Somewhere between coffee and morning walks on The Strand, breakfast burritos at Brother’s, surfing at Redondo Breakwater, happy hours, sunsets off Point Vicente and Friday night football under the lights, the South Bay has spent the last 20 years changing … yet staying unmistakably itself. And Southbay magazine has enjoyed a front-row seat to that story.
Lee Clow, February/March 2012, Photographed by Jeff Berting
Communities reveal themselves slowly. They are built issue by issue, season by season, story by story. Southbay chronicles life from El Segundo to the Palos Verdes Peninsula—not simply recording its history but celebrating the character, creativity and spirit that make this slice of Los Angeles home.
How do you capture 20 years? Is it measured in milestones and headlines? Or in the restaurants we discovered, the events we attended, the neighbors we celebrated, the businesses that grew up with us and the memories shared along the way?
Paul Hennessey, August 2021, Photographed by Shane O’Donnell
Perhaps, a bit of everything. It’s no easy task compressing that kind of time into one tidy feature story. Names will be missed. Moments forgotten. Age unforgivingly moderates recall, but we’ll give it a shot.
This story begins in 2006. Todd Klawin had arrived in the South Bay seven years earlier, first settling in El Porto before moving with his wife, Jen, to a newly built home just off the Greenbelt in Manhattan Beach. Having recently sold his company, he found himself contemplating his next entrepreneurial venture. As it turned out, the opportunity he was looking for was right outside his front door.
“I had some exposure to publishing and liked it,” Todd recalls. “I believed the South Bay community really deserved to have its story told, and there wasn’t a magazine of any type around. No one was telling and publishing the stories of the people here. It seemed like an opportunity.”
To get the project in motion, he needed to make a few hires, including the magazine’s first sales associate, Emily Stewart Baker.
Malgy Blue, April 2019, Photographed by Michael Becker
Jeff Berting, Photographer
After reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, I was captivated by Louis Zamperini’s remarkable journey and astonished by its relative obscurity. Seeing that growing up in the South Bay was part of his story and, admittedly, wanting to meet the man behind it, I proposed the idea to Darren. Louis, who grew up in Torrance, graciously welcomed us into his home, along with writer Michele Garber.
Initially, we were allotted just 30 minutes for the interview and photos. However, Louis’ warmth and enthusiasm quickly dispelled that plan. He invited us to stay as long as we wished. What began as a brief meeting turned into a two-hour conversation, during which Louis regaled us with tales and shared cherished photos and memorabilia from his life.
It was an extraordinary privilege to spend time with a man whose life epitomizes faith, determination, resilience and the indomitable human spirit. His story is a beacon of inspiration for everyone.
“She’s somebody who was very sharp and had her act together,” Todd says. “And I remember telling her, ‘Hey, I’ve got this idea. Would you want to come and do this? You could be the person who helps bring it to market.’”
After connecting through mutual friends, Todd hired me as editor, a role that would unexpectedly define my career and bring me back to the South Bay where I grew up and went to school. With an early investment from friend Michael VanRiette and a small but scrappy team of three assembled, Todd gathered us at his dining room table to map out our first issue, which debuted a few months later in September.
Michele Garber, Writer
Meeting individuals and sharing their stories is a privilege—from the elation of interviewing advertising legend Lee Clow, former USC quarterback Matt Leinart and Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings to the poignancy of interviewing survivors of Japanese internment camps, whose stories left an indelible impression on me. The interview that I cherish most was with the incomparable Louis Zamperini. Writing for Southbay has been transformative.
“At the exact same time, I was starting my family,” shares Todd. “I do remember at the time thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ I’m basically starting something out of passion with no income at the exact moment I’m becoming a parent. This is the best idea or the worst idea ever. There was no net. But from the get-go, it found its feet very quickly.”
Monica Orozco, Photographer
It was especially meaningful to have my Palos Verdes Art Center exhibit featured in the magazine. The art exhibit itself actually came from an earlier Southbay assignment—a piece I shot on Joe Baker. That assignment unexpectedly opened a door for me. Through that connection, I was invited to exhibit work at PVAC, which ended up changing the trajectory of my career in a very real way. It pushed me into several years of exhibiting artwork more seriously and eventually led to representation by a gallery in Palm Springs. What resonates with me most is how these creative “close encounters”—the people we meet and stories we cover—can quietly shape an artist’s path in ways we never anticipate at the time.
