Johnson’s independent children’s bookstore is seriously thriving, and now, thanks to a $10,000 opportunity grant from Merchant Maverick, she can continue following her small business dreams and building her bookstore.

As a certified yoga instructor and practitioner, Rachel Lundberg knows a thing or two about flexibility. So in a way, her views on the COVID-19 pandemic are not surprising. Despite the disruptions to business and daily life, she’s grateful for the opportunity the pandemic gave her to take her business, YogaOAK, in an unexpected and […]

It’s easy to find bad news in the world, even if you don’t go looking for it: hunger, refugees, and catastrophic climate events are just a few. Taken individually or all together, it’s enough to cause feelings of helplessness. So finding an organization that does something to address all these crises and more — while operating at a profit — is a welcome treat. That company is WUNDERgrubs, and they’re changing the world, one mealworm at a time.

Take one vegetarian menu, built around delicious healthy eating principles and local food production. Add dedicated owners who value their customers’ health and their staff’s workplace satisfaction. Stir in two decades’ experience, and you have The Green Temple, a vegetarian haven in the Redondo Beach area. Read more about the Green Temple and how it has adapted to Covid-19.

Take Snappy Dogs, for example. It’s a seasonal mobile eatery built on a landscaping trailer. Of course, Snappy Dogs’ real foundation is the long-time work partnership between owners Lisa Volpe Hachey and Teresa Boyce.

When Michele Jaffe and her husband Michael opened the Milagro Riding Club, the strength of their marriage was the last thing on their minds. While the stress of running a family business took a toll on the couple, Michele has gone on to be a successful business owner despite a difficult divorce. Read on to see how Milagro Riding Club has survived the dissolution of a partnership.