William holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing and a master’s and a doctorate in Education from Northwestern University-Chicago. He gained significant marketing and PR expertise during his tenure at such noted companies as Nordstrom’s, Enterprise Car Rental, Thrifty Car Rental, Nine West, and Planet Hollywood. Working with these companies gave William an inside look at everything from franchise-based organizations to national corporations, equipping him to know how to help businesses of every size succeed.

Han Tran has been a board member of North Park Main Street since 2020, currently serving as Secretary. She has lived in San Diego for over 40 years since immigrating here with her family from Vietnam in 1980. Han graduated from UCSD with a degree in Communication, but her roots are cemented in small business, which she believes is the core of every thriving community. Han and her husband have been small business owners since 2003, previously operating the now-shuttered Ebisu Sushi in Hillcrest for 17 years. They now continue to own and operate Shank & Bone, a modern Vietnamese restaurant, here in North Park. Han and her family have enjoyed witnessing the growth and evolution of North Park over the years, and especially the sense of community here.

Joseph Balestrieri has been the operating partner at The Office Bar since 2008 & served the Boards of directors in North Park for over 10 years. At North Park Main Street, he was Board President, Treasurer, & now VP. During that tenure, he’s helped plan various large-scale fundraising events such as the North Park Toyland Parade, Taste of North Park, North Park Festival of the Arts, and World Cup 2014 & 2018 outdoor viewing parties. For the North Park Community Association, he’s fundraised for & planned the BirdPark SummerConcerts, Community Forums & neighborhood cleanups. For the new North Park Business & Neighborhood Foundation, he’s programming activation for the new North Park Mini-Park for 2022.

Jenna was raised in Tehachapi, California, a small mountain town in the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After graduating high school, she went on to get her undergraduate degree in Spanish and business management from SDSU. While at SDSU, she studied in Spain and sharpened her language skills. She then taught English in Quito, Ecuador, and decided to go back to get her master’s from Colorado State. She graduated with two master’s: One in Spanish language and culture and the other in teaching English as a second language. She worked for SDSU teaching English to international students for three years and then left to get her bilingual teaching credential to teach high-school Spanish. She worked in the Sweetwater Union High School District for three years. In March 2020, the district made an announcement that they would be letting go of over 200 teachers. Jenna was one of them. She had been teaching for over 13 years at that point and did not know what she was going to do. She got another job at SDSU teaching Spanish, but she just wanted something new. She had always wanted to be an entrepreneur. She had come up with countless business ideas, but they never came to fruition. Serendipitously, one day, she was looking at Instagram and saw a friend of hers with whom she worked at SDSU. He had put a pair of glasses on his new Instagram page. He was starting to sell unworn, vintage eyewear (manufactured between 1960 and 2000, but never sold). She was intrigued. She messaged him and asked if he needed any help with his new endeavor. He did, and Jenna fell in love with the glasses–their quality, colors, shapes, and styles were unlike anything she had ever seen. She and Jon decided to go into business together and open Revival Vintage Eyewear located on north park’s historic arts and culture street, RayStreet. She put all of the skills she acquired as a teacher, banker, server, and customer service rep and opened San Diego’s only vintage eyewear store. She is now an optician and can fill any frame! She currently lives in North Park with her adorable dog, Goldie. She travels any chance she gets, hikes, and loves to explore all the new restaurants and bars in the amazing North Park community.

Nate Benedetto began his brokerage career in 2005 and founded Next Wave Commercial in 2016. With over 500 lease and sale transactions completed, Nate has built strong relationships with retailers and restaurateurs throughout downtown, uptown, and coastal communities. His extensive experience in representing tenants, landlords, buyers, and sellers, combined with his trend analysis and deep knowledge of urban and coastal neighborhoods, allows him to stay ahead of the competition and deliver exceptional results for his clients.

Nate’s expertise has led him to broker deals recognized as “Restaurant of the Year” for San Diego County in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022. While he lives by the mantra “never not working,” Nate treasures spending time on the beach and in the mountains with his wife and two kids.

Jake Nunes is a native San Diegan, and has been a North Park property owner, and North Park business operator for years.  Jake has been employed in the food and beverage industry for 30 years.

He has specifically worked in the craft beer industry in San Diego since 2003 with a list of employers including Karl Strauss, Ballast Point, Stone Brewing, Tiger! Tiger!, North Park Beer Co, Societe Brewing, and Burgeon Beer Company. Today, Jake is the Director of Hospitality for Modern Times Beer. Jake was awarded the title of Certified Cicerone in 2011. He has served on the Advisory Board for the San Diego State University’s Business of Craft Beer Certificate Program since the program’s inception in 2013 and has been an instructor for Exploring Craft Beer, Beer Styles I and II courses. Jake is also the 2024 President of the San Diego Brewers Guild which supports local beer companies’ production, distribution, and sales of craft beer.

Landa Willmar, a passionate advocate for community development, made the move to San Diego two years ago and immediately fell in love with its vibrant atmosphere. Settling in North Park, she now calls it home and operates her consulting agency, Ignite Growth Solutions (IGS). IGS provides growth strategy services, particularly in Real Estate Development and Construction or startups. With a focus on elevating businesses to new heights, Landa and her team at IGS are dedicated to empowering organizations to thrive in San Diego and beyond. Dedicated to making a positive impact, Landa volunteers with various non-profits, focusing on causes that resonate with her. She is committed to supporting social impact clients, utilizing her expertise to drive meaningful change within communities.

Kristen Nevarez Schweizer represents Makers Church, a diverse community committed to following Jesus Christ by loving people. She is the daughter of Filipino and Mexican immigrants who met in San Diego. Kristen loves her hometown too much to ever leave, earning a degree in Theatre Arts at San Diego State University before working at locally focused institutions, including The San Diego Business Journal, San Diego Repertory Theatre, and Vanguard Culture. She serves as a pastor at Makers Church in North Park.