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Seelig conducting the choir at Davies Symphony Hall
One Big Night
In July, a rare musical collaboration entitled Final Words celebrates the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and the retirement of its groundbreaking artistic director.
By Daniel Jewett
AFTER MORE THAN 11 YEARS leading the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) to new heights as artistic director, Tim Seelig is retiring in July. But in keeping with the chorus’ tradition of always going big, he’s not leaving without conducting one last epic concert — this time bringing in the San Francisco Symphony and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir to join with the chorus at Davies Symphony Hall on July 13.
“It’s going to be big,” Seelig says, laughing, then adds that the idea came to fruition after the symphony’s Jeffrey Jordan and SFGMC’s (www.sfgmc.org) Chris Verdugo resumed pandemic-delayed plans to work together and decided that the time was right to focus on honoring Seelig’s service to the gay community. They asked him, “How would you feel about the San Francisco Symphony presenting the chorus for your final concert? Of course, I fell to the floor. For the first time in my life I was speechless.”
Seelig’s long road to this night began when he was living in Dallas and came out at age 35 after being married and having two kids. It was 1987 and he had no idea that there was such a thing as a gay men’s chorus, but soon discovered that the Turtle Creek Chorale was looking for a conductor. “I auditioned for the job and started with a small, dysfunctional, codependent and bankrupt chorus. We were a perfect match,” he says.
After 20 years there, Seelig stepped down and, as fate would have it, began flying out to serve as an SFGMC guest conductor for a ’60s-themed show at Davies Symphony Hall featuring Joan Baez. Soon after, he was offered the job full time. “I didn’t know if I had it in me to climb one more hill,” says Seelig, but in the end “a job as the artistic director of the SFGMC — the grandfather of the movement — was just too intriguing to me.”
The SFGMC set the tone for that movement (that now includes hundreds of gay choruses across the nation) in 1978
TASTINGS EVENTS PIZZA BOCCE PICKLE BALL
SUMMER IN A GLASS AWAITS
20 MINUTES AWAY IN BEAUTIFUL SONOMA VALLEY
when it debuted at the candlelight memorial for the assassinated Harvey Milk and George Moscone. “I think it cemented for the chorus that they would forever spend equal energy, time and focus on mission as they did on music,” he says, adding that a recent video of the chorus singing an Irish blessing for the victims of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has more than one million views. “People are hungry for a voice in the wilderness of comfort and hope that is not religious.”
The show will be divided into two parts, the first with the symphony and the second with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, as the two organizations celebrate the fifth anniversary of their joint road trip to the South that seemed imperative after Donald Trump won the presidency. A documentary of that Lavender Pen Tour, one of Seelig’s proudest moments as leader of the chorus, won the Documentary Audience Award at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.
For Seelig, one of the best parts of the upcoming concert has been putting together the musical program. “We have a music input committee but, of course, I have veto power,” he says with a grin. “When I started selecting my favorite pieces from these eleven-and-a-half years I had a list a mile long; the hard part was cutting it down. We have excerpts from a couple of the commissions that we’ve done, and I then divided it into blockbusters with a symphony. And yeah, they’re big.”
Seelig says he is looking forward to the concert, when people from all over the country will come to hear the SFGMC, many for the first time, but it is going to be a little nerve-wracking. “We get to practice with the symphony orchestra from 3 to 5:30 on the day of the show. It’s walking a tightrope with no safety net,” he says. “That’s the biggest fear: we pass out the music to the symphony and it doesn’t work. There’s always that risk, but we’ve taken great care to try to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Tim Seelig
Anchored in History
The Spaulding Marine Center is helping maintain Sausalito’s deep maritime legacy.
By Caitlin Hamer
There are few sights more typically Sausalito than that of sailboats scudding across the horizon. To live in this waterfront community is to be tied to maritime culture. During World War II, Sausalito saw rapid development as a shipbuilding hub, and though that industry has since slowed down, its legacy remains thanks to places like the Spaulding Marine Center (www.spauldingcenter.org).
With an active boatyard on site, Spaulding Marine Center is cementing its place in Marin’s long-held maritime legacy by valuing the traditional skills of the craftspeople and sailors of days gone by. This is in part due to the center’s history. It was built in 1951 by Myron Spaulding, a highly respected yacht designer and boatbuilder (and incidentally, concert violinist) who enjoyed great success racing sailboats in the San Francisco Bay.
A local legend who designed and built his first small boat while attending Polytechnic High School in San Francisco, Spaulding primarily constructed watercraft on commission before creating the boatyard and turning his focus to doing repair work and measuring boats for yacht racing. But his stamp on the industry remains through the boats and lines he designed, like the 20-foot Clipper class, Spaulding 33 sailboats and the custom 45-foot yawl Chrysopyle, which was built in 1961. Though Spaulding passed in 2000, the center he created remains active, with the maintenance work being done at the boatyard bringing in revenue to help support the nonprofit programs.
“Very few boats are built locally anymore,” says Bill Edinger, president of the Spaulding Marine Center. “Most of today’s boats are manufactured in factories. But we just built a fleet of small sailboats called San Francisco Bay Pelicans, and we built those here almost completely.” Roomy and stable, these vessels are considered great for children to sail, and it might just be the younger generation that the center most needs to connect with. In particular, they’re hoping to reach aspiring marine industry craftspeople with their boatbuilding apprenticeship, Boatworks 101.
