Leila Caldera
The idea for Trilogy was born when me and my husband decided that we wanted to create a business together. Something that we could work on as a couple and something that would tailor to each of our strengths and talents. We knew that any business would consume all of our time so we wanted to do something we felt very passionate about. Trilogy is a combination of all the things we love! We wanted to create a business that brought about positive change in the world. We also wanted to do something that would make us feel satisfied and fulfilled at the end of each day. Read more>>
Jazmine Gelfand
I earned my undergraduate degree at SDSU in Early Childhood Development, but decided during my final year that I wanted to continue on to law school. It was a confusing decision for a lot of my friends and family, since you don’t typically see Child Development as a major that would feed into legal studies. I had thought that I would use a law degree to pursue work in foster care policy, or something similar. Read more>>
Michael Lucia
I began my career in 1990 working with my brother Ray Lucia. As a young motivated financial advisor, I found that if I were going to try and elevate myself among the many others providing advice, I would need to gain as much knowledge as I possibly could. I became a “student of the business” shortly after becoming licensed in the financial services industry I started studying for my designations which now include CFP;ChFC;CLU. Knowledge, however, doesn’t make you successful. Read more>>
Seth O’Byrne
In 2000, I moved to San Diego to go to college. I told my family I was coming here to make a career for myself in California. I told my friends I was moving to the beach to learn to surf and catch a mermaid. Both were true. Like a lot of people, I believed that California was the only place my dreams were possible. It was a place I could live a lifestyle I had only seen in movies and get out of my small town and make a name for myself. My first love has always been literature and movies, but I had always considered myself an entrepreneur. Read more>>
Jonathan Pierce
I have a history as an elite distance runner, competing in College and the Post-collegiately for several years. I then worked in various settings with Elite athlete groups, and in another sports rehab clinic. I founded Kinetik Performance Co. in 2016 after many years of thinking of starting my own facility for sports performance, injury management, and rehabilitation. Read more>>
Alexa Greenland
I initially began in public education in Massachusetts, but after a turbulent first year teaching, I decided a change was needed. I packed my bags and drove across country to San Diego with no job or place to live. When I first moved to California, I began teaching in private schools and was impressed with the instructional flexibility that allowed my students to thrive. I was promoted into administration at the age of 26. Read more>>
Jessica Wiley
My appreciation for the human body started from a very young age. From the age of 3 to 18, I spent most of my after-school days and weekends in the dance studio. It was there that I learned the human body craves to be active and physical. I spent my time exploring different forms of dance from ballet, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical. All of which were not just movements but also expressions of the soul. Read more>>
Mary Ourada
I was a realtor in Summit County Colorado for 7 years but when the real estate market tanked in 2008 I decided to go into Real Estate Photography instead. I have had a love of photography since high school and thought it was a perfect fit for me with my real estate knowledge. I moved back to my home town of San Diego in 2012 and restarted my real estate photography business here. I have photographed over 1,000 homes and have also incorporated business photography and professional head shots to my business. Read more>>
Beth Beall
There are (really) thousands of children in Tijuana, Mexico who don’t have anyone to take loving care of them. These kids have been abused and abandoned. Vida Joven is an orphanage that exists to make a big impact in the lives of some of these kids. At Vida Joven, up to 30 abandoned children are loved and protected. The kids are given an education and other tools so that they can change their lives. Read more>>
Rossella Broglia, Nicoletta Mazis
The Italian American Academy is a not-for-profit organization of parents and educators whose ultimate goal is to preserve and promote the Italian culture. Founders Rossella Broglia, Nicoletta De Checchi Mazis, and Maria Maestrini Williamson (no longer part of the school), worked together at the Italian Cultural Center of San Diego. In 2009 they completed their graduate studies at the prestigious University of Venice obtaining a Master’s Degree in Italian Language and Promotion of Italian Culture Abroad. Read more>>
Territa Torres
Growing up in Southern California as a child, the soon to-be fashion designer would watch her mother sew hers and her sisters Halloween costumes. She enjoyed seeing her mother’s process, from the early stages of creativity to constructing the garment, putting the finishing touches and then the best part wearing the costume for trick or treating. She would receive so many compliments from her friends, other children including their mothers. Even strangers would stop her and her sister and ask to take pictures of their costumes. Read more>>
Cathy Bliss
I was a competitive Ice-skater and then my partner and I joined Ice Follies and toured for five years in the US Canada, Mexico and even Taiwan. We did TV shows, movies, commercials. Over the years, I have been the Marketing Director for some great projects including Meadowlark Health Center, Dreamweavers Art Gallery and Lakeview Estates. Read more>>
