Strictly Business on KSVY

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guests: Denise & Scott Silveira, owners, Silveira Chevrolet We will talk about: 1) their almost 40-year history in the auto industry, 2) their acquisition of Sonoma Chevrolet, 3) the growth of the company, 4) competition in your industry, 5) competition among makes and models, 6) evolution of customer tastes and driving habits, 7) competition in the truck sec...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Al Coopin, Shawn Johnson - Keegan & Coopin Commercial Real Estate We will talk about: 1) Al's more than 50 years in real estate development and brokerage, 2) how and why Al and Sean got started in the business, 3) Al's founding of Keegan & Coppin Company almost 50 years ago, 4) ) competitive factors which have affected commercial RE industr...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Heather Irwin - Dining Editor, Press Democrat, Sonoma Magazine & SMI Media We will talk about: 1) Her 18 years at the Press Democrat and 10 years as Dining Editor at Sonoma magazine, 2) how and why she got started in the business, 3) why the move to Dining editor, 4) her perspective on the restaurant business, 5) her expectations at the beginning 6) wh...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Zachary Kushel, Founder & Managing Partner, Marin Sonoma Impact Ventures We will talk about:1) the founding of MSIV, 2) why Marin and Sonoma Counties were targeted- how robust is their ‘entrepreneurial ecosystem’, 3) how are prospective VC opportunities sourced 4) how ‘high-growth’ prospects are defined, 5) regional competition for investing decisions,...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Professor Liz Thach - President, Wine Marketing Council We will talk about: 1) your being the first woman in California and the 7th woman in the US to become a Master of Wine, 2) how and why you ‘transitioned’ to researching, writing and teaching about the wine business, 3) your 20 years teaching of management and wine business classes in SSU Bachelors and...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Stephen Chen, Founder, CEO of NewRetirement We will talk about: 1) founding of NewRetirement, 2) why they targeted the ‘retirement market’, 3) what the market ‘looked like’ when NewRetirement started, 4) how well customers understand personal finance and the basics of financial planning, 5) is ‘do it yourself’ financial planning a daunting prospect vs. cho...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: 8/5 Nancy King, Jeni Nichols - La Luz Latino Leadership Program; We will talk about: 1) how and why the Latino Leadership Program was created, 2) to whom do you hope to appeal, 3) what you hope participants will learn, 4) how past Latino leaders in the community became leaders before the program began, 5) the profile of a desirable candidate for the progra...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Dayna Ghirardelli - ED of Sonoma County Farm Bureau We will talk about: 1) the 107-year mission and goals of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau 2) your responsibilities as Executive Director, 3) the current state of farming in Sonoma County’, 4) the varieties of farming in Sonoma County, 5) competitive factors which have affected farming in Sonoma County over t...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: John Sullins, Professor of Ethics at Sonoma State (especially as it relates to AI) We will talk about: 1) your concerns about AI, as a Professor of Philosophy and Director of Programming for SSU’s Center for Ethics, Law, and Society, 2) your definition of ‘responsible use of generative AI’ 3) when you started to focus on the ethical dimensions of AI design...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Ethan Brown, ED Sonoma County Economic Development Board We will talk about: 1) your years at the EDB of Sonoma, 2) how and why you got started at the EDB in 2012, 3) your elevation to Director of the EDB in 2023, 4) competitive factors which affect and have affected Sonoma industry over the years, 5) the critical elements of economic health in Sonoma Coun...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Mike Esmith, The Cottages of Napa Valley We will talk about: 1) your almost 20 years ownership of the Cottages of Napa Valley, 2) how and why you got started in the business, 3) competitive factors which have affected your industry, 4) how you attract customers, 5) what customers want from a visit to Napa Valley, 6) how your experience as a hotelier has ch...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guests: Hilda Swartz (founder of Sonoma Farmers Market and Tuesday Night Farmers Market) and Melissa ‘Missy’ Lely (her associate). We will talk about: 1) the almost 40 years of farmers’ markets in Sonoma, 2) how and why Hilda got started in the farmers’ markets movement and how/when Missy joined her, 3) how Sonoma’s farmers’ market differs from those in other tow...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Les Vadasz, The 4th employee and one of the founding members at Intel Corp. We will talk about: 1) the serendipitous fact that you and I share the same birth date (though slightly different birth years) = a short discussion, 2) your early life and departure from Hungary in 1956, 3) your years at Fairchild Semiconductor, 4) the early years at Intel as emplo...

