HelloBakersfield

The gang is back together! Andrae, Rachel, Carla, and Jesus are back! Find out what they've been up to and what's in store for this season!

The Hello Bakersfield team is back for a new season and for our first episode we set sail on a journey of wonder and imagination with former Disney Imagineer, creative writer and Bakersfield resident Kevin Lively.

Anna Camp-Smith is a passionate advocate for Bakersfield, unendingly enthusiastic about its potential. As a columnist for the Bakersfield Californian and the co-owner of Sage Equities, a local commercial real estate firm with focus on Downtown, Anna is helping re-write the narrative of Bakersfield to promote a more prosperous, thriving and innovative city.

In this episode, we speak with Anne-Natasha Pinckney, Executive Director of The Center for Sexuality & Gender Diversity who also teaches The LGBTQ+ Experience in the U.S at CSUB. We discuss the importance of representation and the impact of celebrating diversity.

In this episode we speak with Kaitlyn Yates, Sr. Manager for the Wonderful Company’s philanthropy team and Downtown Bakersfield local. Katelyn shares about her journey to the bustlin urban core, her amazing work with The Wonderful Company, and why she chooses to call Bakersfield home.

In this episode, HelloBakersfield talks with Dr. Michael Burroughs, Director of the Kegley Institute of Ethics at CSU Bakersfield. Join us for a interesting conversation on ethics and beyond!

Welcome back for Season 3! In this episode, the hellobakersfield team talks with Mitchall Patel to learn about the services available to our community related to mental health.

In this very special episode, hellobakersfield speaks with Aimme Esinoza, Kern County Assistant Auditor-Controller-County Clerk . Join us as we dive into how local elections are held right here in Kern County and what measures our local government is taking to protect citzens voting rights during the pandemic. For local voting information visit: https://kernvote.org/ And remember, vote like your democracy depends on it! Because it does.

This week we speak with local business woman and hairinfluencer, Keandra Sandifer. Keandra shares how she was inspired to start her business and what life is like running a successful online business with celebrity clients. Keandra's Bakersfield-based company, Knappy Hair is helping women redefine their natural essence.

This week we speak with Bakersfield's new City Manager, Christian Clegg! Clegg shares his passion for community-oriented leadership and his commitment to reinventing local government. He chats with us about his experience engaging external partners to build legislative advocacy programs, managing regional collective impact strategies, implementing priority special projects for the City of Stockton, and his vision for Bakersfield.

Hello Bakersfield! Art After Dark is taking over the show for a roundtable discussion and live performances with local music historians and performers for a deep dive into all things Bakersfield Sound. In conjunction with BMoA’s upcoming exhibition The Bakersfield Sound: Roll Out the Red Carpet, this special bonus episode celebrates Bakersfield’s unique music history and explores its application in today’s modern context. Round Table includes: Robert Price, Vince Galindo, Jennifer Keel Faughn, Jim Shaw, David Anderson, and Rachel Magnus recorded live at Aum Studio.

Sarah Hendrick is the director of Alumni Engagement at CSU Bakersfield. Listen-in as we chat about her experience growing up with a Bako-famous father, how she ended up working with alumni at her alma mater, and her outlook on life in Bakersfield.

This week we speak with Kelly Damien who is a long-term resident, teacher and writer. Damien gained notoriety (and a lot of hate mail) when she started writing for Bakersfield Life Magazine. She penned her first essay about her mixed feelings on Bakersfield. Damien wrote that it was a tough place to arrive as an outsider. She shares her honest journey in our city and what it’s like after 14 years in the central valley.

Traco Matthews is local community leader and social pastor with a passion for bringing people together. Join us as we learn more about him on today's episode!

Richard Yoshimura began his career at the Patina Restaurant Group as the sous chef of the pastries. In his 5 year stint, he catered the Emmy awards, the Hollywood Bowl, and LACMA. He later became the pastry chef of Cafe Del Rey in Marina Del Rey, the opening chef of MILK in Los Angeles, and most recently, the co-owner of Moo Creamery in Bakersfield. After 20 years in the restaurant business, Richard is now the chef instructor of The Kitchen.

Our guest today is Maddie Janssen, the anchor for the Emmy Award winning 17 News at Sunrise and News at Noon, as well as a reporter and producer. As a reporter and anchor with KGET since 2009, Maddie finds it a privilege to inform the community about the important topics and amazing people of Kern County.

