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This elite crop of innovators and influencers use their expertise to elevate their fields and bring big ideas to life.
San Diego is a city of leaders—in business, health care, design, education, and more.This elite crop of innovators and influencers use their expertise to elevate their fields and bring big ideas to life. The titans in these pages bring energy and experience to their respective professions and drive their industries forward. Meet the 2022 Faces of San Diego.
Faces of San Diego – Aurae MD
Aaurae MD
Compassionate and intuitive by nature, Dr. Margo Aura Emami embodies the art and science of natural beauty.
“True beauty begins at the cellular level and is intimately tied to our physical and mental health,” she explains. This Harvard-trained physician with 30 years of experience and fellowships in aesthetic, regenerative, and antiaging medicine founded AURAE MD as a leading center for preventive and restorative therapies.
Dr. Emami’s extensive knowledge and advanced techniques bring patients into her serene La Jolla clinic. What sets AURAE MD apart is the time and care that she devotes to understanding each patient to ensure truly transformative results and a sense of overall well-being and confidence.
AURAE MD features nonsurgical face and neck lifts, such as the Y Lift, Morpheus8 radio frequency microneedling, Accutite, and Facetite, along with IPL, lasers, fillers, Botox, skin care, nutrition, and stress management. “This is a joyful place for mind and body restoration,” she says. “My mission is for my patients to feel vibrant, healthy, beautiful, and ready to enjoy life!”
9850 Genesee Avenue, Suite 840 La Jolla, CA 92037 | 858-461-8543 | auraemd.com
Faces of SD – Oliver Audiology
Oliver Audiology & Hearing Aid Services
Dr. Linda Oliver has dedicated herself to lifelong learning and improvement in audiology, resulting in excellent patient-centered care. She founded her private practice in 1996 to better align with her desire to provide the highest-quality patient care and service. In the years since, her practice has become the benchmark for compassionate hearing health care using the latest technology and expertise. Trained and headed by Dr. Oliver, the team at Oliver Audiology is committed to one common goal: helping people achieve a higher quality of life through better hearing. Always on the leading edge, Dr. Oliver is the first hearing care provider in San Diego to use 3D digital ear scanning technology. It’s part of the best practices model that drives everything she and her team do to help people hear the best they possibly can.
3636 Fourth Avenue, Suite 220 San Diego, CA 92103 | 619-297-3131 | oliveraud.com
Faces of SD – Aroga Biosciences
President and Principal, Aroga Biosciences
Aroga Biosciences is a female-owned boutique consulting group offering highly experienced regulatory writing services for biotech and pharmaceutical projects. “We are a team of scientists with extensive regulatory and medical writing experience in a broad range of therapeutic areas,” says president and principal Krithi Rao Bindal.
Bindal’s career path was influenced by early research work in pediatric oncology drug development. There, she developed a passion for combining research skills with scientific expertise to ultimately make a difference in people’s lives, and has built a company and culture of like-minded individuals who share her passion.
“We work with clients globally, and what drives us every single day is the opportunity to impact patient outcomes. Our scientific backgrounds allow us to understand content at a fundamental level, which aids us in conveying messaging appropriately to help move products through the pipeline and ultimately to patients in need.”
6496 Weathers Place, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92121 | 858-925-6145 | arogabio.com
Faces of San Diego – B Medical
B Medical Spa takes pride in being an all-inclusive medical spa that emphasizes both beauty and health. “We help patients navigate various treatments and find the best solutions for confident health and comprehensive beauty,” says Dr. Nadine Haddad.
B Medical Spa offers an extensive and expanding list of spa and medical services, such as facial rejuvenation; PRP treatments; hair restoration; treatment of sexual dysfunction in men and women; cellulite treatment; skin tightening; laser, IV, and vitamin therapy; weight management, and more.
Patients can rely on Dr. Haddad and her team, whose distinguished background pairs medical care with advanced aesthetics to achieve both beauty and overall health, providing patients with results that don’t merely restore their appearance, but also build their overall self- confidence. Dr. Haddad says, “Let us reverse the aging process, correct problematic skin, and maintain a younger, healthier, more vibrant you!”
3033 Fifth Avenue, Suite 105 San Diego, CA 92103 | 619-890-9985 | bmedspa.com
Faces of San Diego – Beaudry
Beaudry Garden Design creates special places to be with your family in the natural environment of your own backyard. “Our gardens can be a refuge for ourselves as well as the natural environment around us,” says licensed landscape contractor John Robert Beaudry. “By incorporating native plants, water retention basins, and composting, we invite the interaction of birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects. We create the conditions for nature to flourish so our gardens can also provide a place for wildlife to be restored.”
Beaudry is the author of Garden Sanctuary: Designing for Comfort, Wholeness and Connection and the founder of the nonprofit organization Community Green, which is dedicated to greening our cities through implementing green infrastructure. “We’re devoted to harmonizing with the environment through active listening to people and place,” he says, “thus deepening our relationship with nature and each other.”
