Tag: Second act

We began with a leap of faith into a world we knew little about. Not to say we didn’t know dumplings, we worked in corporate America for the past 15 years. Climbing the corporate ladder was a thrill ride. Overcoming challenges and making lasting impacts to our companies led us to great heights and taught…

What do you do when you’re tired of working for the U.S. government? If you’re Tara Chapman, you take up beekeeping. After almost 10 years working for the U.S. government—doing intelligence and oversight in Pakistan and Afghanistan—Tara stumbled upon a chance beekeeping class. Game for a new hobby, she took it and absolutely fell in…

In a word, Marinel de Jesus is tenacious. Her story is one of following your heart and gut by leaving behind a successful litigating career in Washington, D.C., for the mountains of Peru and trekking around the world. The founder of Peak Explorations and Brown Gal Trekker has become an unwavering voice of support for…

As an oyster farmer, I learned to deal with pandemics on a regular basis. COVID-19 was simply the first time I had to deal with one on land. Lessons learned on the water helped me prepare for today. In 2011, when I had been an oyster farmer less than a year, a majority of the…

After serving as an Operations Specialist in the US Navy and Navy Reserve, Kelly came back to East Oakland, ready to give back. She bounced around jobs for a while, until she found gardening. Farming, gardening and growing, she claims, made her a better person. Kelly realized that growing food and teaching others about eating healthy food…

Like most people, Cortney Gusick never considered the prospect of purchasing a casket until she needed to select one for a family member. Eight years ago, her dad died from pancreatic cancer, and she was thrust into the death-care industry as a consumer. The most difficult part of making the funeral arrangements was finding the…