My SGV Podcast
Welcome to the My SGV Podcast. A show where you will hear personal stories of triumph over failures, and how others successfully navigated the unique landscape that is the San Gabriel Valley. What makes us different? Well, just like you, we have chosen the San Gabriel Valley for our home or businesses, or both. We believe it is the people and small businesses that make this community great and we love to share their stories with you. We always encourage your questions and feedback and you can find all of our contact information at sgvmasterkey.com.
Episodes
265 episodes
Will Co - The Evolution of 3D Printing and Digital Scanning at Cokreeate
Will Co was born in Vietnam in 1981 and immigrated to the United States as a child after his grandparents, who worked with the United States during the Vietnam War, successfully relocated and completed the paperwork to bring the rest of the fam...
Keegan Fong - Scaling Woon From a 2014 Pop-Up to Pasadena
Keegan Fong is the founder and owner of Woon, a homestyle Chinese food restaurant and packaged goods line based in Los Angeles. Raised in the Pasadena area, he worked professionally in apparel marketing before transitioning full-time to the...
Ryan Ching - From Architect to Founder of Ry’s Poke Shack
Ryan Ching is a Hawaii-based entrepreneur, chef, and social media storyteller who co-founded Ry’s Poke Shack on the North Shore of Oahu in 2021 alongside his wife, Khannie. Originally trained as an architect with a doctorate in architecture fro...
Karen Cheung Lee - Continuing the Legacy of Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant
Karen Cheung Lee grew up in the San Gabriel Valley alongside her three sisters, raised in the community where her family built the local restaurant Sam Woo. In her early adulthood, she worked in the events and hospitality industry and helped la...
Paramveer Bedi - Preserving the Legacy of Bhanu’s Indian Cuisine
Paramveer Bedi is an entrepreneur in the San Gabriel Valley and one of the owners of Bhanu Indian Cuisine & Market. Located in San Gabriel, the business was originally established by his father and aunt with the goal of providing authentic ...
Thee Sawadwid - Building Fillet Sushi in Old Town Monrovia
Thee Sawadwid is the chef and owner of Fillet Sushi, located in Old Town Monrovia. Raised in Thailand, he transitioned into the culinary world through a deep respect for Japanese discipline and craftsmanship. His path into the profession was de...
George Dera - Authentic Lebanese Cuisine and Wahib’s Mediterranean Express in San Gabriel
George Dera is the owner of Wahib’s Mediterranean Express, a restaurant located in San Gabriel, California. Born in Zahle, Lebanon, Dera moved to Glendora, California, at the age of 14 and has remained a resident of the city since his arrival. ...
Armando De La Torre Jr. - Guisados Founder on Boyle Heights Tacos and LA Restaurant Growth
Armando De La Torre Jr. is a Los Angeles–born restauranteur, entrepreneur, and artist known for creating and developing Guisados, Georges Burger Stand, and Playita Mariscos. A graduate of Loyola High School and Loyola Marymount University, wher...
Aaron (Phu) Luong - From SGV Upbringing to Aloha Food Factory Owner in Alhambra
Aaron (Phu) Luong was born in Hong Kong under British rule and immigrated to the United States at a young age. He grew up in Rosemead and Monterey Park, later attending San Gabriel High School, where he balanced academics, extracurriculars, and...
Marcel Rene Michel - From Corporate Recruiting at Disney to Opening a Pasadena Restaurant
Marcel Rene Michel is a Southern California native born in Bellflower and raised in Hacienda Heights, with roots in Guadalajara and Colima, Mexico. A first-generation Mexican American, Marcel attended Don Bosco Tech Institute and later built a ...
Shelly Lin - From Medan, Indonesia to SGV Small Business Owner at Coconut & Co.
Shelly Lin is the co-founder of Coconut & Co., a San Gabriel Valley business built around natural, high-quality drinks and desserts that are inclusive, health-conscious, and made for everyone. Born and raised in Medan, Indonesia, Shelly gre...
