Why is California called the Golden State?

California is called the Golden State not because of the gold found at Sutter’s Mill in 1848, but because winter rains make the hills green until the dry air of summer turns them a golden hue.

As a teenager, Ranjay worked during summers for his family’s business in India. It sold high-end women’s fashion that featured ethnic colors and patterns before they became commonplace. He watched the business grow from five employees to more than 1,000 in a very short time and then come crashing down. Despite a solid business model and increasingly eager customers, the company had failed to scale up.