Podcast

#029 - Today we speak with Carolyn Johnson from the Black Cultural Zone. The Black Cultural Zone represents a geographic area that runs from High Street in East Oakland to the San Leandro border and from the hills to the water. It is a collaboration of Black led and Black owned businesses and organizations. ...

#028 - Today’s episode is the second in a 2 part series on home solar. I went solar with a back-up battery in 2021 and am SO GLAD I did. I got a small check back from PG&E after my 1st year. I want to introduce you to 2 of the solar professionals I met on my journey - Mark Lauer and Joe Molale. Today’s discussion is with Joe. Joe works for West Coast Solar. I actually bought my system from him.

#027 - Today’s episode is the first in a 2 part series on home solar. I went solar with a back-up battery in 2021 and am SO GLAD I did. I got a small check back from PG&E after my 1st year. I want to introduce you to 2 of the solar professionals I met on my journey - Mark Lauer and Joe Molale. Today’s discussion is with Mark. Mark’s company is Solar by Mark. He is a solar consultant and represents a few solar contractors.

#026 - Today we talk with Nik Dehejia, CEO of the Oakland Zoo, which is celebrating its Centennial Anniversary in 2022. The zoo started in June of 1922 at the corner of 19th and Harrison at what is today called Snow Park. ...

#025 - Today we talk with Ariana Mabley, East Oakland native and owner of Esscents of Flowers, a floral design company, which she started as a side hustle pop up business while still working a full time career. She wears MANY hats - wife, mother, chauffeur AND entrepreneur. She credits the tremendous support from friends, family as well as the team at the Uptima Business Bootcamp for helping her business succeed, but she credits her...

#024 - Today we talk with Berkeley native and Oakland wine entrepreneur and Black Vines founder Fern Stroud. Fern founded Black Vines to celebrate black history while focusing on black future. Black Vines focuses on the future of wine, the future of art, the future of jazz, the future of culinary experiences while featuring black owned companies. ...

#023 - Today we talk with San Francisco native and longtime Oakland resident and wine entrepreneur Paula Harrell of P Harrell Wines. Paula’s love for wine and wine culture began while studying abroad in Spain while in college. Paula had no formal education in wine making. For 15 years it was a fun little hobby - she would blend other peoples’ wines. After sharing her concoctions with her wine connoisseur uncle, he told her to make her own...

#022 - Today we talk with Oakland Laurel District resident and restaurateur James Whitehead of Fist of Flour. James has loved pizza his entire life - it is his favorite food. He loves pizza so much he even scopes out the pizza scene whenever he travels to new cities. ...

#021 - Today we talk with Oakland native, resident and entrepreneur Nicole Felix Borders of Pound Bizness. Pound Bizness is literally a labor of love. Nicole’s husband Reggie made 4 pound cakes from a family recipe for Nicole’s mom to take to the church fish fry. She came home with a dozen orders....

#020 - Today we talk with Oakland resident and entrepreneur Aram Cretan of Federation Brewing, a producer of award winning craft beer. Aram created Federation with his childhood friend and then roped in his retired “banker” dad to keep the books. What started as a home brewing project over 10 years ago grew into brewing for friends' weddings. ...