Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact

In this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , Bret Schanzenbach welcomes Michael Campbell, Founder and CEO of Signal Verified. Michael shares his unique journey from the Midwest to Japan and back to California, where he now calls North County home. With a background in global tech leadership and education, Michael brings a fresh perspective to one of today’s biggest challenges: hiring...

In this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Klara Nyari, CEO of TradeMarker International and a leader behind Hemptique. Klara shares her story of growing up in Hungary, moving to the United States, studying fashion design, and building a career in footwear before joining her husband Peter in growing Hemptique. Together, they have created a compa...

In this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Grace Burch, Accounts Manager at Chamberlain Property Management. Grace brings decades of real estate and property management experience, beginning in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1970s. After building and running successful property management businesses in Washington and Oregon, Grace eventually...

On this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact, host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Alex Ghilarducci, Director of Marketing and Events, and Chad Nelson, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad. The Boys & Girls Club has been serving Carlsbad youth since 1952, creating safe, supportive, and engaging spaces where kids can learn, grow, and build lasting relationships. Chad shares...

In this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , host Bret Schanzenbach welcomes JP Witkop, Vice President at Raymond James & Associates. JP shares his journey from Rochester, New York to Carlsbad, California, including his background as a collegiate hockey player and how those connections helped launch his career in financial advising. He discusses his transition from research and co...

In this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , Bret Schanzenbach welcomes Laurie Barron , co-founder of Pursu Agency , for a conversation about entrepreneurship, digital strategy, branding, and the evolving world of web development. Laurie shares her unconventional path from accounting and IT to UX, creative agency work, and eventually building Pursu Agency with her longtime business pa...

In this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , Bret Schanzenbach welcomes Liam Dunfey , President of Assisting Hands of Carlsbad , for a thoughtful conversation about aging, caregiving, and the resources available to families across North County. Liam shares his journey from Massachusetts to California and how a career in fundraising and healthcare led him into the aging services field....

In this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Shane Fisher , founder of the American Paragons Foundation , to talk about Shane’s remarkable athletic journey and the mission he’s now pursuing to support Team USA athletes. Shane shares how a lifelong obsession with the Olympics led him from youth sports to tennis, then into track and field, the decathlon,...

Matthew Eclevia, President of Freehab Therapy, joins Bret Schanzenbach on Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact to share how a local nonprofit is changing access to neurological rehabilitation in North County San Diego. Freehab Therapy is a mobile, pro bono rehab organization designed to fill the care gap many patients experience after discharge—especially those recovering from stroke, spinal cord...

On this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , Bret Schanzenbach welcomes Cheryl Dillon , founder and CEO of Funderful Experiences and creator of Connected Hearts —a membership community for women in their 50s and 60s in North County (Carlsbad-based). Cheryl shares her path from New Jersey to Chicago to San Diego, her early work in corporate roles and IT recruiting, and how she and her...

Host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Teresa Miller , Founder and CEO of 365 Connect , a purpose-driven 501(c)(3) that helps companies build meaningful corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs through employee engagement and volunteerism . Teresa shares her New York upbringing rooted in service, her journey through sports marketing and adaptive sports, and how a parent’s introduction to CSR...

LEGOLAND California Resort President Kurt Stocks returns to Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact with Bret Schanzenbach to share what’s new, what’s next, and how the resort continues to evolve year-round. Kurt recounts his journey from professional rugby in Australia to leading LEGOLAND Malaysia before arriving in Carlsbad in January 2020—right before the pandemic shutdown. The conversation covers...

This episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact highlights the Carlsbad Chamber’s 2026 Chamber Travel adventure to Normandy and the Champagne region of France. Host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Ian Scott of Quest Voyager and Kathy Steffen, the Chamber’s Director of Fun, to preview the unforgettable journey scheduled for October 4–12, with an optional Paris extension. Trip highlights inclu...

In this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Bennett Mann , valuation specialist and business broker with The Chase Group , to talk about what it really takes to build – and successfully sell – a small business. Bennett, a San Diego native and SDSU economics grad with additional business analysis training from UCSD, shares his career path through...

Podcast: Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact Host: Bret Schanzenbach, President & CEO, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Guest: Dr. Gene Ma, President & CEO, Tri-City Medical Center In this episode, Bret welcomes Dr. Gene Ma , a long-time emergency physician and now President & CEO of Tri-City Medical Center , for a candid and hopeful conversation about the future of healthcare in North Co...

In this episode, host Bret Schanzenbach , President & CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, sits down with Scott Morris , local Encinitas native, serial entrepreneur, and co-founder/general partner of The Bermuda Club . Scott traces his journey from La Costa Canyon High School to UCLA and the University of Chicago Law School, then into big-firm life at Latham & Watkins during the 2008 f...

In this episode of “Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact,” host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Paola Richard , CEO and founder of Gelato Love in Carlsbad Village. Paola shares her global upbringing in Rome with roots across Europe, her early career as a seven-time Italian national synchronized swimming champion training in California, and her transition into marine biology and science journalism...

In this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Sean Walker and Andy Slip , co-founders of Pickleball Republic . Sean shares his Carlsbad roots and decades in recreational entertainment (from paintball events to operating Camp Pendleton’s park), while Andy describes discovering pickleball on vacation and joining the thriving community at Sean’s Pickl...

On Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , Bret Schanzenbach talks with Audrey Maria Adams , founder of YANSOTM Co (pronounced “yen-SOD-um”), a consultancy grounded in the thesis line “You are Not So Other Than Me.” Audrey shares how studies in political theory , philosophy , and psychology shaped her obsession with human flourishing —and how coaching, education leadership, grief, kindness projects...

In this episode, Bret Schanzenbach talks with Alan Shimamoto , founder of Accelerate Growth Coaching . Alan shares his extraordinary story—from being adopted from a Japanese orphanage to building multimillion-dollar sales organizations and a career helping business owners thrive through leadership and personal growth. He and his wife Louisa relocated from the Pacific Northwest to Carlsbad to be ne...

 On this episode of Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact , host Bret Schanzenbach sits down with Erin Hardin , director of community relations at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation . Erin shares her journey from Las Vegas to Encinitas, her passion for nonprofit work, and why Agua Hedionda is her dream role—combining education, animals, kids, and environmental stewardship. They highlight the Found...

In this episode of Carlsbad People, Purpose, and Impact , Bret Schanzenbach interviews Michael Stinnett , founder and director of Shield Legal Services . Michael shares his journey from serving as a Navy aviation ordnance technician, to studying political science and law, to working with the Department of Justice and National Security Agency, and ultimately finding his calling in veterans’ legal a...

In this episode, Bret sits down with Kevin Clemons , CEO of Au Technology Solutions and Chamber board member, to explore his journey from Vista native to Navy veteran to tech entrepreneur. Kevin opens up about building his first computers, leveraging the GI Bill to launch his career, and how he turned setbacks into opportunities. Listeners will learn how Microsoft’s ecosystem—including Teams and C...

What happens when a youth pastor discovers the power of a boosted Instagram post? For Tim Holt, it launched a journey from ministry to marketing that led him to create Revvia , a Carlsbad-based firm redefining what “marketing done right” looks like. In this episode, Tim shares how his company helps businesses cut through the noise with revenue-first marketing and a fractional CMO model that delive...

In this episode, Bret interviews Chamber team member and Spera Accounting founder Janine Burke . They explore her journey from Northern California roots to launching her own bookkeeping business at age 28. Janine shares how technology — from QuickBooks Online to modern tools like Melio and Ramp — has revolutionized accounting, making it more efficient and transparent. She also discusses how AI is...