marin living may 2023

Enrolling for Fall 2023

Nick Svenson supports early childhood education programs and believes that they can prepare children to develop the social and emotional skills they need to succeed.

Great Expectations is a nonprofit preschool that is a collaboration with Lifehouse, Marin County Office of Education and Dominican University. This program allows for children of all abilities to learn and grow together. We are a play-based preschool for children

aged 3 through 5. Students of all abilities are supported by qualified and experienced teachers, specialists and paraprofessionals to explore, experience and participate in a variety of activities.

We are now enrolling students for fall 2023. To learn more about Great Expectations, please visit our website or call for a tour.

www.greatexpectationsmarin.org

Copywriting Photography

If you want to fulfill your Bay Area real estate dreams especially in Marin and Sonoma counties look no further than Bowman Real Estate Group of Vanguard Properties. “Our strengths are negotiation and access to a highly experienced, tight-knit community of lenders, tradespeople, legal experts, and financial experts,” says top-producer and American Dream TV host Jennifer Bowman, who, with husband Elliott Fink, leads a talented group of realty professionals. More than working in parallel, her all-star team truly collaborates to achieve success for clients.

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table of contents. may 2023

spotlight marin.

16 news.

Spring has sprung. Get out and enjoy Marin Open Studios, DocLands, Mountain Play, exciting events in Wine Country and much more.

24 local splurges. Fun ways to treat and take care of Mom on Mother’s Day.

26 eat & drink. Sustainable fish–forward food is the catch of the day in Mill Valley.

marin living.

30 local getaways. Where to eat, sip and stay in Carmel-by-the-Sea (and top tips on Carmel Valley, too).

34 take note. The Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison rocks his hometown.

38 game changers. A new app levels the playing field in the art world.

going places.

82 land & sea. Mothers change the world at Marin-based Carve Designs.

84 new digs.

Locals shine at this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase.

86 voyager. High adventure on three diverse Hawaiian islands.

92 about last night.

Marin Living celebrates trendsetters at Kientz Hall and more.

96 drawn together.

Alonzo King is inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

from the team.

12 from the ceo.

14 from the creative director.

Clockwise from left: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)/Vincent Lim; Chris Bezamat; courtesy of Gorjana

features.

40

American Made

It’s all about the high-quality denim at Petaluma-based brand WiesMade.

44

The Future Looks Bright

This San Rafael interior designer wants to push your aesthetic comfort zone — her studio space proves it.

50

Local Art Scene

Three artists who are changing the Marin art scene for the better.

On the Cover

Denis Fraisse’s (of Fraisse Design) handmade stand-up paddleboard — see more of his work in the “Local Art Seen” feature; photo by Sam Huff

Christopher Stark

Inspiration Is Everywhere

INSPIRATION IN MARIN COUNTY IS ENDLESS — it’s why so many artists, poets, songwriters and startup founders call this place home. At Marin Living we pride ourselves on writing about those who are changing how we think about any interesting subject matter. The manifestation of inspiration is what makes our local culture so fascinating and beautiful. If something makes us think and feel, it’s worth exploring.

I’m reminded of William Shatner’s ultimate revelation about traveling to space: “It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered.” I’d never thought of space as being sad and lonely until an actor interpreted it for us. That’s a bit grim, but it made me feel something and I’m grateful for his insight. Artists see things that we don’t and it’s their insight that allows us all to experience life in such a vastly beautiful way.

Personally, I find inspiration in small everyday things. The culture we’ve created at Marin Living is one of support, fun and trust. Recently, our team was invited to Sonoma Raceway at the last minute to put on helmets and hop in a car with a race car driver flying at full speed around the track. We were all excited, but unfortunately I was out of town and couldn’t go. My heart burst with joy when I saw a few members of the team, full of adrenaline, sending pics and texts on the track and having a great time at drinks afterward. But witnessing

the team come together for a day of white-knuckle fun and sharing the moment enthusiastically with each other inspired me immensely. It’s the little moments that keep me happy.

Finally, if you haven’t spent the day at Muir Woods recently, you should go. It’s one of the many places in Marin where you can connect with nature and leave full of inspiration. If the redwoods can last a few thousand years, you can get through just about anything. My imagination ran wild. Being among the trees is magical and I hope you too can tap into your creative roots with endless love for life and each other.

In gratitude,

Jessica Cline, CEO and Co-Founder

Portrait by Becca Teal Batista; www.stock.adobe.com/Lane Erickson (below)

“God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand straining, leveling tempests and floods; but he cannot save them from fools — only Uncle Sam can do that.”

—JOHN MUIR, 1897

Let’s Get Creative

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR again when we celebrate the abundant creative talent in Marin. And boy oh boy was it hard to narrow down. We look for artists across a variety of platforms and mediums with diverse backgrounds and innovative visions and above all, those who are risk-takers. And we did not come up empty-handed — far from it. There are so many talented people in our community doing incredible things that I have to remind myself, there is always another issue — we don’t have to stuff everyone into this one (so stay tuned, we have many more inspiring stories to tell!). This month we speak to wildly successful creators including a photographer, a furniture designer, a ceramicist, a fashion designer, a documentary maker and a choreographer as well as interior designers and musicians — we even highlight a disruptive new platform for visual artists. I’m getting excited just telling you about it! While we spotlight pioneering businesses every month in our “Game Changers” column (one of my favorites), I have to admit, I love getting geeky with the creatives. I hope you enjoy getting to know these artists as much as we have.

With summer just around the corner, we are all starting to think about where to travel, right? And well, of course we have some ideas to get your planning juices flowing. For my monthly travel feature, I ventured a little farther than usual and it was well worth the drive. Two nights in Carmel (one in Carmel-by-the-Sea and one in Carmel Valley) felt like a real vacation where the sun felt a little warmer, things moved a little slower and it proved to be a much-needed respite. The white sand reminded me of growing up on the East Coast and I have

been dreaming about the saunas and plunge pools at Refuge in Carmel Valley for weeks now. It reflects so much of what I love about California — a short drive and you feel like you have traveled much, much farther. Speaking of traveling, we also head back to Hawaii this month. There is always so much going on in the Aloha State that it is a pleasure to revisit the destination again and again. So many of your favorite hotels have gotten a face-lift and there is an all-new spot from a beloved luxury brand that you will definitely want to check out.

People always ask me if I am worried that we are going to run out of content — and the answer is the thought literally never crosses my mind. Our community is full of creative thinkers, entrepreneurs, change makers and trendsetters and they are tireless in their endeavors. Long may it last!

Casey Gillespie Creative Director and Co-Founder

Portrait by Becca Teal Batista; courtesy of SeeMonterey

The Carmel coastline

Courtesy of the artist and Garvey|Simon

Clockwise from top left: Lori Larusso’s 2023 “Flower Painting” Nos. 3,4,7,8. All acrylic and tinted MSA varnish on panel of various sizes.

News by Caitlin Hamer

Spring in Marin

As spring blooms in Marin, there are plenty of reasons to stay local. Marin Open Studios (www.marinopenstudios.org) is back for selfguided tours of artists’ studios throughout the county on May 6, 7, 13 and 14. The Marin Open Studios Preview Gallery at the new Sausalito Center for the Arts will be open daily until May 14 with a sample of each artist’s work. Mountain Play (www.mountain play.org) begins its 110th season at Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre in Mount Tamalpais State Park this month with a production of Into the Woods. Performances are on May 21 and 28 and June 4, 10, 11 and 18. Wrap up the month on May 28 with the 49th Annual Muir Beach Volunteer Firemen’s Barbecue (www.muirbeachfire.com), which promises food, drinks and fun. The festive afternoon of fundraising will be held at Santos Meadow.

Eileen Grady (top); courtesy of Marin Open Studios (bottom)

Mountain Play at Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre

Powering Up

Three schools in the Tamalpais Union High School District are set to receive steel solar canopies with electric-vehicle charging hookups. The $9.7 million project breaks ground at Archie Williams, Tamalpais and Redwood this summer and is expected to be finished by early next year.

Opioid Settlement Funds Coming to Marin

After joining a nationwide lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors charged with downplaying the potential dangers of prescription opioids, Marin County will receive $800,000 annually for nine years. The settlement money will target overdose prevention, with part of the initial investments dedicated to expanding OD Free Marin’s programs. “It’s good that the industry that helped create this crisis is funding some of the solutions,” says Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County public health officer. “This money will help save lives.”

Roll Film

DocLands Documentary Film Festival returns May 10 to 14 with another batch of films to be enjoyed along with filmmaker conversations (www.doclands.com). The five days of programming take place at the Smith Rafael Film Center in downtown San Rafael. This year’s lineup includes the North American premiere of Brother Horse and the U.S. premiere of The Nettle Dress

DocLands premiere: Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

Sipping and Singing

Wine and jazz are coming together for one afternoon on May 13. Taking place on historic Main Street, the Half Moon Bay Wine and Jazz Festival (www.hmbwineandjazzfest. com) features renowned California wineries, nationally known jazz artists and local food vendors. A portion of ticket proceeds benefits the Cabrillo Education Foundation.

Tule Elk Increase

Following a significant die-off due to the drought, tule elk herds in the Point Reyes National Seashore have rebounded this winter. The seashore has three herds, and the largest, which is located in a fenced reserve on Tomales Point, saw an increase in population of nearly 19 percent.

New Facilities at College of Marin

Thanks to funding from Measure B, College of Marin (www1.marin.edu) is expanding. Novato’s campus has formally opened its Olympic-size swimming pool and dive tower, a new research and education center will be built at Bolinas Lagoon, and Kentfield’s campus is getting a new library building. “The Bolinas Marine Laboratory provides an innovative learning environment that promotes social and environmental responsibility through hands-on study of critical marine and terrestrial systems,” Nicole Cruz, College of Marin’s director of marketing and communications, says of the new lab.

Novato campus pool

Clockwise from top: courtesy of Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival; courtesy of Marin Convention and Visitors Bureau; Eliot Holtzman Photography

Swing Into Summer

Life your glass for an important cause at this year’s Inspire Napa Valley Spring Wine Weekend (www.inspirenapavalley.org) from May 5 to 7. The event brings together wineries and wine enthusiasts to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. Celebrate some of Wine Country’s best makers at the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience (www.healdsburgwineandfood. com). The festival is happening May 18 to 21 and highlights Sonoma County’s culinary diversity. Blue Note Napa’s Summer Sessions at Silverado Resort (www.bluenotenapa.com) kicks off this month. Taking the stage are Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade on May 19, Dwight Yoakam on May 20 and Emmylou Harris on May 21. This year’s BottleRock Napa Valley (www. bottlerocknapavalley.com) boasts headliners like Post Malone on May 26, Lizzo on May 27 and Red Hot Chili Peppers on May 28. Find the annual music festival at the Napa Valley Expo.

From top: courtesy of BottleRock Napa Valley; courtesy of Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience

BottleRock’s main stage

Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience

Raising Money to End Homelessness

San Rafael’s Ritter Center (www.rittercenter. org) is hosting two events to raise funds for housing support and health care services to prevent and resolve homelessness. Under the Stars: A Sleepout to End Homelessness takes place on May 20, with participants sleeping in safe, uncomfortable places for the night. A pre-Sleepout BBQ celebration is taking place at the San Rafael Elks Club in the early evening on the same day.

