All sagas have to begin somewhere. For Angelo Tsakopoulos, it was nighttime when he heard people crying on the upper deck of the ship that brought him, at 15, and hundreds of other immigrants to the United States in 1951. 

Over the course of summer and the first weeks of fall, over 60 varieties of peaches and nectarines pass through The Fruit Bowl, a 76-year-old produce stand on the rural outskirts of Stockton. 

The Mayfield siblings grew up in the charmed nautical world of their father’s imagination. At the Sub Sea Systems workshop in Diamond Springs, power tools whir as two generations work side by side to build custom submersibles that resemble something out of a Jules Verne novel. 

In his lifetime of entrepreneurship, Don Whitaker has managed to mostly avoid competitors. “You try to find a niche where you have no competition,” Whitaker says of his approach to business. He found his niche market with Ceronix, which he started in 1984 out of his Auburn home. 

February 9, 2017, was a bad day for Mark Snyir and the Sacramento moving company he co-owns, Two Men and a Truck. He and his partner started the business in 2005, growing from two trucks and five employees to 16 trucks and 80 employees. 

Learning of this interview with local media legend Kitty O’Neal, who has been anchoring news at KFBK for an astounding 37 years, a fan of hers gushes, “Wow! I watch her on the radio all the time!” 

As a newly elected member of the Elk Grove Unified School District — one of the largest in the state — a partner in a law firm representing high-tech companies and a molder of young legal minds as a professor, it’s important for Michael Vargas to give back to the community.

When it comes to navigating life and work, 916 Ink’s Jade Rodgers is a firm believer in “ubuntu,” an African word meaning “my humanity is tied to yours.” “Our experience in this life is interconnected,” she says.

Ananda Rochita’s first language was Indonesian; by the time she started kindergarten, however, she also spoke English — thanks to time spent in front of the television watching the news. Years later when it came time to decide on an area of study, perhaps unsurprisingly, she chose journalism. 

Julie Phillips had a good idea early on where her interests lie. After growing up in Roseville, she attended UC Davis as a political science major and got strongly involved with the Greek community there. She wasn’t interested in pursuing politics; public policy fascinated her instead. 

Oto oversees marketing and communications for both the CalAsian Chamber of Commerce, an organization representing Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned businesses around the state, and the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, which centers its efforts on the Capital Region.

The pandemic forced many parents of young children to reduce their volunteer time. Dr. Nkiruka Ohaegbu was not one of them. While guiding an essential government service from her home computer and overseeing her children’s remote education, Ohaegbu maintained her extensive commitments to the community.

For Nathan Langley, entrepreneurship has meant integrating his drive to save lives with his passion for innovation and sales, and the synthesis has helped him succeed. “Everybody is different, and their experiences are different, but I would find it much more difficult to have overcome some of the challenges that we’ve faced over the years if it wasn’t something I believed in,” he says. 

Ken Imwinkelried went to work for River City Bank around the time of the Great Recession. Logging extra time on nights and weekends, he learned everything he could about his profession at a very challenging time in the banking industry. And over the course of several years, his extra work paid off with promotion after promotion. But about five years ago, as Imwinkelried implored other staff to not stay too late, he realized he had to do the same.

Phillip Hon, executive director of Unbound Stockton, left the sea breezes of Hawaii behind to pursue a dream. In 2013, the nonprofit Teach for America offered him the opportunity to work at Iroquois Point Elementary School in Oahu, where he served as vice principal and on the National Advisory Board of the Collective, Teach For America’s national association for alumni of color.

Clad in a faded Star Wars T-shirt, Kevin Hernandez begins introducing elated kids to Darth Vader and Rey Skywalker in the flesh. The children start getting light saber training from these live-action characters, slashing and twirling their replica space swords around the heart of Denio’s Farmers Market & Swap Meet.

Oates rarely does “the least” he can do. He is chairman of the board of the Buzz Oates Group — a $3 billion commercial real estate investment, management and development firm founded by his late father. 