La Mesa, CA | 619-929-9140 | beaudrydesign.com
Faces of SD – ChicExecs
Nikki Carlson and Kailynn Bowling, Co-Founders
ChicExecs founders Nikki Carlson and Kailynn Bowling are no strangers to entrepreneurship. After starting the first women-owned electronics brand, the powerhouse duo searched for an agency that could handle both PR and retail strategy. When they came up short, they started their own. ChicExecs was born to “think outside the suit”–to deliver a three-tiered approach to clients looking for PR, retail strategy, and digital marketing. This powerful combination is a recipe for success for the agency, which combines passion, creativity, and innovation to take brands to the next level. In today’s challenging business climate, ChicExecs has demonstrated its ability to pivot, helping clients shift gears and successfully overcome unexpected hurdles. With a roster of international brands and local startups, and strong media and retail connections, ChicExecs has built a reputation as a one-stop shop for all your agency needs.
820 Los Vallecitos Boulevard Suite A-C San Marcos, CA 92078 | 760-992-9113 | chicexecs.com
Faces of SD – Dawson
Elisabeth Dawson is on a mission to help as many people as possible become confident talking about money. A financial adviser for over 23 years, she is the founder of Copia Wealth Management and Insurance Services and Copia Wealth Management Advisors, Inc.
Elisabeth strives to educate people about how to run their finances like
a business does for profit. She says, “I bet you make a lot of money , but how good are you about keeping it?”
Unlike traditional financial planning firms, Elisabeth and her team help educate and coach clients through every financial decision in their lives, illustrating the future outcome of those money strategies. With candor and transparency, Elisabeth helps clients overcome financial hurdles and empowers them to achieve their goals.
“I offer ideas and strategies to help them create a plan, protect their family, and strategize for the retirement income for a very long life.”
2333 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 240 San Diego, CA 92108 | 619-640-2622 | CopiaWM.com ElisabethDawson.com
LIC #0C72164, #0G81294
Faces of SD – Cushman and Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield
Expertise is crucial in life science real estate. That’s why so many local biotechs turn to San Diego’s own Greg Bisconti, vice chairman and national lead of Cushman & Wakefield’s Life Sciences Advisory Group. “Our passion, knowledge, and connections set us apart,” he says.
Bisconti, who started at C&W in 1994, has focused exclusively on life sciences real estate for nearly two decades. He’s negotiated a wide range of deals ranging from lab space for small, up-and-coming biotechs to large, complex R&D transactions for Illumina, Takeda, Lilly, UC San Diego, Turning Point Therapeutics, and many more.
Bisconti and his team exclusively advocate for life sciences tenants. “Lab space
is scarce, and landlords know this,” he says. “Our job is to ensure our clients explore all options, including off-market and creative options, so they can find the very best solutions to meet their needs.”
12830 El Camino Real, Suite 100 San Diego, CA 92130 | 858-354-1489 |
4labspace.com
Greg Bisconti, LIC # 01167920
Faces of SD – Dawn Delia
It’s rare to find a tax attorney so approachable, compassionate, and nonjudgmental as Dawn Delia. She found her true calling in tax and business law while working as a litigator on a complex case in NYC. Ten years later, she moved back to Southern California and founded tax law firm Delia Law in 2011. Her firm focuses on assisting individuals and businesses with IRS audits, settlements, tax collections, unfiled tax returns, payroll, appeals, and cases in United States Tax Court.
Delia Law is now one of the most respected and accomplished tax law firms in the nation, with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City and Maryland. Ms. Delia is well known for her ability to take on difficult cases and her ability to identify and resolve tax issues quickly and definitively to her client’s satisfaction.
DELIA LAW P.C.
12707 High Bluff Drive, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92130 | Locations in Los Angeles, New York City, and Maryland | 800-980-3398 | deliataxattorneys.com
Faces of SD – DesignX
DesignX Architecture + Interiors and Handbuilt Furniture + Fixtures
DesignX Architecture + Interiors is a nationally recognized firm devoted to creating one-of-a-kind spaces that transform how people feel, not just what they see. Its projects have included restaurants and bars, food halls, hotels, multifamily, retail, and event centers.
“We believe that furniture is an essential component to complete the wow factor and bring interest to a space, which is why we recently launched DesignX’s sister company, Handbuilt Furniture + Fixtures,” says principal Allison Whitt. “This is where we can design and build quality custom pieces to take the overall design concept to the next level. Handbuilt is also a full-service furniture studio, providing selections and procurement.”
Whitt, a licensed architect, is proud to bring spaces to life, allowing her to embrace her true passion: “Nothing has more immediate effect on
our mood and well-being than our surroundings.”
