![Amanda Blackwood takes in the view at her former Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce office on Capitol Mall. (Photo by Fred Greaves)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/leadership_amanda_blackwood_2022_09_15-fg1773.png?1703113292)
Getting to Know: Amanda Blackwood
The former CEO of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce looks forward to her next chapter
Amanda Blackwood, the first full-time female CEO of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, will step down at the end of 2023. Here are some of her thoughts about her nearly six years in office.
![Tom Meschery, left, plays basketball with fellow NBA stars Bob Rule and Wilt Chamberlain circa 1967. Meschery is now an 84-year-old writer living in Sacramento. (Public domain photo by Martin Blumenthal via Wikimedia Commons)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/tom_meschery_bob_rule_and_wilt_chamberlain.png?1701190514)
Getting to Know: Tom Meschery
The former basketball pro settles into a peaceful life as a writer in Sacramento’s University Heights
Writer and Sacramentan Tom Meschery is celebrating the recent release of “The Case of the ‘66 Ford Mustang.” The series is set in Oakland, and Meschery draws from his time spent in the Bay Area, which includes playing basketball for the NBA’s Warriors during the 1960s.
![Topstitch owners Mallory Maupin and Samuel Rose teach workshops, fulfill custom orders, consult on product development and work on their own projects in their new Midtown shop. (Photo by Miranda Culp)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/img_0838.png?1685654956)
Getting to Know: Mallory Maupin and Samuel Rose
Local fashion duo launches Topstitch, a production house for education, design and manufacturing in Sacramento
In their brightly lit, smartly appointed shop in Midtown, Topstitch owners Mallory Maupin and Samuel Rose teach workshops, fulfill custom orders, consult on product development and work on their own projects.
![Makers Mart co-founder Trisha Rhomberg (center) has been running the artisan market since 2010. This year she and co-producers Beth Pellegrini (right) and Nicole Grant Kriege (left) will put on the largest fair yet. (Photo by Andrew Calisterio)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/makers_mart_comstocks-26.jpg?1670516554)
Getting to Know: Makers Mart
The production team behind a long-running holiday fair hits its stride with city funding and community support
The team behind Makers Mart, Sacramento’s annual holiday bazaar, has dealt with a litany of challenging logistics over the last decade. But the show always goes on in high style.
![Lori Richardson has worked at Sacramento-based production company Emtrain for six years after spending many years living and working at Bay Area-based Pixar.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/bts_lori_1022-4.jpg?1666900654)
Getting to Know: Lori Richardson
A film industry veteran branches into the compliance training genre — using Sacramento talent
The compliance content genre has a reputation for being outdated, but the video series Lori Richardson produces for the e-learning company Emtrain look like they could be part of a Netflix drama.
![Mayra Vega poses in front of Morgan's Mill coffeeshop in Downtown Woodland.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/woodland_comstocks-32.jpg?1663114282)
Getting to Know: Mayra Vega
Woodland's mayor serves with an inclusive perspective and inclination for tech
As a full time director of communications in the health care field, Woodland Mayor Mayra Vega cares about including the underrepresented and boosting the city’s tech jobs.
![Cuchna writes 6,000-7,000 words for each "Dissect" episode, usually at Sacramento coffeeshops. (Photos by Andrew Calisterio)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/untitled_design-28.png?1661798659)
Getting to Know: Cole Cuchna
Podcast host makes a career out of analyzing the biggest albums in hip-hop
With “Dissect,” Cole Cuchna goes deep into his favorite
music albums, cultivating curiosity in others. Now nine
seasons in, he’s found success with a Spotify partnership
and a talk at TEDxBerkeley.
![As Visit Sacramento's content director, Brandon Darnell helps to shape the brand, edits the Visitors Guide, hosts the podcast and more.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/comstock_visit_sacramento-07.jpg?1656005374)
Getting to Know: Brandon Darnell
A content director tells the stories of Sacramento
The former journalist shapes the brand for Visit
Sacramento’s web content, audio-visual output, podcast, Visitors
Guide and more.
![At the end of the year, Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez will leave her post as professor of Asian American Studies at UC Davis to go all in on the school she founded for ethnic studies. (Photos by Glenn Aquino, courtesy of Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/rod.png?1650648041)
Getting to Know: Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez
A celebrated Asian American studies professor leaves the ivory tower for entrepreneurship
Encountering barriers in academia has prompted Dr. Robyn Magalit
Rodriguez to launch into entrepreneurship. She is leaving her
post as a full professor at UC Davis to create her own school,
farm and learning center.
![As a corporate consultant and the owner of her own company, Alycia Anderson crafts speeches and corporate policies that advocate accessibility and inclusion. (Photos by Andrew Calisterio)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/comstock-04.jpg?1648589100)
Getting to Know: Alycia Anderson
A Roseville-based disability advocate encourages corporate America to rethink accessibility
Alycia Anderson pivoted from a successful career as a sales
executive to start her own company
championing diversity, equity and inclusion in the
workplace.