Too many employees get stuck doing tedious tasks on legacy systems that can impact job satisfaction and the bottom line. This is why Todd Michaud launched HuLoop Automation, a Sacramento-based AI-powered solution to transform the way work gets done.

Sandy Smoley was once ubiquitous in local and state government, in the arts, in charity, in civic beautification and ultimately, as an in-demand public affairs and health care consultant for The Smoley Group. We check in with the local icon to see what she’s up to now.

Before starting her shoe company Birdies, Marisa Sharkey described herself as risk averse. Eight years in, her bold moves have paid off. 

Cathilea Robinett is CEO of e.Republic, a Folsom-based media and research company focused on state and local government and education. She drives the company’s mission to improve government and education through strategy, stability, growth and expansion.

As superintendent and CEO of Gateway Community Charters, Dr. Cindy Petersen has grown Gateway Community Charters from a single school in 2003 to nine today, which serve over 5,000 children and employ 700 staff. 

Risa Omega is president and general manager of ABC10, currently the most-awarded newsroom in the Capital Region. 

A 31-year veteran of the California Association for Highway Patrolmen, Carrie Lane has risen through the ranks to become CEO. 

Lakhwinder Kaur started out as a teller, and was quickly promoted to a personal banker. From there, it was a long, steady climb to her current role with Five Star Bank, where she oversees the Sacramento Valley market with an emphasis on community involvement and outreach.

As tribal administrator of the United Auburn Indian Community, Becky Johnson provides recommendations and implements decisions relating to programs such as the tribal school, social services, and cultural and historic preservation.

Bonnie Ferreira helms the Mountain Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum, a cohort from all walks of life, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and industries that represents multiple counties to explore challenges facing the region, connect with one another and develop their leadership skills.

Regina Cuellar is chairwoman of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, a Placerville-based federally recognized tribe — one of 109 in California. 

As chief growth officer of PRIDE Industries, Leah Burdick connects people with disabilities with resources and ultimately jobs. 

Optimized Foods, a Davis-based food tech startup, has created a new kind of caviar that is sustainable, nutritious and, most notably, fish-free.

Using Internet-of-Things devices and sensors, the Sacramento-based startup analyzes real-time plant data to monitor the health and performance of crops and water soil saturation.

Marcy Friedman is one of the greater Sacramento region’s best-known and most personally beloved philanthropists, as well as a genuine influencer.

For athletes, consistency can lead to greatness. Performance data can help get them there. The sports technology startup Core Impact offers a targeted solution through its patent-pending wearable technology.

It takes about five years for a cocoa tree to grow and start producing cocoa beans. But Alan Perlstein, who spent the last 20 years in cellular agriculture and pharmaceuticals, had an idea: Why not bypass the tree and just grow the bean?

Gregg Lukenbill has a lifelong, nearly unconditional love for the city he helped build. Get to know the former Sacramento Kings owner and his new project to revive a legendary bar.

EV Life was created to help make the cost of an electric vehicle equal to or less than a car that runs on gas. The startup’s founder and co-CEO explains how his business works with potential EV buyers in three phases.

Vivek Ranadivé sometimes draws the ire of fans and media criticism for perceived meddling in his team, which hasn’t made the playoffs in 16 years. But there’s another side to his story, his work as a leader of one of the highest-valued businesses in the area and the potential impact he continues to have on Sacramento.

The Zuckerman family started a farming empire on a Stockton island. Over 100 years later, they’ve branched out to several new businesses but have stayed true to the crops that started it all. 

The Sobon family, owners of Sobon Estate and Shenandoah Vineyards, are continuing a 166-year legacy of winemaking in Amador County. Their land has been a vineyard since 1856, making it one of the oldest in the state.

Now in its fourth generation of family ownership, Vacaville-based dried fruit company Mariani Packing Co. focuses on healthy living — not just for its consumers, but also for its employees. 

Founded in 1914, Elliott Homes has successfully weathered the cyclical building market to emerge as an industry leader.