“The marine industry is in dire need of new workers,” says Edinger. “The majority of workers are ready to retire, so we’re looking for younger people who are ready to be in the industry for a long time.”
The apprenticeship lasts 15 months, with the cohort spending the first nine months training at Spaulding’s boatyard, exploring a variety of tasks before rotating through partner employers for the rest of the apprenticeship. “There’s a lot of young people where college isn’t appropriate, and this is a wonderful career path where
Spaulding Marine Center
they can learn good hand and tool skills that can still be taken elsewhere if they decide they don’t like the marine industry,” adds Edinger.
Functioning as both a nonprofit and as a historic, active boatyard, Spaulding also serves as an educational center for the community. There are workshops for people who own boats, sailing summer camps for kids and weeklong boatbuilding workshops where people can build small kit boats like kayaks, rowing skiffs or stand-up paddleboards. Prior to the pandemic, the center also offered marine electrical workshops, diesel engine workshops and other events of interest to yacht owners, something they’re hoping to do again in the near future.
Those who want to connect to the local maritime culture in a less hands-on way are welcome to visit the center. Guests can stop by Mondays through Fridays, sign themselves in,
and take a self-guided tour as well as take a look at the historical items in the boathouse. The center has a marine library available to peruse, and some of Spaulding’s casting patterns are on display too. Visitors are even encouraged to safely check out the boatyard, where they might be able to see typical operations like boats being pulled out of the water and washed and painted.
Guests may also spot Arete, which is one of the boats that Myron Spaulding designed. Named after the Greek word for “best,” she is docked at Spaulding and used as a private yacht. And of course, there’s Freda, said to be the oldest active sailboat on the West Coast, on hand to admire when she’s not out on community sails or participating in races or wooden boat shows. Restored and relaunched after sinking in the San Rafael canal, she’s another testament to the importance of the work done at Spaulding.
Apprentices take part in the Boatworks 101 program.
Into the Wild
Marin has a diverse and inspiring variety of animals within its borders. Wildlife photographer Elyse Omernick has learned how to capture their beauty, while being respectful of their needs.
Words and Photography by Elyse Omernick
CALIFORNIA COYOTE Coyotes are masters of disguise and extremely smart animals. This photograph, taken in Larkspur, happened by pure luck, as I like to think the clovers represent in the image. I love its intense stare, which made me feel quite connected with him in that moment.
WILSON’S WARBLER My family and I were camping in northern Marin County when I heard these little jewels singing next to the nearby stream. Wilson’s warblers travel up to the Pacific coast and Canada during the spring and summer months to nest and raise their young.
BALD EAGLE Bald eagles are making a comeback in Marin. Until recently, they were not known to nest within our county, but we are starting to see more and more pairs and successful nests over the past few years. NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL Every winter, elephant seals arrive at the southern beaches of Point Reyes National Seashore for their birthing and mating seasons. This is a male “bull” elephant seal vocalizing his dominance, as there was another bull nearby.
Elyse Omernick (www.elysephoto.com ) is a wildlife, landscape and portrait photographer living in Marin County. She leverages her background in illustration and animation, combined with her love for the outdoors, to create each photograph. Omernick serves on the board of directors for the Marin Audubon Society, where she focuses her efforts on northern spotted owl conservation and outreach.
NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL FLEDGLING I monitor many nests throughout Marin County through my work with the Marin Audubon Society. This photo is special to me because it was taken on the day this youngster left the nest for the first time.
BOBCAT This is a male bobcat hunting in tall grass during the evening hours. It is important to give these majestic cats plenty of space and keep your visits short so as to not interrupt them. Building trust with an animal takes time, but when the trust is established, it’s magical.
Life at the Water’s Edge
Ocean Beach, San Francisco Photo by Jack Bober
An exploration of local seascapes through the eyes of two Marin-based photographers.
By Joseph Knelman
Photo by Jack Bober
THE SUMMER SUN DRAWS PEOPLE
toward the sea. Rodeo, Muir and Stinson beaches are warming up and becoming weekend destinations where beachgoers plant umbrellas to shade picnics and take refreshing dunks in the ocean. While beach trips are situated among the coast’s sand dunes and intermittent coves, local photographers are looking to bring the ocean that extends far beyond into focus, too.
The ocean around Marin is one-of-akind, even for photographers who have traveled coastlines around the globe. Offering unparalleled access, the coast has an atmosphere of remote ruggedness. “The Northern California coast is just special,” says Marin-based underwater photographer Brent Durand, who grew up around the beaches of Southern California. “The energy of the ocean is wild, it’s bigger and rougher. I’m drawn to that, that feeling of adventure and exploration.”
Durand gains access to the ocean’s wonder through photography in combination with scuba diving skills. “One of the reasons I love diving on the North Coast is that sometimes you find a huge underwater feature you never would have thought existed, like a big 40- to 50-foot wall covered in white Metridium anemones,” he says.
Durand’s photography requires a keen sense of observation to read the ocean and light, anticipate ecosystem features, and be in position to take the best wildlife photos possible. In particular, his work is bringing attention to kelp forests, a foundation for marine ecosystems on the California coast. Achieved via scuba diving excursions from Monterey and Sonoma County coasts, Durand’s photography is a testament to environmental changes that might not be on the radar of people living and visiting just miles away from these undersea forests.