Enjoy life by the bay at The Strand at Loch Lomond Marina. With sea breezes surrounding and natural lighting within, these homes are coastal living’s best look. Plus, new homeowners can enjoy two years of prepaid HOA dues on select townhomes* and a one-year Loch Lomond Yacht Club membership with the initiation fee waived.**

Enjoy life by the bay at The Strand at Loch Lomond Marina. With sea breezes surrounding and natural lighting within, these homes are coastal living’s best look. Plus, new homeowners can enjoy two years of prepaid HOA dues on select townhomes* and a one-year Loch Lomond Yacht Club membership with the initiation fee waived.** Don’t miss your chance to live in this captivating new community. Plan your visit today!

Enjoy life by the bay at The Strand at Loch Lomond Marina. With sea breezes surrounding and natural lighting within, these homes are coastal living’s best look. Plus, new homeowners can enjoy two years of prepaid HOA dues on select townhomes* and a one-year Loch Lomond Yacht Club membership with the initiation fee waived.** Don’t miss your chance to live in this captivating new community. Plan your visit today!

Don’t miss your chance to live in this captivating new community. Plan your visit today!

All About Moms

Mother’s Day is here and it’s time to spoil her like the queen that she is.

By Casey Gillespie

1. Give Mom the gift of “me” time this year with these luxurious Blue Chamomile Bath Salts from Dillon Beach–based KM Herbals. The aromatic blend of tansy and citrus essential oils will soothe muscle fatigue and create an oasis of calm — exactly what moms need. Available at www.kmherbals. com, $36

2. On Mother’s Day, jewelry is always a good idea and this simple yet sweet 14K gold “Mama” necklace by Gorjana is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. The company has partnered with Baby2Baby (providing assistance to children living in poverty) and starting May 1, Gorjana will give 10 percent of online and in-store sales of its new necklace directly to the charity. Available at Gorjana (The Village at Corte Madera) and www. gorjana.com, $295

3. Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter by Meredith Jacobs and Sofie Jacobs (Chronicle Books) is the bestselling journal every mother and daughter needs. Packed with thoughtful writing prompts, mini quizzes and fun pages for drawing and making lists — it is a creative way to delve into everything from school to romantic crushes. Available at Book Passage Bookstore & Cafe (51 Tamal Vista Boulevard) and www.bookpassage. com, $16.95

4. Wondering if Mom wants a pair of Birkenstocks this year? The answer is yes, and the Madrid Big Buckle (shown here in Matcha) is both incredibly stylish and irresistibly practical. It’s everything she loves about Birkenstock — cork-latex footbed with suede lining paired with nubuck leather — in the perfect spring color. Available at Birkenstock (Marin Country Mart), $140

5. Even in spring, layers are a NorCal staple and this St. Claire Cashmere Coat (shown here in Jeans) from Margaret O’Leary is a chic option. The six-ply cashmere is luxuriously soft and can be worn as a coat or a middle layer in the colder months. It’s the perfect gift for the endlessly stylish mom. Available at Margaret O’Leary (14 Miler Avenue, Mill Valley) and www.margaretoleary. com, $698

Fostering a culture of inclusion and collaboration since day one.

For nearly 40 years, Vanguard Properties has dedicated itself to creating a space in which communication and collaboration act as cornerstones to our business – providing our agents and clients alike with the most up-to-date and innovative luxury service.

Catch of the Bay

Mill Valley’s newly opened Coho offers a fresh take on seafood.

By Sarah Weinberg Gold

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA’S FISH-FORWARD restaurants have a tendency to skew one of two ways — white tablecloths and water views or picnic tables and tacos. But things are different at Coho (www.cohomv.com), Mill Valley’s newest hot spot, which takes over the downtown corner that used to house long-standing Italian go-to Vasco.

There are no stiff table coverings in sight; instead, water glasses that look like clear Solo cups complete every place setting. It’s just a small touch, but one of many that remind you this isn’t a regular seafood spot. It’s a cool seafood spot.

“We wanted people to be able to come and have a fun city experience without actually having to go into the city,” explains Luigi Petrone, who co-owns and runs the restaurant with cousin Felicia Ferguson. It’s clear the two delivered: on a random rainy Wednesday night at 6 p.m., nearly every table is full.

Salmon Donburi Bowl

Petrone and Ferguson aren’t exactly strangers to successful restaurants — it’s in their DNA. In the early ’80s, their fathers opened Mill Valley’s Piazza D’Angelo, which the two worked their way up to taking over in 2016. But for them, Coho is different. “Piazza is a well-oiled machine. It’s got a culture and a presence,” Petrone says. “Coho is our opportunity to build that from the ground up.”

Petrone and Ferguson’s primary vision for Coho was simple: to create a seasonally driven, seafood-centric restaurant. Sustainability was top of mind, too. Executive chef David Kornell sources as locally as possible from the best purveyors — but it’s more than that. “It’s how we can sustain as a business, too,” Ferguson says. “Practices we can put in place where people want to come into work and we can build a great, lasting team.”

That meant collaboration was key from the get-go. Petrone and Ferguson let Kornell do his thing when creating the menu. “He would put a dish in front of us and we’d talk about it. He’d put another dish in front of us, and we’d talk about it. That’s how we developed this really eclectic, flavorful menu,” says Petrone.

Oysters, crudo and squid share space with roe-topped pierogi and a pea shoot “salad” served still planted in soil — the kind of starters that spread like wildfire around a restaurant. As soon as one table has them, another party sees them and does the same.

It’s easy to get hung up on the long list of appetizers. Pick a few favorites, tack on the sourdough, plan for another visit and move on to the entrees. The lineup of larger plates is just as worthy. The Dungeness crab noodles, a seasonal dish, have emerged as an early crowd favorite, as have the black cod, glazed to spicy-sweet perfection, and the grilled trout. But if you happen to spot Petrone or Ferguson ordering from the menu, it’s the Donburi Bowl — an elevated salmon-topped version of the traditional Japanese rice dish — they’ll probably be asking for. “I think I have that for dinner three or four times a week,” Ferguson says with a laugh. “It’s so comforting.”

And when you’ve grown up in the restaurant business, it’s impossible not to imbue a level of comfort — of home — into all your projects. Yes, even a brand-new, city-cool seafood spot with Solo cup–inspired glassware.

Coho’s dining room Jen

Siska

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M.

$51+ Million in 2022 Sales Volume

Corey Robinson Founder Corey@thejourneyre.com

415.858.9469

thejourneyre.com

DRE# 01783258

By Casey Gillespie

Carmel Beach

Courtesy of SeeMonterey

Anyone who has visited Carmel-by-the-Sea is well acquainted with its infinite charm and natural beauty. The expansive white sandy beach and sparkling blue waters make a weekend away feel like an indulgent beach vacation. Known by many as the seaside town where Clint Eastwood served as mayor, Carmelby-the-Sea was home to Doris Day and frequented by notables like John Steinbeck, Salvador Dalí and Jimi Hendrix. The streets of the small village are lined with countless luxury-good-filled shops, cafes, wine tasting rooms, art galleries and restaurants, and are best explored on foot by wandering down the tree-lined streets taking it all in as you go. Stay at one of the small, charming hotels that are in walking distance of it all and make the most of what this location has to offer. While there is no doubt you’ll find plenty to do, here are a few recommendations to get you started.

The Hotel Carmel

FOURTH AVENUE AND SAN CARLOS STREET

www.thehotelcarmel.com

This boutique hotel is the perfect retreat after a day of shopping and wine tasting and is a mere seven-minute walk from the center of all the action. During the cooler months book a room with a fireplace and don’t dismiss the courtyard fire pit; it’s a great way to meet and mingle with fellow travelers. The adjoining restaurant, Brophy’s Tavern, offers a cozy pub-like experience and serves casual bar food along with local wines and tasty cocktails.

Carmel Belle

SAN CARLOS STREET, BETWEEN OCEAN AND SEVENTH AVENUES

www.carmelbelle.com

If delicious coffee, plant-based protein smoothies or mouthwatering vegan desserts are what you are craving then this is your place. Order at the counter, and lounge with locals on the nearby sofas. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available for anyone looking for a quick, healthy bite.

Casanova

FIFTH AVENUE, BETWEEN MISSION AND SAN CARLOS STREETS

www.casanovacarmel.com

A favorite among locals, this family-owned-and-run restaurant offers rustic fare with a focus on local, seasonal produce. As the story goes, the current owners acquired the house after local icon Aunt Fairy Bird — once a cook for Charlie Chaplin — passed away. It’s just as cozy as you imagine.

Grasings

SIXTH AVENUE AND MISSION

STREET

www.grasings.com

Offering lunch, brunch and dinner, this eatery serves an elevated take on classic California cuisine in a quaint setting. The extensive wine list, emphasis on fresh seafood and outstanding service make it a must-visit.

Paella at Grasings

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE EVENTS

WeatherTech Raceway

Laguna Seca

May 5–7: Trans Am Speedfest

May 12–14: Motul Course de Monterey (IMSA)

Carmel Art Festival

May 19–21: The festival takes place in Carmel-bythe-Sea; visit www.seemonterey.com for more info.

Stationaery

SAN CARLOS STREET, BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH AVENUES

www.thestationaery.com

If an indulgent brunch is on your to-do list then make a plan to stop here — you won’t be disappointed. Caviar and chips, lobster roll, shakshuka and the simple pleasure of tomato soup and grilled cheese are all on the menu.

The Forge

SW CORNER OF FIFTH AVENUE AND JUNIPERO STREET

www.forgeintheforest.com

Originally a renowned blacksmith’s workshop, this spot has a storied past that includes serving as a local drinking hole for artist and writer Henry Miller and legendary writer John Steinbeck. These days the restaurant offers an eclectic menu featuring everything from lobster linguini to barbecue pork ribs and paella.

The Pocket

ON LINCOLN STREET BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH AVENUES

www.thepocketcarmel.com

If you love happy hour, make time for a visit. The menu includes truffle fries, meat and cheese boards and ahi tuna along with inventive cocktails and local and international wines by the glass. The atmosphere is modern with an air of coastal chic.

CARMEL VALLEY IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA

Carmel Valley is about a 30-minute drive from Marin and a fantastic way to see a little more of the area. Decidedly more rural than the bustling Carmel-by-the-Sea village, the valley boasts sprawling resorts, a top-notch spa and abundant wine tasting (pinot noir is the varietal du jour here).

Bernardus Lodge & Spa

www.bernarduslodge.com

Book a weekend at this lodge for a top-notch getaway — an irresistible spa, gourmet dining options and 28 acres of rolling vineyards, orchards and gardens offer plenty to do and many ways to truly relax. But a dinner reservation or spa appointment alone is more than worth the drive.

Holman Ranch

60 HOLMAN ROAD, CARMEL VALLEY www.holmanranch.com

Once a respite for Hollywood royalty (Charlie Chaplin has a room named after him), this bucolic ranch is a lesson in tranquility. Schedule a wine tasting (pinots are king, but the rosé is a delight) and enjoy the views.

Quail Lodge & Golf Club

8205 VALLEY GREENS DRIVE www.quaillodge.com

Golf lovers will revel in the award-winning course and the all-grass nine-hole putting course, while outdoor enthusiasts will find a lot to keep them busy — tennis and pickleball courts and a year-round outdoor heated swimming pool can all be found on property.

