At the end of March 2020, Jacques Oskanian found himself with around $30,000 worth of wedding invitations that no one had come to claim sitting in his showroom. His award-winning business, Hyegraph, specializes in invitations and calligraphy for weddings as well as corporate and private events. They carry a wide selection of designer brands such…
Tired of the inefficiencies and grind of both the private and nonprofit sectors, Jonas Maceda felt ready to strike out on his own. “I wanted to gain financial freedom, set my own hours and my own expectations, and reward myself for all the hard work I’ve done in the last 21 years,” he reflects. From…
Chris Colter thought he was following all the right steps. He joined the military, went to college, and took a corporate job. Along the way, he had a passion that he really wanted to pursue, but he kept getting sidetracked. From his early twenties, Chris knew he wanted to be a barber. After his military…
After over thirty years of working in law enforcement, Ken Kramer retired, but he wasn’t quite ready to stop working yet. Having served as Chief Investigator for the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, he wanted to continue working with the law enforcement community. He founded The Gumshoe Group in February 2019 to provide pre-employment background…
Growing up in Argentina, Waldo Cesoni watched his father run a hotel and restaurant business. His Italian immigrant parents instilled a strong sense of hospitality in their son from a young age. “To me, the restaurant is your home. You just welcome your friends and never treat it as a business,” Waldo reflects. He enjoyed…
After a period of personal struggles, Shala Cox discovered the transformative power of fitness to improve both her physical and mental health. A Bay Area native, she wanted to empower her community to build healthy lifestyles. Shala launched YuBalance with her husband Rory in 2014. The gym offers personal training and small group classes using…
Lloyd Lacy Jr. has been cutting hair for about fifty years. His godfather bought the barber shop Lloyd now owns back in 1952. Growing up in the city, Lloyd would often stop by the shop in the Ocean View neighborhood to spend time with his godfather and friends. After graduating from barber college, Lloyd found…
When you walk into Sour Cherry Comics, you’ll likely get a warm welcome from the store’s furry greeter, Benny. The colorful displays of comic books, graphic novels, and toys draw your eye in every direction. Proudly lesbian-owned, the space feels inviting and inclusive. “I didn’t want it to feel like, ‘oh, here’s your little queer…
After Tana Harris completed her service with the National Guard, she wasn’t sure what was next for her in life. When a friend suggested that she look into construction work, she decided to give it a try and fell in love with the industry. In 1988, Tana joined the Local 3 union as an operating…
“Without that loan, I wouldn’t have been able to reach nearly as many university student veterans centers,”
