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.
Vaidehi Bhandari 
If you had told the ninth-grade girl standing behind the counter at Vaishali Ladies Corner in Lasalgaon, India, that she would one day be building a career in Silicon Valley while running a café dedicated to elevating authentic Indian chai, she probably would have smiled and asked, ‘What’s next?’ Because I’ve always loved a good challenge! Read more>>
Krissy Patterson 
In 2019 I started making jewelry for friends and family as a creative outlet. My son was 2 years old and being a mother for the first time, I found that having something of my own to focus on and create was just what I needed. Named after my son, James, Love James Jewelry kept me busy during Covid and beyond. Read more>>
Monvelea Makor
My story is one of perseverance, passion, and discovering that sometimes the path we initially choose is simply preparing us for the one we are truly meant to follow. As a first-generation American, I grew up understanding the value of hard work, sacrifice, and opportunity. Read more>>
De Vaudeville 
From an early age, art was always at the center of my life. One of my earliest memories is being just four years old and feeling crushed when a roll of poster paper was left behind during a move. Even then, I had an early interest in larger ideas. As I grew up, art became more than something I enjoyed. Read more>>
Amber Chang 
I was born and raised in San Diego, and art has always been a big part of my life. I took my first photography class at summer camp, went to an arts-focused high school, and grew up heavily influenced by my grandmother, who was incredibly creative herself. Read more>>
JJ Ignotz 
I studied photography and marketing at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, graduating in 2008. It was a really interesting time to be studying photography because digital was just beginning to take over. Read more>>
Alexandra Pellot 
What a wild ride. Well my story starts when I was just about to turn 18. I just started college early since I got ahead of high school by having great grades and being in the advanced classes. When I started college I jumped one year and got straight to take classes on my concentration ‘Natural Science’ I wanted to be a Doctor. Read more>>
Joshlyn Sampson 
My name is Joshlyn Brunt, and I write under the name Taurus Love. I’m a wife, a mother, a working woman, and an author building something meaningful while still handling the responsibilities of everyday life. I’m not creating from a place where everything is figured out. I’m creating while I’m still growing, learning, and finding my way. Read more>>
Reid Armstrong 
My journey into the culinary world wasn’t exactly a straight line. I’ve spent most of my adult life working in hospitality, from restaurants and bars to working directly with fresh seafood here in San Diego. I studied Hospitality Management at East Carolina University, and over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the food and beverage industry from several different perspectives. Read more>>
Julie Frank
Julie Frank’s love of sailing began at age 11, when her parents taught her on the challenging waters off South Africa. Her early adventures took her throughout Greece and Turkey and, after high school, on an extended voyage with her father up the Indian Ocean coast to the Comoros, where they spent time exploring the islands. Read more>>
Willa Marj 
I first wrote the song “Dreamz” in early 2025. A few months after the release of my first project, Gemini Venus EP, I was ready to create something new after listening to a lot of music for inspiration. Read more>>
Clayton Wells 
I spent most of my twenties working in the bar industry, and honestly, I had a lot of fun. I grew up in small towns in Mississippi, so I wasn’t exposed to a lot of different people, cultures, or experiences. Bartending was kind of my way of getting out of my shell, becoming more social, and pushing myself to be a little more extroverted. Read more>>
Nilla Allin 
I am Nilla Allin; an independent artist, influencer, entrepreneur, and content creator out of Inglewood, California. I actually got my start in entertainment at a very young age through child acting, commercials and beauty pageants. I loved performing and being in front of the camera, but as I got older, I began experiencing anxiety surrounding acting and the industry. Read more>>
Robert Lazaro Ehrlich 
I had been cooking as a hobby at home since the early 2000s, being of mixed backround but embracing my Puerto Rican roots, led me to take more interest in cooking, being a Puerto Rican from California is not like the east coast where you have Puerto Rican enclaves. Read more>>
Ethan Mayer 
I was born and raised in San Diego California. I attended the High Tech schools K-12. I played in a rock band called the Mad Hatters, where we played all over San Diego county (Point Loma Summer Concerts, and Civita Concert Series to name a couple). I was a member of the Young Marines program, a youth leadership organization. Read more>>
Jean Marie Driskel 
I started off in my early twenties as a Montessori preschool guide. The Montessori method is an internationally renowned philosophy in early childhood education. The concepts of this education style is based around the different sensitive periods of the child’s development. Along with honoring the intrinsic value of a child’s sense of self through the prepared environment of the program. Read more>>
Adrienne Allebe 
I grew up as an only child in Los Angeles in the 80’s on a steady visual diet of fantasy cartoons, sci-fi and horror films. My parents noticed and nurtured my drawing talent at an early age. I kept at it, but still not convinced I could make a living at art, I went to community college first. Read more>>
Pako Pablos 
My story began in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where I grew up surrounded by the culture, colors, and creativity that would eventually shape my identity as an artist. Read more>>
Nael Chami 