Zane Smith is the executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County, a position he has held for more than two decades. A transplant to the Bakersfield area, Zane shares his experience moving to Bakersfield and how an artsy college kid found his life’s calling doing whatever it takes so that every child is able to reach their full potential.

Miriam Popp is a Certified Wellness Coach, Youth Mentor, speaker and founder of 'Vibrant Lifestyle Coaching' where she teaches her mind, body, soul approach to stress management via public speaking, 1:1 coaching, group programs, and self-paced digital courses. In 2019, she was honored by her alma mater for her ongoing efforts in the wellness community (locally and globally) as a volunteer youth mentor for underserved girls of color. Join us as we discover more about Miriam and her VIBRANT life!

Meet Johnny Baklini, an immigrant from Lebanon who came to the United States in 2006, learned English, earned a college degree, and worked up the corporate ladder to become the Chief Operations Officer of the local Little Caesars Pizza franchise.

Bakersfield Native Bethany Rice is the current Curator of Collections at the Kern County Museum. Her current focus has shifted to digitizing the museum’s large collection of records and photographs, which she hopes to make available to the public soon. Join us as we dive-in to learn more about her as well as some unique Kern County history to boot!

Hello Bakersfield. Please join us for our brand new segment, 'Community Conversations', where we explore important social issues impacting our community and invite you, our listeners, to join in on the dialogue.   In today's episode, we are joined by a very special guest and community leader, Traco Matthews. Together, we have a raw and candid discussion regarding the murder of George Floyd, the 'Black Lives Matter' movement, and the racial inequality that exists in Bakersfield (and Kern County). Most importantly, we discuss the fears we face as a community, the responsibility we have to be advocates, and what we can do as a collective to “Be Bold” and become change agents in order to end the racial disparities that still exist in our communities. 

Our guest this week is Sophia Cummings. She is the owner of 3 Rio Acai Bowls locations and a local real estate agent in Bakersfield. Tune in to hear more about Sophia!

Nik Boone is a local business owner and investor born and raised in Bakersfield. He has received local, national and international awards and is a member of Downtown Rotary, Active 20/30, the CSUB Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Bakersfield Realtor Association Board of Directors, and was recently named to the National Association of Realtors 30 Under 30 list.

After a brief hiatus due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus, join us as we return (via Zoom conference) with this week's special guest Shannon Brown; Co-owner of Sonder Restaurant, lover of beaches, bike rides, and bruschetta.

In this week's episode, we're joined by David Bynum; corporate counsel and chief operations officer at Bynum Inc., creator and founder of Rush Air Sports and The Blvd, and comedy enthusiast/promotor at Temblor Brewing Company. Join us as we discuss national comedy acts coming to Bakersfield, the "Area 99” entertainment district, and more!

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Wilfredo Cruz; the current President of the Active 20/30 Club, singer/songwriter, and chef extraordinaire. Listen as we discuss food, music, and more!

Josette Kouyomjian is the founder of Number46 and a wardrobe stylists to the stars and everyday people - specializing in sustainable fashion and vintage clothing. The fashion industry is one of the largest environmental polluters. With a focus on sustainability, eco-friendly practices, as well as the fair and humane treatment of garment workers Kouyomjian, helps her clients feel good about their fashion choices without sacrificing style. Kouyomjian, finds vintage and second-hand pieces repurposes and styles them to create unique looks for her clients. Kouyomjian also does her homework to research and find new clothing and accessory brands that employ eco-friendly practices, offer a safe environment to work, and offer a living wage.

In this week's episode, we're joined by Jeran McConnal; a modern maker and the creator of 'Oleander and Palm'. Her focus is Simple California Living, designing and making livable spaces that incorporate vintage finds, handmade pieces and global inspiration. She has worked collaboratively with great brands like The Land of Nod and West Elm and her home has been featured on Design Sponge and Houzz. Her creativity and industriousness were honed through years of living in third world countries that challenged her to find novel solutions for creating livable spaces. A former educator and mother of three, Jeran has settled in sunny Bakersfield, California where her skills and styles are evolving in exciting new ways!

