As chief growth officer of PRIDE Industries, Leah Burdick connects people with disabilities with resources and ultimately jobs. 

Optimized Foods, a Davis-based food tech startup, has created a new kind of caviar that is sustainable, nutritious and, most notably, fish-free.

Using Internet-of-Things devices and sensors, the Sacramento-based startup analyzes real-time plant data to monitor the health and performance of crops and water soil saturation.

Marcy Friedman is one of the greater Sacramento region’s best-known and most personally beloved philanthropists, as well as a genuine influencer.

For athletes, consistency can lead to greatness. Performance data can help get them there. The sports technology startup Core Impact offers a targeted solution through its patent-pending wearable technology.

It takes about five years for a cocoa tree to grow and start producing cocoa beans. But Alan Perlstein, who spent the last 20 years in cellular agriculture and pharmaceuticals, had an idea: Why not bypass the tree and just grow the bean?

Gregg Lukenbill has a lifelong, nearly unconditional love for the city he helped build. Get to know the former Sacramento Kings owner and his new project to revive a legendary bar.

EV Life was created to help make the cost of an electric vehicle equal to or less than a car that runs on gas. The startup’s founder and co-CEO explains how his business works with potential EV buyers in three phases.

Vivek Ranadivé sometimes draws the ire of fans and media criticism for perceived meddling in his team, which hasn’t made the playoffs in 16 years. But there’s another side to his story, his work as a leader of one of the highest-valued businesses in the area and the potential impact he continues to have on Sacramento.

The Zuckerman family started a farming empire on a Stockton island. Over 100 years later, they’ve branched out to several new businesses but have stayed true to the crops that started it all. 

The Sobon family, owners of Sobon Estate and Shenandoah Vineyards, are continuing a 166-year legacy of winemaking in Amador County. Their land has been a vineyard since 1856, making it one of the oldest in the state.

Now in its fourth generation of family ownership, Vacaville-based dried fruit company Mariani Packing Co. focuses on healthy living — not just for its consumers, but also for its employees. 

Founded in 1914, Elliott Homes has successfully weathered the cyclical building market to emerge as an industry leader.

ACES Waste Services’ roots are in San Francisco, where the co-owners’ ancestor started a waste collection company called the Scavengers Protective Association. Today, the Amador County-based company gives back to the community.

With her Davis-based startup, CEO Liz Tang wants to remedy the problem of people with medical conditions not having immediate access to the medical devices that may save their lives.

Over the past 30 years, Randall Selland has opened multiple restaurants of different styles, all with an inclusive, folksy flair. 

VestLife, founded by a special needs attorney, enables parents of children with developmental disabilities to organize, manage and instantly access their child’s key disability information via one secure web app.

Breast milk has antibiotic-like health benefits? It sure does. Matrubials, a startup out of UC Davis, is developing products that use breast milk components to treat bacterial infections.  

With Vite Ramen, co-founder and CEO Tim Zheng set out to create a nutritious instant food product. He also manufactured it ethically and designed the recipe to be faithful to classic Japanese ramen styles.

Dustin Vicari is executive vice president for Elevate Sports Ventures and holds a dual role as Sacramento Republic FC’s chief revenue officer.

As director of Stockton’s Office of Performance and Data Analytics, Regan puts the vast amount of city data to work to improve equity and quality of life for the citizens of the city.

As founder and CEO of Eco-Alpha Environmental and Engineering Services, Melanie Okoro is focused on being a leader in her field. Her business streamlines environmental permitting processes and maintains electrical systems for large companies in the Capital Region.

Before most people had fully realized the gravity of COVID-19, Kevin McAllister, executive director of Meals on Wheels, was already stocking up on supplies for the program. His preparedness paid off.

Law manages a team of faculty and entrepreneurs-in-residence who create programming designed to make innovation and entrepreneurship more accessible for people from all of the Capital Region’s diverse communities. 

Based in El Dorado Hills, Neural Lab has developed touchless technology that turns hand and body motions into commands for devices like keyboards, mice, touchscreens, games and TV controllers.

With a background in communications, an approachable demeanor and a passion for equity and education, Latoya Jackson-Lainez has found her calling as director of diversity, EEO and Title IX for Sierra College.

As Habitat for Humanity’s chief development officer, Laine Himmelmann values the power of storytelling and hope in equal measure. She manages fundraising and the organization’s volunteer program, on top of public relations, communication, marketing and media relations.

Attorney Corey Day has used his expertise in California alcohol law to guide bars and restaurants through the many restrictions and economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mechanical Engineer Brand Dahl is driven by his passion for mentoring students in the “unlimited growth” of the manufacturing industry.

As executive director of HomeAid Sacramento, Amber Celmer is dedicated to empowering people experiencing homelessness.