Back and Forward: Mike Polis
Pomopolis Farms owner on small-scale agriculture in the Capital Region
Mike Polis, owner of Pomopolis Farms in Wheatland, offers his insight into family farming. For more from Polis, check out “The Family Niche” in our October issue. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll email you when it’s available online.
Welcome Sacramento’s First Cider Bar
Dad’s Kitchen owner enters growing market for hard cider
The Dad’s Kitchen owner signed a lease on a 1,000-square-foot property on 24th and K streets in Midtown Sacramento in August 2017. Julio Peix planned to convert the former dental office into Cider House — the city’s first cider bar — for an early 2018 debut, but construction delays stretched on for over a year.
Leadership Gene
It’s not just budding entrepreneurs benefitting from early exposure to the world of business.
Born to Run
Youth entrepreneurship programs expand in the Capital Region
Education in entrepreneurialism grooms mini moguls and prepares students for the modern workforce. As demand rises, local programs are expanding to reach more youth and instill the lessons of smart business.
How Stroopwafels Helped Sacramento Legalize Food Bikes
Dutchman’s Stroopwafels may be the first business to cook on a bicycle in Sacramento, but local entrepreneurs have been finding creative ways to combine the area’s twin passions for cuisine and cycles for decades.
Shooting Again for Glory
As USL playoffs near, Republic FC hopes to recreate 2014 glory
Sacramento Republic FC has been in a celebratory mood all season honoring its five years as a United Soccer League franchise, and Klimenta has been part of the team since the start. He began this year with Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy before being released in June and returning to Sacramento.
Dilemma of the Month: Negative Feedback From Direct Reports
Recently, my boss held a meeting with my direct reports where they filled out a survey about my performance as their manager. When my boss shared the results with me, he disclosed that “someone” mentioned I wasn’t allowing my team to learn, but rather I was micromanaging them. In discussing my frustration with a peer, she expressed that he is not allowed to do this. Can you shed some light?
Also on the November ballot? Lots and lots of school bonds
Californians in November will weigh billions of dollars’ worth of ballot measures for low-income housing, children’s hospitals and more. But one of the biggest asks will be mostly invisible to most voters—100 or more local proposals to sell bonds for school construction projects that, if passed, could total more than $12 billion in local borrowing in coming years.
Startup of the Month: STEMtrunk
Yuba City-based company launches subscription service for educational toys
In 2017, Aaron Watkins launched a rental service called STEMtrunk because he doesn’t believe educational toys should be left behind. He calls his Yuba City-based startup “Netflix for learning toys” because it works with the same subscription-based concept.
From The Ground Up
Father and stepdaughter create new identity for Trail Coffee Roasters in Stockton
Trail Coffee, a bustling café on an activated corner in downtown Stockton, has come a long way from its startup as a back-alley roaster. In the last four years, the business has moved twice, rebranded and expanded into a 3,500-square-foot roastery, café and test kitchen in the refurbished Owl Drug Store building on E. Main and California streets.
Getting Personal
Rancho Cordova turns to AI for a more individualized tourism experience
Rancho Cordova’s identity as one of the region’s best-kept secrets frustrates Marc Sapoznik. As executive director of Rancho Cordova Travel & Tourism, his job is to promote the city’s assets tor both out-of-towners and locals alike.
Art Exposed: Tony Natsoulas
Ceramic artist on creating and collecting in the Capital Region
Comstock’s sat down with Tony Natsoulas to talk about creating and collecting in the Capital Region.
3 Steps for Using Discernment in Your Business
Discernment is a criminally underused tool of business owners. We often forget that the one person who knows the most about a company’s vision, mission, budget, team capacity, goals, strengths, weaknesses, projects and growth potential is not the random person who wandered into the store — but the owner of the business.
Why We Need to Build the Epic Trail
Young or old, rich or poor, city-dweller or rural resident — the response was the same: Civic amenities are vital to a good life.
Art in the Park
Can $40 million Crocker Park development project drive further riverfront revitalization?
Crocker Park is three acres of unimproved land at 2nd and O streets adjacent to Interstate 5. Prior to the construction of the freeway and the redevelopment of Sacramento’s west end in the mid-1900s, this land once had housing on it.
Sacramento’s Best Friends for Frosting Explores Brick-and-Mortar via Airbnb
In an increasingly crowded digital space of bloggers and influencers, Melissa Johnson, founder of the Sacramento-based lifestyle blog Best Friends for Frosting, knew she had to create a thumb-stopping moment to stand out.
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
For some families in commercial real estate, breaking up may be essential to succession
Before big-time Sacramento developer Mort Friedman passed away in 2012, he handed the keys of the family business to his son, Mark Friedman. The transition was relatively seamless. Mort’s other sons pursued careers outside the industry and in different cities.
The Herb Column: Battling for Onsite Consumption
Law creates barriers for entrepreneurs interested in the cannabis field
Uncertainty over where people can consume marijuana can create significant limitations for cannabis businesses.
River Cats 2018 Season Brings New Raley Field Low
For the first time, the team drew less than an average of 8,000 fans per game
Sacramento has struggled to compile wins since switching from the Oakland A’s to the Giants’ affiliate.
Let’s Get Moving!
Growing up, we take our bodies for granted. Many of us expect that we’ll always be able to move with ease, or challenge our bodies with minimal punishment. But as age sets in or circumstances change, our bodies are quick to remind us — things won’t always work like they used to.