Gladys Mondragon is co-owner of Sunshine Organics farm in Watsonville. With the help of Tania Zuniga from Kitchen Table Advisors, she has been able to expand production and bring stability to her business.
Category: Success Story
Lorenzo Rota, Volare Aerial Imaging
Lorenzo Rota recently graduated from West Business Development Center’s Startup Mendocino program. He provides specialized drone services for agriculture and construction.
Jorge Ochoa, Leonora Goat Dairy
Meet Jorge Ochoa, owner of a goat dairy farm called Leonora Goat Dairy. Jorge grew up in Mexico where his family has a rich history of working with animals on a farm. When he came to the United States, he wanted to carry on his family’s legacy and start a farm of his own. He heard about our services on the radio, and reached out to us to be a co-pilot in his new venture.
Denise Doss, Niecy’s Delight
Meet Denise Doss the owner of Niecy’s Delight. She specializes in production of a pound cake recipe developed by her 103-year-old Grandmother, Carrie Doss of Littlerock, Arkansas. She currently produces three flavors, Pure Vanilla, Classic Lemon, and Forever Pineapple
Yordanos Asmelash Haile, Asmara Cafe
Asmara Cafe specializes in traditional brewed Eritrean and Ethiopian coffee and food such as chicken kilwa, foule and sambusas. Owner Yordanos Asmelash Haile is a first-generation American having immigrated to the U.S. from Eritrea in East Africa. She aims to highlight her cultural flavors through the menu at her coffee shop.
Rafaela, Bayleaf Mama
As with many of us, Rafaela has always enjoyed cooking, cooking with her mother and grandmother especially, being a true family tradition. She has always worked to perfect her craft, be it through old family recipes or in new discoveries, so when times became a little difficult, it was in cooking and baking that she found some comfort and eventually… a new way of independence, her own business.
Alicia Maria Kidd, Wine Noire
Wine Noire LLC., an import, export and wholesale distribution company based in Berkeley, CA. Launched in 2017, The Wine Noire specializes in helping winemakers who are women and people of color get their wines into the marketplace, as well as directly into the hands of consumers.
Socorro Manzano, Tacos Manzano
Ms. Socorro Manzano is the owner of Tacos Manzano, a cozy and proud establishment that started just when the pandemic crisis erupted in 2020. But Ms. Manzano rose to the challenge.
Jasmine Epperson, Epperson Consulting
Jasmine Epperson is a Mendocino County bookkeeping business owner working with client businesses located anywhere. We just chatted about her expertise, challenges that businesses have with their finances, and what’s changing for her while participating in the StartUp Mendocino program.
Albert Patterson, FRESH FROM CALIFORNIA
FRESH FROM CALIFORNIA is a lifestyle brand & creative studio led by graphic designer Albert Patterson. Recently, FRESH launched a new set of branding-specific services that are ideal & valuable for new small businesses trying to figure out their business’ identity and for existing businesses needed some TLC.