Much of that early success hinged on the support of the local business community, which took a chance on a fledgling publication. Realtor Darin DeRenzis of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty holds the distinction of being the first advertising insertion order filed by the magazine. Shortly after, partners like Russ Varon and Marshall Varon of Morgan’s Jewelers joined our family. Today, both Darin and Morgan’s still advertise with us regularly.
Michelle Villas, Art Director
Our cover story for the 2016 Holiday issue featuring Sugarfina candy is a standout for me. It started with conceptualizing how we’d bring this story and cover to life. It was a true collaboration with our graphic designer Christine Georgiades, who perfectly interpreted my ideas and brought them to life, sketching out the hand-drawn type for the cover and the scenes we wanted to place Rosie and Josh in. The Sugarfina team was incredibly supportive and generous, and we were able to go into the shop and create our wish list of all the candy we’d need to fulfill our vision. Then we spent hours hot-gluing countless pounds of candy to create this sweet project. Shane O’Donnell photographed the couple so we could drop them into our whimsical candy worlds. It remains something unique among all of our covers and features.
From that first issue, Southbay’s editorial evolved with the region. Focusing on the people of the community, writers and photographers have captured local entrepreneurs, rising chefs, civic leaders, established and emerging artists, innovators and icons. Yet even as our neighborhoods embraced the new and next, we also remained committed to honoring the past—celebrating beloved landmarks, preserving local history and shining a light on those enduring institutions that have held their ground amid a wave of modernity.
Above: Meistrell family, Holiday 2009, Photographed by Bo Bridges
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As the ruins of Marineland made way for Terranea Resort in 2009, we were there as an early media partner. We’ve also witnessed the first year of the new Metlox, the transformation of Manhattan Village and the Roundhouse Aquarium, the groundbreaking of The Point and the steady conservation efforts of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.
Simon Ford, February/March 2021, Photographed by Jeff Berting
One of the magazine’s earliest creative hires had already established himself as a world-class photographer. “I still remember Todd walking into my old studio on the pier in Hermosa, talking about this new magazine idea he was starting,” says Bo Bridges. “At the time I was shooting editorial spreads all over the world, so having something with that kind of creative energy happening right here in our own backyard felt special from day one.”
Since his first assignment with Southbay, Bo has generously shot at least a dozen covers and countless features.
Jennie Nunn, Deputy Editor
There are so many standout moments, experiences and stories from my years with Southbay. I think of a Manhattan Beach family that overcame the devastation of a targeted house fire. I loved meeting guitarist Michael Gallion in “Striking A Chord” and spotlighting Keith Floria—better known as “Shirtless Keith”—in “Solo Rider,” celebrating his carefree perspective on cycling and ability to live entirely in the moment. I’ve also cherished interviewing Lauri Taylor, whose book The Accidental Truth details her relentless quest to solve her mother’s mysterious death and her mission for mental health advocacy and education. Another highlight was featuring NFL player turned mountaineer Mark Pattison and his incredible journey to conquer the Seven Summits. These stories—and countless more—continue to inspire me to this day and are the very reason I became a journalist. | Right: Keith Floria, July 2022. Photographed by Jeff Berting
“We saw Bo as a benchmark,” Todd notes. “We wanted to make something that had artistic value, that was beautiful, that was smart, that was authentic and well done. We’ve had that intention from the beginning: If we’re going to do it, let’s do it right and make it something we can all be really proud of.”
In addition to the dozens of writers, illustrators and photographers—many still contributors on our masthead—who have made each issue both visually striking and editorially engaging, a dedicated team behind the scenes has spent years ensuring the magazine’s continued success. Among those sharing their talents with Southbay are art director Michelle Villas, who came on board in 2014, and writer/copy editor Laura Watts, who has been with us since 2010.
