Brandon Quintanilla also known as BQ is an entrepreneur, and the man behind EMLN Exclusive, Any Given Bars, and San Jose’s beloved Culture Night Market. In this episode of the FIRM Podcast, BQ talks about his work ethic, building multiple brands, and how community plays a role in everything he does.

Recorded from the EMLN Studio in Downtown San Jose, 

this is episode 15 with BQ.

Tricia Creason-Valencia is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, a storyteller, teacher and mentor. In this episode of the FIRM Podcast, we talk about Tricia’s filmmaking journey, her intentions when producing projects, and the importance of telling and owning your own stories. 

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in April 2023, before I took a hiatus to focus on the San Jose Is Not For Sale project.

WATCH: Stable Life - https://vimeo.com/674641693?share=copy

• Nominated for a Northern CA Emmy, Documentary Category, 2014

• Winner “Best Documentary” at Cinequest

• “Jury Prize” at Cinefestival San Antonio

• Aired on KQED Television’s Truly CA series and national broadcast on “America Reframed”/World Channel

Haley Cardamon is the Executive Director and Founder of San Jose Day, an annual festival that celebrates the arts and culture of San Jose every April. In this episode, Haley shares her journey in building the festival, its growth over the years, and what’s in store for this year's 7th annual event. Plus, a special guest makes an appearance — Barry, our roommate’s cat, drops by towards the end.

Hope to see you at the 2025 San Jose Day!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Podcasting and Sound Check

04:02 The Birth of San Jose Day

10:07 Event Production Journey and Community Engagement

16:04 Growth and Evolution of San Jose Day

22:13 Building a Collaborative Team

29:46 Challenges in Event Production

38:41 Navigating Doubts and Responsibilities

41:21 Finding Motivation and Overcoming Challenges

46:45 The Role of Community in San Jose Day

52:58 Cultural Identity and Validation

55:03 Recognition and Its Impact

01:00:09 Innovations for San Jose Day 2025

01:06:42 Personal Growth Through Community Engagement

The Youth Liberation Movement's mission is to liberate young people from the cycle of generational trauma and oppression by translating their lived experiences into actionable solutions.

In this second conversation with YLM, Angie, Meyia and Angel talk about building a youth-led grassroots organization from the ground up, projects that the organization have been working on, and their hopes for YLM's future and the future of our community.

If you haven'y listened to the first part of this conversation, please go back to last week's episode for more context.

To close out this first season of the FIRM Podcast, this is part two of our finale with Angie, Meyia and Angel from the Youth Liberation Movement.

San Jose youth want a seat at the table (San Jose Spotlight article)

The Youth Liberation Movement aka YLM is a group of young leaders who aim to improve San Jose’s approach to housing, education, mental health and criminal justice by partnering with local institutions. 

Full disclosure, this episode is a two-part conversation with some of the young leaders. In this first part, I speak with Angelina, Meyia, and Angel about growing up in San Jose and some of their lived experiences that led them to the work they do now with the Youth Liberation Movement.

To close out this first season of the FIRM Podcast, this is part one of our finale with Angie, Meyia and Angel from the Youth Liberation Movement.

San Jose youth want a seat at the table (San Jose Spotlight article)

Gabby Horlick is the drummer and band leader for the 7th Street Big Band. In this episode of the FIRM Podcast, we talk about her musical journey, building the 22 piece 7th Street Big Band, and what’s next to come from the group. So without further ado, here's episode 11 with Gabby Horlick.

Local Color is a woman-powered 501 (C)(3) Non-profit building multifaceted opportunities that keeps creatives engaged, employed and active in the community. In this episode of the FIRM Podcast, we talk about their journeys leading to Local Color, their work, and the recently launched Local Commons program. 

From the Digital Underground, this is episode 9 with Erin, Carman and Haley from Local Color.

Jordan, JR, and Don are barbers, educators, and creative entrepreneurs. In this episode, we talk about their journey of opening two Paradox Barbershops, the value of building a solid team, and educating the next generation of barbers.

Ratha Nou is a multi-disciplined, multifaceted creative entrepreneur. In this episode of The FIRM Podcast, Ra talks about how his passion for hip hop and dance carried over throughout his life, positioning himself to learn, and building Stablished Projects, his motion design, animation, and overall creative studio.

You can follow Ra and his work at stablabs.com, on Instagram @ra_stablished and @stablishedprojects, and his YouTube channel Stablished Projects.