“The obvious changes are a lot less kelp forests and also less abalone.
A woman capturing large waves breaking during a storm at Rodeo Beach. Photo by Brent Durand
The further you get north, the more abalone there should be, but they’ve basically been dying off since about 2014,” says Durand. Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) beds extending north from Marin, and the diverse organisms they support, have faced staggering declines over the past decade with shifts in ocean conditions, sea star die-off and a resulting profusion of purple urchins that mow down kelp forests when left unchecked. In an April edition of the New York Times this year, one of Durand’s photos of bull kelp was featured alongside a piece on the vulnerable state of California’s kelp forests, just one example of his photos
Split-view photo of a moon jellyfish floating off the rugged coast in Stillwater Cove Regional Park. Photo by Brent Durand
Several fish-eating anemones grow on a rock in Fort Ross State Historic Park. Blue rockfish swim in the background. Photo by Brent Durand Ocean Beach, San Francisco Photo by Jack Bober
highlighting these important underwater ecosystems for the public at large.
Back on the surface, surf and landscape photographer Jack Bober captures ocean swell moments that are otherwise lost in the blink of an eye. Bober, who grew up in Marin and graduated from Redwood High School, has long been drawn to places beyond the shore. After experimenting with water photography on trips to Hawaii and Southern California and improving his gear, Bober took some of his first water shots at Marin’s Fort Cronkhite.
Inspired by other San Francisco surf photographers, including Sachi Cunningham and Adam Warmington, Bober’s work reveals characteristics of waves that are imperceptible to most without the skillful positioning and
timing of his photography. “I try to get in the spot where a surfer would envision themselves, in the barrel shot with the waves coming toward you,” says Bober. “I feel like everything slows down when I am in that spot.”
Being in the ideal location requires resolve, stamina and calm to steady oneself (and camera gear) in the forces of breaking waves. Bober’s photography ultimately captures the wide-ranging diversity of wave form and the athleticism of local surfers. The people in the local surf communities that Bober documents from Fort Cronkhite to Ocean Beach in San Francisco become well-known to him and that facilitates his work. “Especially when waves are really big, it’s good to know that you have a couple other people out there; it’s nice to know that tightknit community in Marin,” Bober says.
On a personal level, paddling out beyond Marin’s shores is an awe-inspiring activity for both photographers. “It almost feels euphoric in a way, being out in the water, being in that spot taking those pictures,” says Bober. Their work is also about sharing these special places — both above and below the surface. Bober and Durand’s photography communicates a story about ecosystems and people that inspires a closer look at marine environments around us. “There are some gems on the coast that are there if you’re willing to put in the work and go find them,” says Durand, “not just for photographers, but for everybody.” Follow their work on Instagram: @jackboberphoto; @brentdurand
Community Minded
Helping Lake County Pet Owners Prepare for Wildfire Season
We had the opportunity to help Jameson Animal Rescue provide free rabies, combo vaccines, and microchip services to 500-plus animals to help folks prepare for wildfire season and other natural disasters. Since the area has a great need for vaccines and medical care, people lined up for hours ahead of the start time for the event which included pet food and pet supply distribution, animal vaccinations and chipping and registering pets. Find out how you too can volunteer to help animals in need at www.jamesonanimalrescueranch.org. Bowman Real Estate Group 1118 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, CA 94939 415.755.1040 | www.bowmanrealestategroup.com
Your Local Style Guru
Shop the City founder Sahra has learned to embrace the style of the Bay Area and all of its microcommunities. She listens closely to each client’s specific lifestyle, location and needs to ensure their style serves them, whether they’re a work-from-home mom, a social butterfly who’s back in the office, or a high-profile person about town. Sahra has been in the fashion industry for nearly 18 years, and she knows the ins and outs of the industry — everything from how and where to shop to what brands will fit what body type the best. Shop the City | 415.484.6710 | info@shopthe.city www.shopthe.city | /@shop_the_city /shopthecityUS
What Matters Most in Real Estate
The nuances of real estate are numerous and knowing each one is what sets a great agent apart from the rest. Nick Svenson brings his intimate knowledge of the buyer base, timing, design, marketable characteristics and pricing to the table in a way that is easy to understand and act on. By leaving no stone unturned, buyers and sellers are sure to be very well positioned in the market. Nick Svenson has used this approach to become a top producer in the business and is currently one of the top agents in Marin County. Nick Svenson | nick@marinsfhomes.com www.marinsfhomes.com | 415.505.7674 DRE #01918616
Celebrating Visionaries
Marin Living is thrilled to feature the most influential leaders in the Bay Area. These individuals and businesses are the ultimate Visionaries in their respective fields. Here we showcase what makes these experts leaders in their industries and illustrate how innovation sets them apart from their competitors.
celebrating visionaries
Susan Hewitt, C.J. Nakagawa + Team
The Marin Group
This number one team thinks outside the box to deliver the best results possible.
What makes your team visionaries?
Our experience with new construction led us to realize the average homeowner could financially benefit from targeted property preparation before introducing their home to the market. We bring an exclusive team of contractors and project managers to increase our clients’ property values. Delivering on that vision has made us the No. 1 team at Golden Gate Sotheby’s by transaction number. We have a unique perspective and bring three generations of experience to every seller and buyer we work with.
How are you disrupting your industry?
