Fresno's Best

Today, we have Daniel Gonzalez on the show. Daniel is a Central Valley native originally living in the rural community of Easton on the outskirts of Fresno. They are passionate about youth-driven policy change and decision-making, and have a strong commitment to local issues. Daniel is a proud alum of Fresno State with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, a minor in Philanthropic Community-Based Lead...

Today, we have Dr. Shawn Beaty on the show. Shawn is the senior pastor at Clovis Hills church. In 1995, Shawn left a record deal and a career as a professional musician to go full-time into pastoral ministry. He moved from to Clovis in 2012 to join the team at Clovis Hills and was voted in by the church members as the senior pastor in 2013. Shawn holds a BA and. Sean holds a BA in organizational p...

Today, we have Jonathan Linden on the show. Jonathan is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019. Jonathan has worked at several NPR affiliates, includin...

Today, we have Amber Balakian on the show. Amber is the owner of Balakian Farms, a fourth-generation organic farm rooted in Reedley, CA. Growing up surrounded by agriculture, Amber developed a deep respect for sustainable farming and a passion for bringing high-quality, organic produce to my community. At Balakian Farms, Amber focuses on preserving her family’s farming legacy while innovating to m...

Today we have Paul swearing-in on the show. Paul is a former TV and radio sportscaster who transitioned to ministry after being ordained by the vineyard association of churches. Paul founded and led an evangelical church in Fresno, California for over a decade before stepping down to focus on content creation, coaching and podcasting . Through social media discussion groups and one-on-one coaching...

Today we have Dr. Tania Pacheco-Warner on the show. Dr. Pacheco-Warner is a sociologist and public health researcher known for her work in health equity, and social determinants of health, especially in the Central Valley. She currently serves as the Executive Director of The Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State, which is focused developing on data driven policies to address heal...

Today, we have Blake Zante on the show. Blake is the executive director of the Kenneth L. Maddy Institute and has worked as a district representative to former Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, as press secretary to state Senator Andreas Borgeas, and operated a public affairs consultancy. We dig into public policy, education, political persuasion, Division I sports, and a lot...

Today, we have Bob Nelson on the show. Nelson was the Superintendent of Fresno Unified for nearly seven years and worked in many capacities in the public school system. He’s now an assistant professor at Fresno State focusing on educating future leaders of our schools. Also, he has a great new podcast called #MilitantPositivity Podcast, which I feel is operating on a similar wavelength of this pro...

There's been a lot of changes going on behind the scenes, so I thought it would be important to take a minute to update you all on what's been happening. Email me: jordanmattox@gmail.com

Today, we have another Bakersfield Connection podcast. I like doing these because I think the Valley needs to be a lot more integrated in order to be successful. And so today we have David Higdon on the show. David is the co-founder of Kern Venture Group, a venture capital fund based out of Bakersfield, California, that's focused on funding founders and businesses that want to develop and improve...

Courtney McNulty is the Zoological Animal Manager of the Bird Show at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, a position she has held for three years. She developed a passion for wildlife through early exposure to zoos and aquariums in southern California, leading her to pursue a career in animal care and education. With over nine years of experience in the field, including specialized training in exotic animal m...

Today, we have Dr. Carole Goldsmith on the show. Dr. Goldsmith became Chancellor of State Center Community College District on January 1, 2022, leading efforts to create a welcoming environment for all. She oversaw the adoption of a new mission, vision, and values, delivered a balanced budget supporting District goals, aligned curriculum for optimal student outcomes, and developed partnerships to...

Today, we have Lindsay Anton on the show. A graduate of the San Francisco Cooking School, Lindsay Anton is currently the chef at Moto Delicatessen. Having started her cooking career in New York in 2008, Lindsay has almost 15 years experience in the food and restaurant industry. Lindsay has spent time in the uber successful kitchens of Nopa, Delfina and Locanda in San Francisco, with the majority o...

Leslie Young, a Fresno native with a Master's from Pepperdine, is a dynamic entrepreneur and educator making waves in small business consulting. She founded MVM Advisory Group during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on helping small-medium enterprises grow through strategic development and emotional intelligence methodologies. Leslie's impact extends to over 400 small businesses, various nonprofits...

Today we have Dr. Harman Virk DO on the show. Dr. Virk is a board certified Internal Medicine physician that grew up in Fresno and is now one of the owners of a new medical clinic called The Modern Medicine Group. He hopes to offer a deeper understanding of the unique healthcare challenges faced by residents in Fresno. He is committed to promoting preventive care, and is excited to discuss his com...

Marco Tovar is a Fresno-based photographer and educator specializing in the Wet Plate Collodion process, a photographic process from the 1850's. Marco's process documents the people of the Central Valley. Marco's Website Books: The Creative Act: A Way of Being Rick Rubin Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind  Jocelyn K. Glei The Pleasures of th...

Today, we have Diane Friederichs who is the founder of FART (Foster - Adopt - Rescue - Transport), an amazing animal rescue service in Fresno. Diane is doing amazing work for animals without homes. This was an incredibly fun and wide-ranging conversation. Below the book recommendations, you can find all the links for how you can support her amazing work.  Books:  Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Co...

Today, we have Danny Bernstein on the show. Danny is the Founder and Managing Partner of  HawkTower , an early-stage venture capital firm focused on underleveraged California, including the Central Valley. HawkTower invests in scalable early-stage technology companies that address real-world opportunities and imperatives outside traditional entrepreneurial patterns and investment behaviors.   Prio...

Today, we have Dr. Lorin Lachs on the show. Dr. Lachs is a professor of psychology and the chair of the psychology department at Fresno State. He has a number of research interests including Multimodal speech perception, Perception of Spoken Language, Psycholinguistics, Perception of Virtual Reality, and Video Gaming Behavior, having published a number of academic articles in these fields. We have...

Today, we have Leonard L. Longmire on the show. Leonard is a professional DJ and general creator of vibes for the city of Fresno. This is an episode we gush about the music we love, explore DJs craft sets, discuss the importance of music venues, and much more. Books: The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors  Frances Cress Welsing Miles: The Autobiography Miles Davis  

Today, we have Jon Forrest Dohlin on the show. Jon has been the Chief Executive Officer and Zoo Director of Fresno Chaffee Zoo since February 2021. Born and raised in California, Dohlin received a BA in Biology from Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA, and a Masters of Architecture from Parsons School of Design in New York. He worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) at the Bronx Zoo...

Today, we have Mas Masumoto on the podcast. A farmer, writer, and a repository of memories of the valley, Mas is a central voice in the region. I am so excited to have him on the show to talk about farming, memory, writing, agrarian ideas, glyphosate, real estate development, tell intimate family stories, mental illness, pickled peaches, and much more. Please enjoy my conversation with Mas Masumot...

In this episode, Joseph Rios makes a return to the podcast to discuss the upcoming book festival on May 4th from 9am-4:30pm at the Fig Garden Swim & Racquet Club. Mark your calendars! 

Today, we have Grace Berg and Andrew Feil of the Every Neighborhood Partnership (ENP) on the show. Partnering with churches, the ENP seeks to provide a number of critical resources to neighborhoods across Fresno, including school support, health and fitness, training, and much more. Grace and Andrew both bring a wealth of experience to their work and have just launched a new podcast called What's...

Today, we have Ariel Davis and Mikaela Silva on the show. Ariel and Mikaela are members of Clovis Community College's Speech and Debate Club and team. Speech and Debate is one of the most intellectually rigorous activities available for students, and, as a former member of a speech debate team both in high school and college, I can't recommend the activity more highly.  CCC Spech and Debate Club S...