Aaron Falk has served as the President and CEO of Kern Community Foundation since 2021.

Aaron grew up in Bakersfield, CA and graduated from Stockdale High School. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and is currently in the MBA program at California State University, Bakersfield. He also completed the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College as a civilian.

Before joining the Foundation, Aaron worked for over a decade as a Congressional staffer. For 7 years in Washington, D.C. Aaron focused on policy supporting the U.S. military, national security, and veterans. He returned to Bakersfield in 2017 and worked for U.S. Representative Kevin McCarthy through 2021. As Kevin’s local representative, Aaron saw firsthand both Kern County’s potential and challenges. Through these experiences, Aaron has fully committed himself to improving life for everyone in Kern County.

Scott Hanson sits down with Aaron Falk the current President and CEO of the Kern Community Foundation as he explains the difference between them and nonprofits. The foundation works with anywhere between 250 and 300 fund holders that donate their money to causes that are close to their heart. For instance, the Kern Community Foundation is in charge of Give Big Kern which is an event on the first Tuesday of May where anyone can donate to local nonprofits. They are also offering college scholarships for high school seniors. If you would like to learn about getting involved check out their website below!

LEARN MORE ABOUT KERN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION:

Website: www.kernfoundation.org/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 661-325-5346

Instagram: @kernfoundation

Facebook: @KernFoundation

Twitter: @kernfoundation

YouTube: @Kern_Foundation_LIVE

Dr. Hugh Beatty, aka “The Wellness Doc”, is committed to providing quality medical care for your entire family. Dr. Beatty graduated from Occidental College in 1981 and obtained his BA in Chemistry from USCD School of Medicine in 1985. He has been practicing medicine in Bakersfield since 1998 where he offers comprehensive medical care and pain management procedures.  

Kyle Jones welcomes back Dr. Hugh Beatty back as he explains how he is now implementing a concierge service to his existing and new patients. This means they are able to contact Dr. Beatty outside of business hours as well as schedule appointments quicker! He also discusses Ozone Therapy, which he is now offering, and explains why this is another service he uses to help his patients.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HUGH BEATTY, MD:

Website: www.hughbeatty.com/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 661-395-0315

Instagram: @docnbak

Facebook: @The_Wellness_Doc

LinkedIn: @Hugh_Beatty_MD

Russell Johnson is a Bakersfield native and after obtaining his undergraduate at Bakersfield College, he transferred to the University of California Santa Barbara where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in history. He has extensive experience in government and has served as a District Representative for a local State Senator, Chief of Staff to a County Supervisor, Planning Commissioner, and Councilmember at the City of Bakersfield.  In 2010, Russell started the government affairs firm, Common Sense Consulting, a full-service government relations and public affairs firm where he helps clients with issues such as land entitlement, property tax assessment appeals, permits, and association management. Currently, he serves as CEO of Victory Family Services, a foster family agency where resource families are supported through continuous training, education, and Development. Russell and his wife Susanne were married in 2006, and together they are raising their sons, Benjamin and Ryan.

John Duffield and Dave Plivelich sit down with Russell Johnson, owner of Common Sense Consulting, a business he created from his passion of helping others solve problems. He explains that the government speaks its own language and what we consider to be inefficiencies are actually processes that protect the general public. Russell also touches on his passion projects as well as the different nonprofits he is a part of. If you have big plans but find yourself overwhelmed by government policies give Russell a call!  

LEARN MORE ABOUT RUSSELL JOHNSON:

Website: https://consulting-commonsense.com/

Email: [email protected] 

Phone: 661-203-1838

LinkedIn: Russell_Johnson

La Rosa has been a family business and a Bakersfield favorite since 1980 and is now in its second generation of owners. Norma Diaz took over the family business in 2004 and has watched it gain even more happy customers. Meanwhile, Norma has also made a strong commitment to the company’s community involvement, including La Rosa’s sponsorship of a blood drive at Houchin Blood Bank. The “Beat the Heat Blood Drive” gave a free La Rosa bar to anyone who donated blood. The effort was designed to increase the number of Hispanic donors, many of whom carry a rare antigen in their blood which could save another’s life.

