Special Innovators and Disruptors Issue
&
Books: Supermodel Beverly Johnson tells all My Washington: “Face the Nation� host John Dickerson on politics and pizza Fashion: Country Cozy and Tech Chic
pa rt i pa es! rt Pa ie rt s! ie s!
The 2015 Tech 25
(%; 2 8, ) 2 ) ; 630 0 7 63= ' )
% 2); %+) 3* 34)2 834 794)6 09<96= 13836-2+
6
SPPW 6S]GI 1SXSVGEVW 7XIVPMRK MW SRI SJ XLI PEVKIWX 6SPPW 6S]GI HIEPIVW KPSFEPP] 0SGEXIH NYWX QMRYXIW [IWX SJ (YPPIW %MVTSVX MR 7XIVPMRK :% 3YV YR[EZIVMRK GSQQMXQIRX MW XS I\GIPPIRGI WIVZMGI ERH GSQQYRMX] FSXL MRXIVREPP] ERH I\XIVREPP] :MWMX YW EX SYV RI[ WXEXI SJ XLI EVX FSYXMUYI JSV XLI FIWTSOI 6SPPW 6S]GI I\TIVM IRGI 7EYRXIV RI\X HSSV XS SYV YPXVE PY\YV] ERH I\SXMG TIV S[RIH FSYXMUYI JIE XYVMRK I\EQTPIW SJ XLI ½ RIWX QSXSVGEVW XLI [SVPH LEW XS SJJIV 6SPPW 6S]GI 1SXSV 'EVW 7XIVPMRK WMQTP] I\UYMWMXI
[[[ 661'78)60-2+ GSQ
4EGM½ G &PZH 7XIVPMRK :%
%8 8 6 %' 8 - : ) 0 ) % 7 ) 3 * * ) 6 7 %:% - 0 % & 0 ) 63007 63=') ;6%-8,
1764
Â&#x2C6; 7QSO] 5X^ 7MPZIV 7ERH )\XIVMSV
Â&#x2C6; 'EREHIP 4ERIPPMRK Â&#x2C6; 'SPSVIH 7XIIVMRK ;LIIP
Â&#x2C6; 8LI ;VEMXL 4EGOEKI 97
STOCK # R15011
Â&#x2C6; 'LVSQIH :MWMFPI )\LEYWX
Â&#x2C6; 1SGGEWMR (EVO 7TMGI -RXIVMSV
Â&#x2C6; 66 1SRSKVEQW XS ,IEHVIWXW
Â&#x2C6; 9T 0MX 7TMVMX SJ )GWXEW]
Â&#x2C6; ,MKL &IEQ %WWMWXERGI
Â&#x2C6; ,IEXIH :IRXMPEXIH *VSRX 7IEXW
Â&#x2C6; 2MKLX :MWMSR
Â&#x2C6; ;VEMXL '' &IWTSOI 'PSGO
1328,
63007 63=') ;6%-8,
STOCK # R15012
1328,
63007 63=') +,378
1328,
Â&#x2C6; ,MKL &IEQ %WWMWXERGI Â&#x2C6; *M\IH +PEWW 6SSJ Â&#x2C6; 'EREHIP 4ERIPPMRK Â&#x2C6; 'SPSVIH 7XIIVMRK ;LIIP Â&#x2C6; ´´ *MZI 7TSOI 4SPMWLIH ;LIIPW Â&#x2C6; ,IEXIH :IRXMPEXIH *VSRX 7IEXW Â&#x2C6; (VMZIVW %WWMWXERGI
63007 63=') ;6%-8,
STOCK # R15006
1328,
1764
63007 63=') +,378 --
Â&#x2C6; 4ERSVEQMG 6SSJ Â&#x2C6; *VSRX 6IEV 1EWWEKI 7IEXW Â&#x2C6; ,IEHW 9T (MWTPE] Â&#x2C6; 0ERI (ITEVXYVI ;EVRMRK Â&#x2C6; ,IEXIH *VSRX 6IEV 7IEXW Â&#x2C6; %GXMZI 'VYMWI 'SRXVSP
STOCK # RP6293
STOCK # R15010
1328,
