Charanjeet “Charlie” Kaur Tiwana-Purewal was studying for the LSAT when her older sister pointedly asked her, “Why do you want to be a lawyer?” When she couldn’t come up with a good answer, Tiwana-Purewal decided against law school.

Freddie Silveria, 35, has charisma. Asked about his craft as owner of FSA Auctions, he erupts into the exuberant cadence and gesticulations of an auctioneer, unfazed by the surrounding cafe patrons. But he also knows the art of silence, and he’s not afraid to sit in it. 

Brandon Kennedy, 32, is a program manager for Improve Your Tomorrow, a nationwide nonprofit that helps young people transfer to four-year universities. Over the course of a few years, Kennedy has helped 25 boys do this.

Blake Johnson, 37, once told himself he wouldn’t follow his mother’s career path. She’d been an educator — both a teacher and a principal— and while he respected her work, he wouldn’t pursue the same trajectory. He eventually changed his mind, setting off on a course that ultimately led him to his current role as chief strategy officer at Child Action.

Jack Davis, 32, has a unique background as a lawyer but has found that researching, writing and arguing cases as associate attorney at Kershaw Talley Barlow is the perfect melding of his many skills and passions.

Chris Cormier, 40, knew from day one at the Rocklin-based construction firm Tricorp that he wanted to own the place — and now, as president and co-owner, he does.

Nichole Baxter, 36, is director of business development at California American Water, a role that lets her express her lifelong gift for clear communication. 

In an era of escalating fire disasters, with insurers fleeing large parts of the state and with builders desperate to find ways to construct houses that would better resist the flames, what can we do to defend our neighborhoods?

It’s a wild ride that not everyone has the access, resources, means or the mentality to stomach. Most fall short. But since 2015, some startups in the Capital Region have defied the odds, reaching remarkable heights.

Around the Capital Region, schools are still working to recover socially and academically from the COVID-19 pandemic. Test scores have been affected, as has school attendance. A new wave of behavioral issues has unfolded, too. Now, a variety of people are working to help students catch up.

The approach of Whole Health, a movement led by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, is “Let me understand who you are as a person. … What matters to you as opposed to what’s the matter with you,” says Dr. Michelle Dossett. “I think eventually it’s going to transform what we do in conventional medicine in this country more broadly.”

These days, there is a sense of possibility in Sacramento when it comes to zero emissions technology. Sacramento may not have the population numbers of New York or Los Angeles, but when it comes to EV infrastructure the California capital plays second fiddle to no city in America.

California is one of only 10 states that has a full-time professional legislature, and last year, companies and industries spent a record high $480 million on lobbying efforts in the state.

The field of architecture is changing, and technology is playing a central role, but it’s not the only element that’s shifting: so is the expectation of what young and emerging professionals are looking for in an architectural job.

California’s insurance crisis is damaging the housing market and more. Will legislators fix it before the next big blaze? 

These women’s paths have led them to positions of influence in their fields, and in some cases, they’ve made history in their roles.

The Capital Region is home to more than 10,000 Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban. Comstock’s brings you a few of their stories. 

Those who forecast the direction of the U.S. economy have their eyes on empty office buildings. In September, two commercial real estate experts predicted that the vacant space resulting from work-from-home policies will put banks at risk and collapse tax revenues for large and mid-size cities around the country.   

Amanda Blackwood, the first full-time female CEO of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, will step down at the end of 2023. Here are some of her thoughts about her nearly six years in office.

In August 2023, Bosch acquired TSI with the intention of producing silicon carbide chips, a major element in the production of electric vehicles. Bosch is betting that the global demand for silicon carbide chips will continue to grow and intends to invest $1.5 billion in the new fabrication.

The Auburn Dam could well be the most talked about water storage and flood control facility in the country that simply doesn’t exist — no matter how much it’s been argued about, advocated for and against, legislatively proposed and architecturally rendered.

Coffee is a $225 billion industry in the U.S., providing 1.6 million jobs. But are we growing, roasting and making the best cup possible? That’s what an innovative program at the UC Davis School of Chemical Engineering has been working on for the past 10 years.

If you could create an image of anything in the world, what would it be? The house you lived in when you were six? A design for a new wine label? An oil painting of your dog dressed as Napoleon? Generative artificial intelligence has made this a possibility.

