Senate Bill 8 — the Upward Mobility Act — is one piece of legislation that has reared its ugly head and poses a real threat to small-business owners in California.

California has long been known as the land of opportunity, but for too many residents, opportunity is receding. Inequality continues to rise even though California has one of the most progressive tax structures in the nation. Something more is needed.

Momentum is shifting in the Capital Region, and young professionals are leading the charge. General skepticism is being replaced with emerging optimism and a renewed energy that’s providing the catalyst for growth and innovation across our cities.  Here are the top ten young leaders we think you should be watching. They are driving the Capital Region’s evolution, and we anticipate you’ll see them at the forefront in 2015 and decades to come.

Sebastian Bariani is in heaven, standing in his family’s olive grove in the Dunnigan Hills. The winter day is mild, a blue sky caps the rolling green terrain. He reaches down and gently bends the branch of a Manzanillo olive tree to demonstrate how the trees will soon be pruned, explaining that the blossoms for the next crop can come only from new growth.

Investing in your community is about more than just doing what’s right; it’s smart for your business’s future — and its bottom line.

Fun facts about where your money, and everyone else’s, is going. 

Clients borrow money from banks for a variety of reasons, one of which is to increase the tax efficiency of a particular transaction. And with increased federal and state tax rates, tax efficiency is an appealing concept to almost everyone.

Newly minted Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen has developed a well-earned reputation around the Capitol as a woman on the move.

Texas will soon get a taste of Sacramento’s party flavor: Organizers of the local art and music event now known as TBD are co-producing a four-day musical showcase to coincide with Austin’s famous South By Southwest festival.

Forrester Research says the number of you wearing wearable devices will triple this year and that 68 percent of global technology and business leaders see wearables as a priority. But what about you, the consumer? Are wearable technologies improving your daily life? If so, how?