710 13th Street, Suite 307 San Diego, CA 92101 | 619-766-5649 | www.designx-ai.com | www.hand-built.com
Faces of SD – mpet
Creator of mPet
Natalie Punt is a small-animal veterinarian and the creator and founder of mPet, a smartphone app that securely stores, manages, and transfers your pet’s medical records and health information. Punt created mPet in 2019 so pet owners could access their pet’s medical records anywhere, anytime, particularly during emergencies or while traveling. Always innovative, she started her business, Fidum Veterinary Services, to provide veterinary services to general practice and specialty hospitals when they need an extra veterinarian. She also provides consulting services to veterinary and animal health startups. Punt practices small-animal general medicine in the San Diego region as well as small-animal emergency medicine throughout the country.
Learn more about mPet at mpethealth.org Get mPet on the App Store and Google Play
Faces of SD – Gina Mancuso
Gina Mancuso founded Mancuso Media in 2006 after over 20 years of experience in multiplatform, holistic, and fully integrated marketing, and today it is a leading full-service advertising agency. Mancuso Media provides advertising strategy and execution for businesses that are looking for ways to reach consumers. It’s a woman-owned business that specializes in the seamless integration of traditional and digital media.
Mancuso Media is dedicated to providing companies with the most cost-effective leads and increased sales revenue. Equipped with the highest level of marketing experience and talent, the team specializes in customizing a strategy package specifically around your target consumer and business goals. The commitment to your business doesn’t end there. Mancuso Media continues to observe plan performance and keep track of buyer response. They are constantly analyzing the data and evolving the strategy. What sets the company apart is their dedication to the success of your business to ensure you reach all your marketing goals.
760-632-8211 | mancusomedia.com
Faces of SD – Holden Timeless
Dr. Amanda Holden, Dr. Shauna Conry, Dr. Colleen Buono, Dr. Tola Johnson, Dr. Jessica Sutton, Katie Martin, PA-C
Thanks to Emsculpt Neo’s extraordinary noninvasive body-sculpting technology, Amanda Holden, MD, and her experienced “glam team” can quickly and easily transform bodies without surgery or downtime.
“There’s no better way to increase muscle mass and eliminate fat without breaking a sweat,” says Dr. Holden, the founder, owner, and medical director of Holden Timeless Beauty. “These remarkable machines produce an average 25 percent increase in muscle mass and, if desired, an average 30 percent reduction in fat. More than 30 clinical studies prove that Emsculpt Neo is safe and effective.”
Patients can rely on Dr. Holden’s proven record. She is double-board-certified in aesthetic medicine and emergency medicine and is the cofounder of The Academy of Medical Aesthetics. “We’re proud to offer life-changing services in a welcoming environment that’s devoted to your safety and comfort,” she says.
711 Center Drive, Suite 106, San Marcos, CA 92069 | Satellite offices in Fallbrook, La Jolla, La Mesa, Murrieta, and Oceanside | 760-274-3160 | holdentimelessbeauty.com
faces of sd – KDD Philanthropy
Kathy Drucquer Duff is an expert in advancement and leadership development with clients around the world. She founded KDD Philanthropy after a career that included leadership positions at San Diego State University, Sharp Healthcare, and UC San Diego, where she built teams, crafted strategy, and led fundraising successes. In these roles, she honed her approach to supporting staff and building teams devoted to creating a better, more generous world.
Kathy and her team of coaches and consultants work with universities and health care and nonprofit organizations to quickly assess the client’s landscape, identify needs, engage with employees, and provide tools to build a culture of philanthropic excellence. They believe the best move an advancement leader can make is to invest in the people who carry out the work of inspiring and securing philanthropy every day.
Contact KDD Philanthropy today to learn about its trainings, webinars, and coaching services to support fundraising success and sustainability!
San Diego, CA | 858-243-5813 | kddphilanthropy.com
Faces SD – Nisha Bunke
Driven by a passion for medicine and a dedication to improving patients’ quality of life, Dr. Nisha Bunke is the first physician in the United States to hold a fellowship in venous and lymphatic medicine.
Dr. Bunke is renowned in her field, having coedited The Vein Book, medicine’s leading resource on venous disease. She also invented RECOVA, the first all-natural postsurgical bruise remedy. Under her leadership, the facility was the first dedicated vein center in the region to earn accreditation in vein center and vascular testing by the prestigious Intersocietal Accreditation Commission.
“My vision for La Jolla Vein Care is to collaborate with other experts to provide comprehensive specialty vein care in a comfortable setting,” she says. “Our focus is on conducting clinical research, teaching clinicians, and educating patients about venous disease and treatment options.”
9850 Genesee Avenue, Suite 410 La Jolla, CA 92037 | 858-550-0330 | lajollaveincare.com
Faces of SD – Latitude 33
Casey Miller, Solomon Short
Flying for business or pleasure has never been more challenging, and interest in private jet travel is at an all-time high. Many people are unsure of how to fly privately until they connect with Latitude 33 Aviation. Headquartered in San Diego since 2006, Latitude 33 Aviation is committed to investing in long-term relationships. We have meticulously designed our customer experience to cater to the specific needs of private jet aircraft owners and charter clients in San Diego and all along the West Coast. We are an industry- recognized expert delivering professional, full-service charter and management services while maintaining a safety, security, and customer service record that is unparalleled in the industry. Whether you are a current jet owner, a frequent charter flyer, or simply looking to gain more information about flying privately, Latitude 33 Aviation is the clear choice.