Â&#x2C6; 6S]EP &PYI )\XIVMSV Â&#x2C6; 'VIQI 0MKLX -RXIVMSV Â&#x2C6; 'EQIVE 7]WXIQ Â&#x2C6; 'SQJSVX )RXV] 7]WXIQ Â&#x2C6; 0EQFW[SSP *PSSVQEXW Â&#x2C6; ,MKL &IEQ %WWMWXERGI Â&#x2C6; *M\IH +PEWW 6SSJ
14=
1328,
-QEKIW JSV ZMWYEP VIJIVIRGI SRP] 7YFNIGX XS 8MIV GVIHMX ETTVSZEP 4E]QIRXW FEWIH SR QSRXL XIVQ TIVGIRX HS[R 8E\ XMXPI XEKW VIKMWXVEXMSR MRWYVERGI TVSGIWWMRK JII RSX MRGPYHIH 7YFNIGX XS GERGIPPEXMSR [MXLSYX RSXM½ GEXMSR JVSQ 66*7 >IVS HS[R JSV 7XO 6
14=
1764 Â&#x2C6; (SSV 4MTMRK Â&#x2C6; 4VIWIRXEXMSR /I] &S\ Â&#x2C6; ´´ *MZI 7TSOI 4SPMWLIH ;LIIPW Â&#x2C6; 'YWXSQ 9QFVIPPEW Â&#x2C6; 8LI ;VEMXL 4EGOEKI 97
14=
1764
Â&#x2C6; 6IH ZIPZIX 7TEVOPI 7MPZIV Â&#x2C6; *VSRX 1IWWEKI 7IEXW 7EXMR FSRRIX *MRMWL Â&#x2C6; 'YWXSQ 9QFVIPPEW Â&#x2C6; 'VIQI 0MKLX 1SGGEWMR Â&#x2C6; 4MGRMG 8EFPIW 'SRXVEWX -RXIVMSV Â&#x2C6; 0ERI (ITEVXYVI ;EVRMRK Â&#x2C6; 6IEV GSQTEVXQIRX GSSPFS\ Â&#x2C6; )\XIRHIH 0IEXLIV Â&#x2C6; 0EQFW[SSP *SSXQEXW Â&#x2C6; 'EQIVE 7]WXIQ
14=
1764
%RXMGMTEXMSR MW FYMPHMRK EW XLI PEYRGL SJ E FVIEXLXEOMRK RI[ 6SPPW 6S]GI QSXSV GEV HVE[W IZIV GPSWIV % WIRWYSYW HVSTLIEH XLEX TVSQMWIW E WXVMOMRK WIHYGXMZI IRGSYRXIV PMOI RS SXLIV VIEH] XS IRXMGI ERH I\GMXI HVMZIV ERH TEWWIRKIVW EPMOI 6SPPW 6S]GI (E[R [MPP FI XLI QSWX WSGMEP SJ WYTIV PY\YV] GEVW XLI QYWI JSV IRHPIWW IRGSYRXIVW ERH XLI IQFSHMQIRX SJ IEGL HE]´W RI[ TSWWMFMPMXMIW
1764
Â&#x2C6; 7MPZIV .YFMPII )\XIVMSV Â&#x2C6; 7IEWLIPP -RXIVMSV Â&#x2C6; 'EQIVE 7]WXIQ Â&#x2C6; 2MKLX :MWMSR 7]WXIQ Â&#x2C6; -RHMZMHYEP 6IEV 7IEXW Â&#x2C6; 6IEV 8LIEXIV )RXIVXEMRQIRX
STOCK # DAWN
14=
Â&#x2C6; %VGXMG ;LMXI 7MPZIV 8[S 8SRI )\XIVMSV Â&#x2C6; %VGXMG ;LMXI 2EZ] &PYI -RXIVMSV Â&#x2C6; 4SPMWLIH 7XEMRPIWW 7XIIP 4EGOEKI Â&#x2C6; &SH] 'SPSVIH ;LIIP 'IRXIVW Â&#x2C6; 66 1SRSKVEQW XS ,IEHVIWXW
63007 63=') (%;2
14=
54 22
23
'328)287 N OV E M B E R 2 01 5
61 EDITOR'S LETTER
FEATURES
POLLYWOOD
THE TECH Innovators and Disrupters in the tech field .................... EMBASSY ROW Party Lines ........................................................
