Lydia Ramirez, senior vice president and chief operations officer at Five Star Bank, is the Sacramento region’s highest-ranking Latina in the banking field.

Miranda Culp and Laurelin Gilmore are accustomed to the look of wonder on the faces of the people who stumble into their independent bookshop, Amatoria Fine Art Books. 

John Hamilton discovered his passion for DJing in his formative years. Over a decade later, he’s unearthed a new passion — making audio education accessible to Sacramento youth.

When it comes to hand-making wellness products and working with her clients, Lei Green “gravitates from the central point of love.”

The cofounders of Last Supper Society describe their project as “a culinary collective that designs food experiences,” as well as “a first-of-its-kind interactive TV show.” 

It’s crucial for people who have limited English proficiency to process information accurately as they navigate complex systems, and William Glasser has focused his career on helping them do so.

Luke Swanson and Jacob Dill, cofounders of Plant Daddy Co., are partners in life and business and discovered the joy of plant parenthood in their 20s living in San Francisco and Portland.

Many people depend on their dogs to help them stay positive. Kirk is doing her part to provide levity and amusement to her customers, both human and canine. 

Longing for a way to be creative during the hours she felt most energized, Bosserman set out to develop a community space for working families in early 2018.

PODCAST: There are more than 3,000 influencers in Sacramento, who make their living by building an audience, establishing a brand and creating compelling content online. We asked a few of the most prominent how they learned to turn their lives into art – and commodify it.

PODCAST: The business of selling a lifestyle through social media has become much more commonplace.

There are more than 3,000 influencers in Sacramento. To succeed, they need to build an audience, establish a brand and create compelling content.

Kevin Hernandez is a people person. His enthusiasm, extroversion and passion for creating connections among people is palpable through the television screen where, for seven years, he has appeared on “Good Day Sacramento.”

Technical mechanics aside, the significance and impact of virtualization — in its many iterations and implications — were felt more than ever while California and billions globally were in lockdown during the pandemic.

The family behind Tabeaux Cellars is not of your standard wine-country lineage. Rather, they are “just a family producing a decidedly small allocation of foothill glou glou,” as the winery’s charming Instagram bio states. 

Until recently, Giggle & Riot was providing photo booths for up to 400 events a year. When events were canceled under California’s shelter-in-place order, owners Caroline Winata and Josh Daniels responded with new services. 

Some choose solopreneurship because of the flexibility it provides versus the traditional corporate career path. Others become an expert in their field while working as an employee, then venture out independently to provide their services. 

Fitsom Studios shifted from fitness to pain and stress management in September 2019. In a culture where sitting and anxiety are part of daily life, the husband-and-wife team found that modalities like breathing techniques and myofascial massage were more valuable and relevant.

Micah Kearns is no stranger to mistakes, failures, snafus or rock bottoms. Life experience, along with a gentle demeanor that suggests he is the physical embodiment of a “safe space,” make him quite the fit as chapter organizer of F—up Nights Sacramento.

Anita Ross is on a mission to coach women and equip them with the tools to live their dreams. 

Professionals use the term as a guiding principle or methodology for consistency and to drive the greatest results.

Angie Franklin’s Afro Yoga in Sacramento incorporates elements of social justice and inclusiveness with yoga’s shared values of wellness and health.

With a seasonal menu, beautifully arranged florals, and a patio and mural for that OK-I-have-to-Instagram-this moment, The Pour Choice is about providing an experience to those who visit Auburn.

After 25 years of working 9-5 jobs, Johnny Flores has gone all in on his podcast business, Flores Podcast Consulting, and as a result says he is “happier and more peaceful” than ever.

Investors — aside from having a propensity for ostentatious cars — can play a key role in a startup’s success. Beyond a financial contribution, they can have an affect on other facets of the business too.

Jennifer Reason is the new host of Capital Public Radio’s midday classical show, where she gets to talk about classical music to an audience of other die-hard fans and, hopefully, open the minds of some new (read: younger) fans along the way.

Silos can be formed when making sure employees’ time is spent only on their expertise or when everyone in the company is so busy they feel they don’t have time to reach beyond their domain. 

Gabriel Diaz expects the quizzical expression that sometimes washes over people’s faces once he tells them what he does for a living. He’s a style and wellness influencer, or “creative stylist,” as he prefers to be called. 

Although companies may try to appear glossy and appealing on that platform, it can still be informative to gauge the company’s values, perks and just how genuine the smiles on employees’ faces may be. 

Daniel Stephan may blend in with his fellow millennials. He’s an avid podcast listener, has a few tattoos and has nurtured a passion project into a dream job. But the baker and owner of Niche Bread & Company in Midtown Sacramento also has an old-school approach to the basics of healthy living — nutrition, discipline, balance — that affects the way he runs his business. 

Eating local, shopping local and advertising local are all trending for a reason — being “hyperlocal” is all about connecting with one’s community.

For advertising to be effective and resonate with its intended audience, it must strike an emotional chord. Activations take this one step further by immersing the consumer in an experience that’s often sensorial or physical.

Various iterations of “design thinking” have come into play over the years, but the process as we currently know it consists of five steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test.

Just one year after starting Wool, a Sacramento-based design studio, partners Emily Wilder and Kaila Niles have the interiors of five commercial businesses under their belts and are busy planning and designing many more.

Although “fake news” seems to have emerged from today’s political climate, it’s hardly a new concept. Some American newspapers were printing fabricated information back in the 17th century. What’s new is how “fake news” is now used as a weapon to discredit real news with an intent to deceive. It also now has the power to gain traction via social media.

In 2013, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg wrote, “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead,” a manifesto directing women to take charge of their careers.

True added value is an ancillary service that’s both enticing for the client and strategic for the firm. What isn’t a value-add?

In 2016, during the early days of Birdies Slippers, the two-person company based in San Francisco worked with a small public-relations firm to identify their ideal brand ambassador for what they hoped would become the go-to slippers for women seeking comfort and fashion. Their selection: Meghan Markle.