Since 2020, the global economy has been mired in uncertainty. On Oct. 5, 2023, investors and entrepreneurs convened at the Roebbelen Center @The Grounds in Roseville to address certain questions regarding business in the Capital Region.

Dr. John Jackson grew up as a pastor’s kid, but he didn’t see that as his calling. “I told God in my own way, ‘I’ll do anything you want, except I’ll never be a missionary, and I’ll never be a pastor,’” says Jackson. So of course he became a pastor.

Vanessa Van Vleck keeps a wall of shame at Superbum Plant Company, identifying people suspected of stealing from her East Sacramento store. It’s one of the few things Van Vleck and her husband, Dylan Van Vleck, who opened their business in 2021, can do to deal with a burgeoning problem in California.

It’s a job just like any other job, except with responsibility for the safety of an entire city. No pressure. When Kathy Lester was sworn in as chief of the Sacramento Police Department in December 2021, she joined a new executive team with fresh eyes, and they surveyed the many challenges.

When you’re the managing partner of a blue chip law firm it’s kind of like being a CEO, but in some ways it’s far more complex. Just ask Melissa Jones, managing partner at Stoel Rives, a firm known for its expertise in renewable energy and natural resources. 

Michael Hargis has always been entrepreneurial; as a fifth-grader he sold condoms to the upperclassmen. He would later produce parties, raves and music events like Sacramento’s 2012 Electronic Dance Festival. Then came food. 

Think CEOs have crazy schedules? Try being a member of Congress. The most carefully planned itinerary can be scrambled — or even scuttled — thanks to a call from the White House, an emergency vote, or urgent negotiations across the aisle. “We have to be flexible, and everyone else has to be flexible. That’s what’s different from being a CEO and running a company,” says Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

Eric Lam didn’t care for college. In 2018, as a freshman at UC Davis studying managerial economics, he decided to drop out. “I knew I wanted to do something in business, and I knew that I could probably learn that off YouTube,” says Lam. A friend suggested real estate.

For over 15 years, Sacramento has turned to Kelly Brothers for making sense of Wall Street and the economy, where he serves as a frequent contributor to KCRA-TV and News Radio KFBK. But that’s only part of his story.

COVID-19 exposed the stark realities of the precarious economic state of the theater industry, but even regular theatergoers may not look past the glamour and drama of live theater to the grit, sweat and dollars that go into it. 

Fire engines, medical calls, protests, academic policy, a $400 million budget, COVID-19 challenges, donor relations — this is all in a day’s work for the president of a 33,000-student and 2,000-faculty university.

Jeanne Reaves works with CEOs on both personal growth and operational improvements. Her secret for pulling it off? She’s been in their shoes.

The most recent election for West Sacramento City Council has marked a move toward equity — particularly when it comes to female representation. For the first time in history, West Sacramento has an all-female city council and mayor, who are also all women of color. 

Stan Van Vleck is head of the 12,000 acre Van Vleck ranch, a family business that dates back to 1856.

Ken Endelman, who began his career as a furniture designer, never expected to become the CEO of the largest Pilates manufacturer in the world. Here’s how he tackles his day. 

Business economists are reporting several warning signs about the national economy. But on a local level, things are looking up. We consider all the factors that will help the Capital Region be able to ride out a recession.

Many business leaders say they’re busy “putting out fires.” For Cindy Nichol this is not a metaphor.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

California’s aerospace, aviation and defense industries support more than 511,000 high-paying jobs and generate more than $66 billion in annual economic activity, larger than the agriculture and entertainment industry combined. We checked in with industry players in the Capital Region.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Yolo County’s most photogenic crop is facing a barrage of challenges, including supply issues related to the war in Ukraine, global currency volatility and drought.  

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Savvy advertising won’t help a business if its core values aren’t consistent on every level. In today’s marketing landscape, authentic messaging aimed toward building trust and engagement is critical. 

Preservation projects are being embraced in the Capital Region in an effort to preserve history and protect the environment.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Winemakers are challenged with the consistent threat of wildfires and their aftermath, plus drought conditions and complex water realities.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Although the hot housing marketing has made it a great time to be a builder in California, it’s also uniquely challenging as supply chain issues create pricing volatility, delays and decreased margins. 

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

As an extrovert, Dr. Janine Bera thrives on connection to her team and caring for her patients. Here’s how the chief medical officer of WellSpace Health structures her days. 

Local food may be the future, but many Northern California farmers are struggling or retiring. To brighten the future of farming, nonprofits are cultivating a new crop of agrarian dreamers with comprehensive farming programs. 

From deep analysis in the morning to the occasional hike in the evening, here’s how Cassandra Lichnock structures her days as CEO of CalSTRS.

After a once-in-a-century pandemic, what happens next? The Capital Region’s economic experts weigh in.

From posing in hot yoga class to pitching new business, here’s how Barry Broome structures his days as CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council.

In The Way We Work, we track the routines of local executives. Here’s how Kelley Cowan oversees multiple construction projects.

Amid the ongoing pandemic, several tribes in the Capital Region are either building new casinos or undertaking significant expansions of existing operations.

In The Way We Work, we track the routines of local executives. Here’s how UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May runs a campus of 39,000 students.

Kirk DeJesus, the new director of the Port of Stockton, is aware that most people, even neighbors in the Bay Area and the Capital Region, don’t know anything about his deepwater port.

During her tenure as Sacramento councilwoman and mayor pro tempore, Angelique Ashby has played a role in some major developments for the city.

The regional business of entertainment, arts and sports is reemerging with new structures and outlooks in place.

Jessica Law became executive director of the Water Forum in January. Comstock’s spoke to Law about the group’s priorities as the region deals with another drought. 

A new generation of entrepreneurs is bringing fresh concepts to restaurant and bar spaces that shuttered in 2020.

Comstock’s spoke to Visit Sacramento Brand and Community Engagement Director Karlee Cemo-McIntosh about how the organization has taken advantage of new opportunities over the past year.

With daytrip-worthy destinations in the Capital Region, wine enthusiasts no longer need to pay the higher prices and drive to Napa to get a world-class winery experience.

For more than three decades, the Ronald McDonald House Charities and the McDonald’s Corporation helped to define Ramirez, who became a franchisee in Galt in 1988.

After 15 years as a Major League Baseball player for five teams, Greg Vaughn now focuses on Vaughn’s Valley Foundation.

Roger Valine joined VSP in 1973 and worked his way up from being a management trainee to become the driving force as the CEO of the Rancho Cordova company.

In December 2019, a few months before the fastest drop in global stock markets in financial history, Mark Otero launched Alice Capital, a hedge fund designed to bypass emotion.