I grew up moving around a lot. Almost all in Southern California – the Santa Clarita Valley, South Orange County, a brief stint in Brigham City, Utah, and eventually San Diego, where I’ve now lived for 22 years, just over half of my life. I now live in Golden Hill with my enchanting partner Marang. My friends call me an empathy monster. I care deeply about people, justice, and the planet. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about a couple of phrases. The first is “even our heroes are problematic” This helps me remember that nobody is perfect, nor should we expect them to be. Idolizing people is a recipe for disappointment. The second phrase is “embrace the messiness.” This helps me remember that the most delightful, funny, magical moments happen when people are weird. There are things about loved ones that used to drive me nuts, but have long since become endearing. The unexpected, the unpolished, the unintended… these are the best parts of humanity, and we should celebrate them. This helps me feel optimistic about people coming together to do great things like addressing the climate crisis and global hunger, and combating inequality. If we can embrace the messiness, we’ll make it, alright.
About Mikey Knab
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My parents met in the Air Force, which is why I was born in Wichita, KS. They’re both incredibly empathetic people, who set an example for my sister and me that the best kind of success is the kind that is shared with others. They are happily in love living in a beautiful home in Idyllwild. My sister, Andrea, is my best friend. She lives in San Diego too, is married with a weirdo dog named Briscoe, and works for one of my favorite publishing companies. Norton.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
Like many, I’ve taken a circuitous route. When I was young, I wanted to draw comic books for a living. That didn’t work out, so I started working in restaurants while I figured out what else I could do. While I attempted a couple other paths – Hollywood Publicist, University Professor – it turned out that restaurants were where I felt best. I found that people communing over food and socializing over drinks offered exactly the kind of “public square” discourse I found so alluring in University life, but less stuffy. There’s a reason that it’s called ‘hospitality’ and that the word ‘restaurant’ is derived from ‘restore.’ This is where we go to heal ourselves and each other – it’s literal and figurative sustenance. I have always loved being part of that. Over time, I have become more and more animated by expanding the reach of that feeling. This has led me to non-profit and advocacy work. It started innocently enough when I joined the Board of Directors of the Adams Avenue Business Association in 2009. I got to know some local elected officials and their staffs. Then I went full nerd, trying to figure out how the voice of small or independent businesses could be better represented in policies that affect our teams and our communities. So, with the help of other business owners and operators, we founded Business For Good SD in 2017. We’ve worked hard to give progressive San Diego business owners a seat at the table, and it’s working! Early in the pandemic, I found a way to marry my two passions: restaurants and advocacy through my role as National Strategy Director for High Road Restaurants. All day long, I got to talk to restaurant owners and workers across the country, trying to gain an understanding of their challenges, so that I could then speak with policy makers to advocate for positive change, particularly regarding wage justice and race and gender equity in the restaurant industry. When our restaurants were allowed to open back up, I went back to helping run them, but my heart and attention were pulling me towards advocacy. After over 20 years in the industry, I decided to leave and took a position as Policy Director at Climate Action Campaign. In this position, I got to lean into meaningful local policies that can help combat humanity’s most existential crisis. This work felt meaningful, and I loved it. But, when I got a call in early 2023, asking what it would take to get me to return to High Road Restaurants as National Director, helping lead the movement for worker justice in our deeply flawed industry, I couldn’t say no. I feel like the right work found me, and I’m so grateful to be doing something I care so deeply about. I do still wish I could draw comics sometimes though.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Think about helping people. It is more rewarding than anything else. Figure out how to do what you love, and make sure that includes helping others, because that feedback loop is entrancing.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Hopefully continuing to celebrate victories for working people and independent business owners who believe in a society where all can thrive.
Mikey Knab & Our Community
Q: What are a few of your favorite restaurants in our community?
I love Angkorian Pikestaff in National City. The owner, Socheth, is an example of the best kind of business owner, who just does it right in all aspects, and cares a lot about the food she puts out. It shows. The food is mind-blowing. I also love Super Cocina in City Heights. No frills Mexican guisados and probably one of the best casual catering companies in the region. Finally, I will always support Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant, the company I used to run with my best friends.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I have lived in San Diego for 22 years, working here the whole time.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
I have been fortunate enough to meet a lot of interesting people in San Diego, so this question is impossible to answer. I will say that someone I admire a lot is Maryan Osman, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Director of Community Engagement for San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. Maryan is the real deal. She knows her values and works tirelessly for her community, all the while having fun!
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
I miss Jayne’s Gastrobpub at least once a week. There were years when I could just walk in and sit alone at the tiny bar, start reading a book, and then have reading interrupted by the who’s who of the neighborhood starting up deeply engaging and somewhat carefree conversation over the best elevated pub food I’ve ever had. Simply the best.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
Something unique about San Diego is the fact that it’s pretty easy to get noticed. There is a lot of opportunity for people who have drive to find success here.
Q: If you could choose anyone alive today and not a relative, with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would you meet for this lunch?
I would love to meet for lunch with anyone who is serious about changing the entrenched power structures that serve short term profit motives at the expense of working people and the health of the planet. I know that’s a deflection of this question, but I’m not especially into hero worship or idolizing, because I think there is a hero inside everyone. To adhere to the spirit of this question, I’ll give one example: I’d love to have lunch with Lauren Sanchez, who works as Senior Climate Advisor for California Governor Gavin Newsom. I think Toby’s 19th Hole in Golden Hill would be a good place for this meeting, since it overlooks a lot of the great bits of San Diego, and also complicated problematic elements of our urban design.
For Fun
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
Movie: Life Is Beautiful, TV Show: Severence
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I have severe ornithophobia (fear of birds)
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Chocolate. It’s perfect
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My partner Marang
Q: What community organizations and/or local nonprofits do you admire/support?
Business For Good; Center on Policy Initiatives; Mid-City CAN; Youth Will; Climate Action Campaign; Pillars of the Community; San Diego Food System Alliance; Casa Familiar; there are far too many to name them all
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Stop talking so much (I’m still trying to heed this)
Q: What Neighborhood do you live in?
Golden Hill
What I love about my Neighborhood:
Walkability, Turf Club, pocket park, views of the coast and Mexico, and the people!
Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend:
It would have to be a three day weekend (we should be adopting a four day work week, y’all). Saturday: Watch Arsenal soccer at Fairplay in North Park in the morning, then BBQ at a friend’s house with a swimming pool, followed by an early night at home. Sunday, hike Cowel’s Mountain, then see a show at the Rady Shell – let’s dream big and say it’s my favorite artist Sade. Monday, advocacy workshops during the day, and play Dungeons and Dragons and Magic the Gathering with friends in the evening.
Q: Finally, what three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Friends, family, and houseplants!
