rujillo: hello and welcome to "comunidad del valle." i'm damian trujillo, and today, the san francisco international latino film festival, "cine+mas," is back on our show. glitz and glamour on your "comunidad del valle." male announcer: nbc bay area presents "comunidad del valle" with damian trujillo. damian: and speaking of glitz and glamour, we begin here on "comunidad del valle" with a local clothing designer, and she's gone a long way. with me is lia larrea on "comunidad del valle." welcome to the show. lia larrea: "thank you. damian: well, tell us about your line. you brought a whole--i mean, a whole wardrobe here. tell us about your clothing, who it's designed for, and where can we get. lia: sure, well, it's very versatile clothing, two pieces in one, reversible and water resistant fabrics, that is really easy to wear and is very comfortable.

we recently just designed the hats that are made in ecuador. i am from ecuador, so i wanted to do something for my country. and it's basically designed for a confident, strong, and independent woman who has a very busy lifestyle and wants pieces that accommodate that. damian: now, when a woman wears a hat like this one, a fedora-type hat, does that kinda say, "hey, aquí estoy, i'm right here, and get out of my way"? lia: i think it says, "i am protecting my face from the sun, but i'm also very cool and confident." and it's a stylish hat that can be worn with very casual pieces at the same time. damian: is there part of your home country, do you think, in your design, in what you hope people will wear? lia: yes, of course. mainly right here, the hats, because they're made in ecuador and handcrafted by people there. but i also bring pieces like a reversible skirt that becomes a poncho. so, in the andes, the indians wear ponchos a lot, and i wanted

to make that more modern with fabrics that are also water resistant, which is different and is versatile. so, that makes the brand a lot more inspiring. damian: you know, i have an 8-year-old and she's jumpy. she's all into fashion. she wants to be a fashionista. que le puede--what can you tell her to kind of motivate her to kind of have her own creation like you have here? lia: well, when i was young, i started drawing, and one of the things that my earliest memories is that i started tracing the flintstones and drawing shoes on them. so, i think when you're young, you have to just keep that creativity going and remember that you can do what you dream of. because once you think of something and making that tangible, it's what really pushes you. so, i would say to her, keep drawing. damian: and at this point, at this stage in your career, i mean, how do you--because there's competition. there has to be competition everywhere, especially up here in san francisco, so the competition is even more fierce. how do you stay above the fray and make your clothing line

kinda stand out from the rest? lia: well, from the beginning, i've been very focused on producing everything in the u.s. so that i can go to the factories myself and we don't have to create large production that wastes fabric or goods, so we're very conscious about the environment. and we're able to have shorter lead times because we produce here in the country, so we don't have to wait for shipment from another place. and i think that makes it easier for us to have quality control, and then you have a really nice product that your customer has faster. and we're just implementing the presale portal where women will be able to order what they want instead of us producing something that we think might sell. they're able to get it without us having inventory and wasting items. damian: good point. now, being latina, has that helped or hurt in your endeavors in climbing that ladder? lia: i think it has been one of my most inspirational parts

of my story, because coming from ecuador, fashion is not a big thing there. and it inspires a lot of people to think you don't only have to study business and sciences. but also i can communicate with people at the factories better, and i understand their hardships, their challenges, and language. when you can really connect with someone i think it's one of the most important things. damian: all right. well, you do have a website. we showed some of the video on your website on the screen. you can log on to her website there. it's lialarrea.com, a clothing line out of san francisco. any final thought, lia, before we let you go? lia: well, we do have the "women in control" blog, so that is a very important part of inspiring women in the community and showing women that they have more people like them to connect with. so, that's very important to me. damian: all right, well, thank you for sharing with us and inspiring. lia: thank you. damian: all right.

and up next here on "comunidad del valle," the east side union high school district. stay with us. the family favorite. yoplait. well at least he's wearing shoes. well done champ. get gooey, flaky, happy.

