Elissa Miolene
42%
EXPLORE
caPTURING CAlifornia's immigrant entrepreneurs
Across the United States, 25% of new companies are founded by immigrants. In California, that number rises to 42%. From a roadside fruit stand on the 101 to a trillion dollar car company in Palo Alto, every day, immigrant-owned businesses are powering the Golden State.
Though we may wander through their aisles, browse through their products, or walk by their storefronts, we often forget that within each of these businesses, there is a story — a story of change, a story of hope, and story of fortitude, even when you've left your entire world behind.
This photo series attempts to show the diversity, color, and authenticity of immigrant-owned businesses in California, along with the people who have made those businesses
a reality.
the donkeys of silicon valley
In a quiet, unassuming neighborhood of Palo Alto, a community project has been entrenched in the hearts of its residents for nearly 100 years: Barron Park Donkeys. Two dozen volunteers – from tenured PhDs to high school students – rotate care for two donkeys, one of which was the inspiration behind a major character in Dreamworks' 2001 film Shrek.
FACES
A collection of portraits from
a decade of photographing.
PLACES
A collection of nature shots from
a decade of photographing.