2100 Palomar Airport Road, Suite 211 Carlsbad, CA 92011 | 760-385-3610 | L33Jets.com
Faces of SD – Marsh McLennan
Marsh McLennan Agency
As CEO of San Diego’s largest insurance broker, Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA), Chris Williams is focused on two priorities: The well-being of the firm’s employees and supporting clients as they adapt to a new working world. “Our colleagues have shown more resiliency than I knew was possible, as have our clients,” he says. “It’s been fuel for me as a leader to focus on how we can build a limitless future for both our colleagues and our community.” Williams believes that as work environments evolve toward remote or hybrid work, employers have a responsibility to rethink how they take care of their people. This means finding new ways to collaborate and connect, prioritizing giving back to the community, and supporting mental health. Marsh McLennan Agency provides innovative business insurance, employee benefits, and retirement solutions to organizations across California.
9171 Towne Centre Drive Suite 100 San Diego, CA 92122 | 1-800-321-4696 | marshmma.com
Faces of SD – Orangetheory
Orangetheory Fitness is a one-hour, full- body workout focused on training endurance, strength, and power. Now introducing the Transformation Challenge: Starting on January 17, Orangetheory Fitness San Diego is hosting an eight-week challenge to kick-start your new year and get you in the best shape of your life! This fitness challenge is the perfect opportunity to see your body and mind change in ways you’ve never imagined. Get stronger, faster, happier, and healthier. Now is the time to get the most out of your life—and while you’re at it, the chance to win cash and other prizes! Registration begins January 1, 2022, for all 15 San Diego locations. Register at orangetheory.com.
Encinitas | Poway | Point Loma | Carmel Valley | Bankers Hill | Carlsbad | La Mesa | Del Sur | Solana Beach | Eastlake | La Costa | San Marcos | UTC | La Jolla | Mission Valley | East Village — Coming Soon!
FRONT ROW: Jona Hattangadi* (Radiation Oncology), Farris Sandhu*# (Internal Medicine), Pamela Sawhney# (Family Medicine), Bindu Singhal# (Internal Medicine), Jyoti Mayadev* (Radiation Oncology), Hetal Hosalkar* (Anesthesiology), Preeti Sonni Mehta# (Internal Medicine) MIDDLE ROW: Sameer Gupta# (Allergy and Immunology), Maneesh Bawa* (Orthopedic Spine), Nikunj Patel* (Radiology), Paritosh Khanna*# (Radiology), Venu Prabhakar*# (Internal Medicine), Harish Hosalkar*# (Orthopedic Surgery) BACK ROW: Deepak Asudani* (Internal Medicine), Sandip Patel* (Medical Oncology), Arun Venkat* (Dermatology), Ajay Sandhu* (Radiation Oncology), Parag Agnihotri* (Geriatrics)*Top Doctor, #Office Bearer
SAPI is a nonprofit community of Indian physicians from San Diego that believes in camaraderie, cohesiveness, and the power of ideas to change the face of medicine and health care through multiple pillars: mentoring, networking, education, and collaboration.
SAPI has taken on a mission of new growth and visibility in the Indian physician community, to reflect their critical contributions to medicine, research, technology, and business in the San Diego region.
SAPI members are represented in all the health care systems of San Diego as well as neighborhing counties, encompassing a vibrant and energetic group of successful physicians from the academic world and private practice alike. Bimonthly meetings involve excellent educational content, lectures, panel discussions, and debates; social events include Holi celebrations, Diwali meets, Halloween parties, and New Year’s bonanzas.
We invite all Indian physicians and clinical affiliates in San Diego to join and help us in our mission.
SAPI—TOP DOCTORS 2021 AND OFFICE BEARERS 2021 www.sapisd.org
Faces of SD – Savvy Interiors
Savvy Interiors
Savvy Interiors strives to be “simply exceptional.” As a San Diego–based remodeling and interior design firm with nearly 20 years of experience, they’ve managed projects from design to build to furnish for a wide range of clients. Savvy Interiors has curated a talented team of designers, trade professionals, and vendors. “We’ve developed a unique process from extensive client discovery to final implementation,” says Susan Wintersteen, owner and creative director. “Although complex behind the scenes, the process is simple and enjoyable for our clients. As the only San Diego design firm with a general contractor’s license, we have a unique ability to ensure that all facets of a client’s project—from home architecture to the use of spaces—are combined to create good design.”
With Savvy Interiors, your design project can be simple and exceptional.
