Over pints of beer on the patio at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, host Sophia Layne sits down with co-founder Lenny Mendonca as he traces his journey from management consulting and statewide economic development, where he served as the governor’s chief economic advisor, to nonprofit leadership, small business ownership, and local life on the Coastside. Lenny reflects on bridging divides in California, the urgency of protecting democracy, and why Proposition 50 matters for the nation’s future.

Host Sophia Layne walks and talks with Antonio López, San Mateo County Poet Laureate and former Mayor of East Palo Alto, in a conversation spanning poetry to politics. Antonio reflects on growing up in an immigrant family, how verse became his way of telling truth, and what he’s learned leading in literary circles, in city hall, and in classrooms. With humor, heart, and a poet’s eye, Antonio shows how language can spark empathy, justice, and belonging.

Host Sophia Layne talks with Erin Tormey, Director of the Coastside Farmers Market, about how the market began, the struggles and resistance she faced, and the global lessons of collaboration and resilience in farming. From global shifts in the floriculture industry to the rise of organic pioneers like Del Cabo, Erin shares how local markets create abundance, belonging, and opportunities for generations.