Aaron Pick, the Chief Operating Officer of award-winning Allen Construction, in Santa Barbara, had an engaging conversation with us, covering areas from LEED construction, the rebuilding of Montecito to his winding journey to Santa Barbara.

John Silva is the President and Senior Creative Director of DuPuis Group, based in Ventura, California. They work on branding, innovation and have created several ventures in conjunction with their clients’ brands. John is a veteran with 25 years experience of creative problem-solving. We learned some key aspects of how he approaches problems. Specifically using brand values to connect trends and culture to business goals and strategy.

Sara and Garrett are the founders of the afterschool theater program based in Santa Barbara called Collabreations. They teach an ensemble-based creation method rooted in improv techniques. The focus on grades 1-6 and appreciate how much impact they’re making in these young lives.

Marsha Bailey, a resident of Santa Barbara since receiving her Masters in Communication from UCSB, leads an organization that’s making a difference in the lives of hundreds of emerging entrepreneurs in the region. She’s the founder of Women’s Economic Ventures.