Jay Tamsi is the president and CEO of the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He was named 2019 Chamber Executive of the Year by the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. A Delano native who graduated from Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield, Tamsi has led the chamber for eight years. “I’m honored and humbled to receive this award for doing what I truly care about: serving my community,” Tamsi said in a news release. “It’s been my pleasure to see the growth of our membership and the achievements made by small business owners who have benefited from our programs and business services. My success is their success.”

We're back for Season 2! Join the HelloBakersfield team as we get the new year started with Frank "Pancho" Miranda, the owner and head brewer of 2nd Phase Brewing in Downtown Bakersfield. He has been working on this for eight years, starting with homemade beers in his backyard to now owning his own brewery. He's heard the buzz that people are excited but, even with the opening quickly approaching, it still doesn't feel real.Miranda is a petroleum-industry chemist by training and transferred those skills to brewing. His background in chemistry was the inspiration for the name, referring to one of the four fundamental states of matter — liquid. But the name has another meaning and can be viewed as a new start for him.

Bakersfield resident and Tijuana born artist Omar Juarez has been creating art for over 25 years. Moving to California as a teenager he remained devoted to the reality of his upbringing in Mexico. Storytelling through illustration became his primary interest, eventually developing his own unique style--heavily influenced by his childhood in both countries and music. Through the development of widely collected characters, his illustrations have come to document and represent the Latinx community, instilling pride and a celebration of heritage. Adding animator and director to his credentials, Omar’s work has been used by internationally acclaimed music groups Chicano Batman and The Arcs. His work has been featured on sites such as Noisey, World Star Hip Hop and Rolling Stone.

Justin is an award-winning public affairs strategist at Russo McGarty & Associates, one of California’s leading statewide public affairs and political firms. At Russo McGarty & Associates, Salters advises clients across the Western US on high-stakes public affairs, government relations and political action, focusing on complex issue advocacy and ballot measure campaigns. Justin currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of JJ’s Legacy. He is also a Past President of the CSU Bakersfield Alumni Association. Justin and his wife, Emily, an educator and community volunteer, live in southwest Bakersfield with their daughter, Pierce, and rescue dog, Trigger.

Jean Fuller joins the podcast to discuss Bakersfield College's 'Early College' progam. 'Early College' is different from the traditional dual-enrollment programs that currently exist by giving high school freshmen an opportunity to take college courses throughout their high school years allowing students to graduate high school with an Associate’s degree or certificate. Join us as we learn more!

Cobre sits down with the HelloBakersfield team during a special four-day visit to Bakersfield. 'The Hub of Bakersfield' brought Cobre into town to paint a mural of Cesar Chavez in downtown Bakersfield. 

"Indy, Oh Indy: Wanderin' the Streets of Bakersfield" is a book that portrays the fictional adventures of a real-life terridoodle named Indy as she wanders the streets of Bakersfield in search for a Forever Family. The book is a joint effort by two Bakersfield residents, author Teresa Adamo and illustrator Jennifer Williams-Cordova. A portion of the book's proceeds will be donated to the animal shelter as well as the Bakersfield SPCA. Join us!

This week we speak with Crimson Skye, a Bakersfield native singer/songwriter, full time musician, and the head tennis coach at East Bakersfield High School. She is currently working on her fourth album and performs locally at many various venues.

David Anderson is a co-owner and managing partner of Moneywise. David is also the lead host of the Moneywise Guys Radio Show + Podcast. David has been a supporter and volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children and is a Bakersfield Museum of Art (BMoA) board member. He is passionate about nature, art, writing music, relaxing in his backyard hammocks under his favorite pomegranate tree and despises cilantro. Join us as we dive in with David!

Jennifer Sanderson was born in Santa Barbara but moved to Bakersfield as a young child. After attending BC briefly, she soon left for LA, Fresno, and eventually settled in San Francisco. She also lived in various cities on extended work assessments. Memphis, Kansas City, Reno, Sacramento, Woodbridge, New Jersey and more. Jennifer has never been satisfied to do just “one thing” and has explored a great deal of careers within a multitude of fields (culinary, marketing, design, film...to name a few!). In the early 2000s Jennifer found herself spending more and more time in Bakersfield and discovered it was very different than how she remembered it as a teen, and realized she liked it! Now, Jennifer has taken her love of setting the scene and culinary exploration and has turned it into Venue Unknown. It’s secret socials and dining for the daring (but not in a three-day old sushi kind of daring). She also consults restaurants on things as varied as food costing to marketing. She also helps the Bakersfield Marathon with social media and most recently she and a new business partner launched Neighborhood Pop Shop. A market for makers and shakers.