971 C Lomas Santa Fe Solana Beach, CA 92075 | 858-735-6735 | savvyinteriors.com
Faces of SD – Solar Rainwater
Famous Ramona Water and Solar Rain Bottled Water Company
Bjarne “BJ” Kjaer and his business partner, Eric Pellaton, founded Solar Rain in 2010 with an earth-friendly mission: Democratize clean water for the world by converting ocean water to drinking water by using solar thermal energy, the same method that nature itself uses. There’s no greener way to produce drinking water. Now, three delicious Solar Rain waters are available: Solar Rain Ocean, pHerfect, and CBD Organics.
Later, this dynamic duo purchased Famous Ramona Water, a family-owned local bottled water company. Famous Ramona Water has been around for nearly half a century and makes several amazing waters, including its gold-medal-winning spring water straight from the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Look for both Solar Rain and Famous Ramona Water in all of your favorite local stores. And keep an eye out: Soon you’ll be able to order delivery to your home and business too!
29219 Juba Road Valley Center, CA 92082 | 760-751-8867 | solarrainwatery.com
Sunnen Law
While the phrase “every problem has a solution” may seem like a glib response to a serious situation, at Sunnen Law it is a guiding principle. Founder Christopher J. Sunnen ensures each client’s needs come first, and their issues—emotional, legal, financial, and more—are addressed either before the courts or with the appropriate professionals. Sunnen Law is a full-service family law firm and has an established track record in high-conflict family law matters, complex litigation matters, and crossover areas of practice, such as bankruptcy and tax matters in federal court. Additionally, as a family-owned practice with Rosemarie Sunnen leading the staff, Sunnen Law takes a team-oriented approach to fight for clients’ best interests. With an extraordinary success rate, the firm continues to solve problems in these difficult times and offers a free consultation over
the phone
2121 Fifth Avenue, #205 San Diego, CA 92101 | 619-255-9551 | sunnen-law.com
Faces of SD – Swinerton
Two venerable institutions got their start back in 1888: Hotel del Coronado and Swinerton Builders. Now they’ve found a special kind of synergy: Swinerton, a premier commercial construction firm, is leading the expansion project at the treasured Hotel Del property. “We’re thrilled to help another San Diego institution leap into the future,” says division manager Mike Berryhill, who oversees local projects. “We’re diversified in a wide range of commercial construction, from hospitals and schools to apartments, hotels, research facilities, and more.”
Swinerton, which has offices from Hawai‘i to New York City, is devoted to embracing innovations and taking on new challenges. “We’re employee owned, which encourages a collaborative environment. Everyone is looking out for each other and our clients,” Berryhill says. “While our job is to work with raw materials, we know that strong relationships are the most important key to success.”
16798 West Bernardo Drive San Diego, CA 92127 | 858-622-4040 | swinerton.com
Faces of SD – UCSD
If you have battled depression and been unsuccessful with traditional treatments, you are not alone. About one third of adults with depression do not respond adequately to antidepressants and talk therapy.
Under the leadership of Jeff Daskalakis, MD, PhD, an international expert in brain stimulation, UC San Diego Health’s Interventional Psychiatry Clinic offers a groundbreaking depression treatment for adults 18 and older known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS is a noninvasive therapy that causes little to no discomfort. It uses a magnetic field to activate areas of the brain associated with severe depression. Essentially, the magnetic pulses help to restore functional brain activity, providing relief from the cycle of depression. As difficult as your journey may be, the experts at UC San Diego Health can help you on your path to recovery. Learn more today.
8950 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite C101 La Jolla, CA 92037
Interventional Psychiatry Clinic 16918 Dove Canyon Road, Suite 100 Rancho Bernardo, CA 92127 | 858-207-0938 | health.ucsd.edu/tms
Faces of SD – A7D
A7D Creative Group is a unique San Diego creative agency that touches all points while strategically building brands and events through branding, marketing, social media, digital, and—a rare find—print.
This North Park agency has shifted the needle in the beverage, hospitality, retail, tourism, B2B, events, and economic development program sectors over the past 17 years with creative and results-driven campaigns.
Every brand has a story… Under the creative direction of Anna Hopkins, the A7D team is your team, sharing in your vision while defining your brand culture and elevating your customer experience.
2867 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104 | 619-574-6878 | www.a7d.design
Faces of SD – Advanced Estate Planning
Advanced Estate Planning is passionate about helping you with your financial future and serving our community with integrity and excellence. Advanced Estate Planning, founded by G. Wayne Plemons, began serving California residents 46 years ago. The current owner, who began studying under her nationally recognized father at age 14, Jamie A. Plemons, LDA, CEP®, CMPTM, speaks about their dedication to preserving your wealth: “We work to keep your hard-earned money in your family, where it belongs.” Advanced Estate PlanningTM’s strategies have been referred to in industry books and magazines. The company specializes in building a top-tier team around your specific needs and providing you with more of a holistic experience, taking into consideration all generations to come.