When the pandemic hit, we were already providing our clients with virtual tours and cinema-quality videos. For sellers, we maximize value by treating every listing as a flip with a strong focus of return on investment. For buyers, we provide an in-depth understanding of construction, home systems, neighborhoods and microclimates and unparalleled access to off-market listings.
Any exciting new listings?
19 Highland Court (pictured right and left) has been meticulously renovated and expanded. It is essentially a new home with designer finishes and walking distance to downtown Larkspur. Asking price is $5,395,000 (website below).
The Marin Group Susan Hewitt, C.J. Nakagawa + Team 500 Drakes Landing Road, Greenbrae, CA 94904 | 415.407.8349 info@themaringroup.com www.themaringroup.com www.19highland.com /@themaringroup DRE #00996144, DRE #01913564
celebrating visionaries
Mark Hinds
Resonance Technology Group
Technology in harmony with nature.
Tell us about yourself and the work you are doing.
I’m the CEO and founder of a group of companies that are bringing forth advanced technologies in the health, energy, agriculture and environment sectors based on a new understanding of science. The companies utilize a strategic methodology that identifies extraordinary inventors, scientists and engineers to help them productize, commercialize and license their technology and bring their genius to the world.
Can you explain more?
These companies are the culmination of almost two decades of work to begin introducing a radically new understanding of science that has the opportunity to solve most every problem facing humanity today.
What is this new understanding of science?
This new understanding of science is called “Resonance Science” whereby we look at how nature functions and then emulates that to solve problems. Everything that humanity does today is “dissonant” to how nature functions. Resonance Science has the opportunity to change, in a positive manner, humanity in a way that is so fast and so impactful that few people really have an understanding of the potential of what is coming.
Give us an example of one of the companies and their product.
UpTerra utilizes resonant principles to change agriculture. The results across multiple types of crops show that water consumption is reduced, pesticides can be reduced or eliminated, plant yield is increased, and the vitality and nutrient content of plants are increased.
Resonance Technology Group www.rtg.io www.upterra.co
celebrating visionaries
Ken Dara
Engel & Völkers Sausalito
An agent with outstanding local knowledge and unparalleled global reach.
What makes your team visionaries in their field?
Through the award-winning global network Engel & Völkers provides, my clients benefit from the vast knowledge and experience of our forwardthinking associates and marketing teams. “Going international” has become a real possibility for many clients. I’m one of the most connected real estate agent in the country, both nationally and globally — I know the top one percent of all agents around the country. Whether my clients are looking to move into or out of Northern California, buy investment property in the U.S. or abroad, I have the knowledge and wherewithal to assist them.
What separates you or your business from the pack?
I find that the commonalities in what my clients are looking for in real estate in terms of lifestyle, investment and community are the key elements that determine a successful buy/sell transaction. I don’t focus solely on a single geographic location. People are much more global these days and I want to be able to represent them no matter where in the world they are looking for real estate.
What do you want people to know about your business?
I build a genuine relationship with my clients and treat them with care, discretion and professionalism. I have a hard-working team comprised of a buyers’ agent, business development professional, listing coordinator and social media associate that really cares about the people we represent.
Ken Dara, Engel & Völkers Sausalito 539 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965 415.425.3626 | DRE #01331869 ken.dara@evrealestate.com www.kendara.evrealestate.com /@coffeewithkendara /kendaraluxuryhomesmarin
celebrating visionaries
Jennifer Bowman and Elliott Fink
Bowman Real Estate Group
This cutting-edge team always puts the client first.
How does your team’s vision manifest itself in your business practice?
We believe in Total Customer Satisfaction, providing a personalized perspective to your real estate experience. Our multiple-agent team and dedicated support staff ensure that all of our clients receive the highest level of service. We use our cuttingedge marketing and negotiation strategies to make sure you get exactly where you want to be.
What separates your business from the pack?
We are a group of specialists who have been working together as a group long before the trendy “team concept” was in vogue. It just makes sense to work with people who are accomplished in the diverse disciplines required to fully represent a client: negotiation, construction, legal contracts, architecture, hospitality, psychology, marketing and social networking.
Does your business have a notable history in the Bay Area?
Given my mother’s legacy as a top-producing Marin real estate agent and my father’s successful career in architecture, it’s safe to say I was born to it. Elliott’s father was a notable local commercial agent and together we’ve been immersed in Marin real estate in some capacity for over 40 years. We understand all the micro-trends and are able to take full advantage of the emerging possibilities based on our knowledge of Marin.
Bowman Real Estate Group | VANGUARD PROPERTIES | 1118 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, CA 94939 | 415.755.1040 team@bowmanrealestategroup.com www.bowmanrealestategroup.com /@bowmangroupmarin /thebowmangroup | DRE #01933147
celebrating visionaries
Cassie ZampaKeim
Innovative Match
Find the confidence and follow-through you need to date successfully.
How are you thinking outside the box?
I’ve always believed it’s important to keep my finger on the pulse of changes and trends in the dating industry, which is why I’m still here after more than 30 years in the business. After successfully helping my clients through the pandemic by creating strategies for them to meet new people and then to keep the relationship they started going, it became evident to them how being a motivated dater is essential under any circumstance. .
What separates you from the pack?