This week we speak with Nick Ortiz, the President/CEO of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commmerce. Since 2015, he has led the Organization to new heights playing an integral role in some of Bakersfield's most important initiatives including the recent community rebranding effort and the Measure N campaign. Nick spends some time with the Hello Bakersfield crew to share his thoughts on Bakersfield's future and what this community means to him.

Director of The Edible Schoolyard, Dylan Wilson talks about the amazing Edible Schoolyard for students. Dylan shares how Edible Schoolyard Kern County is helping kids grow, cook, eat and enjoy healthy food. Dylan also shares details for the upcoming toast + taste even on Octover 25th.

This week we speak with Michael Bowers, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations at Centric Health California and Bakersfield City Planning Commissioner. Michael talks about his time working in the Bakersfield political arena and his active community involvement with Kern County’s Stop the Violence, the American Cancer Society and Alzheimer’s Association.

This week we speak with Photographer Noé Montes. Over the last 25 years, Noé has developed a socially engaged practice in which he creates documentary work around a specific social issue or geographic location. His commissions includes work for The Annenberg Foundation, The California Community Foundation, The University of Southern California, The Palm Springs Art Museum and The Getty Foundation. He is a fellow at the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities and often lectures at colleges and universities about his practice. Noe has exhibited work in galleries and museums nationally, he lives in Los Angeles with his family and works throughout the state of California.

This week we speak with Jorge Barrientos, the Director of Marketing and Public Relations with local law firm Chain Cohn Stiles, and local community leader. We discuss his history in Bakersfield, including his time as a local journalist, his involvement in our community, and The Hub of Bakersfield’s new Innovation Lab.

This week we speak with Don Bynum, President and CEO of Temblor Brewing Company, a local brewery and restaurant. Don stops by to chat about the inspiration behind his brewery, our thriving local beer scene, and his very interesting hobby.

This week we speak with Shannon LaBare, founder of Purveyor House, a marketing agency that guides businesses in building + developing their brand. Shannon talks to us about how she is helping to shift culture and change perceptions of Bakersfield while cultivating community and building unifying camaraderie through Bakersfield's 'Second Saturday', Be In Bakersfield, and The Hub of Bakersfield.

This week we speak with farmer and local entrpenuer, Annie Florindo about her journey to becoming an organic farmer in the central valley. She shares with us her success in the organic farming industry and what it's like to thrive in California's Central Valley.

This week we discuss your BIG IDEAS on what we can do as a community to help spur revitilization in Bakersfield's urban core. We sit down with Austin Smith, owner of Sage Equities, to discuss ideas submitted by our subscribers. Do you have a BIG IDEA? We want to hear from you! Send your ideas via instagram @hellobakersfield or to hellobakersfield@gmail.com.

This week we speak with Robert Price, a respected journalist in the Bakersfield community. He currently serves as the Sr. Editor of The Bakersfield Californian, where he has also served as a reporter, columnist, and award-winning editor. He holds a degree in journalism from CSU Sacramento. Bob has written and spoken extensively about the Bakersfield Sound since 1997. His writings have included scroes of newspaper artiles, liner notes for a Merle Haggard box set, and a chapter for the Country Music Hall of Fame's official "Bakersfield Sound" exhibit guide.

This week we talk with David Caploe, lead singer of Bakersfield's very own star band, Hate Drugs. David talks to the cast of Hello!Bakersfield about his creative journey from finding his sound to his experences as a young 20 year old. David shares why he left Bakersfield to live in Hawaii and why he decided to return.

This week we speak with producer Brianna Nicole Young who was born and rasied in the city of Bakersfield. Brianna talks with us about her upcoming film called "Just Between the Two of Us" portraying the untold story of Bonnie Owens and the Bakersfield Sound. She talks about why it's so important for her to cast local talent and shoot locally in Bakersfield.

This week we release a special bonus episode titled, "The Bakersfield Buzz" where we chat about what's buzzing in Bakersfield. We discuss current events, news, and happenings in our city!