Economic Development

She Knows Where Women Can Live, Play and Work

City of Escondido

For Maria Bowman, living and working in Escondido brings community, empowerment and balance. She moved to Escondido in the 1980s and has been working as a real estate agent and broker for most of the time she has lived here. Her business, Bowman Real Estate Services, helps clients in every aspect of real estate.

What to Expect for San Diego Startup Month

Carlsbad Life in Action

San Diego Startup Month has just begun. What started eight years ago has grown into one of the biggest highlights in the startup world. Even the pandemic couldn’t stop the momentum of this wildly popular event that went from a week-long program to a month-long event last year.

Get to Know the Neighborhood – Bressi Ranch

Carlsbad Life in Action

Bressi Ranch may have only been constructed in 2003, but its style has historic roots. The first neighborhood in Carlsbad to use a “walkable” community design, Bressi Ranch was created to mirror a historic garden district with pedestrian interconnectedness.

Accelerator Programs Turn Riverside into Growing Startup Mecca

City of Riverside

FarmSense, founded in 2016 by UC Riverside (UCR) engineering faculty members, built an award-winning system to replace sticky traps with artificial intelligence and analytics to improve insect monitoring and crop management. The startup is getting ready to launch its first product, which is light speed ahead in “ag tech years,” said its CEO and co-founder Leslie Hickle.

Meet The De Facto Ambassadors Fueling Riverside’s Creative Economy

City of Riverside

Geoff Gouveia, a Riverside-born artist, whose pieces include a massive mural at Bobby Bonds Skatepark, is tired of people saying, “That’s cool for Riverside.” That’s because having a home base in Riverside hasn’t stopped Gouveia from working with large brands such as Adidas, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Facebook. In fact, he considers it an advantage.

Coffee Culture Brewing in Carlsbad

Carlsbad Life in Action

When the pandemic forced lockdowns and remote work everywhere, the occasional coffee shop run was a brief reprieve in the lives of many isolated Carlsbad residents. An opportunity to break away from the house, hop in the car, and interact with someone — albeit distanced — helped many customers keep their sanity last year.

Vista Manufacturers at Forefront of Supply Demand

City of Vista

Experts say American businesses were forced to look to domestic manufacturers as a result of the pandemic, which in turn resulted in a focus on Vista, a city that is home to a variety of manufacturers including those in the life science, aerospace and information technology. This domestic economic boom isn’t ending anytime soon either.

COVID-19 Roadblocks Doesn’t Stop Vista Tourism Industry From Thriving

City of Vista

While tourism largely came to a halt worldwide during the pandemic, hotels in Vista said they were able to stay afloat — and even find success — thanks to the community, which includes the extreme sports industry that drove economic growth in the city.

Filmmaker Produces Four Decades of Success in Riverside

City of Riverside

John Goolsby said he discovered his passion and talent in filmmaking in the 1980s when he began producing training videos for grocery giant Safeway Stores. Four decades later, the Riverside resident has made more than 3,500 films in 37 countries.

Makerspace: A Look at Vista’s Growing List of ‘Maker’ Entrepreneurs and Industries

City of Vista

As the maker movement continues to gain momentum across the US, many cities have begun to incorporate economic development strategies that support these makers in their own communities. By embracing the maker culture, these cities are also fueling community-wide advances in local entrepreneurship and job creation.