Refuge Spa

27300 RANCHO SAN CARLOS ROAD www.refuge.com

If a day of relaxation cycling through saunas, steam rooms, outdoor hot and cold plunge pools and lazily lounging by fire pits is your idea of fun, then Refuge is your spot. It also offers massages for those who want to indulge.

marin living.

Carmel Beach at sunset

This page and opposite: courtesy of SeeMonterey

Light Up the Stage

Mill Valley’s Jerry Harrison, along with a 10-piece ensemble and collaborator Adrian Belew, are bringing the Talking Heads’ classic album Remain in Light to the Mill Valley Music Festival and beyond.

By Daniel Jewett

FORMER TALKING HEADS MEMBER Jerry Harrison always thought the innovative 1980s album Remain in Light was one of the band’s best. His good friend and collaborator on the album and subsequent tour, guitar virtuoso Adrian Belew, agreed.

“We would go out to dinner and we’d always kind of come back to the show that’s on YouTube of Talking Heads in Rome in the 1980s,” Harrison says. “And it was like, ‘God, the world needs this’ — the amount of joy that comes off of this.”

The two decided to do a tour based on the album for its 40th anniversary (www.remaininlight.net) in 2020, but the pandemic quickly put those plans on hold. Three years later

the duo — now joined by a 10-piece band — have finally taken the show on the road.

The ensemble is made of members of a band Harrison produced called Turkuaz that was already performing a Talking Heads song and includes a horn section, along with bass phenom Julie Slick, who is also a member of Belew’s Power Trio band.

“Since that Talking Heads show is our blueprint, having a female bass player just seemed true to form — and Julie is an awesome bass player,” Harrison says. On playing with an larger group, he adds, “There’s a joyousness to this. One thing

Courtesy of Remain in Light/Mill Valley Music Festival

Jerry Harrison (left) and Adrian Belew

that I love about it is I’ve never played with a horn section before — it’s been really exciting and fun.”

Harrison says the band and the shows have just been getting better and better and audiences are loving it. “People are reacting with a kind of ecstasy; they never thought they’d get to see this live,” he adds. “Many of them never saw Talking Heads, so they are seeing the power of the songs and the power of what Talking Heads was.”

The musician says the show, which also includes the Fear of Music song “Drugs,” a Belew-era King Crimson song and a solo Harrison song, will continue around the country. Eventually they will share the bill with Les Claypool and Sean Lennon, who will be performing the Pink Floyd album Animals with Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade.

Remain in Light was produced by studio mastermind Brian Eno, and Harrison says a focus on African rhythms and using the mixing board as a compositional tool made the album different. “The whole process was really going out on a limb — we had not written any songs when we walked in the studio because we had this idea that we wanted to catch people’s performances when they do something for the first time,” he says. “The lyrics came after the music and the result was great.”

As for playing this energetic show in his own backyard, Harrison isn’t really sure what it will be like, although he does know it will be different than simply sitting in on a tune at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass or doing a gig for Kiddo! But he says he, his wife and three kids love living in Mill Valley. They moved here — first living on a Sausalito houseboat — after Talking Heads was winding down and Harrison’s production career (Violent Femmes, Crash Test Dummies, No Doubt, and more) was taking off.

“Because of the Summer of Love, there was a whole infrastructure of not only recording studios, but classic recording equipment and people who know how to fix classic recording equipment here,” he says. “We also thought our kids could have that kind of Tom Sawyer childhood in Marin.”

Fans of the Talking Heads have a lot to look forward to, as new two-LP Record Store Day releases are coming, including a reissue of Remain in Light as well as re-releases from Talking Heads–alumni projects featuring Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz’s Tom Tom Club, David Byrne’s The Catherine Wheel and Harrison’s The Red and the Black “It’s going to be great,” he says.

The Mill Valley Music Festival (www.millvalleymusicfest.com) takes place May 13 and 14 and features bands like Cake and Michael Franti & Spearhead, along with more than 24 local food and vendor marketplace participants.

Paige

K. Parsons/Mill Valley Music Festival

WINE & FOOD Taste Sonoma

Art for the People

A new app takes on the business of democratizing art.

By Annie Gieser

RENOWNED ’80S ARTIST KEITH HARING said, “Art is for everybody.” Cohart, the new app for showcasing, selling and discovering art, is putting an emphasis on everybody.

“The art world has been built for the .01 percent today,” says Cohart co-founder and CEO Kendall Warson (www. cohart.com), noting the difficulty in making the traditional world of art available to the other 99.99 percent.

Warson and her co-founder, Shyevin S’ng, are both tenured members of the art industry, having worked as an immersive art curator (the former) and gallerist (the latter). After meeting while working on a blockchain/NFT gallery in Hong Kong, Warson and S’ng decided it was time for the elitist culture of art to change — on a global scale.

Cohart functions as a digital art gallery that’s accessible to anyone. Verified artists of any background or medium can share and sell their art, build a community of other artists and followers, and post livestreams while they create. Members can follow artists to learn more about their style and story, share their own art collection, and buy art backed by the Cohart team, ensuring each piece is authenticated and shipped safely.

By removing the barriers of gallery walls and the distance between artists and collectors (both physically and socially), Cohart aims to make everyone a curator — much like Instagram made everyone a photographer.

“Everyone owns art but no one really calls themself an art collector today,” Warson says. “The idea is that the more you use Cohart, the more you can confidently step into those shoes and find your voice in the art world.”

Buying a piece on Cohart is not like ordering a poster off Amazon. Cohart verifies each artist — not by the number of galleries they’ve displayed in, but by passion, craftsmanship and ability to fulfill an order. Cohart clients can rest assured that the piece you select is unique.

For the artists, Cohart is designed to be all one needs in a platform to build a community and sell art efficiently. Typically, art galleries take 50 percent of the sale from an artist. Cohart is currently at half that, asking for 25 percent of the sale by artists who sell through the platform, and hoping to lower that percentage as the platform grows.

To amplify the experience for artists, Cohart has plans to roll out services for them to manage their business all in one place, such as CRM tracking, price advising and data analytics for insights on who is viewing their art and for how long.

Having just launched in January 2022, Cohart had over a million dollars in art sales in that year. Priorities for the future are focused on growing the community by implementing features like live art studio visits and hosting in-person events where Cohart artists showcase work for members in different cities all over the world.

“That’s what we want to empower — a bottoms-up approach from people and all their unique perspectives,” says Warson, enthusiastic about the art world of tomorrow. “Niche passions in the art market that find each other, build confidence together, share insights and build community.”

Courtesy of Cohart

Women’s Empowerment in Business

Let’s Talk Trusts: Understanding the benefits and consequences of not having a plan

May 31, 2023 | 5:15-6:30 PM

Karolyn Poppin Trusts and Estates Attorney, Poppin Law

Is this event for you?

Laurie Nardone Certified financial planner & managing partner, Shira Ridge

•Life's uncertainties can strike at any age. Are your assets secure enough to weather unexpected events?

•Have you thought about the legacy you'll leave behind and who will benefit from your financial resources?

•Are you confident that your assets will be distributed according to your wishes after you're gone?

“

WHY NOT FOLLOW YOUR JEANS FROM DIRT TO DENIM THE WAY YOU WOULD LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE IN A RESTAURANT?”

Michael Woolsey

AMERICAN MADE ><

Inspired by heritage work wear and crafted using cotton sustainably farmed and milled in the U.S., new Petaluma-based apparel brand WiesMade will make a coveted addition to any denim collection.

By Keri Bridgwater

“AS A YOUNG GUY WORKING IN DENIM SHOPS AROUND SAN FRANCISCO,

I’d always walk by the Levi’s headquarters and so launching my own line is something I’ve considered doing for years,” says Nic Wiessler, founder of Petaluma-based brand WiesMade (www.wiesmade.com). “Blue jeans were invented and patented up there, so denim is really in our California DNA.

“I love classic Levi’s and vintage raw selvedge, but it’s tough to find heavy, high-quality denim made in America these days, so I decided to create my own.” A third-generation North Bay local, he studied environmental science at Sonoma State University and spent 20 years as a leader in the retail business working with big names like Gap, Lucky Brand and Cole Haan. The notion of “buy once wear forever” resonated with

Michael Woolsey (this page and opposite; all inset)

Wiessler and inspired a vision of creating a sustainable brand.

“My wife and I live in Petaluma, and our favorite thing is to pull tomatoes out of the garden and make a salad. We were at the farmers market one day, and I thought, ‘Why not follow your jeans from dirt to denim the way you would locally grown produce in a restaurant?’ ” He spent two years developing fabrics, perfecting washes and making patterns. “We looked at hemp and recycled fibers and their wearability and dug into the carbon footprint of transportation, but it became obvious we needed to make our fabrics from scratch because they didn’t exist,” he says. “No one is creating sustainable fibers using local cotton because it’s hard and there’s no real supply chain left in the U.S.” Woven by the 175-year-old Mount Vernon Mills in Georgia and Vidalia Mills in Louisiana, much of the cotton used in Wiesmade’s denim and selvedge denim is

sustainably grown a mile from each mill. Cotton grown in California and Arizona is used for T-shirts and knitwear fabric, which is fashioned at a family-owned sewing shop in Los Angeles.

Based on heritage work wear for men and women, the collection features two jean styles in a choice of washes and denim finishes, canvas jackets, cotton pullovers, henleys, tanks and T-shirts. Wiessler says the ring-spun cotton used for the knits is soft but substantial and looks even better when layered: a timeless look with that pop of a T-shirt underneath to give the silhouette a nice break, something he calls the NorCal layer. While cable-knit beanies, leather belts and raw selvedge ball caps round out the accessories, as for the jeans, he adds that you only really need two pairs in your wardrobe. “My wife loves the regular denim as her everyday go-to, but dressing up for work, the raw denim in that beautiful dark indigo

just looks so good with a T-shirt and blazer.” For the record, another of her favorites is the Artcher Jacket in olive.

After commuting between the East Coast and West Coast for over a decade, when Wiessler married and started a family, he moved to Petaluma full-time with his wife — and fell back in love with the sleepy Sonoma County town. “I did photo shoots for Bonobos, Nike and Cole Haan in New York, but realizing I can build all the infrastructure I need for this little denim brand right here is a dream come true. There’s nothing we can do here that you’d need a big city for.” So far, the feedback has been positive, and WiesMade has already built a small but loyal following, in part thanks to Instagram and The Denimheads Podcast. “We would love to eventually open some stores, but want to grow carefully and not scale up too fast,” he says. “For now, we’re online only but love when people stop by our design studio in Petaluma.”

BrightLooks Futur� The

This San Rafael–based interior designer prides herself on a more-is-more aesthetic.

By Amber Turpin

Bright's bold use of color and patterns is what sets her apart.

Christopher Stark

UNLESS YOU’VE LIVED IN THE BAY AREA for four decades and were lucky enough to attend a Silicon Valley corporate event back in the day, you probably don’t know about the cover band SRO. This group, made up of a staggering 19 people, was wildly popular with tech and pharmaceutical companies looking to book the band for their extravagant parties in the 1990s. There were four singers, three classically trained symphony violinists, a three-person horn section, a rhythm section, three dancers and a guy that wore a fez, suitably called the fez guy.