1455 Frazee Road, San Diego, CA 92108 | 619-581-9591 | advancedestateplanning.com
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The San Diego home remodeling company works on full homes, kitchens, bathrooms, home additions, ADUs, garages, landscapes, and hardscapes.
Most homeowners want two things before they commit to a remodel: a realistic sense of cost and a clear picture of what the finished space will look like. Milan Design + Build helps deliver both through its online remodeling estimator and personalized design consultations, supported by a showroom experience and 3D renderings.
“The online estimate gives homeowners a starting number in about a minute, and the showroom and 3D renderings let them see materials and layouts before anything is built,” says David Noriani, CEO of Milan Design + Build. “Keeping design, permits, and construction with one team helps us manage expectations and keep everyone working toward the same vision.”

Modern design is a particular focus for Milan, with an emphasis on clean lines, natural light, functional layouts, and carefully selected materials. The team adapts each design to the homeowner’s lifestyle and the character of the property. Milan Design + Build combines thoughtful design with construction expertise, creating spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful.
The online estimator covers kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, full-home remodels, and ADU construction. At Milan’s showroom on Carroll Road, visitors can review real materials, finishes, and design options, meet the design-build team, and discuss project scope, budget, and timing. Consultations can also be held virtually for homeowners who prefer to start remotely.
At Milan Design + Build, one integrated team works on the entire project. Design and construction aren’t divided between separate firms. The process begins with a consultation and feasibility review, followed by design, space planning, and 3D renderings developed from detailed measurements and digital scans. The team also coordinates architectural plans, structural engineering, city approvals, and material selection, with construction overseen by a dedicated project manager.
Homeowners can explore their remodeling options, get an initial estimate, or request a design consultation at MilanBuild.com.

The Campaign for La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) will fuel scientific innovation and medical advances
La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is going public with a bold bet: a $55 million campaign to propel medical research into a new era. The Campaign for LJI will fuel discovery, empower scientific innovation, and expand the impact of immunology on human health.
The Institute quietly kicked things off in 2023, guided by its Board, campaign volunteers, and early believers. Nearly 80% of the $55 million goal is already in hand. Now LJI is opening the doors and inviting the whole community to carry their visions across the finish line and back discoveries that change how LJI researchers understand, treat, and prevent disease.
And there’s a bonus. To mark the public launch, LJI Board member and Campaign Honorary Chair Anthony R. Carr is offering a special matching gift so new donors can double their impact. Full details are here.
Immunology has already rewritten human history. Advances in immune science helped wipe out smallpox, pushed polio to the brink of elimination, and revolutionized how we prevent and treat infectious disease. Today, immune-based therapies are opening doors for patients with cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other serious illnesses once considered untreatable.
For nearly four decades, LJI scientists have stood on the front lines, driven by one insight: the immune system shapes disease in virtually every organ in the body. By decoding how the immune system works and how to harness it to prevent and treat disease, LJI researchers are chasing the Institute’s ultimate mission: Life Without Disease®.
To make that mission real, the Institute pairs world-class scientists with cutting-edge technology, speeding up breakthroughs and turning discoveries into transformative new therapies that ease suffering worldwide.
The Campaign for LJI supercharges that momentum, uniting the vision of the Institute’s scientists with a community that believes in research. Focused on advancing LJI’s most promising areas of study, the campaign aims to help build a future free from the burden of disease, a goal that demands bold ideas, lasting partnerships, and generous philanthropic support.
The Campaign for LJI will advance research across three critical pillars:
1. President’s Priority Fund. Flexible, unrestricted dollars let big ideas move now, not later. Scientists can launch high-risk, high-reward projects, bring experts together across disciplines, build transformative technologies, and train tomorrow’s scientific leaders.
2. Center for Sex-Based Differences in the Immune System. Male and female immune systems don’t respond the same way, and LJI researchers are tracing the fundamental differences down to individual cells and molecular pathways. The Campaign will speed up this pioneering work, revealing hidden drivers of disease and paving the way for more precise, biologically informed therapies for autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, cancer, and beyond.
3. Center for Vaccine Innovation. Immunologists, bioengineers, and vaccine experts are teaming up to design the next generation of vaccines and immune-based therapies. With donor support, LJI scientists can engineer longer-lasting and more personalized vaccines, pinpoint the cellular mechanisms driving protective immunity, and refine delivery methods to prevent autoimmune disease and treat cancer.
As the campaign enters its public phase, LJI welcomes new partners and supporters to join this landmark initiative. Community support is essential to accelerating scientific discovery, and there are many meaningful ways to help shape the future of immunology. Donors may direct their gifts to any campaign priority or other area of interest. As a comprehensive campaign, all gifts to LJI count toward the campaign goal, regardless of designation. Join the campaign, and multiply your impact with our limited-time matching opportunity.
To explore the campaign, visit imagine.lji.org.
