Season One comes to a close not with a conclusion, but with an invitation. In this final episode, we reflect on a journey across Half Moon Bay, California—walking, talking, and listening to stories that reveal the interconnectedness of land, education, immigration, art, activism, and leadership.

From massive pumpkins to movement-building protests, we explore what makes a community resilient and what it takes to create a future rooted in abundance. Join us as we celebrate what we’ve learned together—and look ahead to what comes next.

With the second nationwide No Kings protest now ready to roll, this live recording and reflection from the first event, just a few months ago, reinvigorates us as to the power we have in speaking up and building community driven to make our country -- and the world -- a better place for all.

In this episode, Sophia chats with folks live at the June 14, 2025, protest in Half Moon Bay, and in reflection, she shares some thoughts regarding the importance of civic engagement, emphasizing a need for for accurate information, a shift from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance, and advocating for sustainable investments in public infrastructure, and introduces this podcast as an experiment in helping achieve these three goals.

Listen in, and get informed and inspired to help make change happen!

Host Sophia Layne walks the Half Moon Bay, CA, blufftops with Barbara Dye — community leader, land trust advocate, and two-time Peace Corps volunteer. Barbara shares her journey from preserving thousands of acres in Southern California to stewarding open space on the Coastside, reflecting on the lessons she’s learned about conservation, civic engagement, and belonging.

Through supporting open space at Wavecrest to reimagining parks in El Granada, Barbara shows how local voices can shape the future of land, water, and community. Along the way, she connects her global experiences to protecting democracy — reminding us that stewarding nature is also about protecting democracy, resilience, and hope.

If you care about the environment, open space, or simply the power of community action, this conversation will inspire you to see trails and parks – and advocating for democracy – in a whole new light.

Host Sophia Layne chats with Virginia Chang-Kiraly, a member of both the San Mateo County Harbor District and Menlo Park Fire Protection District Boards, at Surfers Beach in Half Moon Bay, California, as whales spout just offshore and the hum of dredging and beach replenishment pipes fills the air.

Sophia and Virginia walk the shoreline while exploring themes including the delicate balance between economic development and environmental sustainability. From protecting Highway 1 and local businesses to supporting commercial fishing and creating safe spaces for kids and surfers, they highlight how decisions made today ripple far into the future.

This conversation brings the harbor to life — not just as a working waterfront, but as a hub of resilience, sustainability, and community.

Host Sophia Layne walks through Half Moon Bay with Hector Camacho, Executive Director of Equity, Social Justice, and Inclusion at the San Mateo County Office of Education. As they pass by local schools, their conversation turns to what equity really means, why belonging matters, and how communities can take action to make both a reality.

Listen in for a candid and hopeful conversation about belonging, education, and the role we each play in shaping what comes next.

Over pints of beer on the patio at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, host Sophia Layne sits down with co-founder Lenny Mendonca as he traces his journey from management consulting and statewide economic development, where he served as the governor’s chief economic advisor, to nonprofit leadership, small business ownership, and local life on the Coastside. Lenny reflects on bridging divides in California, the urgency of protecting democracy, and why Proposition 50 matters for the nation’s future.

Host Sophia Layne walks and talks with Antonio López, San Mateo County Poet Laureate and former Mayor of East Palo Alto, in a conversation spanning poetry to politics. Antonio reflects on growing up in an immigrant family, how verse became his way of telling truth, and what he’s learned leading in literary circles, in city hall, and in classrooms. With humor, heart, and a poet’s eye, Antonio shows how language can spark empathy, justice, and belonging.

Host Sophia Layne talks with Erin Tormey, Director of the Coastside Farmers Market, about how the market began, the struggles and resistance she faced, and the global lessons of collaboration and resilience in farming. From global shifts in the floriculture industry to the rise of organic pioneers like Del Cabo, Erin shares how local markets create abundance, belonging, and opportunities for generations.

In this episode, host Sophia Layne joins Kique Bazán at the Saturday morning food distribution event of the local nonprofit Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS) in Half Moon Bay. Kique shares his journey from Peru to California’s San Mateo County Coastside, the formative experiences that inspired his lifelong commitment to education and human rights, and the powerful role of human connection in creating true belonging.

As they walk through the food pantry, Kique shares stories from his mother’s courageous work sheltering homeless children in Peru, the solidarity that ended systemic violence there, and how his work with ALAS continues that legacy locally – creating spaces where people don’t just receive help, but help shape the solutions. From forging partnerships with organizations like Second Harvest to training migrant families as cultural tour guides, Kique shows how collaboration, creativity, and a shared rhythm can transform a community.

Whether you want to get involved, learn more about Kique’s work, or simply be inspired by the idea that walking together can change lives, this conversation will leave you hopeful—and ready to take that next (or first!) step towards community.

In this episode, host Sophia Layne visits Jayne Beatty at Miramar Farms near Half Moon Bay, where the conversation begins in Jane’s kitchen amid the smell of zucchini muffins baking in the oven and unfolds through a walk around her farm’s orchards and gardens.

Jane shares how Miramar Farms offers a unique refuge for corporate and nonprofit leaders—a place to slow down, reconnect, and do deep strategic work away from the pressures and rapid pace of modern business life. Together they explore the healing power of nature, the importance of human connection in today’s shifting corporate landscape, and the lessons farming teaches about patience, resilience, and community. This episode blends the quiet rhythms of farm life with thoughtful insights into how we navigate complexity in both soil and organizations.

Highlights:

• “Miramar Farms is a refuge—a place where leaders can slow down and think big.”
• “Corporate life has changed so much; people are craving connection more than ever.”
• “Nature has a way of helping you drop the guard and just be human.”
• “Farming teaches patience—something every leader needs these days.”
• “These muffins? They’re a little taste of grounding in a fast-moving world.”