Even longtime clients of local interior designer Barbra Bright might not know that she was in that band, and married to the bandleader and master of ceremonies Dick Bright. But why should this article about a leading design industry professional bring up a ’90s cover band? It turns out that her experience in SRO was a pivotal chapter in what became a thriving design career and eventually the founding of Barbra Bright Design (www.barbrabrightdesign.com).

“You can only dance for so long,” explains Bright, and there came a time when her creativity and childhood sewing hobby served as a transition to costume design.

“With 19 people onstage there was a lot to look at. The band radiated a fun, colorful, sexy vibe. Dick wore a top hat with custom coattails in sequins. The violinists wore black sleeveless coattails with sequin bras, hot pants, bow ties, cummerbunds and wrist cuffs. And they wore matching wigs in different colors. And the dancers wore everything — glitter, feathers, spandex and leather,” she recalls.

She was in the group for about eight years, and during that time she styled the look of the band and also enlisted others to make costumes that she designed. After she retired, she thought it made sense to go back to school to learn fashion design. But an offer to become a design assistant at a kitchen showroom detoured that plan. “At the time, I said I would try it for six months since I didn’t cook,” she says. “But it turns out that design is design and you either have a ‘good eye’ or you don’t. I loved it and took classes at Cañada College in kitchen design.”

“People get frightened that it's too much. My job is to hold their hand and assure them that too much is just right.”

Christopher Stark

Bright's San Rafael studio

The studio is set up like a model home. Christopher Stark (this page and opposite)

Bright’s next chapter came in the form of a divorce, an obvious turning point in many ways. She had been working part time while married and continuing to discover design, but then 10 years ago when the marriage ended, she knew she wanted to be able to support herself. “So I dove hard into creating an interior design business,” she explains.

That leap of faith has led to the completion of Bright’s own studio, which she finished last August. A former comic book store in San Rafael that she slowly remodeled over the last five years as her pocketbook would allow is today a unique showroom that illuminates Bright’s keen eye for design. She wanted her studio, set up like a “model home,” to reflect her design sensibility as if it were in an actual home. “You come in and there's a bar, there's a living room, there's a closet. The whole idea is to show how cohesive the whole house can be, but very livable. For it to be beautiful and also to be functional,” Bright explains.

This layout changes the client experience in two ways, she says. When clients come in they see that she is a serious designer in a fully realized space. And there is also a sense of comfort in seeing a design style that is exciting and gives direction and permission to go bigger, even if it's not the client’s specific design style. “I’m so grateful to be able to show clients concepts in a space. The pictures look great, but it really doesn’t do it justice. I love having people visit. I’m very proud of the end result and was lucky enough to have talented friends to help my vision come through,” she says.

Inspiration is everywhere for Bright, from architecture to museums to fellow designers' work. She loves looking at Instagram, and she celebrates how many points of view

people can access from that platform all over the world. She believes that design rules are meant to be broken and that innovation and risk are important tenets for every project.

“I feel like you can mix things that you wouldn’t normally put together," she adds. "It's a maximalist theory: you can mix colors and patterns. But what happens is that people get frightened that it's too much. My job is to hold their hand and assure them that too much is just right. Really, what I'm trying to have my clients do is to be brave. Having a beige wall is not brave. Having a red wall is brave. It's just paint, we can repaint it. Don't be afraid to try new things because you assume that the outcome will be not to your liking. You might be pleasantly surprised.”

This brave notion comes, in part, from Bright’s earliest creative endeavors and the support she received as a child to pursue her artistic proclivity. “I attribute all of my style to my mother. She knits, sews, paints, gardens, she does it all,” Bright says, adding that her parents gave her a lot of leeway and time to explore these hobbies. “I did a lot of reading and I looked at a lot of pictures," she reflects. "My parents gave me full access to my artistic ability. It just sort of grew. I remember lots of glitter, lots of dried noodles and glue. That's kind of how I got started … I just use nicer products now.”

Bright’s upbringing and her sense of culture have been influential. She explains that being biracial (her mother is Korean and her father is African American), as well as being an only child, instilled a unique outlook. “This gave me a lot of time to think, to play, to see both cultures in terms of food and objects, yet being kind of different from both of my parents, and to be free as myself.”

Bright draws inspiration from myriad sources for her designs.

Stand-up paddleboard by Fraisse Design

Dwight Eschliman (this page); Sam Huff (opposite)

Dwight Eschliman, “Newport Beach, CA, 1 hour, 7:06-8:06 p.m.” July 2

Dwight Eschliman

Dwight Eschliman

If you’ve ever held a Twinkie (or any other bunker-approved food item) and wondered what exactly it was made of: Mill Valley–based artist Dwight Eschliman (www.eschlimanstudio. com) took that curiosity a step further by deconstructing the snack and photographing all 17 ingredients. The project led him to team up with science writer Steve Ettlinger to create Ingredients (ReganArts), a stunning book that artfully documents 25 different store-bought foods. Eschliman has made his mark as a commercial photographer, shooting campaigns for Apple, Absolut, Audi, Chobani and Adidas as well as editorial work for The New York Times There is a unifying crispness, brightness and optimism to his work. He describes it as orderliness, making sense of the space. “When I was a little kid, I used to have all these knickknacks on my dresser. I would arrange them and take a picture when they were perfectly organized. And I think I somehow turned that into a career.”

He’s able to explore the deconstruction concept even more fully in his fine art photography series where, as Eschliman says, “the group informs the individual.” His prior series can be explored on the Eschliman Studio website and you can visit his newest series, One Day, exhibited as Color of Light at the Sarah Shepard Gallery at Marin Country Mart. As a photographer, Eschliman has long been fascinated by how one conveys movement or passage of time in a single still image. When he started thinking about landscapes and how even one vista changes throughout the day, he wanted to experiment with a portrait of a place in its full 24-hour cycle. By capturing a still image of every second of the day (fast math: that’s 86,400 images) and arranging them in chronological order (“like reading a book”), you get a color thumbprint of a location. The results even surprised even the artist, who says, “Even though I lived through the day, you never know what the final image is going to look like.”

A collection of Corriente cattle from Eschliman Studio’s CATTLE project.

Szilvasy uses an old-world technique in her Marin–inspired

porcelain work.

Bernadette Szilvasy

If one could ever be born to excel at a certain craft, Bernadette Szilvasy would be that person. While her father was a master artist at the revered Herend porcelain factory in Hungary, little Bernadette was painting in the factory’s preschool with the same brushes the artists used. Fast-forward past art school and her own instruction in Herend, and you can now find her handpainting porcelain in her Ross workshop. She has united the European heritage of refined porcelain painting with a more laidback California vibe. While out hiking (Muir Woods is a favorite) or strolling on the beach, she racks up inspiration — ferns, flowers and seabirds are frequent motifs. “I love to be outdoors as much as possible,” Szilvasy says about how she is continually finding new ways to represent Marin’s limitless beauty in her art. “I love to catch a moment, like how the bird’s feather was moving.” Szilvasy brings the outside in, making the flora and fauna the center of her creations. Via an old-world technique, raccoons, birds, moths, beets and parsley all are transformed by a delicate brushstroke into timeless works of art on porcelain.

And if you want to see her work in person: Szilvasy loves when people come into her workshop and watch her work (www.hand paintedporcelain.art). Often, customers are so taken with her style that they ask her to create a custom pattern for them (a pet, a scene from a vacation), which she is happy to do. Though chuck-it-in-the-sink items they are not, all of her products are durable and meant to be used every day. Pieces start at around $65 (for a hand-painted mug) — an investment for tableware, but a bargain for holding a piece of art in your hands each morning. When reflecting on her father’s legacy living on in Marin, the artist’s eyes sparkle. “He’d be so proud.”

Denis Fraisse

Denis Fraisse (www.fraissedesign.com) has spent the majority of his life on the water — growing up in a small fishing town in the south of France where his father owned a boatyard, and later as a craftsman, building and repairing racing sailboats. He’s always built things, primarily out of wood. So, it’s no surprise that when the Corte Madera–based sports enthusiast tried paddleboarding while on vacation in Hawaii, he fell in love with it and resolved to build himself a board as beautiful as the boats he was used to. Countless people told him he couldn’t make a sufficient SUP out of wood, which only increased his resolve. The high-end result quickly proved his naysayers wrong. Requiring 400 hours of work to build (and $40,000 to $50,000 to buy), Denis’s SUPs are almost too stunning to strap to your roof. But whether you take one to McNears Beach or mount it above your mantel, it’s craftsmanship at its finest.

Fraisse’s success with the paddleboard encouraged him to expand his offerings to one-of-a-kind home furnishings inspired by nature. When updating his home decor, he knew his coffee table had to go. So, naturally, he designed and built one worthy of the MoMA (Noguchi lovers, eat your heart out). The range is small, but growing, and currently includes a coffee table, a wall shelf and wall art (ranging from $8,000 to $12,000) — all otherworldly pieces that express the artist’s experience as if the wood was magically curved and shaped by water. He doesn’t use a mold and responds to the size, shape and type of wood, making each piece completely unique. Outside as much as possible, Fraisse finds ideas everywhere he looks. “I was hiking in the rain and there was a tree falling from the weight. There was a curve of the wood that was beautiful, and I took a picture. And in my head, I was thinking — 'this is a lamp,’ ” he says. “We try to make beautiful pieces as a human, but nature is already everything.”

Fraisse works with the size and shape of the wood to make one-of-a-kind coffee tables, shelves and art.

Veronica Jurist (this page and opposite)

Community Minded

Your Trusted Real Estate Advisors

The Werner Group approaches real estate differently. We see ourselves as real estate advisors, not salespeople. We enter our clients’ lives during a monumental moment: the buying or selling of their largest asset, but it doesn’t stop there. We maintain relationships with our clients far beyond the purchase or sale of their home, advising on all matters real estate. From buying and selling your home to standard maintenance and remodeling, we deliver exceptional service to our clients in Marin, San Francisco and Sonoma.

The Werner Group | Lei Ann Werner

415.710.0117

l.werner@ggsir.com

License #00994572

Celebrating 30 Years of Sonoma-Grown Skin Care

KM Herbals is excited to celebrate three decades of handcrafting plant-based skin care for its Sonoma County community. Founded by pioneering herbalist, Kim Manley, this women-powered line was originally inspired by family — the birth of Kim’s daughter, Bonnie Rose, and a need for clean baby products. Today, this mother-daughter team works side-by-side to craft luxurious skin care and wellness products, made from locally grown herbs and wildcrafted ingredients, that nourish the body and enliven the spirit.

KM Herbals Skincare

www.kmherbals.com | shop@kmherbals.com

707.878.2980 | @kmherbals

Healthy Food for Your Kids and Your Whole Family

We always strive for the best and locally sourced ingredients. The same is true for our youngest clients — theirs is a farm-to-lunch box approach. By sourcing from our local collegiate organic garden, we are able to pick the best and freshest ingredients, at the best times. We spend the time to make sure all our clients eat well, regardless of age. Outside of using our local collegiate organic farm, we serve a large portion of several districts’ school lunches. We learn the most from our younger clients, and they truly keep us connected to the community. They are always inspiring us to make health conscious and delicious lunches for them.

