Townrootz

Anthony Wilson / Vincent Hayes•www.townrootz.com

The Townrootz Podcast is for and about Oakland, CA - otherwise known as "The Town". No matter if you live here, work here, or are visiting, we have something for you. We cover local businesses, people, community organizations, events, and experiences that make-up Oakland. They all have their own unique stories and we bring them out. Stick with us and we will continually bring you something new.

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Episodes

Be Well Natural - Chris Pearson

#009 - Be Well Natural. Today’s interview is with Chris Pearson, Founder of Be Well Natural, a holistic health clinic in Oakland’s Laurel District. Chris specializes in orthopedics and is a self-professed bio-mechanical geek… “I love the way our bodies tell the story of how someone navigates their life.” The clinic has been in practice in the Laurel District for 6 years. Through Acupuncture and bodywork, he helps people overcome pain and discomfort. The clinic has several community programs. Be ...

Jul 22, 2021•28 min•Ep. 9

No Immigrants No Spice

#008 - No immigrants No Spice “NINS”. Today’s interview is with Vibha Gupta, Founder / Executive Director of Oakland Non Profit No Immigrants No Spice. Vibha is an Emergency Room physician by day (and night). As a 2nd generation daughter of immigrants, she started NINS…. “as a way to positively channel frustration and create something that combines my passion for food, culture and people. My hope is that this can be something that is fun, transcendent, educational and above all helpful.” Her mis...

Jul 01, 2021•22 min•Ep. 8

Two Chicks in the Mix - Malaka Wilson-Greene

#007 - Two Chicks in the Mix. Today’s interview is with Malaka Wison-Greene, co-owner of Two Chicks in the Mix. Malaka and her best friend since high school Erica Freeman conceived the idea in 2013 and the business was born. Malaka operates in Oakland while Erica covers LA. After hearing this, you will want to try their pastries, pies, cookies, and cakes. “Unique Ingredients, Done Right!” is our slogan because we love fun and fresh flavors. From sourcing California-made, organic ingredients to m...

Jun 22, 2021•16 min•Ep. 7

LuxGroom - Notch Taplett

#006 - LuxGroom. Today’s interview is with Notch Taplett, owner of LuxGroom. LuxGroom is a full-service mobile barbershop dedicated to consistently providing shaves, haircuts, and other grooming services while providing a private, relaxing, clean atmosphere for the discerning customer. Before the pandemic, Notch operated a traditional brick and mortar barbershop. The pandemic forced him to shut down his shop, but it did not shut down Notch. He discovered that instead of the customers coming to h...

Apr 16, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Truffle Shuffle - Jason McKinney

#005 - Truffle Shuffle. Today’s interview is with Jason McKinney from Oakland’s Truffle Shuffle. Truffle Shuffle has an incredible “pandemic pivot” story. Co-founders Jason McKinney, his wife Sarah McKinney, and Tyler Vorce all cut their teeth together at Napa’s famous French Laundry Restaurant. In 2018, they set out to start an “honest truffle company with the goal of sourcing honest and sustainable truffles directly from hunters to bring them to chefs in America”. In 2019, they incorporated tr...

Apr 01, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Chanchos - Matt Meyer and Daniel Paez

#004 - Chanchos. Today’s interview is with Matt Meyer and Daniel Paez, longtime friends and founders of Chanchos. Matt and Daniel were working on opening a new bar in Oakland (Low Bar) to recreate the Oakland bar scene they enjoyed in their early 20s. When the pandemic hit, they started Chanchos to sell comfort food. Chanchos allowed them to fund the bar build-out and test the market along the way. It has been such a hit, they continue to serve up Chanchos dishes in Low Bar. Low Bar is located i...

Mar 18, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Formosa Chocolates

#003 - Formosa Chocolates. Today’s interview is with Kim Yang, founder of Formosa Chocolates. Kim is a doctor but left her medical career to become a chocolate entrepreneur. She followed her passion and that led her to culinary school and traveling the world visiting chocolate shops. Formosa ships chocolate to all 50 states. Kim is known to sometimes include handwritten notes with shipments. Listen to the episode to find out more about Kim’s journey, business, and how you can order some chocolat...

Mar 05, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Brown Bag Bread Club

#002 - Brown Bag Bread Club. Today’s interview is with Lee Magner, founder of the Brown Bag Bread Club. Lee is a longtime professional baker. When he was furloughed from his job due to COVID he started baking and delivering fresh bread around Oakland. The response was AMAZING! People loved his bread and created a community of bread aficionados. The club offers monthly or biweekly subscriptions for people who want to enjoy delicious, fresh-baked Artisan sourdough bread! Listen to the episode to f...

Mar 05, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Welcome to the Townrootz Podcast!

#001 - Welcome to the first episode of The Townrootz Podcast. This podcast is for and about Oakland, CA - otherwise known as "The Town". No matter if you live here, work here, or are visiting, we have something for you. We cover local businesses, people, community organizations, events, and experiences that make-up Oakland. They all have their own unique stories and we will bring them out. Stick with us and we will continually bring you something new.

Mar 04, 2021•10 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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