With our anniversary coming up (tomorrow!), we decided to celebrate the parts that make up the sum — our staff. In that vein, we have decided to showcase their hobbies and talents. Within that celebration, we’ve been sitting down for a virtual beer with our co-workers and doing a deep dive Q&A with a few folks on why they started that hobby or talent. Today, we’re sitting down with Zaneta Santana!
Who are you?
My name is Zaneta Santana, I am a born-and-raised Los Angeles native and daughter of immigrants. Unexpectedly in this industry, my interest in and exposure to craft beer started in Northern California where I attended college at Humboldt State University. During my time there, I was exposed to local farmer’s markets, microbreweries and community-organizing. One of the biggest things that stuck with me living in Humboldt was the focus on supporting and growing local, and how that connects the community.
What’s your role on the team? The most valuable thing you’ve learned while on the job?
I started as a bar-back, a position I found on Craigslist in 2014, and am super grateful to say I am now the General Manager of the brewery 6 years later! I think the most valuable thing I’ve learned is working with great people really is everything. I feel so lucky to work with the most supportive team ever.
What is your unique talent?
Gardening!
How long have you been doing it /or is this a newly acquired skill since quarantine? How did you learn this talent/get into it?
About 5 years ago, I was introduced to gardening by my partner and his brother who at the time was working for Community Service Unlimited, a NPO in South Central.
My partner, with the help of his brother, established a garden before I moved in, and I’ve been able to maintain the beds and have advanced my repertoire more within the last two years.
What other talent are you hoping to learn while in quarantine?
I’m really hoping to hone my cooking and baking skills. I do my own catering through Zaneta’s Vegan Kitchen and have been supported by CSU by being able to source local, organic, farm-grown produce and use of there space. They do everything they can to support others in their food justice work and have really guided me in developing my food knowledge. I’m a bit more of a cook than a baker, so maybe working on baking more. I’m very much about texture, I’d really like to perfect my pie shell.
For more information on Community Services Unlimited and how you can help relative to COVID-19, please visit http://csuinc.org/shop/donate/.
