OUR UPCOMING EVENTS

PREVIOUS EVENTS

     SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: AMBITION VINTAGE

By: Christine Mora 

     Megan Knoll, a Modesto native, is a young business owner paving the way for a new generation of Central Valley entrepreneurs. Megan, owner of the second-hand clothing store Ambition Vintage, has had a love for fashion her entire life. She began her journey to share her love of clothing in 2011 when she first started selling vintage pieces. Nearly 15 years later, in 2025, Megan spotted Ambition’s current home and storefront, jumping headfirst into small business ownership. She opened up her first Ambition storefront in Modesto, California, where the overwhelming community support quickly spread, allowing Megan to open a second location in early 2026.

      Ambition’s original location is housed at 1057 W Orangeburg Ave. in Modesto, chosen because it is in the same neighborhood where Megan grew up. As a Roosevelt Junior High alum, her Modesto store is located in the perfect position to service the community that raised her. In early February of 2026, Megan embarked on another big journey when she opened her second Ambition storefront in Merced, located at 1573 W 18th St. Her ties to the Merced area are just as deep as her Modesto roots, as her father is a Merced business owner as well. She grew up going to yard sales and hunting down deals in the area, so when the business space opened up, she thought, “Why not? The worst thing that can happen is I say that I tried.” 

     Through the years, Megan’s clothing resale journey has taken on many different shapes and styles. What started out of boredom and a love of thrifting quickly became a business and livelihood for her. After making the decision to forgo college in 2017, Megan began selling modern and ultra-trendy clothing brands such as Lululemon, Revolve, and other designers. Now, she focuses on centering her selection on exactly what her customers want, regularly taking polls and asking her community questions. She finds enjoyment in finding the piece that someone has been dreaming of and being able to deliver it for an affordable price. When asked what the name Ambition meant to her, Megan said, “I think it used to mean something to me [that] it no longer means. When I was young, I named it Ambition because it was a buzzword that I had heard people say about me my entire life and I almost named it that to be ironic because I didn’t think I was ambitious. Now that I’m older, and Ambition has grown to what it is, I feel everyone is a bit ambitious.”

     Ambition is different from other thrift and vintage stores in the area because of the care that Megan pours into it. At the core of Ambition is Megan’s drive to make it a store that caters to the needs and wants of her community. She is the primary pillar and curator across both of her storefronts, with only one other vendor in her stores. She works at the store, runs social media, and even hand crafts many of her items. She is all in on her passion, and Ambition is her passion. She states, “You can’t pay someone to care and I think when people stop caring is when their stores start to fail. When I stop caring, I will close. I don’t desire a life where I’m not passionate about what I do. But I’ve been passionate about Ambition since I was in middle school, and I’m 25, so I don’t see that running out anytime soon.”

     Ambition is rooted in community and giving back. Ambition donates money to the Immigrant Defense Project, Trevor Project, and Ray of Hope on a monthly basis, as well as donating children’s clothing to members of the community. The belief that no child should go without basic needs is a foundation of Ambition, which is why Megan also sponsors two teachers each semester at local schools by donating classroom supplies. Upcoming news for Ambition includes a future merch project with local business and artist Love Morgue, in which a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the community. Megan hopes to expand in the next few years with more stores, events, and starting up Ambition’s online storefront.

     Ambition is raw, real, dedicated to standing up for what they believe in, and supporting the community, all through a love for fashion. To learn more about Megan Knoll and Ambition, check out @Ambition.vintage and @ambition.Merced on Instagram or pop into an Ambition Vintage store to see an eclectic and curated selection of fashion-forward clothing.

ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT: CENTRAL VALLEY BLACK, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF COLOR COALITION

By: Mariah Ring

     The Central Valley Black, Indigenous, People of Color Coalition (CVBIPOCC) has been pushing for the equal rights of all individuals in the Central Valley for the past six years. In early 2020, founders Julissa and Efren saw the need for more united community organizing as the Black Lives Matter movement sparked protests across the country. What started as virtual monthly meetings for organizers has turned into a “community-rooted movement dedicated to liberation through love, solidarity, healing, and collective action.” 

      Unlike some organizations, CVBIPOCC is a grass-roots effort that is completely volunteer operated. They strive to educate people on a variety of topics, such as political liberation, environmental justice, police accountability, immigration rights, leadership development, and more. Several of these topics have been expanded upon and developed into committees, where groups of community members can meet, discuss, plan, and act on items that are most important to them. For example, the Environmental Committee tends to a community garden, started by and handed down to the organization by a community member.  Environmental Committee members are encouraged to care for the crops, as well as harvest anything that they may need. In addition to formal committees, CVBIPOCC holds educational sessions to inform community members about their rights and disseminates education and safety resources. They also organize protests, walk-outs, and mutual aid efforts while promoting care for one another by fundraising, donating supplies, hosting food drives, providing rides, and cooking meals for those in need. 

      In their continuous efforts to weave strong community connections, CVBIPOCC hosts and supports events held by organizational partners. These opportunities include creating whistle kits, canvassing, warm clothing and food drives, film screenings, and facilitating collaborative circles for healing. All necessary skills for these workshops are bolstered by CVBIPOCC training, ensuring that volunteers have the tools to confidently advocate for themselves and others. The efforts do not stop there, as they continue to recruit and vet volunteers to build a trusted circle of support. 

      As the movement grows, co-founder Julissa hopes that CVBIPOCC members can continue working together in alignment while cultivating the next generation of leaders. She aims for CVBIPOCC to, “build and plant seeds of liberation,” to help community members find and utilize the strength within themselves for change they want to see in their community. Co-founder Efren agreed that he wants to see CVBIPOCC grow and become more sustainable. Getting more youth involved, creating local leaders, and providing more opportunities for civic engagement are some of his desires for the organization. Both Julissa and Efren have a passion for community engagement and want to build a better Central Valley, noting that, “if any movement is going to happen, it’s going to happen in the Central Valley. We are a powerhouse.” 

      On May 1st, CVBIPOCC is organizing a May Day event, calling all community members to join in an economic strike, where participants are urged to refrain from shopping or attending work. They will be peacefully assembling at the 10th St. Plaza at 12 P.M. to provide support to each other and celebrate International Worker’s Day. Stay up to date with all of their events and community support on their Instagram, @cvbipocc.

CREATIVE NATIVE Q & A: JELANI BROWN

By: Marina Jimenez

Q: What is your name and hometown? 

A: I am Jelani and I'm from San Jose, CA. 

Q: How were you first introduced to music as a form of expression?

A: My dad introduced me to music, from the different aspects of performing music to making music. Growing up, my dad was the musician in the family. He played the drums and bass.

Q: Is creating art your full-time career? If not, is that your goal?

A: Creating art is not my full-time job, but I would like it to be.

Q: What is your favorite genre to work in and why?

A: I am a classically trained violinist and have played in many genres, from classical to rock to fiddle tunes, but I love working in Hip-Hop and R&B. These genres I grew up listening to and have had an impact on my life.

Q: Where do you find inspiration? Are there artists who inspire you?

A: I get my inspiration from life. Artists that inspire me are Chance the Rapper, Noname, Larussel, and Mick Jenkins.  

Q: Do you have advice for young people interested in pursuing a career in the arts but who may be anxious to start?

A: Do it afraid! That's when I've learned the most and found the most rewards.

Q: Where can people go to hear your work?

A: You can find me on Instagram @iamjelani. The link in my bio takes you to my most recent EP, "Higher Learning Vol. 1," as well as other projects, shows, merch, and more. Be on the lookout for upcoming events!

COMMUNITY EVENTS & RESOURCES