#072 - In this episode of the Townrootz Podcast, we sit down with Tomika Jones, founder and CEO of DRVA, a mobile roadside assistance company that’s making help on the road faster, safer, and more accessible. What started as a frustrating personal experience became the spark for a business that empowers drivers and service providers alike.

DRVA is a mobile roadside assistance platform offering on-demand help for drivers experiencing flat tires, battery issues, lockouts, and more. Through its app, users connect directly with nearby, verified service providers, bringing speed, transparency, and peace of mind to roadside support.

Tomika shares how she turned a moment of vulnerability into a thriving tech-enabled solution that connects drivers with trusted roadside help. After being stranded on the side of the road for hours waiting for help, Tomika knew there had to be a better way. That moment became her mission.

“I didn’t want anyone else to feel the fear and frustration I felt that day. That’s where DRVA was born.”

Tomika’s shares how the best businesses often come from deeply personal pain points—and how innovation can be rooted in empathy.

#071 - In this dynamic episode of the Townrootz Podcast, hosts Anthony Wilson and Vincent Hayes sit down with Myeshia Jefferson, a powerhouse entrepreneur, marketing concierge, and specialist in medical-focused nail care. From her bestselling book to her innovative ventures into the metaverse, Myeshia shares actionable strategies and personal insights on how entrepreneurs can build solid foundations, find their niche, and thrive in the ever-changing landscape of small business.

She covers:

• Why niching down is the key to leveling up
• How localizing your brand builds trust
• Avoiding costly mistakes in marketing
• The power of word-of-mouth and authenticity
• Preparing underserved communities for Web 3.0

Myeshia’s journey into the world of health and beauty wasn’t just about passion—it was deeply personal. After witnessing the tragic loss of her grandfather due to complications from a diabetic foot wound, she became determined to provide specialized care for those with medical needs. This purpose-driven mission eventually led her to become a certified medical manicurist, educator, and business consultant.

“My grandfather died… he was a diabetic and had a cut on the bottom of his foot he didn’t feel. That experience made me realize how important proper foot care is—and how dangerous it can be without it.”

Myeshia’s journey into health, beauty, and marketing wasn’t just a career move—it was a mission to restore confidence. One of the most striking takeaways from the conversation was how she merges her deep marketing knowledge with a passion for helping others feel seen and celebrated. Whether she’s guiding a brand or advising on self-care, her approach is rooted in authenticity.

#070 - In this episode of the Townrootz Podcast, hosts Anthony Wilson and Vincent Hayes sit down with Gloria Kamil, the founder of Total Fitness Transformation. Gloria shares her journey of building a thriving fitness business in Oakland, her unique approach to weight management and body image, and how her work helps clients achieve long-term health and emotional balance. Gloria’s expertise as a personal trainer, mat Pilates instructor, weight management and behavior specialist, and mind and body eating coach gives her a holistic approach to helping her clients feel strong, healthy, and confident.

Total Fitness Transformation is a boutique-style fitness studio in Oakland, California, that focuses on empowering women through a combination of personal training, group fitness classes, and mind-body coaching. Gloria's program goes beyond traditional fitness – she helps clients with emotional eating, body image challenges, and sustainable health habits. With over 23 years in the industry, Gloria provides a supportive, safe environment where clients can build strength, release weight (not just lose it), and develop a positive relationship with food and their bodies.

Gloria opens up about how the pandemic motivated her to deepen her work, particularly in supporting the health of the Black and Brown communities. Hear how Gloria reframes “weight loss” as “weight release” – and why that shift matters. Discover the key to sustaining fitness results and why quick fixes don’t work. Learn why body image is a big challenge for women – and how Gloria helps her clients feel strong and confident.

#069 - In this powerful episode, Anthony and Vincent sit down with Breezy & Bobbi, the inspiring sister duo behind *We Heal Different*, a dance studio and healing space in Richmond, CA. Breezy & Bobbi share their incredible journey of creating a community-centered space focused on dance, sisterhood, and healing. They discuss how their studio empowers women to reconnect with their bodies and reclaim their sensuality through movement, pole, and twerk classes — all grounded in the principles of self-love, empowerment, and healing.

We Heal Different provides a range of movement-based classes, including pole dancing, twerking, belly dance fusion, and stretch sessions, all designed to help women reconnect with their bodies and heal through movement. They also offer holistic experiences such as sister circles, trauma release ceremonies, and community events to foster emotional healing and support. In addition to dance, the studio provides massage therapy, Pilates (coming soon), and birth justice work, creating a safe and sacred space for women to reclaim their sensuality and strength in a supportive, community-driven environment.

A takeaway for us was how Breezy & Bobbi emphasize that healing is not a linear process — it’s relational and deeply connected to community and movement. They highlight that many women carry trauma and disconnection from their bodies due to societal pressures, past experiences, and internalized shame. Through their classes and sister circles, Breezy & Bobbi create a space where women can feel safe to release emotional tension, reconnect with their sensuality, and build authentic relationships with others. Their approach challenges the idea that healing happens in isolation, instead showing that true healing comes through shared experiences, trust, and collective support.

