A career built around visibility and belonging
William moved to San Diego in 2006 and entered the Hillcrest nightlife community. He became known publicly as DJ Will Z, performing Top 40 and hip-hop sets and developing the crowd awareness and public-facing instincts that later became central to his event and media work.
In 2011, he helped begin what became Out at the Fair at the San Diego County Fair. The program became an official fair event in 2013 and grew into an award-winning LGBTQ+ visibility platform. That work later evolved into OutAt Inc., where William serves as President and Board Member.
Recognition and founder development
William was named a San Diego Metro 40 Under 40 honoree in 2016. Out at the Fair received the Western Fairs Association Barham Award in 2018, and OutAt participated in the Techstars Austin accelerator in 2022.
Books, podcasting and the next public chapter
William’s work now extends into authored storytelling and weekly media. He co-created 3Dudes1Life Creative, hosts A Little Throuple Tea with Caleb and Daniel, and co-authored Tres Amigos, Una Vida. These projects continue the same theme that runs through his earlier work: making unconventional lives visible, relatable and human.
