Movers, shakers, builders, entrepreneurs






Movers. Shakers. Builders. Entrepreneurs. That is what Village Voices is all about. Bringing people together and building community is what we do best.

For over 10 years, the Carlsbad Village Association has been hosting Village Voices to help small downtown business owners network with other owners, managers, and staff, as well as residents who live in the Village and rely on their downtown merchants.

Originally meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of each month until the pandemic paused in person gatherings, and then every other month following the pandemic, Village Voices has been a consistent and reliable vehicle to help small business owners learn, engage, get informed, and network.

“What I like the most about Village Voices is that it encourages me to get outside of my own business and learn about others,” said Janine Thomas, owner of Carlsbad Village Music. “I have made genuine connections at Village Voices that have helped me grow my business and my clientele in a very local, organic way. Every time I attend, I meet a new future downtown partner.”



One invaluable but overlooked benefit of networking for small businesses is the advice they get from fellow entrepreneurs that can help them sharpen their competitive edge. Another often overlooked benefit is the opportunity to learn and expand perspective. The business landscape is constantly changing, and if a business owner never gets out and talks to other people, it is easy to fall into a rut using the same tactics day in and day out.

And let us never forget the connections that are made; people like to recommend businesses they know and trust. During a fast-paced 90-minute gathering, attendees can visit over complimentary local coffee and tasty snacks starting at 8:00am before the official program begins at 8:45am. Each meeting presents a different guest speaker with an emphasis on Village topics or business education. A quick but thorough update on what is happening downtown is always part of the agenda.

Over the course of more than 70 Village Voices, speakers have included Carlsbad’s Mayor, City Council Members, City Manager, Chief Innovation Officer, Police Chief, Homeless Outreach Team members, Visit Carlsbad, the Small Business Development Center, retail design specialists, graphic design professionals, digital marketing experts, attorneys, developers, and others. Hearing personal success stories, and what drives business owners such as Senor Grubby’s, GelatoLove, Carlsbad e-Bikes & More, and many others, is both motivating and inspirational.

“Even before we were fully open for business, we attended Village Voices and immediately became part of the downtown community of business owners,” said Mary Devlin, co-owner of Barrio Glassworks. “It’s definitely a great place to connect.” At the next Village Voices, meet and hear from the folks behind Barons Market, downtown’s newest specialty neighborhood grocery coming to the Village in the next several months.

Learn all about the two-day New Orlean’s style Jazz Festival hosted by St. Michael’s by-the-Sea Church taking the Village by storm in September. Hear from the Homeless Outreach Team regarding new homeless encampment laws and how that will affect small businesses downtown. And learn about a wide variety of small business resources available through Carlsbad’s Economic Development Department.

Village Voices is free to attend for those who live, work, and play in Carlsbad Village. While it is designed for Carlsbad Village small business owners and residents, if you have a heart for downtown Carlsbad, we welcome you to join us and get to know this incredibly special community of ours. For more information on the Carlsbad Village Association or Village Voices, visit carlsbad-village.com