I’m not a nine-to-five dating expert because dating isn’t a nine-to-five prospect. I understand my clients may need me for last-minute advice, whether about what they’re wearing, how to say goodnight, or what to text after a date. Other times, my clients may need reassurance and a friendly ear. I’m here for them whenever they need me. I’m the office, and I’m always open.
What’s the most interesting new innovation you have come up with?
I’m an expert at helping my clients expand their mindset, especially about distance. The pandemic was instrumental in opening up a new world of singles who lived farther away.
Innovative Match Ross | 415.259.8714 www.innovative-match.com
celebrating visionaries
Beth Sasan & Traci Thiercof
Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty
What makes your team visionaries in their field?
We are making steady strategic pivots with our clients during market shifts. Pivot is our motto, and we are continually assessing real estate trends and noting the subtle changes happening in the market to make corrections for our clients’ future actions — whether buying or selling.
How does your team’s strategy manifest itself in your business practice?
Our goal is always client satisfaction. When we have effective vision and strategy, we have happy clients and successful transactions.
Why is it important to have a clear vision for your business?
All of life’s journeys need thoughtful planning to reach the desired destination, and our business is no different. We focus, plan and always aim to be one step ahead of obstacles that may come up so we can proactively manage them.
What separates your business from the pack?
Team work and moxie! Our partnership is strength in numbers. Our clients benefit from our combined experience, time and united networks.
Do you have a unique history in the Bay Area?
We are both third-generation Marin residents with large families and deep connections. Not only do we have stories of our own about growing up in Marin, we love to tell our families’ stories as well. Our grandparents lived in Marin before the Golden Gate Bridge existed.
Beth Sasan & Traci Thiercof, Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty 415.990.7186 | www.bethsasan.com DRE #01433542 | 415.793.0111 www.tracithiercof.com | DRE #01817886
celebrating visionaries
Beth McDougall, M.D.
CLEAR Center @ JYZEN Labs
Transforming the practice of medicine.
What makes you a visionary in your field?
I am an integrative medical doctor and founder of CLEAR Center of Health in Mill Valley and author of Your Pristine Blueprint, The Missing Key to Longevity, Reversing Disease, and Radically Transforming Your Life. For 25 years I have been committed to changing the way medicine is practiced. My latest endeavor is JYZEN Labs, the new bio-optimization laboratory in Mill Valley that is now the home of CLEAR Center — it opens on July 5.
What inspires you about JYZEN Labs?
What really inspires me is to be able to legitimize bio-optimization medicine and put it on the map to show that with the right lifestyle practices, the right products, and taking advantage of the right technologies used in the right way, you can reverse disease, enhance your longevity, and live a vital life.
Tell us more about the lab.
We create personalized biooptimization programs designed to help you meet your unique goals. Led by four integrative physicians and supported by the best technologies, we draw on an array of tools including brain fitness programs, autonomic nervous system testing, body composition analysis, respiratory fitness, IV therapy and our metabolic reset weight loss program to support you in achieving your goals. Everything is designed to ensure your comfort and to optimize your health, including UV sterilization of every room.
CLEAR Center @ JYZEN Labs 100 Shoreline Drive, Mill Valley, CA 94941 www.jyzenlabs.com www.bethmcdougallmd.com /@bethmcdougallmd | /@jyzenlabs
celebrating visionaries
Cory Halbrdier, CEO
Spacial
What do you want people to know about your business?
Spacial’s specialty is creating an extension of someone’s home into their backyard with an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), also known as a backyard cottage. ADUs offer a flexible space in the backyard and are often used in several ways: to provide a comfortable space to house aging parents, keeping them out of a retirement home; to help adult children get on their feet financially after college; to generate passive net income of $1–2k/month (after financing) through renting them out; as a separate office space, art studio or yoga studio.
What new innovations do you offer?
We provide busy and astute homeowners a single point of contact and handle the whole process from contract to delivering the keys. And we do it in a shorter time period, building their ADU offsite in parallel to the onsite work so that we can be in and out of a backyard in 4 to 8 weeks.
What separates your business from the pack?
Spacial’s ADU was designed by award-winning architect CAZA and it’s built to local California code. Though it’s built offsite, it is built to higher standard than most homes built onsite.
Spacial 925.725.6444 info@spacialhomes.com www.spacialhomes.com /@spacialhomes | /spacialhomes
celebrating visionaries
Payam Ghafoori
Compass
A true visionary is always one step ahead.
What makes you a visionary in your field?
As a visionary in my field, I have exceptional communication skills. Knowing how to verbalize the goals of my clientele is essential. Communication isn’t just one-sided. A visionary leader is also an active listener. Like a chess player, visionaries plan ahead to make the best business moves. Also, implementing strategic planning is paramount and involves creating an action plan with a particular strategy in mind. My strategies are designed to take my clientele toward their ultimate vision.
Do you have a notable history in the Bay Area?
I was born into a family of real estate investors in the Bay Area, my passion for real estate started at a young age. As a native to Marin County, San Francisco and the East Bay, I’ve ascertained every inch of the respective geographic areas and have complete knowledge of them. I grew up in Tiburon and my wife and I are currently raising our own family in Marin County.
Why is it important to have a clear vision for your business?
A clear vision sets a standard of brilliance and execution, which will force your business to stretch. Being positive, specific and ambitious with your vision propels the entire business forward to a successful outcome. The impetus of setting a vision is twofold: it’s there to generate a long-term strategy for where the business is going; secondly, it’s meant to align everyone around the business’ trajectory.