DEI generally has three components that work jointly. “Diversity is looking at the makeup of the organization. Equity is giving people what they need to be successful. Inclusion comes after getting diversity and equity, and that ensures people are contributing to that environment,” says Dr. Colette Harris-Mathews, principal consultant at Harris Mathews Consulting in Sacramento. 

Unlike “The Big One” earthquake that is overdue along the San Andreas Fault, experts don’t have an ominous name for a flood of biblical proportions that is likely to inundate the Central Valley within the next 500 years.

The viticulture program at UC Davis, as well as its sister programs at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and Fresno State University, are quickly growing a new crop of women winemakers who could steer the industry in new directions. 

Schools and universities in the Capital Region have taken an array of approaches to assure mental health is one of the many pillars a student’s education addresses.

COVID has permanently changed priorities at the office and at home, and sparked thorny questions and conversations about the modern work-life balance. 

A new project in the North Yuba Forest is developing a local economy built on wood and other biomass clogging the forest. 

Prof. Michael Hunter Schwartz recounts stories about some big names that passed through McGeorge School of Law.

Fake pills loaded with deadly fentanyl are leading to fatal overdoses among adults and kids in our region and our nation. How is the drug being illegally manufactured, and what should parents and teens know?

The problem has been a sharp rise in the availability of illicit fentanyl, or fake pills, which has shown up in other drugs. The crisis comes when a user doesn’t know the pill they are taking is laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl.

These days, Lake Tahoe’s south shore has enough breweries for a full tasting tour, giving explorers more reason to drive into the mountains.

Some people call the western Nevada County area a mini-Silicon Valley. While the area has a technical and collaborative spirit, some are skeptical about the long term potential for the new guard.

Modern planning now focuses on elements beyond brick-and-mortar retail and commercial. Community events, alternative transportation with safe travel for pedestrians and bicyclists, and redesigned streetscapes with drought-tolerant landscaping have become central considerations.

Wellness is not just a state of being; it’s a perpetual pursuit, a form of prevention and an entire economy. Many businesses in the Capital Region are providing ways for people to foster their own relationship to wellness through progressive services, treatments and practices.

New legislation may change how businesses, big and small, draft job postings and how they report pay data to the state — and their employees. 

Pawn shop owner owner Warren Anapolsky has an extensive network of authenticators, including experts in art, first-edition books and bling. He’s also an expert himself. 

In 1968, a lone vintner set out to prove the region’s surviving mission grapes were still marketable. He was in a race against time: Most of the landmark roots were being torn out during that epoch, their soil swapped for better commercial farming options. The late Charles Myers set off a chain of events that would ultimately launch Amador County onto the global wine market. 

Across the political spectrum, this is perhaps the only thing that everyone can agree on: The nation lacks inspiring leaders. While leadership appears to be lacking on the national stage, quietly — away from the spotlight — local leaders can inspire. 

Sports organizations like the Sacramento Kings and Sacramento Republic FC are linking with nonprofits to launch community sports programs that empower youth with life skills and STEM education.

A few cities around the region have affordable housing projects underway that showcase how they’re getting it done, and their success may hold lessons for other jurisdictions.

The TeleStepper was created in Nevada City just six years ago. Since then, the innovative teleprompter has been used by Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Rodham Clinton and more.

Mentors can help mentees look for a job, strengthen their portfolios, navigate the rocky waters of freelancing and more.

No one owns water in California, making collaboration and negotiation between water management players crucial. 

Companies and researchers are finding ways to use mycelium, the vegetative body of fungi, to solve problems including plastic waste, greenhouse gas emissions, antibiotic residue in water supplies and more.  

As national and international tourism decreased during the pandemic, regional visitation saw a boost. We profile three small picturesque towns that got a big increase in visitors.

There is much magic to discover at the California State Library, whether you visit for research or pleasure. The institution’s keepers take us on a tour of some of its treasures.

As many women faced changes in their jobs during the past two years of the pandemic, they were able to shift the priorities and persist with the support of their families, colleagues and communities.

While the housing boom has led to issues like limited affordable housing, some see the sizzling market as a sign of the region’s dynamism. We evaluate how we got here and what’s on the horizon.