Dee’s Organic

415.312.0790

info@deesorganic.com

groundbreaking women

Marin Living magazine is honored to feature the most influential women and women-owned businesses in Marin County. These outstanding ladies have proven to be a force in their respective industries. They break through boundaries and provide dynamic services, products and community connection that sets them apart in their fields. Meet the Groundbreaking Women.

Jill Gregory

Sonoma Raceway

What are you doing to inspire the next generation of female business leaders in motorsports and beyond?

Future female leaders must “see it to be it,” so participation in organizations like Women in Motorsport North America and events like Women With Drive summit are a way to show young women what is out there for them.

How are you disrupting the auto racing industry?

Rising through the ranks of a maledominated industry and sport takes professionalism and dedication. I work with our team to make Sonoma Raceway a place that welcomes everyone, not only race fans, but people looking to enjoy a new experience or get up close to race cars and exotic vehicles.

How do you like to show your community that you care?

Sonoma Raceway gives back to the local community via our charitable arm, Speedway Children’s Charities. Funds are raised by fans and guests participating in activities at races and other family events like car shows and laps around the track. In 2022, $200,000 was distributed to local nonprofits.

Sonoma Raceway is in its 55th year, what is new and groundbreaking? Turn 11 at Sonoma Raceway, finished last June, is an extraordinary 19,000-square-foot hospitality destination for spectacular events and parties, offering clients refined luxury and five-star service. Three flexible indoor/outdoor room concepts with large, track-facing garage doors create enviable viewing experiences during race events, corporate meetings, product innovation showcases and private events.

Sonoma Raceway

29355 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA 95476 707.933.3900

sales@sonomaraceway.com

www.sonomaraceway.com

/@racesonoma

groundbreaking women

There’s more to this raceway than meets the eye.

Cassie Zampa Keim CEO and Founder of Innovative Match

Are you ready to meet your perfect match?

How did you get into the business? After college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. But I was (and am) a people person. I like to get to know what makes others who they are and how I can help them improve their lives. I had an opportunity to apprentice with a matchmaker, so I gave it a shot. It didn’t take long to find my true passion, which is finding love for singles.

What makes a client successful? Commitment. Commitment to the process. Commitment to their goal of finding love. Commitment to themselves to be the best they can be. For clients to be successful at finding love, they have to be all in.

What does a typical client look like? This is the great part about what I do. None of my clients are typical. They range in age from their 30s to their 80s. They come from various backgrounds. They are kind people who lead full lives but know their life can be fuller with the right partner.

Why did you start doing the hot tips of the day on Instagram?

I’ve been in this business for more than three decades and, therefore, I have a lot to say. It’s also why I wrote my book, Finding Love After 50. This led to my hot tips on Instagram (@innovativematch). I realized people wanted practicalyet-inspirational information they could get while on the go.

Homeward Bound of Marin

Helping find homes and much more for homeless people.

What is it about your organization that is groundbreaking?

Homeward Bound of Marin has worked to end the crisis homelessness for 49 years, long before it got headlines. We’ve refined our services and learned from the people we’re privileged to serve about how to create real solutions. That means not just beds or support — it means homes. Last year we opened 50 new units of supportive housing.

Are you doing anything special to nurture women in your organization? We started three years ago to inte-

grate Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion throughout our agency. This process is creating a place for everyone to grow in their careers and their understanding. Four of five people on our leadership team are women.

Does your organization have a notable history in the Bay Area?

In 2000, Homeward Bound of Marin partnered with the City of Novato to open the country’s first shelter on a decommissioned military base. We’re bringing that history full circle to build Marin County’s first apartments for unhoused veterans at our site.

Mary Kay Sweeney, Ph.D.

groundbreaking women

women

Nancy Rehkopf

Marin Ballet

Get to know the first ballet school in Marin.

What is it about your business that makes it groundbreaking?

Marin Ballet was founded in 1963, and was the first ballet school in Marin County. We are the second oldest performing arts organization in Marin, celebrating our 60th anniversary this year. Marin Ballet has enjoyed female leadership during every year of its existence except for two. The photo shows our team from left to right: Stephanie Taubert, Operations Manager and Registrar; Julia Adam, Performance Director; Nancy Rehkopf, Executive Director; and Catherine Hader, School Director.

Are you doing anything special to nurture and inspire the next generation of female business leaders?

I am a next-generation leader. My mother, Phyllis Thelen, came alongside founder Leona Norman to help provide organizational and financial stability to the young organization. As her daughter, I grew up seeing both my parents develop the Marin Ballet from a single attic studio on Lincoln Avenue in San Rafael to the current 20,000-square-foot facility. Taking the position of President of Marin Ballet was a role for which I was amply prepared. We have other legacy successes at Marin Ballet. There are two generations of leadership provided by other families including the Heller, Henerlau, Klein, Newman, Stewart and Greene-Werby families. We also mentor alums and have hired them as leaders.

Marin Ballet

100 Elm Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 415.453.6705

nrehkopf@marinballet.org

www. marinballet.org | @marin_ballet

Margie Peterson

Peterson’s Consign & Design/ Margie Peterson Designs

Find the truly unexpected in design and consignment.

What is it about you that makes you groundbreaking?

I have an eye for quality, originality and a desire for the unexpected in design. My store is not your typical consignment store. I consign unique pieces from people who travel all over the world. Many of my customers have described their purchases as “treasures.”

What makes women so effective at business?

Passion! I believe it is essential to be passionate about what you do in order to be successful.

Are you doing anything special to nurture the next generation of female business leaders?

I encourage them to take risks. Step out of their comfort zone, after all what’s the worst that can happen? If you fail treat it as a learning experience and try it a different way the next time.

What groundbreaking services do you offer?

When I initially walk into a home that needs staging or I look at potential consignments for my store, my goal is to make that home stand apart. I do that by assessing the aesthetic of the home, then furnishing it accordingly. My consignments are selected and chosen very carefully. Nothing goes into my store or staged homes that I would not put into my own home.

Peterson’s Consign & Design/ Margie Peterson Designs

21 First Street, Corte Madera, CA 94925 415.927.4756 | margiptrsn@gmail.com

www.petersonsconsignanddesign.com

groundbreaking women

Kelsay Elizabeth Myers

Dialogical Persona Healing Arts

What is it about you that makes you groundbreaking?

I stand for transformation in all of its forms: embodied, spiritual, creative and living. What this brings to my work as a coach and healing arts practitioner is a commitment to change, growth, lifelong learning and a focus on what is new. My programs are groundbreaking because transformation itself is constantly evolving, covering new ground and expanding our awareness of what is possible personally and professionally.

Are you doing anything special to nurture the next generation of female business leaders?

Women historically have been taught more limiting stories around what is possible on their life paths. I am passionate about helping to unwind these stories to allow the next generation of female entrepreneurs to be more empowered, confident and creative in their leadership, so they can bring their unique vision and voice into our community and the world.

What makes women so effective at business and customer relations?

Growing up as a millennial, I was fortunate to have many women role models, mentors and leaders to look up to from my English teachers to my mother. It’s part of my mission with Dialogical Persona Healing Arts to empower people, especially women, to see the beauty and gifts in their natural personality.

Dialogical Persona Healing Arts

kelsay@dialogicalpersona.com www.dialogicalpersona.com

/dialogicalpersona

/dialogicalpersona

Heidi Kuhn Roots of Peace

Cultivating peace through agriculture

What is it about your business that makes it groundbreaking?

In 1997, following the death of Princess Diana, Roots of Peace took up the global torch to turn Mines to Vines — replacing land mines with vineyards and orchards worldwide. For the past 25 years, we have facilitated the removal of millions of landmines, and planted over six million fruit trees on former war-torn lands — cultivating peace through agriculture.

What makes women so effective at business?

Women have the gift of compassion. The word compassion is a combination of ‘passion’ and the Latin prefix ‘com’ meaning ‘with’: literally, the word means co-suffering and occurs when a person is moved by the suffering or distress of another.

What groundbreaking services do you offer?

As a woman founder of a U.S. NGO, I bring hope to farmers and families living in a world where there are an estimated 60 million landmines in 60 countries. By removing landmines, we are cultivating fertile grounds for peace and providing the dignity for farmers to feed their families without the fear of land mines beneath their plow.

How are you thinking out of the box? After removing land mines, we teach farmers to plant high value crops for export and trade.

Roots of Peace

4000 Civic Center Drive, Ste. 330, San Rafael, CA 94901 415.948.9646 | heidi@rootsofpeace.org www.rootsofpeace.org

/rootsofpeace.org | /rootsofpeace

groundbreaking women

Dr. Faye Jamali

Belle Marin Aesthetic Medicine

Innovative aesthetic treatments delivered at a women-owned business.

What is it about your business that makes it groundbreaking?

Dr. Jamali is passionate about making sure that our patients receive the best service and have the most positive outcomes to their treatments. In the ever-changing world of medical aesthetics, she understands how important it is to keep up with new technology and adjust techniques to existing services to stay ahead of the game.

What makes women so effective at business?

Belle Marin Aesthetic Medicine is founded, owned and operated by a team of women. We go above and beyond to make sure that everyone feels comfortable and well cared for during their time with us. Our ability to meet the needs of our patients and provide stellar service is both an honor and a privilege.

What groundbreaking services do you offer?

We were the first provider in the Northbay to bring on AviClear. AviClear is the first FDA-cleared energy device for the treatment of mild, moderate and severe acne making it a great alternative to Accutaine. We are proud to be one of the top providers in the country to provide this “holy grail” of acne services. More recently, we have brought on the Secret Pro device that features four unique treatment options for skin resurfacing and deep remodeling to address aging concerns. Using a combination therapy of Microneedling with Radio Frequency and CO2 laser, the effects of this innovative treatment are profound and lasting.

Belle Marin Aesthetic Medicine

250 E Blithedale Avenue, Ste. B Mill Valley, CA 94941

415.887.8718 | hello@bellemarin.com @bellemarinca

groundbreaking women

Christophe Testi/Creative Shot Photography

Val Harbidge FITLAB Strong

Removing the barriers to a fitter you.

What is it about your business that makes it groundbreaking?

The experience you will have at FITLAB is designed to bridge the gap between the health seeker and the gym itself. We have coaches and programs in place intentionally to remove the mystery around working out, fueling yourself properly and making lasting change.

What makes women so effective at customer relations?

As a female business owner, I believe that women’s sense of empathy, supportiveness and confidence in our self-reliance are the qualities that enable us to create community and build strong relationships with members.

Are you doing anything special to nurture the next generation of female business leaders?

At FITLAB we have a program called “Spring Training,” where our employees, young women (and men) who are headed off to college, identify, interview and train their successors — planting the very seeds of leadership experience.

What groundbreaking services do you offer?

We offer a program called The Plan with owner Val Harbidge, where in six weeks participants learn how to program their own fitness and nutrition so they have the tools they need for life.

FITLAB Strong

711 Center Boulevard, Fairfax, CA 94930

415.785.3026 | val@fitlabstrong.com www.fitlabstrong.com

/@fitlabstrong | /fitlabstrong

groundbreaking women

Amy Garber Visions Management

When it is time to relocate your business this is the only company you will ever need.

What is it about your business that makes it groundbreaking?