Scripps orthopedic surgeons are investigating stem cells as an alternative to joint replacement
Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education at Scripps Clinic recently received a $12.7 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to investigate whether they can transform stem cells into tissue that can repair some types of knee injuries. Currently, if a patient has lost most, if not all, of the cartilage in their knee, then their doctor will recommend a total joint replacement. Joint replacement is safe and effective, but patients who’ve only lost part of their cartilage often don’t qualify. A stem cell-based treatment would provide these patients an option that doesn’t involve donor tissue. Click here for more on the preclinical trial process.
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Artwork throughout the Lusardi Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas promotes hope and healing
The recently opened Lusardi Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas is a state-of-the-art addition to the hospital staffed by dedicated team members who’ve helped make Scripps one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems. Complementary to that medical excellence, the Lusardi Tower also represents the latest expansion of the Scripps Arts for Healing Program. The philanthropic initiative strategically places nature- and community-based artwork throughout the hospital to support health and well-being. Both Scripps Encinitas and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla have healing arts programs as part of new building projects and growth on the campuses. Click here to read more about the Healing Arts Program and how residents from a nearby retirement community showed their support.
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From century-old Craftsman homes to vegan fantasy bars, dive bars, and a tiki room built for exactly two people, this is one of San Diego’s great little neighborhoods
You may not realize it, but Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park (in fact, 1.5 times larger). Pressed right up against its southeastern edge is a little architecture farm built on old trolley bones, where houses look like someone was collecting architectural styles and local businesses are still run by people who seem personally invested in keeping this place interesting.
This is South Park.
To understand why it feels the way it does today—less like one commercial strip and more like a handful of tiny villages—you have to go back to the trolley.
The land that became the original South Park Addition (the subdivision’s original name) was surveyed in 1870 and officially filed in 1890, but the neighborhood really started becoming a neighborhood in the early 1900s. The Bartlett Estate Company began developing and marketing the tract in earnest around 1906, pairing lots and new homes with something extremely useful if you lived outside Downtown in the horse-and-buggy era: an electric streetcar.
On May 1, 1906, the South Park and East Side Railway made its first trip. Developers didn’t just build near transportation; they helped pay for the transportation, then used it to sell the dream. Downtown had industry, noise, and congestion. Out here were palms, sidewalks, utilities, room to breathe and a four-cent ride back to the city.
It worked. Homes began filling in around the streetcar route, and little commercial clusters grew around the places where people got on and off. That transportation pattern is still written into South Park’s geography. Some of the neighborhood’s odd street geometry is also due in part to the trolley—the old line cut across parcels instead of politely obeying the grid, leaving behind pieces of land that later businesses learned to build around. Places like Station Tavern sit on the former easement and station site of San Diego’s No. 2 trolley line.
Then San Diego went big for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in neighboring Balboa Park. The exposition transformed much of the park and helped push the city through another burst of building and growth. South Park was right there to absorb some of that momentum.
And the people building houses here had taste.
Walk the residential streets now and it can feel like somebody planted an architectural sample garden: Craftsman, Prairie, Mission Revival, Tudor Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival. Creedence Clearwater Revival. All the revivals. The neighborhood includes work by Irving Gill, one of the defining architects of early modern California; Gill-designed Prairie homes still stand along Granada Avenue.
The city formally designated the South Park Historic District in 2017, recognizing roughly 400 properties and a period of significance stretching from 1906 through 1949. In other words, a lot of what makes the place feel old is actually old.
While the trolley eventually disappeared, the basic idea behind it didn’t. South Park is still a neighborhood organized around little pockets of human activity: a couple blocks where you can buy a record, drink a beer, find a 60-year-old lamp, eat a vegan burger beneath gothic beasts, browse a bookstore, and walk home past a century-old Craftsman.
The 30th-and-Fern area may be the clearest example. Several surviving buildings there date to South Park’s early development, including the old Fire Station No. 9, Rose Grocery building, and Burlingame Garage. What began as infrastructure for a young streetcar suburb became the neighborhood’s commercial heart.
That history is also partly why buying a house here can be competitive. There isn’t some endless supply of vacant land waiting around the corner for another subdivision. Much of the neighborhood filled in generations ago, and the architecture itself is part of the appeal.
San Diego Mag’s been documenting the city for 78 years. And we’ve been looking for a partner who loved the city enough to help us tell its stories. Redfin is that partner. They’re helping us tell the story of some of the city’s most unique neighborhoods. They launched Redfin Early Access this year to get their people in first and to see certain coming-soon and exclusive listings on Redfin before they appear on other major real-estate sites.
First up: South Park.
Here are some of the people and places worth knowing here:

Start with Judy “the Beauty” Forman, because it’s difficult to explain South Park without her. The former social worker bought Big Kitchen in 1980 and turned a neighborhood breakfast joint into a gathering place for artists, musicians, activists, politicians, eccentrics, and pretty much anyone who needed somewhere to belong. As Judy puts it, “I built this for people who others passed over.”