Show: Strictly Business Date/Time: June 17 at 1:00 PM Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Tony Greenberg, SilverThread Farm Restaurant, Healdsburg We will talk about: SilverThread has been named in the top 50 restaurants - how does that happen? Tony’s background and training Does winning a reward increase his business Does he ever get the sense that the prestige of the restaurant can be inti...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Jon Sebastiani, Founder & Managing Partner, Sonoma Brands We will talk about: 1) your founding and selling of KRAVE Pure Foods, 2) how and why you got started in the business, 3) how you shifted from ‘founder’ to ‘investor’, 4) competitive factors which have affected your industry, 5) how you identify growth opportunities, 6) how ‘patient’ is your capi...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Jim Witous, Owner, CafeMac We will talk about: 1) your 20+ years operating cafeMac in Sonoma, 2) how and why you got started in the business, 3) competitive factors which have affected your business, 4) how computers have changed users’ lives over the years, 5) how sophisticated today’s computer users are (or are not), 6) your experience with the ‘downside...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Amy Bach, Co-Founder & Executive Director of United Policyholders We will talk about: •Amy’s background •The origination story of her organization (a non-profit consumer advocacy organization for consumers of all types of insurance in all 50 states) •Her take on providers fleeing CA •Success stories •Biggest challenges •Climate change and its effect on...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Erika Thibault - Sonoma Library Director We will talk about: 1. The library as a business - the three most important aspects of running a library 2. Do your librarians all have a masters in library science? 3. What is the shrinkage rate for the Sonoma County Library system 4. How many people are served each year 5. What sort of outreach does the library do...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Dick Ogg, President of the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association We will talk about: 1) your 50+ years as a resident of Bodega Bay, 2) your being President of the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association, 3) how and why you got started in the fishing industry after decades as an electrician, 4) how the fishing industry has changed over the years...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Jim Simpson, O.D.D. Parts Fabrication We will talk about: 1. Everything! 2. What is Odd Parts? 3. How did he get started 4. Where are his customers from 5. How do customers find him 6. Does he have any stories of princes or masters of the universe needing him to solve their problems 7. What is the most unique part he’s ever had to fabricate 8. What does he...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Mark Bowden creator of Tea and Trumpets We will talk about: National Tea Day as well as... 1) what is Tea & Trumpets, 2) how and why you got started in the business, 3) your selling strategy, 4) competitive factors which have affected your industry, 5) how you compete in a ‘coffee culture’, 6) how you identified consumers’ tastes in determining what pr...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Wendy Swanson: Work-Based Learning Coordinator / Director · College & Career Center (Sonoma Valley High School) We will talk about: 1) her years in college and career counseling Sonoma, 2) how and why she got started in the field, 3) the career advice young people seek, 4) the career advice she is able to give, 5) industries or jobs which young people...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Bob Taylor, KSVY Station Manager We will talk about: 1.20 years in your ears - a brief history of KSVY 2.Bob’s early years before KSVY 3.How he came to the station 4.What does an average week look like for he and the staff at KSVY 5.What does Bob like most about his job 6.A brief State of the Station at its 20th anniversary 7.Plans for the future 8.How pro...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Roger Rhoten, Sebastiani Theatre Foundation We will talk about: 1. Roger’s part in saving the theatre in the wayback times 2. His role at the theatre before stepping back (but not that far back) a few years ago 3. How was the Foundation started and what are its’ primary goals today 4. Tell us all about the renovations, where we are in the process and when...

Hosts: Kip Altman with Scot Hunter Guest: Mark and Terri Stark, Restauranteurs We will talk about: 1) your almost 20 years in the restaurant business in Sonoma County, 2) how and why you got started in the business in Sonoma County, 3) competitive factors which have affected your industry over the years and how those may have changed over time, 4) how you selected sites for your restaurants, 5) ho...