helping people feel more confident. Read more>>
San Francisco Neo-Futurists 
The San Francisco Neo-Futurists are a collective of wildly prolific artists dedicated to the perpetual creation of experimental theatre that is immediate, ephemeral, accessible, and cheap. We believe the stage is an extension of daily life: we perform as ourselves in a non-illusory, interactive style that challenges the audience to create alongside us as active participants with a voice of their own. Read more>>