Payam Ghafoori payam@compass.com | 415.577.5252 /@payam_ghafoori www.payamghafoori.com | DRE #01935373
celebrating visionaries
Gregg Foster
Summit Professional Builders Inc.
This building team prides itself on communication and client support.
How does your team’s vision manifest itself in your business practice?
Summit Professional Builders was created on the vision that because the construction industry is challenging, stressful and uncertain, the clients need very personal, honest and engaged support to be able to enjoy the process. We approach every family and their project in a way that allows for a longterm relationship to develop.
How are you disrupting your industry?
We have a design coordinator on staff that helps provide continuous support to clients, their interior designer and even their architect. This staff is integrated into the team to assist in communication about purchasing, sourcing, value engineering, lead times and availabilities. During this age of supply chain issues, having real time information is imperative, so the client has someone to address every question. The DC position is a great value to clients.
What separates your business from the pack?
Summit’s success and strong referral base stem from a focus on effective communication, financial transparency and hands-on management. Our clients rely on us to add value to their property — often one of their most important assets — and to create a structure that provides ongoing enjoyment to its users.
Summit Professional Builders Inc. | 1010 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Ste. 201, Kentfield, CA 94904 415.454.3280 | gfoster@spb-inc.com | www.spb-inc.com | /@summit_professional_builders | LIC #789450
celebrating visionaries
Claudine
Claudine’s Naturally Nourishing Meals
Save time with clean and beautiful meals delivered to your door.
What makes your team visionaries?
We created a business out of a need for fresh and organic, ready-to-serve, delivered meals. We provide a true farm-to-table experience because we know people want a variety of healthy options for themselves and their family meals, but don’t have the time or resources to prepare them. Each meal is beautifully packaged and comes with a list of ingredients and farms included.
What separates your business from the pack?
The menu changes every week based on what’s available at the farmers market. Therefore, meals are fresh, exciting and change with the seasons. In three years, we’ve never repeated a week’s menu.
How does your team’s vision manifest itself in your business practice?
We go to farmers markets every week and handpick all of the organic produce that will be used in the meals. We also deliver in 100 percent compostable packaging and reusable cooler bags.
What new service do you offer?
We now offer a gorgeous farm-to-table meal, serving six, that is perfect to bring on a picnic or when hosting friends or family. A meal arrives fresh and fully cooked on Friday, so you are ready for the weekend.
Claudine’s Naturally Nourishing Meals | hello@cookingclaudine.com www.cookingclaudine.com | /@cookingclaudine
celebrating visionaries
Angie Bynon
Gain the 21st century business skills you’ll need to make a difference.
What makes the University of Redlands School of Business & Society visionaries in higher education?
At the University of Redlands School of Business & Society, we teach, mentor, and empower agile agents of change to positively impact business and society and to gain the 21st century skills needed to thrive and make a difference.
How is the university disrupting business education?
We provide an integrated approach to business education that considers critical concepts and skills within the societal context in which businesses operate. We focus on seven pillars: Purposeful Leadership & Inclusive Management; Ethical Decision-Making; Socially Responsible Practices; Environmental Sustainability; Business Analytics; Innovation & Technology; and Global & Cross-Cultural Perspective.
What academic programs do you offer?
We offer business degree and certificate programs, including: Master of Business Administration (MBA); M.S. in Organizational Leadership; M.S. in Business Analytics; B.S. in Business completion program; Business Location Analytics Certificate; Organizational Leadership Certificate.
University of Redlands School of Business & Society, Marin Campus 105 Seminary Road, San Anselmo, CA 94960 415.451.2832 angie_bynon@redlands.edu www.business.redlands.edu /urschoolofbusiness | /@urbusandsociety /@redlandsbusinessandsociety
celebrating visionaries
Jennifer Brinn
Reiki of Marin
Learn how to be the best version of yourself.
What makes you a visionary in your field?
So many people are seeking to fulfill their soul’s purpose. We offer healing sessions that facilitate getting really quiet in the mind, hearing your soul speak and feeling what’s in your heart so you may move forward from a connected place.
Why is it important to have a clear vision for your business?
I began Reiki of Marin with a vision of connecting people to their true state so they may show up in life as the best version of themselves. Having a clear vision of my “why” has helped me make choices in what we offer, the practitioners we hire, and how we reach out to the community.
What are you doing to stay connected with the local community?
We offer a full scholarship program for people from underserved socioeconomic communities to enroll in our Reiki Training Certification program. We also offer mentoring on bringing Reiki healing back into their community.
What do you want people to know about your business?
At Reiki of Marin, we understand that healing isn’t about curing symptoms, it’s about helping you feel whole and connected.
Reiki of Marin | 300 Valley Street, Ste. 202, Sausalito, CA 94965 | 415.430.5813 reikimarin@gmail.com | www.reikimarin.com | /@reikimarin | /reikimarin
celebrating visionaries
Renzo and Crystal Azzarello
Luna Blu
Escape to your dining homeaway-from home.
What makes your team visionaries in their field?
I believe one of our greatest talents is our ability to make food an experience. It is the difference between a person just feeding themselves or the experience of someone going out, who doesn’t just want to eat but wants to try different things that they could never try at home. The joy for us is making the guest happy.
How does your team’s vision manifest itself in your business practice?
