SaM'S world

I AM

Sam
Cruz

SAMANTHA CRUZ

PROFESSIONAL SIDEQUESTER

2025

Founder of Ascend Calgary. Community Builder. Consultant. Storyteller. Filmmaker. Writer.

Part-time student…I guess. Semi-professional barista.

(I made matcha at Founders' Inc and that was it)

I AM

Sam
Cruz

SAMANTHA CRUZ

PROFESSIONAL SIDEQUESTER

2025

Founder of Ascend Calgary. Community Builder. Consultant. Storyteller. Filmmaker. Writer.

Part-time student…I guess. Semi-professional barista.

(I made matcha at Founders' Inc and that was it)

SKILLS:
STORYTELLING
GROWTH + MARKETING
LEADERSHIP + INITIATIVE
RESEARCH WORK (DATA ANALYSIS + INTERVIEWS + SEMI-PROFESSIONAL LEVEL STALKING… JK)

SKILLS:
STORYTELLING
GROWTH + MARKETING
LEADERSHIP + INITIATIVE
RESEARCH WORK (DATA ANALYSIS + INTERVIEWS + SEMI-PROFESSIONAL LEVEL STALKING… JK)

the archives

i've got so many stories to share…

Let's keep it real here. I want to share some of my notes, my thoughts and my adventures. Feel free to snoop around :)

Community Building
MY THOUGHTS + PROGRESS
I won't lie - I used to think of myself as that person with friends that come and go. The thought of building a community never crossed my mind but I knew it was a need- especially in this city (no offence, Calgary I've grown to love you). Ascend started in January and is currently on it's 30th something session. It is such a privilege to build things with people who care. Who don't glaze, but make you better :)
THE ARCHIVES
TELL YOUR STORY
is matcha performative?
lessons from THE matcha barista
Not to go on a complete rant but I was on this train first. Before all the men were hopping on that train, I claimed matcha first! Been on this train since 2020. If you want to know about my feelings towards the matcha shortage, I am enranged with the prices going up. I have resorted to making my own matcha but even these tin prices are crazy.
THE ARCHIVES
TELL YOUR STORY
DEALING WITH GRIEF
FOR MY GRANDMA
Grief. Not sure how personal I should be on my personal website but maybe that is the whole point. I want to devote this little section of my website to my grandma who means the world to me. Who raised me to be who I am. Who believed in me and my stories. If there's someone who taught me the foundations of storytelling, it would be her. She lived till 93 but her stories will live forever. A true storyteller. Everywhere I look I will be reminded of you, Inay :)
THE ARCHIVES
TELL YOUR STORY
research adventures
with pure
Entrpereneurship isn't just about your product. They're all intersectional to an entrepreneur's identity. I feel so strongly about my advocacies that I knew I just had to do something. So for 16 weeks, I yapped with every entrepreneur that was willing and tried to pick their brain. I am so bullish on this city but it can only go so far if we don't set up proper support systems for them.
THE ARCHIVES
TELL YOUR STORY

the archives

i've got so many stories to share…

Let's keep it real here. I want to share some of my notes, my thoughts and my adventures. Feel free to snoop around :)

Community Building
MY THOUGHTS + PROGRESS
I won't lie - I used to think of myself as that person with friends that come and go. The thought of building a community never crossed my mind but I knew it was a need- especially in this city (no offence, Calgary I've grown to love you). Ascend started in January and is currently on it's 30th something session. It is such a privilege to build things with people who care. Who don't glaze, but make you better :)
THE ARCHIVES
TELL YOUR STORY
is matcha performative?
lessons from THE matcha barista
Not to go on a complete rant but I was on this train first. Before all the men were hopping on that train, I claimed matcha first! Been on this train since 2020. If you want to know about my feelings towards the matcha shortage, I am enranged with the prices going up. I have resorted to making my own matcha but even these tin prices are crazy.
THE ARCHIVES
TELL YOUR STORY
DEALING WITH GRIEF
FOR MY GRANDMA
Grief. Not sure how personal I should be on my personal website but maybe that is the whole point. I want to devote this little section of my website to my grandma who means the world to me. Who raised me to be who I am. Who believed in me and my stories. If there's someone who taught me the foundations of storytelling, it would be her. She lived till 93 but her stories will live forever. A true storyteller. Everywhere I look I will be reminded of you, Inay :)
THE ARCHIVES
TELL YOUR STORY
research adventures
with pure
Entrpereneurship isn't just about your product. They're all intersectional to an entrepreneur's identity. I feel so strongly about my advocacies that I knew I just had to do something. So for 16 weeks, I yapped with every entrepreneur that was willing and tried to pick their brain. I am so bullish on this city but it can only go so far if we don't set up proper support systems for them.
THE ARCHIVES
TELL YOUR STORY