OTC host Dave Plivelich from The Marcom Group welcomes Norma Diaz the owner of La Rosa Fruit Bars & Ice Cream as she shares the history behind La Rosa and how her parents started it all. Norma is proud to say that their fruit bars are still made from scratch and are always fresh. The business has remained in the family and the everyday operations have stayed the same since the beginning. While you can find La Rosa Fruit Bars in a lot of locations around town, she also lets us in on a secret…you can rent a cart full of your favorites for any event! If you want La Rosa to be a part of your special event, give Norma a call directly at 661-619-9359.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LA ROSA: 

Website: https://larosafruitbars.com/welcome.html

Email: [email protected] 

Phone: 661-323-6877 or 661-619-9359

Instagram: @LaRosaFruit

Facebook: @La_Rosa_Fruit

Carli O’Cana is a woman of passion who is here to educate and guide her community through natural options for healthy and comfortable living. Her journey began in 2012 when she learned about the benefits of CBD and pain. Carli searched and thought of noninvasive ways to bring a product to the market that even your grandma wouldn't fear. She is here to help break the stigma around cannabis and all of its beautiful benefits. With years of research and experience she has been able to help so many with quality CBD products and more recently, nootropics and adaptogens.

Amanda DiGiacomo sits down with Carli O’Cana the owner of Quartz Trading Co as she discusses the common misconceptions that surround CBD and how helpful it can be with treating pain and anxiety. She also explains what to look for when purchasing CBD products to ensure that it is safe. Carli also tells us the challenges she faced when starting her company and how difficult it was trying to be a part of the community when there are negative feelings towards CBD. If you are interested in trying CBD products listen in to hear how Quartz Trading Co. differs from other local shops.

LEARN MORE ABOUT QUARTZ TRADING CO.: 

Website: https://quartztradingco.com/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 661-235-8CBD

Instagram: @quartztradingco

Facebook: @quartztradingco

Heather has been heavily involved in the advancement in our community in Bakersfield, Ca. She currently sits on the board for local nonprofits and is the chair on a couple committees. She’s particularly proud of being a founding chairwoman of The Innovation Lab which is in its fourth year. She has partnered with a national organization, Klemmer to host a three day self development workshop the first weekend in January, 2023. It will take place in Bakersfield for the first time! The seminar is designed to create big wins over a short period of time for participants.

Anna Marie is a doctor of Traditional Naturopathy, brain health professional, ICF certified coach, certified master herbalist, and lover of life! She is also an author, speaker, employee wellness consultant, and mindset wellbeing coach. Anna Marie is also the formulator of her own brain nutraceutical line which includes, "Happy You, Calm You, & Bright You." Her mission is to end mental health stigmas and help all people upgrade their brains, biology, & energy field through lifestyle choices while rewiring their neuro pathways using holistic modalities.

Kyle Jones and John Duffield welcome back Heather Laganelli and Anna Marie Frank as they discuss how mindset affects both your personal and professional life. They explain how opening your mind to new thought processes can lead to new and exciting possibilities as well as the ability to achieve your goals. Heather and Anna also update us on what has changed since the last time they were in, such as new locations, and new projects they are working on. If you have been struggling with finding the right mindset to achieve your goals, tune in to this episode! 

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEATHER LAGANELLI: 

Website: www.localefarmtotable.com/

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @HeatherLaganelli

@MuralAlleyBakersfield

@localefarmtotable

Facebook: Locale_Farm_to_Table

Heather_Laganelli

LEARN MORE ABOUT ANNA MARIE FRANK:

Website: www.happywholeyou.com/

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: @happywholeyou

Facebook: Happy_Whole_You

Anthony Olivieri, principal of Olivieri Commercial Group, founded the company in 1997 after gaining 10 plus years of commercial real estate experience in Central California working primarily with CBRE.  Throughout his career, Anthony has assisted countless clients with their diverse real estate needs and successfully grown his own real estate portfolio. After managing several successful projects with individual partners, Anthony formed BOMAR Partners in 2016 with the intent to deliver double digit returns by investing in commercial real estate projects.  BOMAR Partners was created with a focus on the acquisition of value added opportunities and ground up development. With over 35 years of brokerage, and ownership interest in commercial real estate, Anthony has a proven track record and knows how to navigate the challenging landscape of commercial real estate investments.