FYIDC
Mentor Foundation's International Gala .................
INSIDER'S GUIDE ..................................... WHO'S NEXT
Human Rights Campaign Dinner ............................
Trip Tribe founder David Aidekman...........................
Susan G. Komen's Honoring the Promise ................
SOCIAL CALENDAR ...................................
Morris K. Udall Awards ........................................
WASHINGTON SOCIAL DIARY BOOK TALK
HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC
Catwalk Confessions with Beverly Johnson ..............
Movie Magic on Capitol Hill...................................
Grand Opening of Rolls Royce Sterling ......................
LIFE OF THE PARTY
Noche de Gala ....................................................
Meridian Ball.....................................................
NIAF Gala .......................................................
OVER THE MOON Virginia's Good Earth ...........
CharityWorks' Dream Ball ...................................
PowerPost Launch Party ......................................
Young Nelson Society Launch Party .........................
Sibley Gala........................................................
Shinola Grand Opening ........................................
Taste of Logan Circle ...........................................
Inova Summit and Gala.........................................
Pen/Faulkner Readings ........................................
Parties, Parties, Parties! ..........................................
Imagination Stage Gala........................................
Affairs of State Gala .............................................
HOME LIFE v isit WA SHI NGTO NLIFE .CO M for additional content
LIFESTYLES FASHION EDITORIAL Country Cozy ............. AROUND TOWN Comfortable in her Own Skin .... TREND REPORT Revenge of the Nerds ............
INSIDE HOMES Ashley and Matt Bronczek ...... REAL ESTATE NEWS Old and New Alike........... OPEN HOUSE Hunkering Down .......................
MY WASHINGTON John Dickerson .....................
ON THE COVER John Gossart, Juan Pablo Segura, Gary Hensley, Michelle Brown and Manu Smadja at 1776 (photo by Tony Powell) TOP FROM LEFT "Country Cozy" fashion editorial (shot by Tony Powell, see inside for full crew and shopping credits); Patrick Steel, Lee Satterfield and White Meyer Dinner Chairmen Eric and Suzanne Larsen with Portuguese Amb. Gerry McGowan and Marianne Powell at the Meridian Ball (photo by Tony Powell); Wendy Adeler Hall and Valentina Adeler Armour at the CharityWorks Dream Ball (photo by Tony Powell); ABOVE FENDI monster tote bag ($1,450), Neiman Marcus, www.neimanmarcus.com
8
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
T H E I N S I D E R’S G U I D E TO P OW E R , P H I L A N T H R O PY, A N D SO C I E T Y S I N C E 1 9 9 1
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Nancy Reynolds Bagley EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Virginia Coyne SENIOR EDITOR
Kevin Chaffee MANAGING EDITOR
Laura Wainman ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Erica Moody COLUMNISTS AND CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Janet Donovan, Roland Flamini, Patrick McCoy, Vicky Moon, Stacey Grazier Pfarr and Donna Shor ART DIRECTOR
Matt Rippetoe PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER
Tony Powell CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ben Droz, Alfredo Flores,Vithaya Phongsavan, Kyle Samperton and Jay Snap
PUBLISHER & CEO
Soroush Richard Shehabi ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
John H. Arundel ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Denise Rossi BOOKKEEPER
Trina Hodges WEB TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT
Eddie Saleh,Triposs Mihail Iliev LEGAL
Mason Hammond Drake, Greenberg Traurig LLP INTERNS
Catherine Trifiletti and Erica Tropp FOUNDER
Vicki Bagley CREATIVE DIRECTOR EMERITUS (*)
J.C. Suarès CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE BOARD
