Business is brewing: Firestone Walker climbs in craft beer rankings
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. has big plans on tap, including another expansion at its Paso Robles campus, a new beer and the opening of a pilot brewery in the Los Angeles area.
Labor of love: Nonprofit celebrates 30 years of teaching compassion
Santa Barbara-based Adventures in Caring has taught thousands of future and practicing health-care professionals to provide compassion to their patients.
Budding trend: Region’s growers count on locavore movement
The $176 million tri-county cut-flower industry is hoping to woo Valentine’s Day shoppers, who are expected to spend $1.8 billion nationwide this year on blooms for their sweethearts.
The right remedy: Elemental Herbs went from kitchen startup to national distribution
Belying its modest beginnings in the couple’s kitchen, Elemental Herbs now has distributors in 35 states and nearly 1,500 retail accounts.
Software, squared: ProductPlan makes tools for software product managers
It’s a low-cost, simple-to-use Web application for making and sharing product road maps, keeping everyone on the same page.
Invoca calls up $20M: Fast-growing tech firm to double work force
Santa Barbara-based inbound call technology firm Invoca has raised $20 million from Accel Partners, bringing the company’s funds raised to date to $30.8 million.
Dressed to the canines: PetPaint opts for loan over ‘Shark Tank’
Abe Geary passed up a funding offer from “Shark Tank” that would have turned over a 60 percent equity stake in the company, to direct its development personally.
