By: Vanessa Labi

“Love him or hate him,” writes Graham Womack in November’s cover story, “it’s hard to dispute Vivek Ranadivé is making moves that can help determine life in the region.” 

There’s a lot to love. The Golden 1 Center and the surrounding DOCO shopping center, which he opened in 2016, have helped boost Sacramento’s economy. During his nine-year ownership of The Sacramento Kings, the team has thrived economically, averaging about a 17 percent annualized rise in recent years. His recent investment in the River Cats is leading to a further revitalization of the West Sacramento waterfront, and he may have a hand in resurrecting Sacramento’s dreams of landing a Major League Soccer team deal. Perhaps most importantly, Ranadivé seems to genuinely love Sacramento, sharing with Comstock’s that he’s “a big believer in this area.”

But there are certainly some things he’s received criticism for. The innovator “has drawn the ire of fans and media criticism for perceived meddling in his team, which hasn’t made the playoffs in 16 years (an NBA record) or posted a winning season in this time,” writes Graham. It’s no secret he’s often blamed for The Kings’ lack of success on the court. Regarding his leadership style, he’s been criticized for wanting to be involved in every decision and having a narrow view for only his own ideas.

In Graham’s interview, it becomes clear the leader is aware of both receptions from the Sacramento public. What does Ranadivé think of all of this? Read November’s cover story to get to know the man behind the business. 

Here’s the rest of the Capital Region Rundown: 

Evil HR Lady advises the owner of a retail business on how to protect their employees from customer harassment; we break down the hour-by-hour schedule of Roseville Galleria’s senior general manager, who guided the mall through the darkest days of COVID-19; Sherman Haggerty kicks off our new Perspective column with his thoughts on how policy issues have impacted the unhoused and led to treatment shifts; and a Capital Region startup addresses the affordability of electric vehicles. 

Recommendations from our editors:

In this section we editors share what we’re reading, listening to, watching or even eating. Here’s what we’re consuming this week:

Judy: I attended a reception for the 29th annual Placer Artists Open Studio Tour on Saturday at Blue Line Arts gallery in Roseville. It was a lovely reception, with some of the artists present with their work and music from the Auburn Symphony. The studio tours run this coming weekend with an encore weekend November 18-20. 

Jennifer: The Capital Region is home to many organizations that promote language learning and cultural exchange, including the Alliance Française at the CLARA, the German-American Cultural Center at the Sacramento Turn Verein, Sakura Gakuen at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento, the Brazilian Center for Cultural Exchange, Casa de Español and more. I recently joined the Alliance Française to try to polish off my rusty French skills and have been enjoying the conversation sessions and events. Why not get a head start on a practical New Year’s resolution and sign up for a language class today?

Vanessa: I know, another Joan Didion-related recommendation. Hear me out. Vanity Fair recently published an engrossing article about Didion’s fraught relationship with the late Los Angeles writer and artist, Eve Babitz. The story, “Joan Didion and Eve Babitz Shared an Unlikely, Uneasy Friendship—One That Shaped Their Worlds and Work Forever,” builds out the writers’ wildly different personalities through previously unreleased letters they wrote to one another, and examines the ways they were each received by the publishing and art worlds. One of them had it a lot easier. It’s a great read with incredible archival photos, and a good listen, too — play the 49-minute audio version during a road trip or chore day.

Odds and ends:

Nominations are open for Comstock’s Women in Leadership issue, so send in your picks by Dec. 1! Don’t forget to subscribe to the magazine to stay up to date on the region’s business trends, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for daily stories and extras.