We tackle challenges with optimism, curiosity and adaptability, and pride ourselves on persistence and decisiveness. I leverage my experience as a collegiate student-athlete to lead and inspire my team to grow personally and professionally while applying the core values of the company: work ethic, character and integrity.

What advice to you have for younger women looking to pursue entrepreneurship?

Start small, stay humble, be a good listener and be willing to learn and adapt to challenges. Seek out a mentor that can challenge and guide you. View criticism and setbacks as a sign that you might be onto something. Passion and success are achieved through desire.

How are you disrupting your industry?

We were tasked to inventory over 16,000 pieces of furniture for a client and found a gap in software applications. We developed our own solution, Glimpse Technologies LLC, a real-time asset and relocation management system (www. glimpseit.com). We recently acquired MHS & Associates, a move management company with over 44 years of experience focused on life sciences.

Visions Management

881 Grant Avenue, Ste. B, Novato, CA 94945 415.693.8870

amy@visionsmgmt.com

www.visionsmgmt.com

Beth Brody Team Brody

A legacy of great real estate service continues.

What is it about your business that makes it groundbreaking?

A better phrase that applies here would be “smoothing the way.” When I entered this business, I was 18 years old, and it was dog-eat-dog. I’m pleased that the industry has pivoted to a more supportive environment. One of our mottos is “collaborate without ego.”

What makes women so effective at business and customer relations?

Women are the leaders in the residential real estate business. There is no glass ceiling. If you are willing to work the best you have ever worked, the sky is the limit. Women do so well because we are used to multitasking, and most women are natural caretakers and nurturers, both skills necessary for a person to succeed in real estate.

Are you doing anything special to nurture the next generation of female business leaders?

I have been a real estate mentor for at least 15 years and agents from multiple companies consistently call me for advice. I can give them tactical, strategic or practical advice or specific help in a challenging situation.

Do you or your business have a notable history in the Bay Area?

I am a native Mill Vallian and a resident, and now my adult children, Joseph Brody and Katie Brody, who were born in Mill Valley have joined to help me with the volume of business — we are on our way to a legacy.

Beth Brody | Team Brody

250 East Blithedale, Mill Valley, CA 94941

415.987.2384 | www.onlyinmillvalley.com

@onlyinmillvalley | DRE #00657511

groundbreaking women

Dr. Jennifer Agard

Pacific Fertility Center – Marin

Personalized and comprehensive fertility care.

What is it about you that makes you groundbreaking?

I am the first board certified female reproductive endocrinologist in Marin County and the first fertility physician to have a baby born from in vitro maturation (IVM) in California. It’s imperative to me to provide tailored testing and therapy to individuals and couples to reach their fertility goals.

How are you nurturing the next generation of female physicians?

I dedicate time to mentor female physicians and share my expertise and experience in the fertility field.

What groundbreaking fertility treatments do you offer?

I specialize in fertility preservation, in vitro fertilization, recurrent pregnancy loss, PCOS, diminished ovarian reserve and endometriosis. I offer groundbreaking treatments such as egg cryopreservation, IVF, PGTA, PGTM, ICSI, IVM and oocyte activation.

Does Pacific Fertility Center have a notable history in the Bay Area?

PFC has been the leader of patientfocused fertility care and serving the Bay Area for over 20 years.

groundbreaking women

Bernadette Szilvasy

Bernadette Bodecs Art

Hand painted porcelain to lift your spirits.

What is it about you that makes you groundbreaking?

I hand paint porcelain. Hand-made goods were common in the past, so this is not groundbreaking in the dictionary sense. Nevertheless, it is something that many people find new again. I hope to imbue everyday objects with something that mass production has taken away. I hope to uplift my customers’ spirits every time they use my pieces.

What makes women so effective at customer relations?

I suspect women in general are more interested in and more sensitive to the feelings of others. This is key to customer relations. When people come to my shop, I want to understand their world. My customers do not always know what they are looking for exactly and it takes empathy and careful listening to find out. This is especially true when I work on a custom piece: the customer and I must be on same wavelength.

Bernadette Bodecs Art | bernadette23art@gmail.com www.handpaintedporcelain.art | /@Bernadettes_workshop

Jenn Watkins, CKBD Projects Within Reach

This designer will help you create memorable spaces.

What do you want people to know about you? I want people to know that I love what I do. I never thought that I would own my own business but I am loving every minute of it.

What is it about you that makes you groundbreaking? With doing remodels, I work hard to understand the moments that are happening in the home. This way I can create a space where our clients can enjoy the memories that will be made there.

What do you think makes you so effective in your field? I believe that communication and being able to juggle multiple tasks helps me with my clients and partners.

Projects Within Reach 415.295.5237 | jenn@projectswithinreach.com www.projectswithinreach.com | /@projectswithinreach

Catherine Peters

Catherine Peters Salon

Mentoring the next generations of stylists.

What do you want people to know about your business?

My salon is welcoming, creative and fun. Everyone is invited to try a new look, try a new color or be more edgy. I create whatever looks best, works best and feels best for each client individually. I love making women beautiful and happy.

Are you doing anything special to nurture the next generation of female business owners?

I am not only a salon owner and stylist, I am also a certified teacher and trainer. I have mentored and trained many young stylists who have gone on to open and own their own salons and become very successful business owners. I am always looking for new stylists to train and mentor. I want to attract motivated, ambitious people in my field to help elevate their practice so they can become better stylists, more successful and more confident.

Catherine Peters Salon | 877 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 415.885.9968 | cathpeters@yahoo.com www.catherinepeterssalon.com | /@catherinepeters_salon

Glenda Sagucio and Maria Sagucio

Sweetly Cali Desserts

Enjoy European pastry with Asian and American flavors.

What is it about your business that makes it groundbreaking?

The fusion of European pastry techniques with Asian and American flavors is what Sweetly Cali Desserts is about. We are a women-owned company and are focused on upscale flavor with local great quality ingredient and unique taste.

What makes women so effective at business and customer relations?

As women, our emphasis is customer service, warmth toward our clients and genuine connections to our patrons makes for an effective business.

Sweetly Cali Desserts | 1109 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 415.717.8557 | sweetlycali@gmail.com www.sweetlycali.com | Instagram: @sweetlycali

Cassie Merrier and Alissa Philp Bear Flag Fitness

Targeted and fun workouts for a better you.

What makes your business groundbreaking?

We are elevating the concept of boutique fitness — offering several class types with their own niche, however, it’s the access to a variety that promotes sustainability.

What do you want people to know about your business?

Cassie is a Doctor of Physical Therapy; promoting a smartly-driven fitness experience.

What groundbreaking services do you offer?

Bounce! We are the only fitness studio in all of the Bay Area that offers a rebounding class. No, you will not pee your pants!

Bear Flag Fitness

208 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae, CA 94904 | 415.785.7547

marin@bearflagfitness.com | www.bearflagfitness.com

Moonstone Skin & Body Care

Get the skin and body care you deserve.

What makes women so effective at business? Our team understands that our job goes beyond providing a facial. We understand women tend to take care of everyone else and hold up the foundation within their family, so it’s our job to give them the care they need.

What groundbreaking services do you offer? We offer services that feature Microcurrent technology, state-of-the-art NanoFusion for facials, Dermaplaning and now Jet Plasma, which is the next generation technology for anti-aging and skin tightening.

What do you want people to know about your business? Recovering from Covid has been challenging for many businesses, but we’ve been able to expand both our in-person and online services due to our growing team and clients’ support.

Moonstone Skin & Body Care

1129 First Street, Novato, CA 94945 415.898.0426 | www.moonstoneskincare.com

groundbreaking women

Cynthia Lohr

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

This local winery has a strong track record for giving back.

What makes your business groundbreaking?

We lost our mother, Carol Waldorf Lohr, to breast cancer in 2008 and reached out to National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., to raise awareness of the importance of early detection. Sales of J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon have supported over 8,000 mammograms and more than 250,000 patient navigation services and helped launch HOPE Kits. In 2023 we are celebrating 15 years of our groundbreaking J. Lohr Touching Lives initiative.

How are you inspiring new female leaders?

Our #JLohrWomen campaign celebrates women’s achievements in our company and beyond with “shadow day” scholarships in marketing, sales and the sciences. J. Lohr women actively mentor through organizations, including Women of the Vine & Spirits.

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines | 1000 Lenzen Avenue, San Jose, CA 94129 408.288.5057 | info@jlohr.com | /@JLohrWines

Looking deeper into hair and scalp problems.

What is it about you that makes you groundbreaking?

Currently, I am the only IAT and WTS certified Trichologist in Northern California. As a certified Trichologist, I specialize in disorders of the hair and scalp, including seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, and all forms of alopecia, such as male and female patterned hair loss, alopecia areata and scarring alopecias. With a bachelor of science in natural health, I have a naturopathic approach.

What groundbreaking services do you offer?

Not only do I offer an intensive view of the client’s hair and scalp, I also educate the client on all possible causes and how to make lifestyle changes that will result in better hair health.

Martine Langsam, IAT, WTS-Trichology Clinic

880 Las Gallinas Avenue, Ste. 4, San Rafael, CA 94903 415.453.9792 | martinelangsam@gmail.com

www.martinelangsam.com | Lic. # KK161459

Martine Langsam

Martine Langsam Trichology Clinic

Julia Harrell

Spiritual Development Coach

Open your natural spiritual abilities.

What is it about you that makes you groundbreaking?

How does a loud rock ’n’ roll drummer become a spiritual teacher? I stopped trying to cover up the noise inside my head and began meditating and studying spiritual tools.

How are you disrupting your industry?

People can get overwhelmed by energies, including others’ emotions they accidentally pick up. Instead of encouraging people to be guarded, I teach step-by-step ways to open one’s natural spiritual abilities so individuals can thrive.

Who are your services for?

I love supporting empaths, highly sensitive people, intuitives and spiritual seekers to discover their purpose and unblock what’s in the way. I offer online courses, live training, one-on-one spiritual readings, healings and public speaking.

www.juliaharrell.com | julia@juliaharrell.com

/@juliaharrell_spiritualguide

/juliaharrellclairvoyant

Angela DeSalvo

Transformational Soul Work

Become the best version of yourself that you can be.

How is your book, Soul Warrior, groundbreaking?

Soul Warrior is my honest and relatable story of living through conditioned behavior and how that shaped my interaction with life and people in it. I explain how I released myself from the conditioning and created a method for anyone to follow. This is what is groundbreaking: that Transformational Soul Work offers the ability for anyone to access their soul warrior.

How is what you do groundbreaking?

My method, Transformational Soul Work, along with being a spiritual medium and reader of the Akash, allows me direct access to a person’s blueprint. I offer people a reflection of themselves that they may not have been able to put into words. This gives a sense of ease as they have been seen for who they are at their core and motivated to further discover what more they can become.

Transformational Soul Work | Novato | 415.640.7198

angela@angeladesalvo.net | www.angeladesalvo.net

/@angelacdesalvo | /@transformationalsoulwork

A sacred space in Marin for healing and more.

What makes women so effective at business and customer relations?

We are wired to be more empathic, which helps us read people, intuit situations and be solutions-based. There’s nothing more empowered than a woman who is grounded in her higher self.

Are you doing anything special to nurture the next generation of female business leaders?

I offer scholarships and mentoring to minority women to become reiki practitioners, build their own business and claim their spot in the wellness industry.