Rich Thomas, Writer
To be given the chance to visit the Galápagos Islands and tell its story through your own words is a bucket list blessing in itself. To do it on a luxury yacht with a small footprint of people while being served five-star meals unlocks a whole other level of gratitude. And when one of those people, your photographer, also happens to be your son? The experience transcends memory and becomes canon. Over seven unforgettable days, we encountered Attenborough-esque levels of flora and fauna, soaking up knowledge and documenting our surroundings as a team. While my son has created content for numerous projects and I’ve written plenty of stories, being able to share a byline on this type of adventure is an opportunity I may never get again.
Cherice Tatum first joined Southbay as a marketing manager in 2011. “I had just moved to the South Bay from Texas less than six months before, so I really felt like they were my family far away from home,” she shares. “At the time, our offices were just off the Hermosa Beach Pier, which naturally lent itself to lots of impromptu lunches and happy hours after work. I remember meeting so many local business owners and feeling immediately welcomed. There’s a contagious friendliness that the South Bay evokes in people. The community was—and still is—thriving, and Southbay was at its core. It was a magical time.”
Shane O’Donnell, Senior Photographer
I have loved meeting and photographing the myriad of local entrepreneurs, business owners, celebrities and personalities who have been featured over the years. I have always strived to capture their spirit in the portraits. The images need to be as unique as they are, and hopefully that comes through to those who view them. I have always loved the challenge of meeting someone for the first time, deciding the locations that best tell their story, making them feel comfortable and capturing an authentic moment. | Right: Adnen & Lenora Marouani, August 2020 , Photographed by Shane O’Donnell
Jared Sayers began as a sales associate before taking over for Emily as publisher. He now moonlights as one of our best writers.
“Clients were friends, and coworkers were even better friends,” he says. “Frothy Friday afternoons went down with a deep sense of satisfaction—not only because we had worked hard to get there, but because over time the community we initially believed in ultimately came to believe in us. And when you get to call that place home, that is a pretty remarkable gift.”
Diane E. Barber, Writer
I am a dog lover and have always been awestruck by canine search and rescue operations, especially the treacherous work in the aftermath of 9/11. When I met former Canadian police officer James Symington at a local fundraiser in 2010, I learned more about his late German shepherd partner, Trakr, who located the last survivor at Ground Zero. When the article was published in 2011, Trakr had recently passed away, but he lived on with his cloned puppies: Prodigy, Solace, Deja Vu, Valor and Trustt. Without a doubt, memories of Trakr and time I spent with James and his brilliant pups during training exercises in Palos Verdes will forever be etched in my mind. | Left: Team Trakr, May/June 2011. Photographed by Stephan Cooper
Our current publisher, Jen Turquand, started as an account executive in 2017. She’s supported by longtime sales reps Marcie Gutierrez, who has been with us for a decade, and Erika Carrion, now approaching her 16th year on the job.
Charlie Koones, who left the entertainment trade publication Variety after 17 years (most recently as president and publisher), joined the business in 2010 as a managing partner and helped launch sister magazine Ventura Blvd in 2011 with editor Linda Grasso, Dale Tiffany and Robin Sanders. During that time, Southbay also introduced additional publications: Southbay HOME, Southbay HEALTH and style magazine Et Cetera, guided by deputy editor Tanya Monaghan.
Kara Mickelson, Deputy Editor
A highlight for me was the “Camping Kitchen” feature, with a storyline built around beautiful visuals and the creative collaboration required to bring it all together. What made it special was how fully it tapped into my creative interests: producing, location sourcing, recipe development, food styling and prop styling. Years of producing events and my culinary journey—chosen later in my career—finally coalesced. So often in creative work, responsibilities get divided among different people. This project let me manifest the entire vision with a small creative team. At the local wilderness park, Shane and I played a precarious game of Twister on a makeshift rock dock I “MacGyvered” over a pond. Meanwhile, off in the distance, Michelle strategically waved a large palm frond to create the perfect dappled light. It was a little risky if you didn’t want to get soaked. This fun project was more effort than we thought and exactly the kind of work that reminds me why I love what I do. | Left: ; “Camping Kitchen,” Summer 2016, Photographed by Shane O’donnell
Over the years, Southbay proudly partnered with several community organizations as media sponsors, including Walk With Sally, the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation, Indivisible Arts, the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk and Tour de Pier—to name a few.
