Tag archives: entrepreneur

Riding Life’s Waves: Gail Steinbeck Continues to Innovate
By Zach Rosen   |   June 17, 2021

The course of life can be as wild and unpredictable as crashing waves. Yet, with a little curiosity, practice, and a touch of tenacity, one can weather the waves, surfing on top of their crest as you face the flow of life.  For Gail Steinbeck, she has been surfing the waves of life since she […]

Ron Popeil Ranch Up for Sale
By Richard Mineards   |   December 3, 2020

Inventor Ron Popeil, who brought us the Chop-O-Matic, the Veg-O-Matic, and the Showtime Rotisseries and BBQ, among many other creative TV infomercial inventions, is selling his Santa Barbara ranch for $4.9 million. The bucolic property sprawls across 150 acres in the hills above our Eden by the Beach, centering on an 1800s home with a […]

The Incredible Jerry Forney
By Hattie Beresford   |   July 9, 2020

I have to say, when I first heard his story, it read like tall tale or legend, much like the stories of Paul Bunyan and John Henry. Bigger than life heroes, for sure; so the skeptical side of me decided to do some fact checking. What I discovered, despite the erroneous claim that he was […]

Montecito Moms: Alice Ryan
By Dalina Michaels   |   March 12, 2020

When it comes to motherhood, there are moms who go full throttle in their careers while also managing family life. How to find that balance – how to handle life (career, kids, spouse, and self-time) is the million dollar question. Fortunately, in Montecito we have moms who do it all! There is one Montecito mom […]

From Royal Rugs to Interior Design
By Richard Mineards   |   June 27, 2019

Santa Barbara Polo Club patron Ben Soleimani is becoming quite the interior design entrepreneur. Iranian Ben, 44, has recently debuted a furnishing brand making rugs and accessories, with plans to expand into a complete line of furnishings by the end of the year, and is featured in the latest issue of Architectural Digest. The entrepreneurial […]

Entrepreneurship Awards
By Lynda Millner   |   June 6, 2019

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) presented their Spirit of Entrepreneurship (SOE) awards at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort celebrating women entrepreneurs and supporting student entrepreneurship as well. During the cocktail hour held in the rotunda we got a chance to meet the high school and college winners of the New Venture Challenge given by Scheinfeld […]

Wendy Foster
By Sigrid Toye   |   December 20, 2018

Outside Wendy Foster‘s signature store in Montecito’s upper village, the tables were completely occupied, but I was lucky enough to find a spot under a tree dressed in the colors of the fall season. From my perch, I could appreciate the park’s green lawn, the tables nearby under which a few furry friends had made […]

Celebrating Lad
By James Buckley   |   June 7, 2018

Noted Santa Barbara entrepreneur Lad Handelman was recipient of the Second Annual Distinguished Patriot Award. COLAB founder Andy Caldwell spoke early, and called Lad “the personification of the American Dream,” noting that Lad had “started from nothing in some of the roughest circumstances (born in the Bronx) to literally conquer the world. It’s a phenomenal […]

Rock on
By Richard Mineards   |   March 8, 2018

Montecito mega philanthropist Leslie Ridley-Tree is a rock star. The Spirit of Entrepreneurship Foundation has declared Leslie, the CEO of Pacific Air Industries in Los Angeles, its new Rock Star: Life Achievement Award recipient. Leslie, who has given millions to innumerable local organizations, including Cottage Hospital, the Granada, and All Saints by the Sea Episcopal […]