DVC Alumni: Where Every Story Inspires the Next!

Host Charley Daly sits down with Greg Berkowitz of Berks Beans to trace the company’s leap from garage roasts to a full-time roastery and tasting room, and to explore how local coffee culture drives community.
The episode covers supporting mobile vendors like Humbly Caffeinated through pop-ups, roasting fresh-to-order beans, brewing tips, and building personal customer experiences that beat big-box coffee.
Greg also describes KaFinka, an app for tracking and discovering coffees, holiday gift sets, future plans for a tasting room and trailer events, and his advice on turning a hobby into a sustainable business.
You can find Berk's Beans here: https://berksbeans.com/
Get the KaFinka app here: https://app.kafinca.com/
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berksbeanscoffee/
 
 

Welcome to DVC Alumni, where every story inspires the next. The inspiring podcast from DVC alum and students here at Diablo Valley College. And now, on with the show.
In this episode, certified athletic trainer Monica Islas shares her path from San Diego State athletic training programs to treating athletes and workers, launching a mobile wellness practice, and building community through networking and employee-focused injury prevention. She discusses challenges, early entrepreneurship, and her vision for accessible care that keeps people active and pain-free.
Check out Monica's Instagram: @bod_wellness
You can find Monica here: Body Wellness
 

Host interviews Robert Couts, founder of Deavara Consulting, about his journey from tinkering with early PCs to leading change management and operations teams at LendingClub, Salesforce and Splunk before launching a consulting firm to help small businesses.
The episode explores his use of AI and machine learning to extract insights from messy support tickets, the SturdyWeb framework for fast, efficient websites and landing pages, NFC tap-to-review cards for local businesses, and lightweight CRM automation that reduces friction for busy owners.
Find Robert here: https://daevara.com/

Peter Zaballos shares his journey from community college to UC Berkeley and MIT, and how a single math professor at DVC sparked his passion for engineering and technology. He recounts early roles in semiconductors and pioneering work in software and internet media.
Peter discusses founding the Diamante Scholars program to support overlooked students, his leadership approach as a fractional CMO and foundation board member, and the importance of mentorship and creating opportunity.
The episode closes with reflections on work–life balance, building culture, and the advice he would give his younger self: ignore doubters, cultivate resilience, and invest in people.

Bella Madge, an incoming Diablo Valley College freshman, shares her journey from a confusing ADHD diagnosis to discovering her strengths as a curious and gifted learner. While writing a memoir-manifesto called "Behind," she uncovers how schooling, testing, and labels affected her mental health and appetite, and why education needs to change to nurture different minds.Now preparing for DVC classes in astronomy, psychology, and writing, Bella plans to publish her book and continue advocating for student-centered learning, self-acceptance, and flexible, choice-driven education. Her story is about resilience, research, and turning personal struggle into a mission to help others.

Season opener featuring the founder of Accu3DP, who migrated from Guangzhou, studied at UCLA, and turned a decade of 3D-printing tinkering into a print shop business in Martinez. The episode covers his personal story, how he got started, and the influences that shaped his path.
The conversation walks through core 3D printing technologies (FDM vs. SLA), the workflow from 3D modeling to slicing and supports, shop tours of resin and FDM printers, custom product examples, challenges like failure rates, and how Accu3DP mixes resins and produces both prototypes and end-use parts. Contact: accu3dp.com.

In this episode, TJ Scoggins, a Navy veteran and former nuclear technician, shares his life from a small Idaho town to serving on aircraft carriers and submarines, leading reactor departments, and becoming an instructor and officer.After a medical retirement, TJ reflects on reinvention—moving to California, joining the DVC community and Student Veteran Resource Center, prioritizing family, and planning a shift from engineering to business management as he begins a new chapter.

In this episode, DVC speech and debate co-directors Paul Villa and Rob Hawkins describe how they rebuilt a thriving program through the pandemic and led students to state and national success.
They discuss coaching philosophy, team culture, student stories of resilience and inclusion, practical goals for newcomers, and how to get involved (dvcforensics.org).
Connect with Speech and Debate's Social Media: https://linktr.ee/dvcsd