What do you want people to know about your business?

Our services have expanded to include high-quality acupuncture, massage therapy, weekly meditation classes, soul-nourishing workshops and even reiki for kids.

Reiki of Marin | 300 Valley Street, Ste. 202, Sausalito 94965 415.430.5813 | reikimarin@gmail.com www.reikimarin.com | /@reikimarin

Dolores “Dee” Coleman

Dee’s Organic

Eat healthy, locally sourced, organic food this spring.

What sets your approach to clients apart?

We are fortunate enough to have a wide age range of clients, from our school lunch recipients to guest of our larger catered events. We always strive for the best and locally sourced ingredients. By sourcing from our local collegiate organic garden, we are able to pick the best and freshest ingredients, at the best times. We spend the time to make sure all our clients eat well, regardless of age.

What are you doing to stay connected to the community?

Outside of using our local collegiate organic farm, we serve a large portion of several districts’ school lunches. They truly keep us connected to the community.

Dee’s Organic | 1545 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 415.484.3491 | info@deesorganic.com | www.deesorganic.com /@deesorganics | /deesorganiccateringllc

groundbreaking women

Jennifer Brinn

Reiki of Marin

Tell Your Story

Trailblazing Men

You know who you are — you and your team are creative, innovative and resourceful. You steer clear of mediocrity and boldly pave your own path when it comes to providing exceptional services, products and connections. You’re always looking for ways to raise the bar and improve your offerings so your customers and clients know they are working with the best in the business. You are trailblazers in your field.

Marin Living will shine a spotlight on “Trailblazing Men” in our June issue.

Let us tell your story through a custom profile to a demographic that perfectly suits your marketing needs. Marin Living will provide a marketing support campaign with a sponsored article on our website for one year, newsletter sponsored promotion to 15,000 opted-in subscribers and social media posts. Contact

follow us on social @marinlivingmag + subscribe to our newsletter at www.marinlivingmagazine.com/newsletter

www.marinlivingmagazine.com

REAL ESTATE KICKBALL

Better Together

Our partners support a strong community. Here is a list of their favorite charities.

Belle Marin: Operation Smile and Planned Parenthood

Bernadette Szilvasy: St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin

Beth Brody: Milo Foundation, 4 Dogs Farm Rescue and Marin Humane Society

Bear Flag Fitness: SOMA Aquatics

Catherine Peters: Compassion International

Dialogical Persona Healing: The Networking Entrepreneurial Women of Marin

Fitlab Strong: YMCA

Homeward Bound: Homeward Bound

Innovative Match: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

J. Lohr: National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

Julia Harrell: Bread & Roses

Margie Peterson: American Heart Association

Marin Ballet: Marin County’s Title 1 public schools

Martine Langsam: Melissa Prandi Children Foundation and Marin Humane

Moonstone Skin & Body Care: Sparkle Foundation

Pacific Fertility: MedLend

Projects Within Reach: Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health

Reiki of Marin: Rocket Dog Rescue

Roots of Peace: Roots of Peace

Sonoma Raceway: Speedway Children’s Charities Sonoma

Sweetly Cali Desserts: Best Friend Animal Society

Transformational Soul Work: Wolf Conservation Center and Bumi Sehat Foundation International

Vision Management: Marin Athletic Foundation

SPONSOR

COMMERCIAL

11:30 TO 3:30

Hamilton Zanze•Norcal Commercial, Inc. The Litchfield Foundation

Golden State Lumber•HUB International JTC•Marin Association of Realtors

Montgomery Partners•Reed McClintock & Associates

SOMO Village•Thompson Dorfman Partners•US Bank

going places.

Aloha, Wish You Were Here

A local apparel brand dips its toes into documentary filmmaking; three Marin designers are making waves in S.F.; we head back to Hawaii for some fun in the sun; and Alonzo King enters the California Hall of Fame.

Camille Cunningham and daughter

Mothers, Earth

Marin-based clothing brand Carve Designs is shining a spotlight on mothers and their unique ability to change the world.

By Caitlin Hamer

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SEA and sustainability is an easy one to understand; water is essential to life, and to fully appreciate it, we have to understand how invaluable it is. And that’s something that Jennifer Hinton, co-founder of Marinbased brand Carve Designs, understands well, threading that idea into the brand’s ethos as well as the clothes.

Both sustainability and a love for the ocean are part of the foundation of Carve Designs (www.carvedesigns.com), which started as a surf apparel company 20 years ago.

Founded by Hinton and her friend Thayer Sylvester, the brand now includes pants, blouses, dresses and more, but the sustainably made swimwear is what Carve Designs is best known for. Yet lovers of beach lifestyle wear may not know that Carve Designs recently branched out into filmmaking, creating a short documentary that brings together some of the things that are most important to the brand.

The documentary, titled Mothers, Purpose, and the Future, introduces viewers to four mothers who are fostering

Emmy Dossett

environmentalism within their young children. Filmed and directed by Hannah Walsh, the documentary is available to watch online, but has also had a number of successful screenings. Carve Designs premiered the film at Mill Valley’s Proof Lab in May 2022, it was shown at the Montauk Film Festival, and it was named second runner-up for Best Short Film at the Surf City Festival in Huntington Beach.

The idea of making a documentary was something that happened organically, starting with the desire to tell stories about mothers whose ideals aligned with the company’s. “We really wanted to highlight the innate power women have to teach their children to grow in an environmental mindset,” Hinton says. Then the two looked to the inspiring women they already knew. The film spotlights Camille Cunningham, Nellie Pickett, Danielle Black Lyons (co-founder of women’s surf collective Textured Waves) and Cameron Barnum, all offering a glimpse of how they’re raising their children to live in harmony with nature. While Pickett’s segment was filmed in rural Montana, the other three take to the waves from their own locales, but all four speak of

their experiences as mothers who are doing their best to teach their children to not only love the planet in a hands-on way, but protect it, too.

“They all had unique takes on how they instilled environmentalism in their children, and they all felt like very feasible, understandable, attainable things that we all could do,” says Hinton. “And I think there’s so much to bite off that it’s so important to help people see that we can all make small changes, because small changes add up to big changes.”

These women and their approaches to motherhood mirror the many approaches to environmental responsibility; you do it the best way that works for you, it looks different for everyone and your efforts can sometimes be overlooked, something that Hinton pointed out when speaking to the importance of featuring mothers in the documentary: “I think moms are an untapped resource, and this just felt right up our alley,” she says. “We like to lift up women and also wanted to wrap our sustainability story in because it starts at the ground level. Your kids learn from you how to navigate the world and moms do an amazing job of that.”

Danielle Black Lyons with her son

All by Design

This year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase house features the works of three exceptionally talented Marin design firms.

By Caitlin Hamer

A MAINSTAY OF BAY AREA creative culture since 1977, the San Francisco Decorator Showcase (www.decorator showcase.org) is back for another year, celebrating some of the region’s top interior and landscape designers while also raising funds for San Francisco University High School’s financial aid program. This year’s showcase takes place in the Sea Cliff neighborhood, and among the Bay Area designers transforming an 18th-century-style Mediterranean Spanish house are three Marin-based design firms. Built in 1927 and located at 625 El Camino Del Mar, the three-level home will be open from April 29 to May 29 for visitors to appreciate its fresh look.

Sedona’s Bedroom Suite

Larkspur’s Lauren Berry of Ross design firm Lauren Berry Interior Design (www.laurenberry.com) has returned to the showcase for the second time. This year, Berry applied her expertise to the kitchen, which she’s designed with convenience and style in mind. Drawing inspiration from the culinary term “mise en place,” the design emphasizes the importance of planning and preparation and the use of high-quality ingredients: “For this kitchen I selected timeless white oak cabinets, Calacatta marble and black metal finishes, which resonate with the home’s original Mediterranean architecture and finishes.” The kitchen also includes professional-chef-caliber Hestan cooking appliances and cleverly hidden storage spaces. The full-width marble waterfall island is a spacious prep area and offers seating for four, making it as much of a gathering space as the welcoming seating spot tucked away in the corner of the room.

Mother-daughter design team Eugenia and Emma Jesberg of EJ Interior Design (www.ejinterior design.com) have taken on one of the kid’s rooms, Sedona’s Bedroom and Bathroom Suite. For Emma’s first showcase and Eugenia’s fourth, the Tiburon-based firm has designed vibrant rooms that will turn daily routines into uniquely fun experiences: “Based on the idea that colors and shapes can inspire and persuade cheerfulness, this is an environment that will foster creativity, artistic energy and imagination by living on and off the canvas.” The concepts for these rooms play off each other, both of them designed to invoke positivity and playfulness. A custom bed inspired by the 1980s Memphis movement is a showstopper, with soft, geometric shapes that fit together in interesting ways. Meanwhile, a multicolored, made-to-measure mosaic and custom-colored plumbing and light fixtures make the bathroom stand out.

Returning to the showcase for a fourth time, Ross firm Shelley and Company Interior Design (www.shelleyandcompany.com) has been working its magic on the playroom, designing a creative space that’s meant to conjure the inner child in us all. Principal designer Shelley Cahan and her team have created a whimsical environment for the young ladies who live here, centering the room around a full-scale mural from French fashion designer Christian Lacroix. The colors and the subject matter of the mural were the inspiration for the design of the room, which has been transformed into a visual and tactile experience meant to delight all the senses and be enjoyed by the children for years to come: “An indoor playroom, with every imaginable opportunity to embrace the different stages of their youth, has always been our design goal.”

Top to bottom: Eugenia Jesberg (left) and Emma Jesberg (right); Sarah Wilson (left) and Shelley Cahan (right); Lauren Berry; the home on El Camino Del Mar

Hawaii’s Wild Side

Discover Hawaii’s wilder side by planning a trip that includes outdoor adventure and hotels inspired by nature.

By Casey Hatfield-Chiotti

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ARE REVERED for soft, sandy beaches, warm azure waters and beautiful sunsets, but the idyllic honeymoon destination has, shall we say, an edgier side. On top of a “hot spot,” the six major islands were formed one after the other as the Pacific Plate slid over a plume of magma puncturing Earth’s crust. Because of their significant rise out of the depths of the ocean, the islands offer some of the United States’ most diverse and dramatic landscapes — which include 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones — and environments as varied as dry desert and snowcapped mountains. Travelers who venture off the beaten path will no doubt experience adventure and gain a deeper understanding of the archipelago. Here are three of the most geographically diverse islands, their must-see natural wonders and where to stay nearby, including new and newly renovated properties inspired by their surroundings.

North Oahu shoreline Courtesy ofHawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)

Big Island of Hawaii

Formed around half a million years ago, the island of Hawaii, better known as the Big Island, is the youngest and most volcanically active Hawaiian island. The archipelago’s only active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea, are in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Mauna Loa last erupted at the end of 2022, spewing fast-moving, bright orange lava, but the danger has ended for now; it’s once again open to the public. Head to Kilauea Visitor Center (www.nps.gov/havo), where rangers provide up-to-date information on volcanic activity and park maps. Visitors can see steam vents, discover underground lava tubes, hike trails and bicycle through the rainforest. The park’s wooden Volcano House hotel

(from $285 per night; www.hawaii volcanohouse.com) dates to 1866 and has hosted the likes of Mark Twain. Tidy guest rooms with rustic furnishings have views of the Kilauea and Halemaumau craters.