toaster strudel. on "comunidad del valle." with me on the show from the east side union high school district is maliheh vafai, who is with the department there in the east side. welcome to the show. maliheh vafai: thank you. damian: now, tell us the people who-- the folks you are catering to. who is it that is showing up to adult ed and what are they getting out of it? maliheh: we usually pull students from the neighborhood, from students who live in the neighborhood, and we cater to anybody 18 years and up. and these are usually students who come in to, you know, get a range of services. some of them are in need of language skills, so we have a very big english as a second language. east side adult education also has a high school diploma program, they have a ged program, and cet, which is a career technical education, which is a very successful program where students can get hands-on experience and,

you know, be able to perform in the workforce. damian: so, these are folks who maybe don't have a lot of job experience, have problems with the language, up to those who maybe were a couple of classes from graduating from high school but didn't quite get there. maliheh: exactly. it's a wide range of students. we get some of the homemakers, you know, women who stay home and take care of kids, and then when, you know, the children are at school, they come to classes to learn language and beyond that. we have students who were not able to gain their high school diploma for whatever reason. they come back. so, it's more like a second chance for them. we have students who--adult students who come in and they need to kind of brush up on their skills, be it, you know, languages skills, some other skills, and they want to go to the workforce or they want to pursue community college. damian: and you're there. you're in the heart of the east side.

i mean, that's got to be an invaluable service for those families who fit that category, i guess. maliheh: absolutely. absolutely. and as far as the demographics, we have a wide range of latino students, asian students, some from india, some from the philippines. you know, a wide range of nationalities who come there for either learning the language or some other skills. damian: you're basically--what you're doing is you're giving them the tools to get by and get ahead. maliheh: exactly. we do give them the tools. for our goal is actually--you know, we have kind of specified goals that kind of applies to a wide range of students. we want them to be able to communicate effectively. we want them to develop and expand on their critical thinking skills. because of the way that society works these days, we think that there's an urgent need for technology, the use of technology. and the other resources that students have, they learn those. and also, goal setting.

we kind of put an emphasis on where they wanna be. they see themselves in 5 years, 10 years from now, and kind of gear the instruction towards where they want to be, either workforce or going to community college. so, students are--they get a lot of inspiration, as well as the concrete skills that they need. damian: i would imagine that absenteeism is not a problem because these are folks who kind of are being given that second chance to get that diploma, that ged that kind of eluded them for awhile. maliheh: to some extent that's true, but also because these are adults, there are certain barriers for adults. they have family responsibilities, sometimes they have to, you know--often times, actually, they have jobs and they can't attend as regularly as they want to. so, sometimes that is there, but there's definitely no shortage of motivation. we have very inspired, very motivated student population. damian: and evening classes to accommodate them?

maliheh: we have morning, afternoon, and evening. so, the morning classes, it's typically about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. the same thing in the early afternoon and also evening. our evening classes are really popular because of the student population who are working. so, they work in the morning and they come in the evening. damian: all right, well, it's adult ed at the east side union high school district in san jose. there's the number to call for more information. any final thoughts, maliheh, before we let you go? maliheh: well, i want to really encourage the students to pursue. this is for them. there is no charge. the services are free. i work specifically for the esl department and we--all we have that they may be able to--you know, they may need to contribute to is the expense for their books, for textbooks. but that's also an optional thing, and they can--we have a loaner program where we can loan them the book, like a library book. so, these services are free to them, and the staff are very

supportive, instructional staff, as far as clerical staff. we are there for them, you know, and we really would like to get the word out that these services are available, and oftentimes, life-changing. damian: good, all right, well, thank you so much for what you're doing. maliheh: thanks very much. damian: and up next here on "comunidad del valle," cine+mas, the film festival. stay with us.

honey nut cheerios ...get their delicious taste from real, honest ingredients.