Gerry Byrne Washington Life magazine publishes ten times a year. Issues are distributed in February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, November, and December and are hand-delivered on a rotating basis to over 150,000 homes throughout D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland. Additional copies are available at various upscale retailers, hotels, select newstands, and Whole Foods stores in the area. For a complete listing, please consult our website at www.washingtonlife.com. You can also subscribe online at www.washingtonlife.com or send a check for $79.95 (one year) to: Washington Life Magazine, 2301 Tracy Place NW, Washington D.C., 20008. BPA audited. Email us at info@washingtonlife.com with press releases, tips, and editorial comments. Copyright ©2011 by Washington Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content or photos in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Printed in the United States. We will not be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. *deceased
EDITOR’S LETTER
STARTUP CENTRAL W
hen we highlighted the Washington area’s burgeoning tech community in our November issue last year, we acknowledged that our political town had also become a tech town. Our readers’ response was so overwhelmingly positive that we knew we had to make it an annual feature. This time we are shining the spotlight on 25 of the area’s top startup entrepreneurs, all doing extraordinary things in health, medicine, philanthropy, education, computing and on-demand consumer technology. At the S&R Foundation’s Halycon Incubator, for example, fellows are helping to make fresh produce available to under-served communities around the world via vertical farming in shipping containers (Local Roots); locating medical supplies for clinics in rural areas (Reliefwatch); and improving child literacy by creating innovative learning plans that include rap lyrics (Words Liive). Across town at 1776, GoodWorld has made charitable giving as easy as posting a hashtag on social media, MPOWER is helping finance higher education and Babyscripts is transforming how doctors monitor pregnancies. I could go on about each company (and individual) we have included, but I’ll let you be amazed for yourself. I’m sure you’ll want to start something of your own after reading about all of these fascinating innovators in our midst. Speaking of inspirational, supermodel Beverly Johnson was the first African-American woman to grace the cover of Vogue magazine. In Book Talk, we showcase her new memoir “The Face That Changed It All,” a brutally honest tell-all which includes details about her encounter with Bill Cosby. I spoke to Beverly Johnson recently, who credits Salamander Resort and Spa owner Sheila C. Johnson, whom she calls a mentor, as one of the friends who gave her the courage to speak out.
12
For My Washington, Face the Nation host John Dickerson shares his thoughts leading up to this month’s Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines, which he will moderate, and lets us in on his favorite pizza restaurant in town. You’ll want to turn to our fashion pages for dramatic yet comfortable country weekend looks and our trend report for tech chic must-haves. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, our social calendars are already packed to the brim. This month, we bring you coverage of the season’s grandest events, including the WLsponsored Charityworks’ Dream Ball; the Meridian International Center Ball; Susan G. Komen’s Honoring the Promise; the Sibley, Imagination Stage, NIAF and Mentor Foundation galas; and INOVA’s Summit and Gala. Be on the lookout in December for the WL-sponsored Boys & Girls Clubs National Youth of the Year Awards, the LUNGevity Gala, the Washington International Horse Show, Fight Night, CNMC’s White Hat Gala, the USO Gala and many more.
Nancy R. Bagley Editor in Chief Readers wishing to contact Nancy Bagley can email her at nbagley@washingtonlife.com
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
The Insiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to Washington BY C AT H E R I N E T R I F I L E T T I
25th Anniversary of the National Galleryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Photography Collection
Rodgers & Hammersteinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cinderellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
EPIC IMAGERY
Treat your eyes to prized photography from across the globe as the National Gallery of Art celebrates 25 years of its photography collection. The exhibition will include hundreds of photos gifted by friends of the museum to honor the anniversary. The curated images range from innovative snapshots that shaped the craft to more contemporary styles capturing a modern perspective. The installation unveiling marks the end of a yearlong commemoration and will run through March of next year on the West Ground Floor Galleries. Nov. 1, 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 27, 2016, nga.gov.
