Velocity – Vista Chamber Podcast
Vista Chamber of Commerce CEO Rachel Beld interviews the movers, shakers & changemakers that are moving Vista forward. New episodes every other Wednesday. Check out recent episodes below!
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Season 4
Episode 6 - Kurtis Indorf, The Classical Academies
Kurtis Indorf is the CEO of The Classical Academies, a local charter school network serving more than 5,000 students in North County . Kurtis joined The Classical Academies in August 2024 after the retirement of founder and long-time CEO Cameron Curry.
Join Rachel for a conversation with Kurtis and learn more about The Classical Academies approach to education, partnering with parents and students for success.
Episode 5 - Frank Pierce, North County Ford
Frank Pierce is the General Manager of North County Ford. While he's new to Vista, he's already making a big impact! Join Rachel as she sits down with Frank to discuss lessons in leadership and grit. As the Presenting Sponsors of the Vista Christmas Parade, North County Ford has been creating community in Vista for 30 years!
Episode 4 - Kristin Fracassi, Root & Splendor
Kristin Fracassi is the founder and owner of Root & Splendor, Vista's own premium all-natural laundry detergent company. When Kristin, a mom of four boys, went searching for a safe, natural detergent that would actually clean clothes, she found that it did not exist. She realized she would have to create it herself! Armed with a mission of clean clothes and clean ingredients, Root & Splendor was born.
October is Women's Business Month and Manufacturing Month. Join Rachel as she sits down with Kristin for a chat about her journey from stay-at-home mom to natural laundry soap guru whose products are now in over 400 stores nationwide.
Episode 3 - Gumaro Escarcega, Embroidery Image & Watershack
Gumaro Escarcega is well known in North County as the CEO of Main Street Oceanside but he and his wife Fabiola Plata are also owners of two Vista businesses - Embroidery Image and Watershack. Gumaro sits down with Rachel to share his experience as an entrepreneur, the importance of taking risks, and the value of relationships.
Episode 2 - Joe Green, City of Vista Council Member
Joe Green, business owner, father, and PTA leader, was elected to Vista City Council in 2016 and re-elected in 2020 on a platform to increase communication. As Joe wraps up his last term on City Council, he sits down with Rachel to discuss his work over the past eight years, why public service matters, and what's next.
Episode 1 - Sylvia Rocha Espino, Watkins Wellness
As Vice President of People and Culture at Watkins Wellness, Sylvia Rocha-Espino is responsible for leading the HR teams globally. Her team develops strategy and solutions in areas such as talent acquisition, development, compensation, and employee wellness. They partner with leadership enterprise-wide to maximize the success of the organization, drive towards achieving business initiatives, and most importantly, ensure that employees thrive. Her mission is to create a positive and engaging work environment that fosters innovation, collaboration, and growth for employees and for Watkins Wellness. Learn more about Sylvia and the Watkins way today!