Who is Kara?

A Little About Me...

Anyone who knew my Papa would tell you he was one of the hardest-working people they had ever met. I like to think I inherited that work ethic. From a young age, I was always working, creating, and looking for ways to contribute and connect. Whether it was helping my mom, babysitting, participating at church youth groups, or "inventing" and selling a dog treat (that we now sell at Dank Donuts)... I have always been a dreamer, and I have never been afraid to do the work required to turn an idea into something real.

My first official job was with the City of Bellflower Parks and Recreation Department when I was 15½. That experience planted the first seed of my interest in public service. My Uncle Randy Bomgaars—technically my mom’s cousin, but “Uncle” according to Dutch bingo rules—was Bellflower’s mayor at the time. He was the youngest council member ever elected in Bellflower and still holds the city’s records for the most terms, consecutive terms, and years served.

As a Parks and Recreation employee, I helped set up and take down chairs for City Council meetings. Sitting in the back of that chamber, I saw firsthand what local leadership looks like: listening to residents, making difficult decisions, and taking responsibility for the future of a community. Even then, I hoped that one day I might serve on the City Council of a community I truly loved.

After high school, I attended Cal State Long Beach, where I earned my degree in Communication Studies while also waitressing and working for the Los Alamitos School District. As an Extended Day Supervisor, I opened and managed a new after-school program at Oak Middle School. I have always had a heart for young people—I also worked at Laurel Pines Camp for more than 10 years, volunteered with church youth groups, and spent many years babysitting.

Snowboarding is what first brought me to Big Bear. My family came here every winter, and I began snowboarding when I was eight. Once I could drive, I came up the mountain whenever possible. I made friends, became part of the snowboarding community, and fell in love with Big Bear long before I officially called it home.

During my final year of college, I interned with Flux Bindings, a major Japanese snowboard company. Our two-person Torrance office handled nearly everything outside Japan, giving me experience in every part of the business. After my internship, I was hired and eventually became the U.S. team manager while also overseeing sales, marketing, social media, operations, and product development. I traveled to Japan and China for design, development, and manufacturing meetings. It was my dream job—except I became so busy working in the snowboard industry that I rarely had time to snowboard.

I later transitioned into an external role through Life of Leisure Marketing. I continued supporting Flux while working with other brands and businesses, at one point managing more than 10 social media accounts and helping lead major marketing activations and brand-building campaigns. One of those clients was AV Nightclub in Big Bear, where we created the official after-parties for snowboard events at Bear Mountain in 2013.

By then, I was spending more time in Big Bear than in Long Beach. In 2014, I took the leap and moved here full time. I continued working remotely with Life of Leisure Marketing while also working at Big Bear Lake Brewing Company and as a ranch hand in Erwin Lake.

The dream of Dank Donuts began even earlier. In 2010, Robert and I started imagining a donut shop on the way to the resorts. We wanted to live in Big Bear, but opportunities were limited, so we decided to create our own—and hopefully create opportunities for other snowboarders who wanted to build lives here.

I started making donuts in my kitchen, designing merchandise, and bringing both everywhere we traveled. Through my work with Flux and Life of Leisure Marketing, Dank Donuts reached people throughout the snowboard community and developed a loyal following years before we had a storefront.

In 2015, I took a job at Bear City Donuts to learn how to make donuts commercially. When the business closed, I was asked to take it over, but the deal fell through. I thought my dream had disappeared with it.

Months later, everything changed in a single day. The person who purchased the business called to ask if I wanted to buy the donut equipment. That same day, a friend told me the former Pop’s BBQ building was available. Every time I had passed that building on my way to snowboard, I had thought, “That is where Dank Donuts needs to be.” I signed the lease, moved in the equipment, and opened Dank Donuts in 2018.

Running a small business has taught me more than I could ever fit on a résumé. It has required perseverance, adaptability, fiscal responsibility, leadership, and a willingness to solve problems without waiting for someone else to do it.

About a year after opening, I learned that I had celiac disease—I was literally allergic to my own business. That diagnosis forced me out of the kitchen and challenged me to become a stronger leader. I learned how to hire, train, trust, and empower a team to carry the same passion and standards into the business that Robert and I had from the beginning.

In 2024, we had the opportunity to lease the former Bear Belly Deli. With a strong team in place at Dank Donuts, we decided to take another leap and open The Moonridge Room. I began thinking about what Moonridge could become—not simply a reflection of the past, but a vision for its future.

The Moonridge Room was created to honor Big Bear’s history while looking ahead. I designed its retro-futuristic artwork and developed a completely gluten-free menu that is safe for people (like me) with celiac disease. To me, it is more than another business; it is my opus. It is becoming a neighborhood gathering place, and I hope it encourages others to imagine what is possible for Moonridge, and our community.

My commitment to Big Bear extends far beyond my businesses. I have served on the Board of the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce since 2020. Over the past 12 years, I have consistently shown up—attending public meetings and focus groups, supporting fundraisers, participating in community events, and staying engaged in the conversations shaping our future.

In a small community like ours, much of the work depends on residents who are willing to step forward, get involved, and follow through. I have worked to be one of those people.

I am running for City Council because Big Bear is not simply where I own businesses—it is my home. I understand the challenges facing our residents, employees, families, and small-business owners because I experience them alongside you. I know what it means to take an idea from dream to reality, navigate setbacks, build a team, manage competing priorities, and make difficult decisions with long-term consequences.

The interest in public service that began in the back of the Bellflower City Council chamber has stayed with me all these years. Now, after more than a decade of living, working, building, and serving in Big Bear, I am ready to step forward and put that experience to work for the community I love.