Renwick Gallery Reopening
CRAFT COMMENCEMENT
The two-year wait for the reopening of the beloved Renwick Gallery is over. After undergoing its first comprehensive renovation in 45 years, the Smithsonianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crafts museum will reopen its doors to the public once again with a featured exhibition called â&#x20AC;&#x153;WONDER,â&#x20AC;? showcasing work from nine contemporary artists. Each creatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; large-scale installations will pay homage to the transformative nature of simple objects through art - think marbles and index cards. Opening day will kick off with a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by an open house with live music, guided tours and Q&As with exhibition curators. Friday, November 13, Renwick Gallery, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., free, renwick.americanart.si.edu.
The EmporiYUM
CULINARY CONVOCATION Local foodies unite! This Union Markethosted event will feature artisanal eats from restaurants and merchants reshaping the culinary landscape, both locally and nationally. The marketplace will have plenty of food and drink options for guests to enjoy; if the infamous Crack Pie from Momofuku Milk Bar does not entice you than a classic biscuit from Charleston-based Callieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surely will. With more then 80 vendors to choose from, there is something for everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taste. Saturday Nov. 14 and Sunday Nov. 15, Union Market, $15 to $40, theemporiyum.com. 14
TIMELESS TALE ON STAGE
Grab your prince charming and head to the National Theatre to fall in love with the rags-to-riches story all over again. The Disney classic, revived by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II as a musical for television starring Julie Andrews in 1957, has since been remade twice more for contemporary television audiences and again for the Broadway stage in 2013. The critical acclaim garnered by the theater adaptation has confirmed that Cinderellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s timelessness has transcended decades. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the Tony Award-winning classic on stage Nov. 18-29. National Theatre, $48 to $153, thenationaldc.org..
Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks from Switzerland
TOGETHER AT LAST
In collaboration with the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, the Im Obersteg Foundation and the Rudolf Stachelin Family Trust, the Phillips Collection recently unveiled its latest exhibition, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gauguin to Picasso: Masterworks from Switzerland.â&#x20AC;? The 60 celebrated works are drawn from two major private collections (Rudolf Staechelin and Karl Im Obersteg) by 22 leading artists of the mid-19th and 20th centuries and features Paul Gauguinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;NAFEA faaipoipoâ&#x20AC;? (When Will You Marry?) (1892), a major painting from the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Tahitian stay, that is rumored to be the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most expensive painting. (It sold in February to a Qatari collector for $300 million.) Selections from their holdings, considered â&#x20AC;&#x153;sister collections,â&#x20AC;? are exhibited together for the first time in the U.S., including Vincent van Goghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Garden of Daubignyâ&#x20AC;? (1890), Pablo Picassoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s double-sided canvas â&#x20AC;&#x153;Woman at the Theatre/The Absinthe Drinkerâ&#x20AC;? (1901) and Marc Chagallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three monumental portraits from 1914,: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jew in Red,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jew in Black and Whiteâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jew in Green.â&#x20AC;? The exhibit can be seen through Jan. 10. The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW, TuesdaySaturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., $12 for adults, $10 for students and visitors 62 and over, free for members and visitors 18 and under, www.phillipscollection.org.. WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