T.D. Tran - Yelp Community Director Connecting the San Gabriel Valley
T.D. Tran, also known as Thuy Dan Tran, is the Yelp Community Director for the San Gabriel Valley, where she helps connect people, spotlight local businesses, and celebrate the depth and diversity of SGV. She has become a recognizable force in ...
Sandra Gomez - Carrying On a 50-Year SGV Legacy at Moffett's Chicken Pie Shoppe
Sandra Y. Gomez is the co-owner of Moffett's Chicken Pie Shoppe, a beloved San Gabriel Valley restaurant with over 50 years of history in the community. A Baldwin Park native and graduate of Baldwin Park High School, Sandra brings a background ...
Yamato Miura - The Entrepreneur Behind Sushi Kisen and SGV's Rising Japanese Dining Scene
Yamato Miura is a Tokyo born entrepreneur and restaurateur whose path to hospitality has been anything but ordinary. Before building one of the most respected Japanese restaurant groups in Southern California, he moved alone to the United State...
Anthony Ma - The Filmmaker Behind God & Buddha Are Friends
Anthony Ma is an award winning actor, filmmaker, and voiceover artist from Arcadia, California whose career spans television, film, animation, dubbing, and directing. On screen, he has appeared in series including Scandal, S.W.A.T., This Is Us,...
Dylan James Ho - Cantonese and Laotian Roots Through the Lens of SGV Food Culture
On this episode of the MySGV Podcast, I sit down with a Temple City raised creative who turned a lifelong love of food and travel into a full time career behind the camera and on the page. We talk about how growing up in the San Gabriel Valley ...
Deja Fabro - Infertility, Mental Health, and Finding Her Voice Through Stand Up Comedy
Deja Fabro brings big energy, sharp observations, and fearless vulnerability to this episode of the MySGV Podcast. She is a stand up comedian and expressive storyteller who uses self deprecating humor to talk about mental health, infertility, e...
David Marquez - SGV Roots, LA Eats, and the Creator Journey to @bestoffoodla
In this episode, I sit down with David Marquez, a San Gabriel Valley native who grew up in San Gabriel and built a career around the thing he has always loved most, food. We talk about how the SGV shaped his palate, why Los Angeles is one of th...
Thomas Liu - From Chaos to Clarity: Building BYOB, Loose Leaf, And Broth and Gold Banh
In this episode, I sit down with Thomas Liu, an entrepreneur whose story includes the messy parts people usually skip. He talks openly about growing up bouncing between schools, dealing with bullying and identity struggles, and how he made wron...
Michael Hamner, FAIA - East LA Roots, USC Architecture, and a Life of Service
In this episode, I sit down with D. Michael Hamner, FAIA, an architect, educator, and longtime community leader whose story starts in East Los Angeles and runs straight through Montebello and the University of Southern California. We talk about...
Emanuel Griffin - Identity, Healing, and the Work of Real Transformation
In this episode, I sit down with Emanuel Griffin, the founder of Heart2Soul Legacy, an organization built to help people navigate life’s toughest transitions through coaching, facilitation, and leadership developmentEmanuel shares how h...
Dr. Alex Cheah - Natural Results and the Truth About Modern Plastic Surgery
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alex Cheah, a plastic surgeon who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and took a long road through elite training before bringing his work back to Southern California. We talk about his early years in the SGV,...
Manuel “Mano” Agulian - From Beirut to Pasadena: Faith, Family, and Purpose
In this episode, I sit down with Manuel “Mano” Agulian, known to many as Pastor Mano, a Pasadena based pastor who leads the Armenian Christian Outreach at PazNaz and serves in Armenian Ministries. We talk about his story of leaving...
Edward "Coach Buck" Maldonado - Training Mindset and Player Development in South El Monte
In this episode, I sit down with Edward Maldonado, better known as Coach Buck, the owner of Marathon Batting Cages in South El Monte. We talk about his coaching journey and what it means to build athletes the right way, with patience, consisten...
Lupita & Dennis Ramirez - Marketing That Grows Small Businesses
In this episode, I sit down with Lupita Ramirez and Dennis Ramirez, the husband and wife team behind Think, Create & Connect, Inc., a family owned creative marketing agency that helps businesses strengthen their online presence through bran...