Recently honored with the "Longevity Award" at this year's Orange County Business Journal’s Family-Owned Business ceremony, Northgate González Markets is more than just a family grocery-store chain — it’s an immersive, authentic Mexican food experience. Founded in 1980 by family patriarch Don Miguel Gonzalez, who emigrated to the United States in the early 1960’s to support his growing family back in Mexico, today the family-run business owns 44 stories in five counties – including the flagship Mercado González Northgate Market on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa—with 7,500 employees and $1B in sales. Beyond the grocery stores, however, the Gonzales family are also recognized for their commitment to giving back to the communities they serve.

Join OC World guest host Gaddi Vasquez as he explores a recent Orange County poll conducted by UCI's School of Social Ecology. Discover how the votes of Latino/Hispanic and Asian communities in Orange County could well shape the next election!

Orange County resident Frank Cruz is a groundbreaking media personality whose complex life story is captured in his book, "Straight Out of Barrio Hollywood: The Adventures of Telemundo Co-Founder, Chicano History Professor, TV Anchorman, Network Executive, and Public Broadcasting Leader.” His varied accomplishments read like an epic journey through the heart and soul of the Chicano experience in Southern California. Cruz eventually became a co-founder of Telemundo, a global Spanish-speaking television network that today transcends borders and unites communities around the world. His tireless dedication to amplifying Latino voices transformed the media landscape, ushering in a new era of more inclusive representation.

The Irvine Ranch is nearly a hundred thousand acres in Orange County – as big as Philadelphia — three times the size of San Francisco. And what a ranch . . . in just a few decades it has been transformed into a master-planned communities of several cities and home to nearly a half million people, a thriving business community, a major university, and repeatedly ranked as one of the best and safest places to live. Today the ranch is the centerpiece of the Irvine Company—one of the nation’s biggest real estate firms. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Rick Reiff interview Mike Stockstill, co-author of a book that spans the history of of this Orange County real estate and its storied family legacy.

The rise and fall of Nadia Davis-Lockyer represents one of the most tumultuous stories in California political history. In her book – “Home is Within You” – she details her saga of pain, trauma, addiction, fear, and public shaming, and how it has taken her years to reach a place of recovery and redemption. OC World continues to bring diverse voices of OC to communities throughout Southern California.

“Playing for Change” was a viral video that roughly 20 years ago had a great message about the power and awe of music and philanthropy. It has been viewed more than 200 million times and it started with the great Ben E. King classic song "Stand by Me," and it featured musicians from around the world. OC World had the opportunity to interview two visionaries who continue to raise funds to support music and arts programs in schools both locally and globally... Alec Glasser, owner of the Drake Restaurant in Laguna Beach and founder of The Drake Gives, and Jake Groshong, CEO for the “Playing for Change” Foundation.

Discover the unlimited possibilities of TGR Foundation in our upcoming feature, Champions for Education. Learn about the TGR Learning Lab, which offers unique educational experiences in science, technology, engineering, and math and its impact on students. Hear from influential players and gain knowledge about innovative new programs in development in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.