Two hours away in Kona, the PACIFIC 19 Kona (from $299 per night; www.pacific19.com) opened in April with a design that brings the outside in, featuring native plants and natural materials. The 122-room hotel — on the 19th parallel — has an open-air lobby anchored by a reception table made from reclaimed monkeypod and complemented by lush planters and teak slat walls. Guest rooms reflect the Kailua-Kona landscape with a palette of sandy taupe, palm green, black lava and snowy white.

On the Kona Coast, Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort (from $2,500 per night; www.rosewoodhotels.com), will open this summer on 81 geologically rich acres overlooking the ocean. The resort’s 150 secluded stand-alone suites are inspired by traditional Polynesian architecture. Originally built in the ’60s, Kona Village was known as a destination that celebrated coastal beauty and Hawaiian culture. In addition to exploring natural lagoons and pristine beaches, guests will also be able to go on a walking tour to view the property’s ancient petroglyphs.

The dormant volcano Mauna Kea, which means the White Mountain, is the world’s tallest mountain when measured from the ocean floor (it’s almost 3,000 feet taller than Mount

Halemaumau Crater, Kilauea

Everest). Low humidity, clear skies and almost no light pollution contribute to legendary stargazing — it’s possible to see all the Northern Hemisphere stars and many Southern Hemisphere stars, too. A stargazing tour with a guiding company like Hawaii Forest & Trail (www.hawaii-forest.com) includes a hike above the clouds in time to watch sunset followed by a stargazing session. About an hour away in Waimea, the Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection (from $999 per night; www. aubergeresorts.com) underwent a $200 million revamp that was completed in 2020, including renovated accommodations and new amenities. The property once frequented by Hawaiian royalty has fishponds, lawns and a white sand beach.

Oahu

You don’t have to go to the Hawaiian Islands’ most remote corners to experience its natural wonders. On Oahu, popular Waikiki Beach is backed by postcard-perfect Diamond Head, Hawaii’s most well-known volcanic formation. On the dormant volcano — once a military base — there is a short but rewarding 1.6-mile out-andback hike and a sweeping panoramic view of Oahu.

On the mellower Diamond Head end of Waikiki Beach, the new  Twin Fin hotel (from $195 per night; www.twinfinwaikiki.com) opened following a multimillion-dollar renovation in November 2022 and is walking distance to the trailhead and other attractions like the Honolulu Zoo

and Waikiki aquarium. The midcentury hotel — which sports geometric art and pops of orange and teal — also has HD cameras in the lobby that stream real-time surf conditions so guests can catch the perfect wave.

Oahu also has two major mountain ranges, including the Koolau Range, featuring cliff faces that run parallel to Oahu’s Windward Coast for about 30 miles. To experience the lush landscape where green hillsides drip with multiple waterfalls after it rains, rent a car and drive north from Kailua town on the two-lane Kamehameha Highway. Sights include the tiny island of Mokolii and the family-owned ranch and valley featured in Jurassic Park and Lost. The highway eventually meanders to Oahu’s North Shore,

Courtesy of Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection

Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection

voyager.

Koloiki Ridge Trail, Lanai

which has some of the best big wave surfing in the world. Beloved for its local feel, the North Shore has next to no hotels except for the luxe Turtle Bay Resort (from $729 per night; www.turtlebayresort.com). Following a recent renovation, the 1,300-acre property — with beaches, gardens and forests dedicated to wildlife conservation — now has a more organic ’70s inspired look and new wellness programs. Guests can go on a birdwatching tour, led by a local wildlife expert, where rare indigenous species such as the endangered Laysan albatross can be seen.

Lanai

The lesser-known island of Lanai doesn’t have a single traffic light. Accessible via a short flight from Honolulu or hour long ferry from

Maui’s Lahaina Harbor, it offers wild and rugged natural beauty, ranging from a lunar-like landscape to a deep valley revered by the ancient Lanai people. Ninety-eight percent of the island, which is peppered with pine trees, is privately owned and has remained largely undeveloped as a result.

From Lanai City, it takes 45 minutes to drive to the Fire of Kawelo at the end of a dirt road. The rock garden featuring rock towers, spires and formations formed by years of erosion resembles Colorado’s Garden of the Gods. At sunset, the light from the setting sun turns the rocks fiery red and purple.

The five-mile-long Koloiki Ridge Trail passes through thick forests and along a narrow ridgeline with views of Molokai, Maui and the Maunalei ravine. According to local lore, the goddess

Pele used to descend into the valley to adorn herself in a lei of rare mountain flowers and bathe in the cool waters.

There are only two luxury hotels on Lanai, the A-lister beloved Four Seasons Resort Lanai (from $1,500; www.fourseasons.com) on the beach and the wellness-centric sister property in the uplands, Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort (from $880 per night; www.sensei.com). From Four Seasons Resort Lanai, which has ocean- and garden-view suites with private lanais and a Nobu restaurant, visitors can walk to tide pools and along the cliff’s edge to catch a view of Sweetheart Rock, a sea stack steeped in Hawaiian folklore, or better yet catch an evening catamaran trip to see the sun set behind the 80-foot-tall rock, which legend has it is the tomb of a Hawaiian princess.

Courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority

voyager.

Kayakers in Kualoa, Oahu

Formerly called the Lodge at Koele, today’s Sensei Lanai has a rustic horse ranch, where guests of both Four Seasons properties can go on excursions through wooded hills, riding past herds of axis deer and mouflon sheep. The resort also has cuttingedge spa treatments — like a massage where practitioners use thermal body mapping technology to reveal tightness and possible areas of pain — in traditional Hawaiian houses, or hales (pronounced HAH-leh). The private sanctuaries have sleek Japanese-inspired design and floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors that lead to hot and cold pools built into the rocks. Grounding forest bathing sessions beneath a 200-year-old Indian banyan tree, led by a former National Park Service ranger who grew up on Lanai, give guests new appreciation for Hawaii’s sacred landscape.

restaurantsinawhole

Meet Joy Chopra, a San Francisco Bay Area native, who is in the tech world by profession but her heart and passion lies in discovering the city’s trendiest restaurants, cocktail bars, hotels and jazz clubs. Follow her foodiethemed Instagram @dinewithjoy for her recommendations and reach out to her if you are interested in a bespoke dining experience at some of the hottest restaurants in the city.

FOLLOW ALONG WITH JOY

The first two followers to follow and message will get a special offer at Afici.

@dinewithjoy

@joychopra

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Courtesy of Sensi Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort

Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort

party.

A bout Last Night

ON MARCH 23 an enthusiastic crowd gathered at Kientz Hall in San Anselmo to celebrate Marin Living's 2023 Trendsetters. Mouthwatering bites were provided by Kientz Hall and Todd Caine from Patz & Hall wines kept everyone's glasses filled. The evening was a huge success and we are looking forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Photography by Katie Ravas for Drew Altizer Photography

Payam Ghafoori, Dina Grant, Casey Gillespie and Chet Klingensmith

Todd Caine

Pilar Barton and Paula Pilcher enjoying Patz & Hall wines

Cat Gibson and Temple Schauble

Catherine Peters and Samina Saude

FAIRFAX MILL VALLEY

A bout Last Night

ON APRIL 15 more than 400 guests gathered to celebrate Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s spring 2023 Gala at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The night featured the opening of LINES Ballet’s latest world premiere featuring Grammy Award–winning vocalist Lisa Fischer.

Carolyn Tyler

Martin Luther McCoy and Jeannie McCoy

Micki Klearman and Alonzo King

Toni Minacola, Lisa Fischer, Zakir Hussein and Robert Rosenwasser

Photography by Devlin Shand for Drew Altizer Photography

Funeral Home &

Cemetery

Natural Green Burial & Traditional Crypts & Niches

Crematory On-Site

Chapel & Reception Center

Pre-Planning Available

We now offer Natural Green Burial in our Garden of Tranquility. Novato Chamber Small Business of the Year 2021 Recycled

ourinner circle.

All of your service needs in one location.

Respectful, Traditional, Contemporary, Simple Pre-Arrangement Counseling, and Insurance Funding for Future Expenses.

Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul. - Luther Burbank

Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul. - Luther Burbank

Stephan-Hill invites you to view our multi-colored sapphire butterflies and nature inspired jewelry.

Stephan-Hill invites you to view our multi-colored sapphire butterflies and nature inspired jewelry.

drawn together.

The King of Dance

The visionary choreographer Alonzo King is inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

By Daniel Jewett

THE FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR of San Francisco’s LINES Ballet (www.linesballet.org), Alonzo King, was in good company at a recent event as he mingled with soccer player Megan Rapinoe, chef Roy Choi, singer Linda Ronstadt, figure skater Peggy Fleming and several more notable Californians.

The event was the induction of King and the others into the California Hall of Fame, which, since 2006 has set out to honor “trailblazing Californians who embody the state’s spirit of innovation and have made history.” King and the 10 other inductees were chosen for the honor by Governor Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who both also attended, for achievements in arts, business and labor, entertainment, food and wine, literature, music, public service, science and sports.

For King, who started the company in 1982 because he “had some strong opinions about things that I wanted to say through movement,” it was another milestone in an illustrious and vibrant career. “I think that ideas become clearer and you become more concise as you age. You see patterns in yourself, you see patterns in the design,” King says. “With longevity there is a clarity.”

When King started, he didn’t imagine he’d still be putting on performances more than 40 years later. “I think that when you’re young and filled with enthusiasm, nothing seems difficult,” he says. “And it’s the honeymoon period until you begin to realize that this is about self-reform. Inevitably, all relationships are.”

King has works in the repertories of the world’s leading ballet and modern companies and has collaborated with numerous visual artists, composers and musicians around the world. “My obsession is to have the work be well and truly made,” King says. “I don’t think any maker wants to be trendy, or is thinking about style; they’re thinking about how to tell the truth.”

Ask what sets his contemporary ballet style apart, he takes a broader view. “When you look at a well-examined life like Gandhi or Harriet Tubman’s, those are ballets, those are living designs of movement and intention,” King says. “And you see the effort involved. And you see the result, you see the stamina and the perseverance, you see the fixed idea on one statement and having it being realized.”

One thing King built into LINES Ballet from the beginning was a focus on the next generation. To that end the organization offers youth and school programs, training, even a four-year bachelor of fine arts degree program taught at San Rafael’s Dominican University and the company’s S.F. studios. “I love being able to impart wisdom to other people and unlock the genius inside of them because everyone has it, and it is a wonderful and honorable thing to do,” he says. “To watch them transform is brilliant.”

As for what the induction ceremony was like, King says it was a special evening. “It was really a lot of fun to be around people who love what they’re doing. And they’re successful at it,” he says, adding that he especially enjoyed meeting another inductee who understands a thing or two about movement. “I’ve watched Peggy Fleming my entire life — you know, watching her moves. So to meet her was fun.”

Franck Thibault (left); RJ Muna (right)

A LINES Ballet dancer

GROWN WITH GRIT crafted with grace

A visit to Patz & Hall is more than a wine tasting.

It’s a journey through California’s top family-owned vineyards. The grit of our grower partners, plus our winemaker’s graceful influence, is evident in each sip. Join us in Sonoma among the vines and explore our range of single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.