Danny West
Following grad night of my 1979 gradutaion of my senior year in Thousand Oaks High School I drove to Point Loma San Diego to live with my Father. I had been accepted into UCSD in the persuit of a career in electronic engineering. It was there I was impassioned with computer programming, and molecular bilology but something was missing. I had a craving to create along with the need to be free to choose my own way. Read more>>
Masha Weitz
I started Champion Rhythmics a little over 5 years ago. We celebrated our 5th anniversary in June of this year. After I coached for 5 years at another San Diego Rhythmic club I felt that I could do better on my own and so with just 4 gymnasts and a tiny gym we started training in June of 2012. Now we have a nice big gym and nearly 100 gymnasts (recreational and competitive). Read more>>
Porschia Talbot
I always loved art and children in my youth and babysat and nannied from the time I moved to the US from Australia in 1998. I started teaching art to homeless/at risk children at the Monarch School in San Diego when I was 19 years old. After that, I taught at a string of small art schools in San Diego, Portland Oregon and San Francisco. Read more>>
Seymour Koblin
Ok-so it all started in 1953 when I was born to the Koblin Family. Elliot (an optometrist), Peggy, wife and loving mother who pushed my dad to become a Doctor of Optometry and my older sister- Sandra (who needed glasses from an early age. I maintained excellent vision until I reached age 52 when a slight presbyopia developed.) Yes, I was named Seymour-the traditional spelling of a name that sounds like See More so that when I grew up to follow in my Dad’s footsteps as an eye doctor, my name would gurante my success. Read more>>
Elissa Lieberman
After teaching and making art for 17 years, it became clear that teaching art is an art and that my unique teaching style can be best manifested in my own teaching studio. Having experience in teaching college students, high school students, kids, adults, the elderly, and disabled on both coasts and many demographics, I see that art is indeed a universal language. One must learn a language to use it fluently. Many people buy into the talent myth. Read more>>
Danny Short
My wife and I moved here after finishing college in Fargo, ND. Looking West and wanting to be close to the ocean. We decided to pack our car, sell our things and drove here. After getting my ACE (American Counsel in Exercise) Personal Training Cert. I decided to pursue my passion in Fitness back in 2012. It was hard to find clients in the beginning as the competition was steep specially here in San Diego. Read more>>
Bradley Foster
I (Melissa) was working in the print industry and as a freelance graphic designer on the side. I had become a paper expert and was called upon regularly by my design clients to assist with creative paper selection for print projects. One day I remember receiving a book of paper samples like nothing I had ever seen. It was samples of these incredibly soft plush handmade cotton printmaking papers that no one would ever dream of putting through an offset press. Read more>>
Ned McMahon
As a lifelong sailor I have always been interested in wind. I have a long understanding of wind and the principles of Bernouli and Venturi. it was this experience with wind to make a boat go that crossed over into making micro wind turbines to produce electricity. I thought there was a better way to look at wind. I wanted to see if we could get power at the more common wind speeds of 5-20 mph. Read more>>
Augustus Wiesel
MFI opened its doors in 1982. And thrived for many years as a small business specializing in certified used medical equipment sales. With the boom of e-commerce, the company experienced great growth. MFI, at times, had as few as 3 employees. In recent years the company has undergone a growth spurt from 7 employees in 2014 to 40 employees today. The growth over the past three years has much to do with Augustus Wiesel, who transitioned from his role in e-commerce at MFI to the company’s new CEO. Read more>>
Quan Ma
Like most east coast transplants, I followed the sun out to southern California. I grew up near Hershey PA, went to Gettysburg College and Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia. After finishing school, I lived in Washington DC. When it was time to have open up my own practice, my friend Tom Bierman and I decided to partner up into a dental practice. We were lucky enough to acquire a great practice of Carol Summerhays, who became president of the American Dental Association a couple years ago. Read more>>
John Walker
As both music lover and a person truly inspired by great sound, I wanted to bring that experience to everyone. My father was an audiophile/gear guy and he passed his addiction to great sound on to me. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t working with or playing with amps and speakers. Later on, I had the opportunity to do some very high-end theaters and I learned and trained with the best in the industry to learn ISF video standards and the ins and outs of all things video. Read more>>
Heather Willm, Christophe Willm
After spending a few years in Paris working for a local wedding planner, I decided to move back to my hometown of San Diego with my husband Christophe, a travel photographer, who took the opportunity to expand his horizons toward white dresses and bow ties in California. His European touch definitely brings something special to each wedding day. Thus Willmus Weddings was born as a husband and wife team. She Plans and He Captures! Read more>>