“I have had the pleasure of watching the magazine grow and thrive since the early days, and we’ve been fortunate and grateful to be part of that journey,” shares Cancer Support Community South Bay’s Theresa Plakos. “Their support of our fundraising events and commitment to sharing stories of hope and resilience have helped us raise awareness of our mission and reach more individuals and families affected by cancer.”
Scott Timmons, November 2011, Photographed by Jeff Berting
Off to a good start, right? Well, even the best adventures encounter a few bumps in the road. Barely a year after launching, the business was confronted by the economic recession of 2007—a downturn that strained organizations across the South Bay and impacted the very community we were committed to serving.
Kat Monk, Writer/Photographer
Nine months passed between that first shoot and the second piece I wrote and photographed on Greg Browning. Nine months is nothing. Nine months is a season, a school year, the growing of a garden. And yet in those nine months, ALS had done what ALS does with devastating efficiency. It had taken over his body. It had taken his voice. There is a particular weight that comes with documenting the decline of someone you know, someone whose strength and vitality you have witnessed firsthand. I was not just a journalist covering a story. I was a person who had watched this man light up every room he entered, and now I was bearing witness to something far more fragile and far more sacred. I am honored that Greg trusted me with his story at its most difficult, its most raw, its most human. | Left: Greg Browning, Photographed by Kat Monk
“I remember all of us were like: Here we go. Buckle up,” Todd recalls of weathering the financial storm. “It’s something I look back on with enormous pride, and I’m sure you do too. To see it through—that took a lot of grit on all of our parts. I think the magazine got better too. It allowed us to go deeper on the human stories. It made that commitment all the more obvious.”
Diane E. Barber, Writer
One of the most impactful stories I have written for Southbay was my feature on musician, therapist and community leader Kevin Sousa. What struck me most was not only his extraordinary talent but the depth of his heart. Kevin was the kind of person who made everyone feel seen, valued and safe. He worked with young people, veterans and anyone who needed hope, healing or someone to fight for them. He loved his wife, Patti, his family and his chosen family of friends with his whole heart.
When Kevin passed away three years ago, our entire community was shaken. It truly felt like the world lost one of its greatest angels on earth. I still miss his warm smile, his giant bear hugs and hearing his breathtaking voice sing my favorite rendition of “Hallelujah.” But somehow, Kevin is still here. Through his music, his kindness and the countless lives he touched, his spirit continues to live among us. It was an incredible honor to tell his story. | Above: Kevin Sousa Photographed by Shane O’Donnell
Despite the early economic headwinds, the company grew steadily, as did its identity as a custom content publishing business. When Southbay first launched, social media didn’t exist as we know it. But as big tech took hold of the media landscape, Todd and Charlie recognized the potential for a branding business that embraced both print publishing and digital platforms. Early local partners included Terranea Resort, Trump National Golf Club, Torrance Memorial Medical Center and Providence Medical.
Above: Large image: A.J. Cook, September/October 2020, Photographed by Justin Ruhl | Above water: Adam Buckley, November 2011, Photographed by Jeff Berting | Under water: Brooke Basse, November 2020, Photographed by Ken Pagliaro
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As the pair pursued additional opportunities, including a partnership with veteran media and marketing executive Warren Schaffer, Moon Tide Media soon emerged as a full-service advertising agency serving both regional and national clients.
Above: “Sun Day,” March/April 2010, Photographed by Dustin Zachary
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“It’s grown to something I don’t think any of us would have ever guessed,” says Todd of the agency business. “But one of the things that made Moon Tide unique, and a big part of our selling proposition, has always been that we are more than just an agency. We have publishing background, and we have entrepreneurial background. When we go to market as an agency looking for new business, we’re something different: an agency founded by non-agency people.”
“We Three Kings,” Holiday 2011, Photographed by Bo Bridges
In March 2020, the world changed in ways few could have imagined. As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, uncertainty descended on our businesses, neighborhoods and daily life. Isolated to our own spaces and connected only by phone and Zoom, the Southbay team rallied and did what it does best: bring the South Bay to homes.