real oats. that's a big bowl. real honey. yeah, honey. and real patience. hurry up! i like that bee. zuzelin martin lynch: my name is zuzy, and like so many first-generation americans, i grew up feeling stuck between two worlds. born in new jersey into a big cuban family, i was immersed in español, café con leche, pastelitos, and all things cuban. but the closest i ever got to cuba was miami, and that's just how things were. damian: that's a great documentary titled, "craving cuba." it's being showcased at the san francisco international latino film festival, "cine+mas." upcoming here, zuzy martin lynch is the producer of

"craving cuba," and also lucho ramirez is the director/ceo of "cine+mas," the latino film--welcome to the show! lucho ramirez: thank you for having us. damian: tell us, first of all, about this documentary. i mean, the music gets you going right away and you wanna see what happens next. zuzy: i know, well, "craving cuba" is a documentary about the cuban-american experience, relative to what's happening right now with cuba, which is very, very exciting. damian: right. zuzy: but it's also a documentary about biculturalism, and being bicultural, and what it means to be and become american. damian: there is a clip that you have on your trailer there where a lady says, "if you're waiting to go to cuba when everything--before everything changes, come on, why go there?" let's talk about what the aning of that and what she's trying to get across. zuzy: sure, well, the first thing people say to me when they know i'm cuban or when they wanna talk about cuba is, "oh my god, we gotta get there. we have to go before it changes. we have to go before it changes." and i, you know, i could understand that point, but after

doing the documentary, after speaking with so many people, it makes sense when they say, "hey, paris wasn't changed by having a starbucks." or you know, if things change for the better in cuba, it's still gonna be beautiful. it's still gonna be a historical city. so, yeah, that's what they mean by that. damian: well, this is one--again, one of the many powerful films that you'll have at the festival. lucho: yes, this is one of about 40 films, feature-length films, documentaries, fiction, and shorts, and so we're really happy that this makes up one of several cuban-themed films. cuba is hot, and so we're really happy that zuzy submitted and it'll be screening at the alamo draft house on september 17th, so you can catch it there. damian: and again, the festival, it's back and it's better than ever. lucho: it's back, yeah, i mean, we're into our 8th season, and as usual, you know, the wheels go into motion at the beginning of the year, and at the end we're still scrambling, putting everything together. but we're very happy about having a footprint around the bay area with screenings in san francisco, berkeley, oakland,

marin, and some additional ones that get thrown in. but a combination of a conventional film festival, which is film theaters, movie theaters, and then cultural centers, museums, and the universities. and we'll do more of the college screenings going into october, during the heritage month. damian: you see a lot of trailers and a lot of these clips in, you know, your run as a ceo and director there. i mean, do some stick out like this one? lucho: they do. they do. and it'says really breath of fresh air to see something covered like this. anything that goes around the identity, the issue of identity, because, you know, we're a latino film festival, but, you know, what exactly does that mean? and so, we leave it up to film makers to determine what that is, whether it's the production of the film, the subject matter, or the people on the screen. so, we look at different facets and then look at it that way. so, it's not strictly about latino films from latin america.

they can be latino films from right within the united states, and i often refer to united states as being a part of latin america. you know, it's just that we opt to say that there's something across the border and that we're different, but a lot of us are here. damian: well, i grew up chicano. what would non-cuban-americans get from watching this documentary? zuzy: i think they'll get that they're--anyone who's first-generation in this country, anyone who has a family that's come from somewhere else is gonna be able to relate to this film. yes, it's about cuba, but it's really about the journey that one goes on when they bring their family from one place and decide to raise them in a completely different place. it's complicated. so, yeah, i think that that identity, that question of identity that is always lingering above us that are american plus something else, definitely

resonates in the film. damian: very true. now, i had a coworker here when i was at telemundo full time. she would say, "i'm not yelling, i'm cuban." now, what does she mean by that? zuzy: well, i'm quiet, but when i'm around other cubans, it's normal to cut each other off. i mean, it's actually rude to just sit there and not react, right? damian: exactly, there's gotta be some joy in your putting either your life story or the life story of people you can relate to on film and have people watch it on the big screen. zuzy: there is joy, and this is my first documentary film, so there is much joy in being able to have a dream, or a crazy idea that comes into your head. and with a lot of perseverance and with, i think, winds of, you know, help from above, from other people that just help you push it through, it's a dream come true. damian: oh, i bet. any final thoughts, lucho? lucho: well, definitely. i encourage people to come out to the film festival.