N AT I O N A L G A L L E R Y P H OTO B Y D E B O R A H L U S T E R , E D D I E M . â&#x20AC;&#x153; FAT â&#x20AC;? C O C O, T R A N S Y LVA N I A , L O U I S I A N A . C O U R T E S Y O F T H E A R T I S T A N D J AC K S H A I N M A N G A L L E R Y, N E W YO R K ; R E N W I C K PHOTO BY JOSHUA YETMAN; EMPORIYUM PHOTO BY REY LOPEZ; CINDERELLA PHOTO BY CAROL ROSEGG; PHILLIPS COLLECTION PHOTO BY PAUL GAUGUI N , N A F EA FA A I POI PO ( WH EN WILL YOU MARRY?), 1892, COURTE SY THE RUDOLF STAECHELIN COLLECTION, KUNSTMUSEUM BASEL , MARTIN P. BUHLER. N A F E A FA A I P O I P O ( W H E N W I L L YO U M A R R Y ? ) , 1 8 9 2 . O I L O N C A N VA S , 4 0 X 3 0 1 /2 I N . T H E R U D O L F STA E C H E L I N C O L L E C T I O N Š K U N ST M U S E U M B A S E L , M A RT I N P. B Ă&#x153; H L E R
FYIDC
FYIDC | WHO’S NEXT
WHO’S NEXT
Trip Tribe founder David Aidekman connects like-minded travelers for unforgettable group vacations. BY ERICA MOODY
WHAT CATEGORIES OF TRIPS DO YOU OFFER? Yoga, wellness and fitness is one of our biggest categories. Next we’ll have hiking, cycling, food and wine, boating, skiing, golf and over time we’ll cover the whole landscape of group vacations.
Photo by Tony Powell
F
rom a co-working space in Dupont Circle, former White House national security official David Aidekman, 39, dreams up new adventures for his company, Trip Tribe. Launched in 2012 with his wife Meg, the retreat planning website is now the leading site of its kind in the world. HOW DID THE COMPANY FIRST GET STARTED? It was a series of very happy accidents that turned a very intense hobby into a small business, which turned into a slightly bigger business, which turned into a tech company, which turned into a startup. Meg and I were organizing group vacations and learning a lot about the industry when I became part of another travel business, getting involved in group vacations in Europe and the Caribbean. We saw a huge opportunity to build it to Internet scale and set ourselves on a path to expand. WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS MISSING WITH REGARD TO GROUP TRIPS? The whole genesis of our busi-
16
ness is that the people you go with makes or breaks whether you have a good experience. So, we created trips that were about connecting the right people with each other, building amazing groups and making lifelong friends. IS IT USUALLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW EACH OTHER OR DO YOU BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER WHO HAVE NEVER MET? It’s a mix. Most of our bookings are individuals and pairs — not necessarily couples but maybe two friends — who wish to join a larger group. A lot of our trips are suited for groups. You don’t necessarily go on a yoga retreat by yourself, or white water rafting or a cycling tour around Europe. Whether you know people or want to meet people, we make that easy. IS THERE A CERTAIN AGE GROUP OR TARGET AUDIENCE? No. It’s all over, from young professionals to retirees.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WASHINGTON, D.C. HAS TO OFFER THE STARTUP SCENE? It has tons of intellectual power. There are a lot of smart people who either come here or are immersed in the culture of trying to change the world or transform things. There’s a lot of energy and ambition and, secondarily, for a small company looking for resources and capital, there’s wealth in the area. Fifteen years ago, there wasn’t a lot focused on little technology startups, but I think now there’s a fair bit of attention on that, plus awareness and willingness to invest. YOU MUST LOVE TO TRAVEL. WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE TRIP? Our honeymoon two years ago. We sailed around the coast of Turkey. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL NEXT? Africa. I’d like to go on safari. I’ve never been. Join the community at triptribe.com and connect on Twitter @thetriptribe
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
P H OTO CO URT E SY O F M EG AI D E K MA N
Meg and David Aidekman traveling in Turkey
DID YOU FACE ANY UNEXPECTED CHALLENGES GETTING A STARTUP OFF THE GROUND? Oh, all the time! We learn something every week. In my past career I had been accustomed to massive operations with tons of resources and a massive budget. I came in, starting as the only full time person and tried to build a team and build out capabilities and technology on a shoestring budget. That was a challenge and it’s always a challenge because your ambitions are always bigger than the resources available.