From France to San Diego: The Story Behind Tapas & Beers Two French entrepreneurs, one struggling restaurant, a global pandemic, and nearly a decade of determination later, Tapas & Beers has become a deeply personal part of Downtown San Diego. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to live in the United States. Read more>>
Dr. Kirsten Brown 
My ‘why PT’ isn’t the beautiful origin story everyone wants to hear. I toured Northeastern, fell in love with their co-op program, and picked my major based on what they offered. At the time, I was helping my dad with personal training sessions at his gym. I knew I loved training people, and I knew I wanted something medical. PT sounded like the perfect blend. Read more>>
Gordon Hoople 
ArtBuilds was founded in 2019 by four faculty members at the University of San Diego passionate about creating art in community. Our mission is twofold: to build expansive participatory art installations and cultivate the creative community behind them. The collective, a registered 501c3, is 100% volunteer run with a focus on the creation of large format, participatory sculptures that invite action. Read more>>
Yvonne Spence
I started out managing my husband’s band in 2019 rat feces they’re punk rock band here in Rialto and it led into me becoming a promoter with the company called twisted soul entertainment I’ve been doing that now for 6 years and I love it I’ve booked roughly about 300 shows in. different venues here in Southern California. Read more>>
Jessica Cruz Castillo 
I started Veggyjess 8 years ago when I was 25 years old. The intention behind Veggyjess was to create a place where you knew everything was vegan, while reminding you of the flavors and textures you grew up eating. Read more>>
Nancy Grass 
I’ve dreamed of owning a toy store since I was 19 years old. It was one of those dreams that never went away. I carried it with me through college, graduate school, and a career spanning more than 30 years as a college professor. When I met my wife, Deirdre, nearly 29 years ago, it was one of the first dreams I shared with her. Read more>>
Ana Boaz 
I have a business degree and was working in finance before. Once I was pregnant with my son in 2023 I have this urge to create. I started painting some fun color canvas and friends started to ask if they were for sale. I started an instagram page and consistently posted my art. Read more>>
Annie Guthrie 
My name is Annie Guthrie, and I’m the Senior Special Events Coordinator at Santa Barbara City College. I moved to Santa Barbara eight years ago and fell in love with it right away: the breathtaking views, open skies, endless ocean, and a town that’s always buzzing with events. Working with SBCC and the Santa Barbara community brings me so much joy. Read more>>
Alicia Cocks 
I graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, with a minor in Event Management. After graduating, I gained experience working at various venues, restaurants, and a hotel, which helped me build a strong foundation in hospitality, event coordination, and creating exceptional guest experiences. Read more>>
Colin Dean 
I started Brass Mash in 2015 after moving back to the Central Coast and realizing there really weren’t any brass bands in the area doing the kind of music I wanted to hear. I’ve always loved the energy of live music, and I saw an opportunity to take the horn section out of the background and put it front and center. Read more>>
Miguel Ponce 
My journey started working at Old Fisherman’s Grotto. Later, I helped my brother open Rudolfo’s Café, where I spent about three years before moving on to work at a bakery. I also worked as a pastry chef at Pebble Beach, building my skills and experience along the way. Read more>>
Diana and Michael Muranaka 
We are Diana and Michael Muranaka, the husband-and-wife team behind Sauce Baby, a small-batch hot sauce company born on the Central Coast of California. We met in 2010 at a beach in El Salvador (Diana’s home country), got married 6 months later, and lived there for 7 years. Read more>>
Ace Concepcion 
Our story really begins with our love for family, food, and bringing people together. Being Filipino and growing up around great food, I learned early on that food is more than just something we eat. It’s a way to connect with people, build relationships, and create memories. Read more>>
Rosa María Gonzalez 
I’m a graphic and industrial designer, and my love for stationery began when I was a child. I used to attend scrapbooking summer camps, and I loved crafting. Years later, I started making stationery with two of my best friends. Life took us in different directions, but I continued following that passion. Read more>>
Dana Mortada 
I’m a Lebanese-American designer and mother of two. Before founding dāl, I worked in publishing and lived across the Middle East, the Gulf, and Europe before settling in California. Those experiences shaped my perspective and sense of style. Read more>>
Yasmine Harmon-Quinata 
I started my modeling career at 18 by reaching out to local photographers for TFP (trade-for-portfolio) shoots to build my portfolio and gain experience. As my portfolio grew, I began submitting to casting platforms like Backstage, Casting Networks, and Instagram open calls, which led to opportunities throughout the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Read more>>
LaPlayah C
I’ve always operated at the intersection of high discipline and creative expression. Growing up in the South, I balanced two demanding worlds: competitive track and field alongside classical training in dance and multiple instruments earning a college scholarship for both the bassoon (of all things lol) and track and field. Read more>>
Alyona Real 
My story starts far away in a little orphanage in Russia, where I lived for 4 years before being adopted at 7 years old. Once I left Russia, I started my new life in San Antonio Texas. Learning English wasn’t as hard as we thought it would be and I have movies to thank for that. Read more>>
Danna Eady 
