Four small businesses — two hurt by January’s Eaton Fire — were presented with $5,000 grants at the California Business Outlook dinner on June 4.
The awardees showed leadership through job creation, business growth and financial success. They also demonstrated good employee relations (creative workforce solutions); community impact (including partnerships with community groups); and innovation in business solutions and design.
The two awardees rebuilding from the devastation of the Eaton Fire are:
- Fair Oaks Burger — It has been a family-owned business in Altadena for close to 40 years and was the only business still standing on its block after the Eaton Fire. After the fire, co-owners Christine Lee and her sister, Janet, gathered their employees to begin hosting community events in the restaurant’s parking lot. World Central Kitchen paid for the food, and other community organizations reached out to help. The business hosted rallies, such as Altadena Not For Sale, and the Lee sisters worked to expand their social media presence. Fair Oaks Burger intends to be an anchor for the community as it rebuilds.
- Tosca Fashion — This Altadena business was founded in 1996. It creates custom fashions for ballroom dance customers. The Eaton Fire burned not just the building that housed Tosca Fashion, but also the storage unit where the business kept all its patterns, sewing equipment and custom-made costumes for men and women. Owner Azita Milanian lost her home as well. Before the fire, Milanian worked with local nonprofits to make dancing more accessible and started Children of One Planet and Dance for Hope America. Tosca Fashion has reached out to customers to send pictures of the costumes they bought. It aims to rebuild so it can continue providing services to the community.
Two awardees are from outside the Los Angeles fire zone:
- Frisky Business Palm Springs Cat Café, owned by Claire Rogers, integrates cat therapy, relaxation and community engagement. It is a certified EmployABILITY CHAMPION and neurodiverse workplace that prioritizes hiring individuals with disabilities. Frisky Business offers a four-month paid internship program for individuals with disabilities while also fostering the well-being of its employees through flexible scheduling, mental health resources and customized accommodations. Frisky Business honors diversity in all its forms and is an advocate for the LGBTQ2+ community. It has an adoption partnership with the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, through which it supports cat adoptions. The business also offers free space to community groups such as the Autism Society and Voices for Children.
- Reel Guppy Outdoors Inc. in Oxnard aims to unify all individuals as passionate stewards seeking positive change for their environment and the world. Supported by community sponsors, owner Kevin Brannon shares with others his connection with the ocean and outdoors to foster the sense of belonging and purpose he found in fishing. He uses the promise of fun and adventure as bait for Real Guppy’s free environmental and marine education programs, which include access to its multimedia studio on the Channel Island Harbor. The programs feature on-campus clinics and outdoor fishing trips. The youth participants gain lessons in leadership and entrepreneurship, plus a chance to explore careers, seek internships and prepare for jobs.
The California Business Outlook Dinner reimagines a tradition begun 99 years ago by the founder of the Sacramento Host Committee. Instead of breakfast, the invitation-only, sold-out event convened for a networking reception and dinner with approximately 800 guests attending.
Partners in presenting this event are the California Chamber of Commerce, Sacramento Host Committee, California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA), California Restaurant Association, California Retailers Association, Visit California and Western Growers.