i mean, it's a celebration of latino identity and a lot of latin-american films. we're opening with a wonderful comedy out of chile. we're trying something different. we have a u.s. premiere of a new film from columbia starring john leguizamo, speaking spanish and acting in spanish, and a really raw character, which is really exciting. and there's just a lot there, a lot for people to take away. and there are spanish language films, of course, portuguese, and brazilian films, and there's even some family films. so, you know, definitely encourage people to come out and support it. damian: all right, any final thoughts before we let you go, zuzy. zuzy: oh, well, "craving cuba" is also exciting because it's bilingual. i was so happy it's half-spanish, half-english, so just like many us live in a bilingual world. damian: we can all relate. zuzy: that's right. damian: all right, it's cine+mas. it's one of the many films at the international film festival in san francisco. there is the web address for more information. thank you all again for showcasing your work here on "comunidad del valle."

lucho: thank you for having us. damian: thank you. gracias. and up next here on the show, entrepreneurship out of santa clara university. ay with us.

at santa clara university. with me here on "comunidad del valle" is andrew starbird, with my own business institute out of the university, and also marianna faerron gutierrez, with the tico coffee roasters here in the bay area. welcome to the show. both: thank you. damian: so, you're creating, what? you're creating a machine here of powerful entrepreneurs, right? is that correct? andrew starbird: that's our goal. the california program for entrepreneurship is an initiative of the university to help people start businesses that create jobs in california. we are now recruiting for our 7th cohort, and it's been very successful over the last 6 years. damian: is it a fast course, or how patient should we be if we wanna start something like this? andrew: well, the program lasts about 6 months, but you come to campus for 7 weekends over that period of time.

so, you spend about 14 days on campus and you get instruction from our faculty, the faculty in the business school, faculty in the law school, as well as experts from the community and mentors who are executives and entrepreneurs as well. damian: and you took the course, mariana, and you said, "i wanna start my own coffee roasting company thanks to the help of the class"? marianna faerron gutierrez: i did. so, i was part of the program in 2012. the company was already running, but the program really helped to really take it to the next level. damian: and talk about tico coffee roasters. marianna: so, tico coffee roasters is a boutique coffee company. we are based in campbell and we specialize in importing what is called speciality beans. so, all of our coffee beans have, like, in wine scores. so, all of our coffees have 85 points and higher. we specialize in a lot of micro lots that are very unique in terms of flavor and they're hard to find. we work directly with a lot of farmers in many different countries. that's what makes us different, really to bring not just a high-quality product, but also the stories of these people

who are working very hard to produce a great product. and we also have fine teas from around the world. damian: is that what entrepreneurship is about, is not only, you know, making a name for your company, but also--i mean, this is philanthropy as well, when you're trying to help those who might need the help here locally or in other countries. andrew: well, our goal is to help anyone who has an idea that they might be able to make into a business that creates jobs. we support entrepreneurs like marianna, but entrepreneurs in all kinds of different fields: fashion, creative artists, engineers. anybody who has an idea that might be able to be commercialized, we want them to join the cape program. damian: so, your company was already up and running. what was it after the class that--where do you think you took your company after the class? marianna: a lot of marketing. we really adjusted our marketing, our strategy. and also, the type of markets that we wanted to enter.