One of those people was a young single mom named Whoopi Goldberg, who worked as a dishwasher here before the Whoopi Goldberg part of her career happened. Today Big Kitchen still serves breakfast and lunch Thursday through Monday.
3003 Grape Street
Whistle Stop reopened in 2001, right as South Park’s little independent-business ecosystem was finding a new generation. Owner Sam Chammas—also connected to Live Wire and, later, Station Tavern—helped turn it into the kind of neighborhood bar where the calendar can jump from a DJ night to live bands to some strange communal event nobody at a normal sports bar would propose.
The room still has that laid-back, slightly sweaty house-party quality. Check what’s happening before you go, because Whistle Stop changes personality depending on the night: sometimes neighborhood beer, sometimes everyone dancing beneath the disco ball like work tomorrow was canceled.
2236 Fern Street
Station Tavern may be the most literal example of old South Park becoming new South Park. It opened in 2009 on land once crossed diagonally by the No. 2 trolley line, and architect Lloyd Russell incorporated that history into the design rather than pretending the weirdly shaped lot wasn’t weirdly shaped. The project won the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s Grand Orchid Award the same year it opened.
Sam Chammas built the place as an open-air burger-and-beer spot with big communal tables, a backyard, room for kids, and room for dogs. It still works exactly that way: get a burger, get the tots, let everybody spread out, stay awhile.
2204 Fern Street
Kindred arrived in late 2015 looking nothing like the beige-and-leafy vegan restaurant stereotype. The place went full gothic fever dream—heavy music, wild cocktails, decadent plant-based food—and eventually collected national vegan accolades plus local Restaurant of the Year and design honors.
And in 2026, it got even weirder. Hidden behind a chain-mail passage inside Kindred is Throne Room, a medieval-fantasy cocktail chamber whose mythology grew out of a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired map the Kindred team created for a 2017 Coachella pop-up. The 90-minute experience has scroll menus, plant-based mezze, cocktails and zero interest in pretending restaurants need to behave normally.
1503 30th Street

Vinyl Junkies has good music-scene DNA. Founder Eric Howarth previously ran indie label Hi-Speed Soul, whose roster included acts like Nada Surf and Swervedriver, then teamed with Casbah owner Tim Mays after the pair had spent years putting on Vinyl Junkies record swaps.
They opened the South Park brick-and-mortar shop in 2017, and it remains a buy-sell-trade temple for people who understand that owning music on a physical object is irrational in exactly the right way. Go flip through the new arrivals. Leave holding something you had absolutely no intention of buying.
2235 Fern Street
Bad Madge is what happens when “vintage store” doesn’t quite explain the situation. Owner Tanya McAnear and her team fill the shop with furniture, clothing, barware, records, art, jewelry, collectibles, and various objects that seem like they may know things about their previous owners. The shop opened in 2011 and has made reuse and upcycling part of its identity ever since. Go in without looking for anything specific—specificity will only slow you down.
2205 Fern Street
Across the neighborhood’s vintage-and-vinyl universe sits Thread + Seed, a local boutique built around clothing, denim, gifts, and personal styling. Its South Park shop has an especially deep denim program—petite, tall, wide-leg, straight, flare—and the store also offers one-on-one styling built around color and body type. In other words, this is where you go after deciding the jeans currently on your body have betrayed you. South Park understands that sometimes personal renewal begins with pants.
2220 Fern Street
Seth Marko started The Book Catapult as a book blog in 2006. In 2017, he and his wife, Jennifer Powell, turned it into an actual bookstore in South Park, specializing loosely in fiction, local interest, and children’s books while maintaining the more important bookseller skill: putting something into your hands that you didn’t know you needed.
There are staff picks, author events, signed books, and the dangerous possibility of walking in for one title and emerging with four. Because no one ever died thinking, “I shoulda read less.”
3010-B Juniper Street
Chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and craft mixers - meet our 2026 Tastemakers, the minds behind the magic.
Chef Roberto Alcocer showcases all that Mexican cuisine and culture has to offer at Oceanside’s Valle. The Michelin-guide recommended restaurant takes inspiration and techniques from all over Mexico—with a heavy Baja influence—and blends them with local San Diego ingredients to create original and delectable contemporary Mexican cuisine. The seasonal tasting menu allows Chef Alcocer to experiment with the freshest available ingredients, creating dishes that defy guests’ expectations, while the wine list features more than 100 labels from Mexican artisans. Even the restaurant’s walls are a celebration of Mexican culture, all decorated with work from artists of Baja.
“My favorite part of being a chef of Valle is being able to showcase the Mexico that I know to everyone who visits,” Chef Alococer says. “Not only through the food, but with the design, culture, and welcoming service.”
Lobster Taco: Flour sourdough tortilla with lobster shell bisque and local red spiny lobster

222 North Pacific Street, Oceanside, California 92054
866-723-8906 | valleoceanside.com