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2023 Young Professionals Roundtable
PODCAST EPISODE: Comstock’s Young Professionals Lauren Oto and Nathan Langley talk about mentors, working with AI and what it was like to be a “Rock Star” in this issue’s spread.
![After working in the state legislature, Julie Phillips is now president and partner at Sacramento-based PR firm Randle Communications. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/phillips_lead.png?1689279233)
Young Professionals: Julie Phillips
Meet the 10 young professionals who are rocking it in their careers and community
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.
![Lauren 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. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/oto_lead.png?1689278662)
Young Professionals: Lauren Oto
Meet the 10 young professionals who are rocking it in their careers and community
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.
![Dr. Nkiruka Ohaegbu left a key role at Pacific Gas & Electric to start her own public affairs company, Adaptive Strategies. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/ohaegbu_lead.png?1688768604)
Young Professionals: Dr. Nkiruka Ohaegbu
Meet the 10 young professionals who are rocking it in their careers and community
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.
![Nathan Langley is co-founder and CEO of RxGuardian, a company that develops and manufactures abuse-deterrent devices for safer medication storage. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/langley_lead.png?1688767915)
Young Professionals: Nathan Langley
Meet the 10 young professionals who are rocking it in their careers and 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 serves as senior vice president and senior credit manager for River City Bank and holds the No. 2 position for oversight of the bank’s $3.2 billion portfolio. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/imwinkelried_lead.png?1688767347)
Young Professionals: Ken Imwinkelried
Meet the 10 young professionals who are rocking it in their careers and community
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.
![Former teacher and administrator Phillip Hon is now the executive director of Unbound Stockton, a nonprofit focused on education and opportunities for elementary-aged students. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/hon_lead.png?1688766417)
Young Professionals: Phillip Hon
Meet the 10 young professionals who are rocking it in their careers and community
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.
![After working for “Good Day Sacramento” and the Roseville Chamber of Commerce, Kevin Hernandez is now marketing director for the beloved Denio’s Farmers Market & Swap Meet in Roseville. (Photos by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/hernandez_lead.png?1688764218)
Young Professionals: Kevin Hernandez
Meet the 10 young professionals who are rocking it in their careers and community
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.
Sponsored
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Guiding Sac State’s College of Business into the future
Sacramento State College of Business
Dr. Jaydeep Balakrishnan is the optimal interim dean of Sacramento State’s College of Business as he takes over after Dr. William Cordeiro’s recent retirement. Balakrishnan will work to ensure the College’s continued operations while supporting faculty and staff to ensure student success and timely graduation.
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Comstock’s Talks: Young Professionals Roundtable
We hit Canon’s happy hour for a real conversation with our Young Professionals honorees.