Jennie Edwards Stock
After growing up in the Midwest in a small town, then working in a corporate job for 7 years, I was a victim of a mass layoff, which was very saddening after putting my heart into the company for such a long period of time. I decided to take a leap of faith, pack up everything I owned and put into storage, then drove 3,000 miles across country to San Diego. Read more>>
Brie Watson
I had dreams of being a photographer for as long as I can remember. I was gifted my first film camera in the 1st grade and quickly became the “girl that takes the all the photos” at any gathering with my family and friends. I feel the most free with a camera in my hands. Read more>>
Whitney Eckis
Growing up, I always wanted to have something that was mine. I come from a family that has owned and operation the same family business for 73 years. It has been through 3 generations of Eckis men and eventually will be left to me to decide its future. Read more>>
Ryan Jeffery, Bobby Bellman
I began shopping here as a customer back in 1997 and after spending close to $30-$40 on comic books a week, i asked the original owner Greg if i could work for him. I worked with Greg for over 5 years and he sold the store to a loyal customer named Frank. Frank owned the store for 3 years and decided to sell the store me where i have now owned the store for the past 2 years. Read more>>
Deb Martin
ElderHelp has deep roots in the San Diego community, dating from the early 1970’s. To respond to the needs of seniors in failing health, poverty and isolation, Mid-City Senior Enterprises was founded in 1973. Over the next 12 years, more than two dozen programs were offered to provide for common basic needs like food, shelter and companionship. Read more>>
Danny Fisher
While attempting to change the sights on one of my handguns, I couldn’t find a sight pusher tool that was American made and durable so I decided to fabricate one for myself, after 3 months of trial and error I came up with a tool that was simple to use and very durable. Read more>>
John Mantey
My fascination with Jeeps and traversing backcountry trails began in 1987 while serving in the U.S. Navy in San Francisco, CA. I was attached to a unit which had a motor pool containing Jeeps. Often, I would drive a Jeep throughout the Marin Headlands in areas closed off to the general public as my unit conducted military exercises in that area. Read more>>
Frank Colosi
My story begins when I was quite young. I remember that first moment I received my SLR film camera, a Pentax K-1000. I had no idea what I was doing back then but my father would help me set up the camera and if I was lucky a few images were properly exposed. Read more>>
Shannyn Fowl
When I was 15, I began to realize that many health complaints or diseases were only temporarily solved by pharmaceuticals and surgery. I was really curious how man had lived so long on earth and yet our primary tools for healing were pharmaceuticals from the 1940’s. Read more>>
Samantha Liveoak
It all began when I was working in a restaurant up in Oceanside. I was the Lead at the front desk, so it was important that I maintained a professional and clean image for when the customers arrived. I started making myself my own jewelry accessories to wear. Read more>>
Judy Moore, Judy Godde and Liz Taylor
Friends of East County Arts: Founded by a group of women that felt East County of San Diego needed help in bringing art of all types to our area. There was a saying, “That there is no culture East of Mission Valley”. And so, these 5 ladies gathered friends that believed they could bring performing and fine arts and the artists to the Greater East San Diego County area and that there would be an audience. Read more>>
Bobbi Brink
Lions Tigers & Bears (LTB) was founded in 2002, when Bobbi rescued two tigers, Raja and Natasha, in September of that year. They were living in someone’s backyard in Texas where they were kept in a 6′ x 12′ cage with no shade. The tiger pair was bought as a wedding gift, and kept together in the deplorable backyard cage for years. Read more>>
Michelle Padula
I started Snowberry Studio in 2013 after a career in the corporate world where I felt like I could never fit in. I graduated with a Bachelors in Business Management and have always had the desire to own my own business. Unhappy and not fulfilled by my current situation, I decided to take some floral classes as a hobby. Read more>>
Randy & Dena Shamoo
The Craft Kitchen building was previously a 7-11 and neighbors to my husband, Randy’s family business, Palm Springs Liquor. When the opportunity came to take over the location, Randy jumped on it and had the vision to open a local eatery, something that lacked in our part of La Mesa. Read more>>
John Highkin
As an artist, I’ve always been interested in theater and music which are accessible to people of all cultures and economic situations. In 1990, in collaboration with visual artist Cindy Zimmerman, I co-created a single-ring circus in San Diego’s Golden Hill neighborhood. Our show, in September 1991, was preceded by a hugely successful hand-made, doo-dah parade from the local elementary school to Golden Hill’s Grape Street Park (part of Balboa Park). Read more>>
Erika Morse
About five years ago my boys were 5 and 3. I was feeling frustrated because when I picked up the house it seemed that they would mess it up right away. One night I was in bed thinking about how they were tornadoes. Then, I just started thinking of lines for a book. I got up and started writing! Read more>>