so, after that, we really increased our wholesale program. we do a lot of b2b, a lot of also supermarkets, speciality supermarkets in the bay area. we were able to enter into those as well. damian: is there a key? i mean, do some entrepreneurs, not that they flat line, but they're kind of steady, their company isn't growing, and then you share a couple of ideas with them, and before you know it, they're on their way? andrew: that's certainly a possibility for the students in the cape program. some people are further along with advanced stage companies. some have--are further towards the conceptual part. but we're--we welcome them to the program and we can help them get to the next stage, whatever that happens to be for them. damian: what was it about roasting coffee beans and importing these beans that made you think, "well, you know, this is something i want to get into here in the bay area"? marianna: i come originally from costa rica, and when i moved to the u.s., i was looking for something that was meaningful and i could develop here, whether it was a job or

going back to school. i started agribusiness, and i always wanted to do something--take a product and transform it. and the opportunity came, you know, by coming here. it wasn't really planned, but i moved and the opportunity was there. i worked with farmers when i was there, so it was the right fit for to find the great product and start working with them, 100% with costa rican coffees, and slowing building relationships in other countries. and now, we have from different countries, central, south america, africa, and indonesia as well. damian: wow, how difficult is it to take that first step to say, you know, "i'm gonna risk my life savings, or i'm gonna get this loan, this big loan, so i can start this dream of mine. i know i can do it"? i mean, how difficult is it to make that decision? 'cause i think a lot of us have that fear, is, "i don't know. it's a little risky. i don't know what i'm getting into." marianna: it is risky, but i think it's also part of personality, and i'm a person who likes to start things. i'm a person who sometimes is very impulsive and maybe

i should think a little bit more before i do something. so, if i look back, sometimes i'm thinking, "what i was thinking when i started the business?" but i think that was the right move. and you need a person really that is someone who is passionate and is looking forward to create something. damian: very true. and here, we have the christmas tree ornaments from casaq, also one of the participants of your school. i mean, your reaction when you see the end result of what you're creating there with your cohorts. andrew: we're tremendously proud of all our students, especially marianna and the casaq group. it's just a wonderful group, and they have--we have all kinds of inspiring stories of alumni, entrepreneurs who have gone through the program and who have turned their dreams into reality, and that's what we like to do. damian: all right. well, it's the great program. in fact, they're accepting cohorts right now. you can log on to the web address for more information. also, there's the web address for ticoroasters.com. any final thoughts? we'll start with you, before we let you go.

andrew: well, we're accepting applications now. the program is completely free and open to everybody. and we welcome applications for everyone, so we're looking forward to getting those. damian: all right, marianna, any final thoughts from you? marianna: well, thank you for the opportunity, and apply to cape. i think there are a lot of opportunities in california, especially for latino businesses, to change the landscape and to really own this space that we have here in this country. damian: all right, thank you all so much for what you're doing. andrew: thank you. damian: all right. and now, let's see. i think we have time to see what's happening in your comunidad here on "que pasa." [music] [music] [music]

damian: and our saludos for those celebrating a special day. felicidades. [music] damian: here is our contact information. you can follow me on twitter. my handle is @newsdamian. you can also pick up a copy of "el observador" newspaper and support your bilingual weeklies all across the bay area. you can also watch us on telemundo canal 48, "comunidad del valle en español." that's every sunday. so, right after this show, every sunday at 11 a.m., we switch around and do this whole show in spanish once again. we thank you once again for sharing a part of your sunday with us on "comunidad del valle." we hope you will join us again next week for another amazing show with amazing guests. pase usted-- [music] (whispering) what are you doing up? (whispering) mom said i could have a midnight snack.

well, i say it's late, and you need to go to bed. why? because i am the boss. you're not the boss, mom's the boss. well, technically, we are co-bosses. technically, mom's the boss. mmmm. shhh. the family favorite. yoplait.

- if you've come looking for some fun for a chance to be most anyone there's a little shop i know you'll find it on "the chica show" follow me and step inside imagination is your guide pick a costume off you go now you're on "the chica show" cowboys dancers astronauts and much more adventure is the thing we always have in store so join our funny family - and me - and me - and me the clothes are cool the fun is sweet so welcome to "the chica show" - special delivery. - ooh, special delivery. - wait, jet, is that you?