Why San Diego: Startup community + endless outdoor hobbies.
Aug 12, 2019 - Di Le
Through our #WhySanDiego contest, we’ve come across some pretty incredible stories. Some people moved to San Diego for work, some moved for San Diego’s amazing weather, and others moved here by chance (and never looked back). SDLC Ambassador Di Le from Brain Corporation shared why she continues to choose San Diego every day. Enjoy it below, and don’t forget to share your own #WhySanDiego story for a chance to win the ultimate Passport to SD. Visit WhySanDiego.org for more details.
Di’s #WhySanDiego story:
When the San Diego: Life. Changing. team first shared their campaign with me and their vision to highlight stories about the people and companies of San Diego, I was so inspired and excited to be a part of it, because San Diego is so special and a worldly gem.
20 years ago I moved here from Canada, with grandeur aspirations to one day “make it” in NYC or San Francisco. As industries and friendships grew, so did my love for this city and my desire to be a ripple propelling its growth, helping to grow the same startups that gave me my starting chance.
What I adore most about San Diego is how the landscape is so different from anywhere else. Lifting, racing, hiking, eating, Comic-Con’ing, working and playing, this city and the people I’ve met have been ever life-changing. Sea, sun, mountains, desert, lakes, snow, and beautiful skylines; we have it or are close to it all.
I’m sure that when Belinda Carlisle created “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” San Diego had to be one of those places she was thinking of.
There’s a common perception that innovation, big ideas, and meaningful breakthroughs only take place out of Silicon Valley. I mean, there’s a whole show dedicated to it. Or that great design comes out of cities like London and NYC. Great things do come out of these cities, but when you look across San Diego, in robotics, gaming, app development, biotech, culinary shifts, art, music, and so much more, the past decade has brought forth incredible innovations, global influences, growth, and opportunities in each industry.
Whenever I describe working in San Diego, compared to other cities, I always say that there are elements of a small town, with emerging opportunities of a big city.
When someone asks me about what it’s like to be a designer working in tech in San Diego, I always have trouble answering the question in definitive terms. But in my head, the experience and meaning is summed up in stories from all of those I meet.
I hope to read your story. #WhySanDiego