My Mother Danna Eady started her business with a love for culture and flavor along with a passion for trying new things. She decided that she wanted to make a treat that was as close to those fresh foods as she could make it. Therefore she developed a cotton candy that was organic and uses those natural colors and flavors. Read more>>
Meghan Herring 
When I was 9, my parents took me to a family friend’s house. There was a drumkit there that I would hover around each time we went. Our family friends noticed enrolled me in drum lessons. Read more>>
Parisa Moravedje Torbaty 
I had orthodontic treatment in the Inland Empire when I was a teenager and it inspired me to pursue the path of becoming an orthodontist. Since becoming an orthodontist, I’ve worked in various offices and knew that I wanted to build something unique, where the patient experience was at the center of everything that we did. Read more>>
Clarissa Molina 
I started writing when I was a teenager, with naive little love poems. Later, in my early adulthood, I became drawn to the goth scene and continued writing poetry, this time in a darker, more decadent style, influenced by writers such as Baudelaire and Rimbaud. I also wrote horror and fantasy stories and studied photography in Valencia. Read more>>
BRITNEY CHIU 
My name is Britney Chiu- I’m 22 years old and I’m a professional tennis player and creator! I’ve been playing tennis since the age of 4 and have been doing content for the past 3 years sharing my journey and the reality of pro tennis! Read more>>
Oliver Zak 
During car rides as a young kid, I was always paying close attention to the radio. I always wondered how music gets made, what types of people make it, what makes a song ‘good’ and so on. My first musical favorites include Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and Blink 182. The older I got, music kept evolving into a larger part of my life. Read more>>
Autumn Galvez 
In the beginning of Autumn, I spent time working at a handful of Sephora stores while traveling with the company. Every new location opened the door to another little world, and I soaked up every lesson they had to offer — but it was the fragrance world that truly spoke to me. Read more>>
Arielle Honea 
I started doing hair 15.5 years ago, right out of Highschool. I started off doing haircuts- they came easy to me and I was really good at them surprisingly. Then that’s when color came into the picture. Read more>>
Jineanne Coderre 
My story began as a dream to become a singer, but because I grew up from strict traditional Filipino parents who desired more of a stable and promising career, I continued down the path of health care (the stereotypical path of a lot of filipinos) which lead me into my career as a dental hygienist, but I never gave up on my dream of becoming a singer and balancing both a good respectable career while living “my dream”. Read more>>
Alishba Panjwani 
A formally trained chef educated at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) and the French Culinary Institute (FCI), Alishba brings over 18 years of culinary experience to her craft, with a specialty in fusion cuisine. She built The Saffron Strand around a simple belief: food should be experienced, not just served. Read more>>
Jayson Fann 
I’m originally from Omaha, Nebraska, and grew up along the Platte River. The wood that traveled downstream—sanded, shaped, and sculpted by water, sunlight, and the elements—deeply informed both my music and my sculpture. That influence has continued through my studies and travels in Africa and the Americas, where the intersection of elemental and cultural forces has shaped how I understand landscape, sound, and form. Read more>>
Francisco Velazquez 
Erica and I met in San Diego while working at The Marine Room in La Jolla. We shared a passion for food and cooking, and that eventually led us to Napa Valley, where we worked at Michelin-starred La Toque and Morimoto Napa. Read more>>
Andrea Ibarra 
I’ve been a hairstylist for over 12 years, and one of my favorite parts of this industry has always been the relationships I’ve built with my clients. It’s about so much more than hair. It’s about connection, trust, and creating a space where people feel comfortable being themselves. Salon Kasama came from wanting to create an environment that felt different. Read more>>
Lacey Jimenez
Honestly, I took the scenic route to get here! I grew up in Ventura County, where the best memories always seemed to happen around a table full of food and family. For years my career was in a very different kind of care: I worked as a psychotherapist. I never pictured myself running a baking business, but life has a funny way of surprising you. Read more>>
Maylinge Perez 
From a very young age, I grew up in an environment where the kitchen was the heart of every family gathering. Around the table, we shared stories, endless conversations, and dishes prepared with love and care, from appetizers to desserts. Read more>>
Mindy Youngs 
I’ve spent more than 25 years building my career in marketing, but it was nearly a decade ago, when I joined Procore Technologies, that I really found my passion for Customer Marketing and Advocacy. Read more>>
Wade Koch 
I’ve had a few different chapters in my life, and I’m still interested in what comes next. Moving to the Santa Ynez Valley and getting into real estate gave me the opportunity to build something that reflects who I am today. Read more>>
Lisa B Boyd & Mishell W Whitacre
Mishell (Mish) Whitacre was raised with a Military father and an Art-teacher mother, moving frequently throughout her childhood, mostly among beach communities. A free spirit from the start, she heard about — and saw photos of — a neighbor’s home birth at age 15, then found Ina May Gaskin’s *Spiritual Midwifery* at 16 in a health food store, and knew becoming a midwife was her life’s calling. Read more>>
Bryana Ashley 
As far back as I can remember, I’ve been creating. I grew up in a creative household always crafting with my grandma, and painting pottery and making jewelry with my mom. Art and creating were always there, and they always felt like a part of me. Read more>>
