
What Worked in 2020?
Business owners and financial experts weigh in
Capital Region business owners say they’ve learned how to keep their personal and business finances on track during an economic crisis.

Three Steps to Kick-Start Startup Investment
These three steps can help your company reach the right investors.

Closing the Power Gap
Black Star Fund CEO and Chairman Kwame Anku on the importance of investing in Black entrepreneurs
Comstock’s spoke to Anku about his fund (which plans to close at $12 million in May) and the importance of investing in Black entrepreneurs.

Five Tips to Help Make the Most Out of Your Tax Refund
Seeing your account balances increase as you save or get a tax refund is exciting, but it’s important to make smart decisions with unexpected money. Here are some ways that you can make the most of extra cash.

Women in Leadership: Lydia Ramirez
Our annual salute to extraordinary women who are shaping our future
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.
Sponsored
![[PICTURED L-R]:
Linda Spinelli, SVP Operations | Julie Dehart, EVP Retail Banking Kim Booke, SVP Credit Admin | Sarah Williams, VP Treasury MGT Cathy Ghan, EVP Comm Re | Suzi Lewis, AVP Branch Manager Janis Powers, EVP Risk MGT | Melissa Fuller, SVP HR](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/oak_valley_photo_1500x795.jpg?1614385223)
Lending In Your Community
Oak Valley Community Bank
Founded on the notion of serving the needs of the local business community and providing a premier banking experience, Oak Valley Community Bank has been serving families and businesses in the greater San Joaquin Valley region for 30 years. In 2018, they ventured into Sacramento with a branch at 455 Capitol Mall.

Who Gets a California Stimulus Check? When?
California will send out roughly 5.7 million Golden State Stimulus payments of $600 to residents struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic. For most recipients, the money could come in as soon as a month.

America Can’t Afford to Keep Standing Still
U.S. capitalism must bridge geographic, technological and class divides
We must unify, recover and lead the world in the innovations of
the future.

Game of Skill
The Next Chapter: Mark Otero uses his gaming background in algorithms to program his quant hedge fund
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.

Transfer of Power
Some owners who want to sell decide the best buyer is their staff
Research indicates that employee ownership can improve profit margins and company culture, but it may not be the right choice for every seller.