#068 - Our discussion with Arturto was so inspiring and really went in 2 directions. In episode 67, he talks about his journey of starting Centro and we brought in a Centro entrepreneur, Annie Wang from Little Moon Bakehouse. In this episode, Arturo shares his journey as a social entrepreneur, providing wisdom from his experiences founding Centro, and writing his book *In Pursuit of a Noble Cause*. Arturo’s work centers on uplifting low-income and marginalized communities through innovative tools and social impact initiatives.

Arturo Noriega penned “In Pursuit of a Noble Cause” to support social entrepreneurs looking to start a social enterprise. It will also resonate with professors who teach principles of social entrepreneurship.

“I have read several books on nonprofit management, nonprofit leadership, and some tools, but they didn't necessarily hit home for me. I think what was missing is really the pain of starting a nonprofit or a social enterprise. It requires a lot of perseverance. It's a book really written about waking people up to our industry, the economic development industry, the struggle of women entrepreneurs in particular, and people of color, and my personal struggles.”

Arturo highlighted the rapid growth in the number of people of color leading nonprofit organizations. He emphasized that these leaders require support due to their unique leadership styles, which are often rooted in their cultural norms and understanding. Implicit bias can be a significant barrier to success for leaders of color, and it can negatively impact both their direction and overall achievements.

Arturo discussed the challenges with writing the book as a new author and while recovering from long COVID and also having dyslexia.

It’s a lot so we split it into 2 episodes.

#067 - Today we are joined by 2 guests: Arturo Noriega, Founder and CEO of Centro Community Partners and Annie Wang, owner of Little Moon Bakehouse. Arturo shares his journey of starting Centro to help entrepreneurs in underserved communities, particularly women and immigrants, build successful businesses. Annie discusses her path to launching Little Moon Bakehouse, a vegan, eco-conscious bakery. Together, they explore the roles of community support, sustainable practices, and the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

Centro Community Partners provides business training, financial literacy, access to capital, and 1:1 business coaching for success. Arturo says…

“We cater to how we can help you create an idea that is profitable… We listen to you… We will never judge your idea.”

Arturo shared that approximately 80% of the entrepreneurs Centro has supported since its inception have been women. When asked why, he said he believes women are more likely to seek help & training and have a desire to work and build community with other entrepreneurs to create a system of support as they embark upon their path to financial freedom.

Little Moon Bakehouse is a Centro company. Annie started Little Moon Bakehouse to make sustainable Asian pastries by lessening the environmental impact of food production. …

“everything is vegan, and we use compostable packaging.”

Eliminating animal products from food production can have a significantly positive environmental impact. Since many baked goods rely heavily on animal products such as eggs and milk, Annie faced an uphill battle that required reimagining baked pastries.

Arturo and Annie both underscore the importance of community support, intentional values, and perseverance in building impactful businesses. Whether it’s providing resources for underserved entrepreneurs or creating climate-friendly bakery items, both guests demonstrate the power of purpose-driven work in our Oakland community.

#066 - Today our guest is Ayodele Kinchen, a gifted and self taught artist, designer, and visionary. With a keen eye and talent for design, she finds joy creating wearable art that transforms the everyday woman into a Queen, and aims to design pieces that heal, encourage, honor, and beautify the mind, body, and spirit.

Her business started by making things for herself - handmade goods like jewelry, home decor, clothing, and handbags. People started asking, “Hey, where'd you get that from?” So she started making stuff for other people. But, when she started making waist beads, her business exploded.

“I have been wearing them since I was a child. I knew and understood the traditional practice of wearing them so I felt if I decided to actually make them for others, I can equip people with additional knowledge and context behind why they're worn. So I felt really good about adding that to my collection of goods, however, once I added that as a collection of items that I would include under my business name, it took off like crazy. And it's basically, it took over my entire business making handbags and jewelry and everything else.”

We thought we were talking to an artist, but found out we were talking to a culture keeper, a change maker, a healer, and a counselor. Ayodele’s customers love her, evident by the repeat bookings for private parties. But, the best compliments have come from the women who told her she literally changed their lives, one actually calling her a healer.

Be sure to listen to the whole interview to hear how Ayodele bet on herself - leaving her full time 9 to 5 while pregnant with her 3rd child and never looking back.

#065 - Today we talk to Carol F Burton, Founder of The Jeweld Legacy Group, a nonprofit consultancy based here in Oakland. The company is named after mother - Jewel. After a career in nonprofit management Carol saw an opportunity to work with nonprofits and public systems to provide support, technical assistance, resources, and show them how to partner in much more efficient ways to create more self-sufficiency.

“so that at the end of the day, our communities would look a little different, that our communities would have what they needed to do for themselves and they were not reliant on governmental agencies. And so that requires community-based organizations and grassroots organizations and faith-based organizations, advocacy organizations, and it requires the government, which is our cities and counties, to work better together so that our folks are doing better and they have the resources that they need.”

In addition to consulting with nonprofit organizations, The Jeweld Legacy Group does executive coaching, strategic planning, and they host and plan meetings around the intersection of homelessness, public safety, mental illness, substance use, incarceration and any of the other issues that impact African-American communities.

Be sure to listen to the whole interview to hear Carol talk about how using an executive coach is akin to using a coach in an athletic competition.