Fresno's Best

Today, we have Ryan Parsley and Cody Sturgis of the Reborne Brewing Company in Clovis, CA on the show. 

Ryan has called Fresno California his home since he was five years old. He has been married to his amazing wife for 15 years, and they both have two beautiful children. Ryan also, has proudly been serving in the California Air National Guard for over 14 years, which helped him complete his education through the University of Maryland, Global Campuses, earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. In 2018, Ryan discovered an appreciation of brewing Craft Beer in his garage and made the decision to ’one day’ open a brewery.  Over 25 Craft Beer recipes later, in early 2023, it was official.  Reborne Brewing Company received its ABC license to Brew and Distribute and its Business License with the City of Clovis.In addition to developing and launching Reborne Brewing Company, Ryan continues to serve, proudly, in the CA Air National Guard and was promoted to Technical Sergeant (E6) in November 2024.

Cody has taken root in the central valley, graduating California State University, Fresno in 2014 with a degree in Cellular/Molecular Biology and minor in Chemistry to build a life focused on the beverage industry. Cody spent some time in the wine industry, eventually settling into the world of coffee processing and roasting for 7 years. He joined Reborne Brewing in late 2020 with a focus on the scientific side of the brewing process, honing in on refining brewing processes and developing a multitude of recipes that strive for quality beyond quantity. His involvement has become invaluable to our small team.

Reborne Brewing Company 

Books: 

Hops, Malt, Yeast, and Water: A Novice's Guide to Craft Beer and Homebrewing Stan Kaminski 

Cocktail Codex: Fundamentals, Formulas, Evolutions Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan 

We are continuing our series highlighting some of the amazing businesses that are supported through the WET Center at Fresno State's  Valley Ventures Accelerator program. Today, we have Emily Dinino on the show. Emily is the Founder & CEO of ThermoShade. She spent two years studying the problem of extreme heat as her master’s thesis and is passionate about finding solutions to protect people and animals impacted by heat stress. Emily has extensive experience in finance and entrepreneurship across investment banking, venture capital, and nonprofit finance. She has been an investor in mission-driven technology and consumer companies from Pre-Seed to Series C and is intimately familiar with the challenges early-stage companies face. Emily holds a BA from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

WET Center Website

ThermoShade's Website

Today, we have Roque Rodriguez on the show. Roque is a Fresno based filmmaker and creative working to cultivate a vibrant and diverse film community throughout the San Joaquin Valley. After growing up in the rural farming town of Firebaugh, Rodriguez earned his degree in graphic arts from Brooks College in Los Angeles, only to eventually plant himself in what he calls the “Goldilocks” city of Fresno. In 2008, Rodriguez founded the independent film festival Swede Fest — a quirky collection of locally produced Hollywood remakes using low budget resources and high key creativity. Swede Fest became a cultural institution in Fresno, inspiring multiple satellite festivals across the country and garnered submissions from around the globe. Though the film festival ended in 2023, the legacy of Swede Fest carries on in a new generation of filmmakers who were able to dip their toes in an art form often seen as difficult to break into.

In 2025, Rodriguez launched his newest project: Cen Cal Cinema — an all ages, free film screening series hosted in communities throughout the Central Valley that might otherwise lack access to a movie theater. By removing travel and cost barriers, Cen Cal Cinema hopes to make film more accessible and democratic, while also celebrating the unique ways that cinema can foster community bonding, harkening back to Rodriguez’s own personal experiences.

On today's show, we have Manuel Bonilla, president of the Fresno Teachers Association. We dig into education practice, policy, organized labor, and more in this episode. If you are looking to dig into the weeds of education, this is the episode for you. 

Fresno Teachers Association Website 

Books: 

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy J.R.R. Tolkien

The Infinite Game Simon Sinek

On Bullshit Harry G. Frankfurt

De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less Doug Noll

We have a special episode for you today with some of the leaders of the VA Central California Health Care System. We brought in three knowledgable leaders to discuss the state of this organization and their services. This was recorded at the end of last year, so any Trump administrative moves will not be covered here. Here are the three guests who shared in this episode: 

VA Central California Health Care System Website

 Today, we have Alex Van Horne on the show. Alex is the president of the Central Valley Brewers Guild and the co-owner of Summer Fox Brewing, one of my favorite breweries in Fresno. I was so excited to record this podcast with Alex! If you really want to nerd out on beer, this is the episode for you.

Summer Fox Brewing 

The Central Valley Brewers Guild

Books: 

Tasting Beer, 2nd Edition: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink Randy Mosher

Any and All Star Wars Books!

 Today, we have Josh Huckaby on the show. Josh is the owner of Hoodwink Consulting, a central valley cybersecurity provider. Josh has spent the last six years focused on cybersecurity, which led to him opening up Hoodwink Consulting here in Fresno. They specialize in helping companies understand cybersecurity risk and provide services to protect them. And his free time, Josh enjoys spending time with his family and watching 49ers football and eating great local food. Josh is a friend, and this conversation was a true pleasure and hopefully this conversation inspires you to take better care of your life online as there are many risks and dangers out there.

Hoodwing Consulting

Books: 

The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team Patrick M. Lencioni 

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones James Clear

 We're beginning a series of episodes with the WET Center at Fresno State. WET stands for water, energy and technology. The WET Center's mission is to empower central Valley's core industries by providing access to cutting-edge resources, innovative research and industry expertise, driving sustainable growth and regional prosperity.They have supported amazing startups and companies around the world right from our own backyard.

Our first episode in this series features Ken Camarco, CEO and President of DMax Plasma. Ken has spent his career in all facets of global manufacturing, energy operations, supply chain, information, technology, and management. DMax Plasma utilizes plasma technology to attack contaminants in our water supply. Something that has never been more pressing in today's world.

The Wet Center

DMax Plasma

On today's show, we have Kellee Williams, owner and teacher at Tower Yoga. Kellee is a deeply experienced and knowledgable teacher and practitioner of yoga. We dig into a lot of topics in this conversation. Please enjoy!

Tower Yoga Site

Books: 

Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System As a Path to the Self Anodea Judith 

Tantra of the Yoga Sutras: Essential Wisdom for Living with Awareness and Grace Alan Finger

The Path of the Yoga Sutras Nicolai Bachman 

Lynda Oniah, founder and creative director of StandTallJeans, is a tall woman who faced the challenge of finding stylish, long-enough denim for herself. Driven by this personal struggle and inspired by her father’s entrepreneurial spirit, Lynda transitioned from a successful banking career to pursue her passion for fashion. After earning a Master’s Degree in Management and graduating with honors from the San Francisco Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, she founded StandTallJeans to address the market gap for well-fitting, fashionable denim for tall women. Based in California, Lynda is dedicated to creating high-quality, stylish pieces while upholding ethical and sustainable production practices.

StandTallJeans Website 

Discount code: STJTHX20 for 20% off your purchase plus an extra 10% if you sign up for our VIP emails. Gift cards also available

Books: 

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind Al Ries and Jack Trout