The past two years have seen challenges in our ability to hire and retain staff. It is no secret that this is a huge operational challenge we are facing right now. This means we as restaurant owners need our business to have strong cultural values if we have any chance of hiring and retaining great staff. My wife Crystal and I came to recognize our core values are what has become our greatest recruiting tool.
What separates you or your business from the pack?
We give our customers a reason to return by offering them a unique and memorable dining experience that they won’t get anywhere else. We believe that by creating a sense of community, we have transformed Luna Blu from a mere eating place to a place where people go to eat and socialize.
Luna Blu 35 Main Street, Tiburon, CA 94920 415.789.5844 crystallunablu@gmail.com www.lunablurestaurant.com /lunablurestaurant /lunablutiburon
celebrating visionaries
Chandra Alexandre, CEO
Community Action Marin
Well-being comes from being connected to community.
What makes your team visionaries in their field?
We have over 200 employees who show up every day for others guided by values of service, relationship, unity, and inclusivity. They’re motivated and caring, determined to help.
How are you thinking outside the box?
Our approach embodies an understanding that people are not going to achieve well-being or self-sufficiency outside of meaningful, trusted relationships. As people, we need systems of support that are responsive to individual and family needs over time. Community Action Marin’s Whole Family Approach is designed to help people, as individuals connected in networks of family, friends, and community, to regain confidence and stability.
What new services do you offer?
We’re working to create more pathways to better jobs for people of low income. We just launched a commercial driver’s license training academy partnership. We’re also leveraging our commercial kitchen with a pilot apprenticeship program for people wanting to work in the hospitality industry.
Community Action Marin | 555 Northgate Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903 | 415.526.7500 cam@camarin.org | www.camarin.org | /@communityactionmarin | /@cmtyactionmarin
celebrating visionaries
Belinda Wickwire
Belinda Wickwire Jewelry
Antique jewelry styled uniquely for you.
What makes your team visionaries in their field?
At Belinda Wickwire Jewelry we offer an experience. We are not just a store with beautiful jewelry, but rather a team of creatives who custom-style pieces for you. We love to mix the old with the new and offer each customer a piece unique to them.
Why is it important to have a clear vision for your business?
My store is evolving daily so I have to roll with the changes and think ahead strategically. It’s a store in constant motion and growth. I redesign displays weekly to highlight new inventory and to assure my vision remains on course. My displays are also pieces of art. I love to use antique boxes, books and frames to display the jewelry, creating a feast for the eyes.
Belinda Wickwire Jewelry 526 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo, CA 94901 415.785.7519 | belinda@belindawickwirejewelry.com www.belindawickwirejewelry.com | /@belindawickwirejewelry /belindawickwirejewelry
Eduardo Valadez
diptyque
The Director of Marketing explains how this heritage luxury brand has an eye on sustainability.
What makes your team visionaries in your field?
Diptyque is always thinking outside the box with a huge focus on innovation while honoring our 61 years of heritage. We are currently rolling out fragrance refill stations at all 90 global diptyque boutiques over the next few years, and we continue to enhance our efforts with recyclable packaging and refillable product innovations — like our latest launch, La Droguerie.
What new products do you offer?
Our newest innovation is La Droguerie, a fresh companion to diptyque’s perfumed creations; this is a full collection of household cleaning products, blending beauty with utility and sensual enjoyment with respect for the environment.
diptyque | 2009 Larkspur Landing Circle, Ste. 18b, Larkspur, CA 94939 415.666.2107 | www.diptyqueparis.com | /@diptyque
celebrating visionaries
Bob Garrow, founder Allison Tryk, co-owners Ruby Hackney and Matt Wadlington
Allison Tryk
Floramye
This CBD brand shop offers so much more.
Why is it important to have a clear vision for your business?
We are very clear that we want effective, intentional and fulfilling products and services. Having these values makes our jobs so much easier as we know who we are and how we work.
What separates your business from the pack?
We don’t know of any other CBD brand shops with other small business offerings, bespoke services and fine vintage jewelry, but please correct us if we’re wrong.
What new services and products do you offer?
We have yuzu honey rose dusted confections that just launched as well as a beautiful new facial mask kit and eye/lip balm. These are all incorporated into uniquely curated services at our downtown Larkspur location.
Floramye | 270 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, CA 94939 800.484.0124 | www.floramye.com | /@floramye
Amy Thompson
Amy Thompson Brand Photography
Helping clients define themselves and their brands.
How are you disrupting your industry?
I focus on brand photography, so that means getting to know each client and creating photos that really speak to who they are and who their business is.
What separates you or your business from the pack?
What I do goes far beyond a simple headshot. Lifestyle photos, action shots — these work together to tell the story of you and your brand. I also love to use different scenes and wardrobes to let your personality shine. Together, we’ll discuss your brand and find ways to highlight what makes it special. On photo day, I’ll lead you through scenes and poses designed to make you feel relaxed and confident. All you need to do is have fun.
Amy Thompson Brand Photography | 510.410.5424 amy@amythompsonphotography.com www.amythompsonbrandphotography.com /@amythompsonphotography
celebrating visionaries
Stacey Templeton Kaplan
Bella in Marin
Get a personal shopping experience at Bella.
What makes you a visionary?
I’ve dreamed of building a strong business that has multiple locations and employs women that love fashion, people and their community. This June I opened my fourth location in Bon Air Center. My plan is to open additional Bella stores in Sonoma County.