Gail Phinney, Writer
One of the most meaningful pieces I’ve written for Southbay magazine was “A Gifted Education,” celebrating how a visionary Gardena High School principal instituted a class gift program in 1919 that engaged students in the purchase of paintings by California regional artists until 1956. But the real story for me was the heroic measures taken by a dedicated group of alumni to preserve and restore this legacy collection that was nearly lost to neglect. As an art educator, interviewing Gardena High School alumni (some gone now) and hearing how impactful it was for them to be surrounded by the artwork every day was really inspiring. Equally inspiring was learning how the entire community came together in support of this effort. It reinforced my belief in the power of art to spark the imagination and bring people together.
We used our pages and social channels to highlight everything from city alerts and restaurants offering takeout to doctors and nurses on the front lines of the pandemic. Though it may have been the most exhausting and unnerving period during my tenure at Southbay, I’ll never forget how our team and this community rallied with kindness and courage in the face of an uncertain crisis. That will stick with me forever.
Bonnie Graves, Food & Wine Editor
As an uncomfortably relocated New Yorker navigating Los Angeles post-9/11, I was surprised to learn about the “other” Manhattan—the one that had amazing beaches and a cute beach volleyball player I later married. The culinary scene two decades ago was definitely not what it now is, though, largely due to the efforts of two of my very favorite South Bay chefs: David LeFevre and Michael Fiorelli. I’ve had the privilege of reviewing every single restaurant helmed by these prolific talents.
You might wonder how a magazine survives long enough to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2026—especially when so many publications faded with the rise of digital media and social platforms.
“I find print romantic. I always have. I’m surrounded by printed materials. There’s something really human about it. It allows you to be present in a way that I really value— I think a lot of people do.”
The answer, simply, is you. Your stories. Your readership. Your support of our advertising partners. And your belief that local stories matter.
Thomas Delaney, July 2019, Photographed by Monica Orozco
There is a unique pride in holding something that bears the name of the place you call home. And thankfully, our little corner of the world—our South Bay “bubble”—continues to embrace the pages that reflect its people, places and passions.
For that, we are profoundly grateful.
Above: Holiday 2013, Photographed by Siri Berting | “They Have Wings,” September 2018, Photographed by Kristin Anderson | Hyperion Outfall Serenaders, Holiday 2014, Photographed by Lauren Taylor
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“I find print romantic. I always have,” says Todd. “I still read a print book a week. I’m surrounded by printed materials. There’s something really human about it. It allows you to be present in a way that I really value—I think a lot of people do.”
Above: “Comfort Food,” August 2020, Photographed by Shane O’Donnell | Jim Lindberg, July 2018, Photographed by Kat Monk | Coach Kathy Wunderli & team, September 2018, Photographed by Nancy Pastor
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There are billions of things competing for your attention on your phone. But a book or magazine sitting on a table is different. If you’re not actively searching for something online, you’re unlikely to stumble upon it. Print has a unique power: You may not be looking for it, but somehow it finds you.
It’s heartening, after two decades in media, to witness the renewed appreciation for print. Perhaps it’s a reaction to years spent scrolling, as more and more of our collective attention has disappeared into our devices. Yet some experiences still demand to be held in our hands.
WWII veteran Bob Brigham, November 2011, Photographed by Thomas Sanders
You might discover it while browsing the shelves at {pages} a bookstore in Manhattan Beach, leafing through your teenager’s high school yearbook or reading the story of a neighbor in one of our issues. These moments remind us that print is more than a medium; it is a keepsake, a record and a connection to one another.
Print endures.
Nicole Laeno, April 2021, Photographed by Kathryn Mueller
“At the end of the day, we’re just a mirror,” Todd says. “We’ve been fortunate to be here, bear witness, reflect and put on our pages what’s happened with this amazing community and its people. It’s a great place to call home. Over the past 20 years, the landscape and the faces haven’t changed that much. Sure, there are more people, but the same people are still here. No one leaves. Why would you?”