John Duffield welcomes Anthony Olivieri the President of Olivieri Commercial Group as he takes us through his career and what sparked his passion for commercial real estate. Anthony explains the different types of properties they specialize in and gives advice for aspiring real estate agents. He also confirms that the commercial market is not linked to the residential market since both the industrial and retail market are still strong despite the 2020 pandemic.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OLIVIERE COMMERCIAL: 

Website: www.oliviericommercial.com/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 661-327-1200

Instagram: @Olivieri_Commercial

Facebook: Olivieri_Commercial_Group

LinkedIn: Olivieri_Commercial_Group

Lois Henry was raised in Fresno and attended Fresno State where she obtained a degree in journalism in 1989 and began work at The Bakersfield Californian in 1990. She worked as a reporter and editor at The Californian for many years and began writing an investigative column twice a week in 2007. She left the newspaper in 2017 and formed SJV Water, a nonprofit website dedicated to covering water issues in the San Joaquin Valley. SJV Water's work has been very well received, winning awards and catching the attention of public officials throughout the state including the Governor's office. Our work was also featured in the New York Times in May 2021.Henry's goal is to provide independent, unbiased coverage of this natural resource with an eye to how its use affects daily life and the valley's economy.

Scott Hanson welcomes Lois Henry the CEO of SJV Water as she gives us the detailed history of our local water and what is currently being done to conserve and distribute our water. She explains that the solutions are not as simple as we have been led to believe and outlines the different types of red tape that are surrounding our water distribution. Lois ends with the difficulties we are facing with banking our excess water and what we can expect in the next year. If you are interested in our local water issues check out Lois’s articles to get more information!

LEARN MORE ABOUT LOIS HENRY: 

Website: https://sjvwater.org/

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: @sjvwater

Facebook: SJVWater

Twitter: @SJVWater

YouTube: The_SJV_Water_Channel

LinkedIn: SJV_Water

Vince Fong began his career with Congressman Bill Thomas, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, working on international trade policy. For nearly a decade Vince served as the district director to House Leader and Congressman Kevin McCarthy until Vince was elected to the State Assembly in 2016. He is also a lifelong resident of Kern County and earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and masters from Princeton University. He serves on the boards of the Jim Burke Education Foundation and Honor Flight Kern County where he works to send WWII, Korean War and Vietnam Veterans to Washington, DC to see their memorials.

Troy Burden and Kyle Jones sit down with Vince Fong, Assemblymemeber of the 34th District, as he discusses the many different problems California is facing, such as supply chain issues, and our current electrical grid. He also explains what the current political climate is like with the upcoming election coupled with the frustrations local residents are feeling towards their elected officials. Tune in to hear about the topics that are affecting our community and what you can do to change them.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VINCE FONG: 

Website: https://ad34.asmrc.org/

Phone: 661-395-2995 or 916-319-2034

Instagram: @VinceFong661

LinkedIn: Vincent_Fong

Facebook: AssemblymanVinceFong

Twitter: Vince_Fong

Alex Muralles started Get It Twisted as a side hustle when he was trying to make money to go to college. He has always been passionate about making food so when he had the opportunity to create his own business with his family, he took it. Alex decided that the college path no longer interested him and now he runs his business full time!

OTC Host Dave Plivelich with The Marcom Group sits down with Alex Muralles, the owner of Get It Twisted as he explains his plans for expanding his food truck to a permanent location. He is currently stationed in the Valley Plaza Mall parking lot, but he does cater for events and parties. He is also expanding his menu by adding drinks and even desserts. If you are interested in trying something new or would like to have him host your next event, check out his Instagram page!

LEARN MORE ABOUT GET IT TWISTED: 

Website: https://getit-twisted.square.site/

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @Get_It_Twisted

Facebook: Get_It_Twisted