What is unique about your service approach?
Shopping at Bella is about having a personal experience that you can’t get online. The personal touch is something that online shopping will never match.
What sets you apart from others?
We color code the fashion for an elevated shopping experience. Our large tables display our well-priced jewelry, so it is at our customers’ fingertips.
Bella in Marin | Four Locations: Pacheco Plaza, Red Hill Shopping Center, Bon Air and Strawberry Village www.bellamarin.com | /@bellaboutiquemarin
Cecilia Quezada, Julia Campbell and Richelle Nolan
Quezada Architecture
How does your team’s vision manifest itself in your business practice?
We believe that a diverse business is a successful business. Our team reflects ideologies and perspectives from all over the world and from different social and economic backgrounds.
What separates your business from the pack?
Surprisingly, there are very few women-owned architectural partnerships in the Bay Area, let alone both women- and minority-owned. As a partnership, we are able to take on projects of all types and scales, from custom homes, to hospitality, to multistory towers. QA provides a bespoke boutique experience for every client.
Quezada Architecture, WBE/MBE | 639 Front Street, 1st Floor San Francisco, CA 94111 | 415.331.5133 | info@qa-us.com www.qa-us.com | /@quezada_architecture Richelle Nolan, Cecilia Quezada and Julia Campbell
celebrating visionaries
Kim Manley
KM Herbals Skincare
KM Herbals provides nourishing botanical skin care for the summer months.
Why is it important to have a clear vision for your business?
We have the rare privilege of having a hand in every stage of the creation of our skin care as the manufacturer. A clear vision allows us to align the products we create with the mission of our company and sincere needs of our community. We believe that what is real lasts, and this frees us from the ebbs and flows of passing trends.
What separates your business from the pack?
Our 30 years of dedication to handcrafted skin care is what keeps us alive and energized. We are both the farmer in the soil and the chef in the kitchen, using the highest quality organic, biodynamically-grown, and wild-harvested raw materials and essential oils — we bring farm-to-bottle products to your front door.
KM Herbals Skincare | 707.878.2980 | shop@kmherbals.com www.kmherbals.com | /@kmherbals
Jeanne M Ernst
The Paver Lady
Enjoy your outdoor spaces like never before.
What makes your team visionaries in their field?
We use modern products and techniques.
How does your team’s vision manifest itself in your business practice?
We meet and brainstorm on how best to approach the project and respect all ideas.
Why is it important to have a clear vision for your business?
As we say, measure twice, cut once. No do-overs.
How are you thinking outside the box?
We are women owned and operated, and we use local materials and contractors.
The Paver Lady | P.O. Box 63, Mill Valley, CA 94941 | 415.619.1446 www.thepaverlady.com | CSLB #91357SP
celebrating visionaries
Angela DeSalvo
Transformational Soul Work
Get in touch with your natural-born abilities and true self.
What do you want people to know about your business?
Transformational Soul Work, or simply Soul Work, is a method of practicing self-inquiry. It consists of seven elements that I gently guide you through while being present to you and your story. I offer insight that connects you with your conditioned, autopilot behavior. In time, you harness the potential to show up in your life unapologetically as yourself, fully expressed and consciously aware.
What separates you from the pack?
The gift that I offer to people by guiding them back home to themselves comes from a steady, authentic place within me. It has taken me a lifetime to finesse my natural-born abilities of being an empath, a spiritual medium and an intuitive.
Transformational Soul Work angela@angeladesalvo.net | www.angeladesalvo.net /@angelacdesalvo | /transformationalsoulwork
Amanda Apesos
Resonant Water
Join the community and enjoy natural deepearth water.
What makes you a visionary in your field?
Absolute insistence on the use of glass bottles in a zerowaste cycle of providing elementally pure deep-earth water.
How are you disrupting your industry?
A one-woman, boot-strapped startup is succeeding in bringing truly pure water to the community in an industry dominated by large corporations. We are using ethical sourcing, fair trade principles and sustainable practices.
How does your team’s strategy manifest itself in your business practice?
Every level of the business is created around elevating consciousness in how we treat each other, the Earth, water as an element, and all of life.
Resonant Water | 1121 Francisco Boulevard East, Ste. 2, San Rafael, CA 94901 | 888-R-WATER-1 | www.resonantwater.com
Tell Your Story
September: Beautiful Living
In September, Marin Living will pay tribute to experts who make our lives more beautiful. Whether it’s personal beauty, home beautification or maybe even finding a sparkling new abode altogether, this advertorial feature will provide readers with an inside look at the experts, services and products that contribute to living a beautiful life.
We will spotlight how these professionals’ passion, commitment and love for what they do drives their businesses forward. They are always looking for ways to raise the bar and improve their offerings so customers and clients know they are working with the best in the business. Is this you? Get in touch!
Marin Living will provide a marketing support campaign with a sponsored article on our website for one year, newsletter sponsored promotion to 16,000 opted-in subscribers and social media support.
Contact Jessica Cline for more info jessica@marinlivingmagazine.com
follow us on social @marinlivingmag + subscribe to our newsletter at www.marinlivingmagazine.com/newsletter
going places.
Summer Vibes
A much-anticipated park opening, three hikes to add to your summer list, reinventing your outdoor space and a new way to get high on vacation.
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge
