damian trujillo: hello and welcome to "comunidad del valle." i am damian trujillo, and today, another exciting and informative show on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ damian: and we begin today with an exciting program called a comcast rise. with me on "comunidad del valle" are adriana arvizo, a senior manager of internal communications at comcast, and also with us is rosa carretero fung. she's the proprietor of level 5 salon and a comcast rise recipient. ladies, welcome to the show. adriana arvizo: thank you. rosa carretero fung: thank you. damian: yeah, well, we'll start with you, adriana. tell us about comcast rise, what it is, and it's helping people

like rosa. adriana: that's right. comcast rise is a program that was born in 2020 to help small businesses owned by people of color with the consequences of the pandemic and it provides marketing and technology upgrades. damian: and you know, adriana, here in the south bay where we're headquartered, there is a local effort to help our east side businesses because, of course, who suffers the most during something like this? it's those who can least afford to lose anything, the small business owners, the minority small business owners. how big of an impact have you seen, has comcast seen, bay area-wide? adriana: absolutely, damian. small businesses are the backbone of our communities and they have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, especially those owned by people of color. and as part of comcast rise, there's the comcast rise investment fund and that's also part of the program but it's

designated to particular cities that have been deeply affected by the pandemic, and we are very excited that in california oakland was selected to be one of those cities to receive a $1 million investment from these funds, and this translates to $10,000 grants to 100 business owners. damian: wow, what a shot in the arm at a time when you most need it but who am i to say? let's bring in rosa. tell us how bad things got and i don't know if they've even recovered yet, but how bad were things at your salon? rosa: well, our first one, back in march of 2020, we were notified that we had to shut our doors immediately, march 16. we did so and something that i thought was gonna be only a maybe three-month shutdown turned into a gruesome eight months' closure, which was very difficult for us and not only

for my small business but also my stylists that all rely on a business that i provide for them. so it was really hard. we-- damian: yeah, i'm sorry. your industry was one of the last ones to reopen. we're talking about salons and so that was, like, at the bottom of the totem pole when it come--when it came to the reopening effort and that must have been frustrating. when you see all these other businesses opening back up and then you're still just not allowed to do that. rosa: that was correct. we were, as you said, we were the last ones to open up and we had to get creative and think outside of the box and we were doing backyard haircuts to make ends meet. we were very blessed with a client of ours that started a gofundme for us, that really gave us a big sigh of relief that bought us through the eight gruesome months and was able to pay my lease. damian: and adriana, i would imagine that comcast saw this

and, of course, comcast, the parent company of nbc bay area. comcast saw this and said that we can't just sit on our hands and let this happen. we've got to do something about it. adriana: absolutely, we know that we, you know, a company alone can't change this problem but we want--we are--we're committed to being a part of the solution. and these resources, technology and marketing resources, provide a change that is for the long-term. this program is gonna be in existence until 2023 and winners are selected every three months, so i encourage everybody to apply for those, and those who are in oakland are able to apply for those $10,000 grants. damian: all right, and we're looking at video of one of those recipients as well for the $10,000 grants. so there is still a chance. people can still apply. this is on, you kind of touched on it a little bit, but this is

an ongoing effort. adriana: the marketing and technology services are all year long until 2023 so--and the grants are available, applications, until october 14, so we're still in time if you're a business owner in oakland, to apply for that grant. damian: mm-hm, and you took advantage of that, rosa. rosa: i did. the--eight months i went through my overhead and look at all of my bills, called comcast, and i saw comcast rise apply, and i did so and it was the best day. it was like winning the lottery, for me. i won the technology makeover and what that consisted of was two ipads, desktop, laptop, and cameras, interior, exterior, and it's been a huge help for my small business, for my--our

clients that come from oakland and it's easy transition for them to make online appointments when they come in and prebook their next session with us for the next six to eight weeks, and it's the security cameras that were installed for the exterior part just gives me a peace of mind of security when i'm away from the small business. damian: all right, well, again, the deadline is october 14, so it's just a few days away. if you'd like to find out more information about this comcast rise program, you can log on to their website. it should be on the screen there shortly. there it is. it's called comcast rise, grants for small businesses. we'll be back and talk more about this special effort when we continue so stay with us.

with the comcast rise program. and, adriana, it's got to be rewarding to listen to what a difference these grants are making for small business owners like rosa. adriana: yes, because over 200 businesses in california

have taken advantage of this program since it was created in 2020 so we know that those 200 businesses have a story just like rosa and it's very, very rewarding to see how they're benefiting from some of the programs. damian: and it wasn't just you, right, rosa? i mean, you're the proprietor, you're the business owner, but you were worried about those who work at level 5 salon, your employees, and those who have a station, a hair station, there. rosa: absolutely, you know, they have family and they rely on me on having, you know, open doors and, with the uncertainty that was lying ahead of us, i was having some really hard times. so i was just really glad that i was able to--i was selected for this technology makeover. damian: how close were you--how close were you to saying, "i can't keep this up anymore. i'm gonna have to be one of those small businesses that is going to have to close its doors"? rosa: i gave--i talked to my husband and i said, "let's give

me until february of 2021. if my doors do not open, then i'll let it go." we were able to survive two recessions and i just was gonna fight tooth and nail on this pandemic, and thank goodness we were able to-- damian: that's what it takes--no, that's what it's taken is that perseverance from a lot of these business owners. so how should, adriana, how should business owners separate themselves if they want to be one of the lucky recipients of the services? adriana: so, one of the qualifications is to have 25 employees or less and to have been in business for over three years, but other than that the applications is very straightforward. tell us your story. if you wanna apply for the cash infusion, for the $10,000 grant, you have to be in the city of oakland. but if you're outside of oakland, you can still apply for a marketing and technology improvement and just go in there

and tell us your story, and that's all it takes, just to go in the website to have the application and then we'll--you'll get notified. damian: what does it say, adriana, about the resilience of businesses like rosa's that say, "i'm not gonna give up"? you know, this is, you put your heart and soul into opening up your small business and you persevere. adriana: yeah, absolutely, and business owners, small business owners, are in our community, in our corners. that's, you know, where we do businesses in and out every day, so absolutely, i admire all the business owners and i'm very excited to work in this program that is benefiting them. damian: and rosa, what--let me ask you what difference the grant made. you talked about some of the items that you were able to purchase, but the fact that a company like comcast believed in your venture was one, and maybe the monetary was another thing that helped. but tell us about that.

rosa: sure, is providing a smooth transition or smooth service for our clients. them being able to go online and book their next appointment and having that technology in-house, i didn't have a lot before. i didn't have an ipad in the salon that they could do this. we were using our phones. so having that feature on hand, for them to have a smoother and a more relaxing--'cause they come to level 5 for relaxation and to get pampered. so i'm glad that we're--comcast rise was able to provide that for my small business. damian: and how is it going so far? are things starting to pick up? are they where they were before the pandemic or is it still a struggle? rosa: things are starting to pick up. it's still a struggle. i definitely and i could speak for all of us, that we're not back at where we were at prior to the pandemic. so it's been a slow process. damian: i see the--you have employees are back and forth so

it's a busy day there at level 5 salon. any advice you would give to some of these businesses, adriana, that maybe are feeling a struggle? maybe can't qualify for a grant but can still obtain some of the other services that you provide. adriana: absolutely, i think rosa hit the nail on the head where she talks about technology and smooth transition. i think that these--we've seen how a lot of businesses are using a digital transformation during this pandemic and utilizing other options like qr codes and other technologies that is helping them streamline their services. i think i encourage everybody to look into this and take advantage of the services so that they can move into the future of their business. damian: well, that's a great point. i mean, look at what we're doing here. we're doing this show virtually from offices, homes. you know, i'm at my home. but the pandemic has really changed the way we do things and

it's up to us to adapt to it. rosa, your advice to the small business owners [speaking foreign language] so that they can keep going and not give up. rosa: there's resources out there. i would-- apply for comcast rise. i did not believe i was gonna be selected and there's no regret. i don't look back. and it's a quick, easy application. i strongly urge you to apply. you won't regret it. damian: all right, and i think we might need to get you an upgrade on your internet service. it's a little spotty there but, you know, mine goes in and out-- that's one of the things that we're struggling with. adriana, any final things that you'd like to say to our viewers? adriana: apply for comcast rise and if you know somebody that owns a small business, please let them know, so apply. if they're in oakland, october 14 is the deadline so go in and apply for those $10,000. damian: that's a lot of money, especially right now.

that's great advice. rosa-- any final thoughts that you'd like to give? rosa: i'm with adriana: apply. it's comcastrise.com. it's a easy application. damian: all right, well, rosa, we wish you all the best. level 5 salon and you're on your way back and we sure appreciate that. and adriana, thank you and to comcast for what you're doing in our community. you know, it's the belief in those companies that is gonna keep them going and y'all believe and so we appreciate you. rosa: thank you. damian: thank you. thank you very much and, again, if you'd like to get more information on the comcast rise program, you can log on to their website and there it is on the screen. it's grants for small businesses but also other services in case you can't qualify for one of those grants if you live outside of oakland. there is the web address for more information. we'll be back and talk more about the presidio, some new ventures there, so stay with us.

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and with us on "comunidad del valle" is rebekah berkov, representing the presidio trust, so rebekah, welcome back to the show. rebekah berkov: thank you so much, damian. it's a pleasure to be here today. damian: great to have you. well, tell us, first of all, about the presidio trust and then about this new exhibition. rebekah: yeah, so the presidio national park is about 1500 acres of land in northern san francisco at the foot of the golden gate bridge and, if you haven't visited yet, it is a must-visit park. commanding views of angel island and alcatraz and san francisco bay, plenty of areas to picnic and sightseeing, hiking. lots to do in the park. damian: yeah, and so the exhibition has something to do with that because, well, you tell us about it, but it puts--it gives us a view of the bay area and beyond through a lens of me, you, the common people.

rebekah: absolutely, that's exactly it. so the new exhibit that we're celebrating opened last month and it'll be open for a full year in the presidio, and it's called "my park moment." and it was crowdsourced. so we invited folks from the bay area, from california, from across the us and even beyond, international submissions, to share their experiences of themselves in nature, in parks, with their friends, with their communities. and it really highlights the diversity of all of us that live, you know, in the states and beyond, and also all the different ways that we uniquely engage with the outdoors. and we have youth participants, there's a whole section there for different exhibits in the park itself and one exhibit is really impressive to seeouth what youth see and to see how

different that is from the adult perspective. so we were really--we were thankful to have the opportunity to partner with chrissy field center and they ran a summer camp program for youth who received these submissions and curated that part of the exhibit. and they also had a chance to explore san francisco and public art and just learn more about art-making in general. damian: that's wonderful. and since you've seen a lot of these submissions, were you in awe at some of them? like, "oh, i didn't know that was in the bay area," or that "that was here, that was there"? rebekah: absolutely, we are just so blessed in the bay area to have so much nature at our fingertips and accessible. but, honestly, nature and the outdoors can be defined in many different ways. so a lot of the images capture, you know, urban san francisco and urban oakland, lake merritt, barbecuing at lake merritt,

spending time with friends and family. so really, there are a lot of surprises, just new perspectives on what parks can be and are to people. skateboarding, extreme sports, in the most remote areas of mountains so there's really a lot to take in and each location in the park, there are four different exhibit locations, has a specific theme to it. so there are themes of meditation and sort of reflection, there are themes of celebration and joy, there are themes of extreme sports and unusual places to visit. so yeah, it's just something you have to come and explore on your own and, if you don't have the opportunity to come to the presidio, the entire exhibit is available online at www.presidiotunneltops.org.

damian: and i get every small neighborhood has their own yosemite, right, whether it's dolores park or alum rock park, it's our own jewels in our own backyard. rebekah: absolutely, you just said it. and for us, this exhibit is really exciting because it is the lead up to a brand new 14-acre site, the presidio tunnel tops site, that will be opening next spring. and it will just amplify the park space that we have already. it will include a new museum-like field station and a refurbished chrissy field center for youth programs and leadership as well as for the community. and a multi-acre playground for youth as well, new barbecue sites and picnic tables, gorgeous vistas. it's really going to be an incredible new resource for the community. so we invite you to come see "my park moment" and take a look at

construction and how far we're along on presidio tunnel tops. damian: all right, so the advice is put these phones down. put 'em away and go out and enjoy your neighborhood park. any final thoughts? we have about 20 seconds. any final thoughts, rebekah? rebekah: no final thoughts. just it's been such a pleasure to be a part of this project and to have the opportunity to work at the presidio. and the presidio's a national park. it's your park. come, enjoy it. damian: all right, well, thank you so much, rebekah berkov, for being once again here on "comunidad del valle." thank you so much. rebekah: thank you, damian. take care. damian: thank you. you too. the information again for the presidio trust, presidio national park, is on your screen. there is the web address for more information. we'll be back with more here on "comunidad del valle." stay with us.

"comunidad del valle," you can follow me on twitter. my handle is @newsdamian, and on instagram it's @newsdamiantrujillo. and also pick up a copy of "el observador" newspaper and support your bilingual weeklies all across the bay area. i wanted to leave you with a special interview

from a few years ago. we all been across the bay area. we see the buildings, the john sobrato buildings. but john sobrato is a philanthropist, but he's a latino at heart. he cares about those communities that have less than others. so here's a special interview with john sobrato. we'll see you next week. damian: we begin today with a name that is synonymous with philanthropy, john sobrato is on the board of the national hispanic university foundation, the latino college prep academy, and the cristo rey high school, all in the south bay. he's our guest here on the show. damian: welcome to the show, sir. john sobrato: damian. damian: what is it, sir, that inspires you, motivates you, to do your philanthropic work? john: well, we were fortunate to start a real estate business, development business, back in the late '60s, early '70s, long before it was known as silicon valley, so i guess we were in the right place at the right time. and so we really feel, since we have been able to be successful here, that we ought to be--we're obligated to share that success

with the other folks in the community that could use a helping hand. damian: no, and i think it's appreciated by all those folks. so you were actually one of the pioneers who helped transition the valley of heart's delight into silicon valley, then? john: yes, not the traffic, but-- damian: [laughing] well, it came with it. we do have some artist's rendition. now this is your latest endeavor. this is a donation to santa clara university. talk about the plans there with the university. john: all right, we're gonna be starting construction in the fall of 2018 on what's gonna be known as the sobrato campus for innovation and discovery. it'll be a huge building, 300,000 square feet, and probably 3 or 4 times larger than anything else on campus. and the whole purpose of it is to bring all the various disciplines that are taught across the campus in various silos into--under one roof where, you know, the engineering

scientist, the biochemist, the nanoscience, i mean, all these various disciplines can work together on some of these really important world-class problems. education's changing today. now, there needs to be a convergence of all these various disciplines in order to solve some of these big problems, things like, you know, worldwide poverty, energy sustainability, and there's no place on campus now where we can bring all these various disciplines together and where the students can collaborate, work together as teams, and this stem as they call it, science, technology, engineering, and math, and some schools include art and call it steam but it is unique at santa clara--it will be unique at santa clara there 'cause it'll be taught in the undergraduate school.

there are other universities that have a stem-type educational curriculum but it's generally in their upper division, in their graduate division. so this'll be unique. damian: congratulations. that's a--it's great and it's appreciated by the university, the entire south bay region. the--is it the idea, maybe, at some point to inspire the next generation of philanthropists by the work that you're doing, maybe get them to give back, just the way you're giving back? john: well, we think it's important to give back, not--you know, we kind of focus the majority of our giving to silicon valley 'cause that's where our business was successful, but we also think it's important to give back to those institutions that kind of shaped our lives. in my case, i graduated from santa clara back in 1960. my son and his deceased wife graduated in 1983. my daughter sheri got her master's degree there

in the '90s. my grandchildren graduated five or six years ago, so we got quite a long history of sobratos that have attended santa clara university, so we just think, you know, it's important to give back to that institution that has shaped our lives. damian: when it's-- john: jesuit values, you know? damian: sure, and so that leads me to the cristo rey, your participation with cristo rey and the other organizations and agencies and institutions in this valley. social--i don't wanna say social justice, but those who are in agencies into social reform and social justice, is that what the interest is with your family? john: well, i think we'd like to empower individuals from low-income, marginalized, disenfranchised, you know, at-risk populations, and that is pretty much the definition of--

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