Business is brewing: Firestone Walker climbs in craft beer rankings
By Christine De La Cruz / Friday, February 21st, 2014 / Features, Restaurants, Top Stories, Tourism, Wine & Viticulture / Comments Off on 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
By Christine De La Cruz / Friday, February 14th, 2014 / Features, Health Care & Life Science, Nonprofits, South Coast, Top Stories / Comments Off on 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
By Christine De La Cruz / Friday, February 7th, 2014 / Agribusiness, Features, Small Business / Comments Off on 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
By Erika Martin / Friday, January 24th, 2014 / Central Coast, Features, Small Business, Tri-County Economy / Comments Off on 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
By Stephen Nellis / Friday, January 17th, 2014 / Features, Small Business, Technology, Top Stories / Comments Off on 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
By Stephen Nellis / Friday, January 17th, 2014 / Features, Technology, Top Stories / Comments Off on 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.

The venture capitalist of the vineyards: Terroir’s investments range from Santa Ynez to South Africa
By Mary Ann Norbom / Friday, January 10th, 2014 / Features, Personal Finance, Wine & Viticulture / Comments Off on The venture capitalist of the vineyards: Terroir’s investments range from Santa Ynez to South Africa
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