FYIDC | SOCIAL CALENDAR
perform and original works will be on display from aspiring artists and ICON Visual Arts Competition winners. Ritz-Carlton, Tyson’s Corner; 6 p.m.; cocktail attire; $400; sponsorships start at $4,000; contact Terri Johnson, 202-5402323, tjohnson@bgcgw.org.
14
SO OTHERS MIGHT EAT SOME GALA Phebe Novakovic, CEO of General Dynamics, will be honored at SOME’s 29th annual gala as the 2015 Fr. Horace McKenna Humanitarian of the Year. The National Building Museum; 6 p.m.; cocktail attire; $400; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact Ingrid Feigenbaum, 202-797-8806 ext. 1129, ifeigenbaum@some.org.
Jim Bolduc, Geoff Tracy, boxer Gerry Cooney, Jim Abdo, Bill Fletcher and Nels Olson at the 2014 Fight Night (Photo by Tony Powell)
NOVEMBER
5
KNOCK OUT ABUSE AGAINST WOMEN Celebrate commitment to the eradication of domestic violence with over 600 influential supporters of the cause. Enjoy an evening of dinner, dancing, auctions, and entertainment. Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.; 6:30 p.m.; black-tie; $650; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact Avery Lewis, 202-888-3569, avery@lindarothpr.com.
5
FIGHT NIGHT Presented by Under Armour. Join 2,000 gover nment, business and philanthropic heavyweights for a knockout evening of live boxing, world-class entertainment and a silent auction. Proceeds from the event support Fight for Children, celebrating 25 years of providing education and healthcare to local children in need. Washington Hilton; 6 p.m.; black-tie; $1,000; sponsorships start at $35,000; contact Judy Wrench, 202-772-0417, judy.wrench@fightforchildren.org.
5
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS FALL BENEFIT A SALUTE TO COLE PORTER
Enjoy a performance by soprano Amy Burton and pianist John Musto, plus cocktails and dinner, to benefit the museum’s Shenson Chamber Music Concert Series and education pro-
grams. National Museum of Women in the Arts; 6:30 p.m.; business attire; $350; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact Gabrielle Kaufman, 202-266-2815, gkaufman@nmwa.org.
6
FAI R CHANCE BUTTERFLY BASH
Catherine Merrill Williams will be honored at Fair Chance’s annual soirée benefiting its efforts to improve the lives of local children in underserved communities. Indulge in cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live music and dancing. National Museum of Women in the Arts; 7 p.m.; cocktail attire; $175; sponsorships start at $2,500; contact Linzee Feigenbaum, 202-467-2421, lfeigenbaum@ fairchancedc.org.
7
D C WINGS OF HOPE FOR MELANOMA GALA
Help support the Melanoma Research Foundation at its seventh annual gala, complete with exquisite food, drinks, live music, dancing and auctions. Trump National Golf Club, Potomac Falls,Va.; 6:30 p.m.; cocktail attire; $175; sponsorships start at $2,500; contact Cassie Beisel, cbeisel@melanoma.org.
9
ICON BENEFIT Support talented youth from Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington at this fundraising event featuring cocktails, dinner, auctions and entertainment. Winners of the BGCGW Talent search will
14
NOCHE DE PASIÓN Support the Washington Ballet’s Latino Dance Fund at this Latin-themed party featuring performances by company members and hot dance tunes. Residence of the Ambassador of Panama; 8:30 p.m.; explorer chic attire; $275; sponsorships start at $2,500; contact 202-362-3606, events@ washingtonballet.org.
17
MARCH OF DIMES
SIGNATURE CHEFS AUCTION Benefitting the March of Dimes, this elegant evening of wining and dining is one of the capital’s premier social events. The soiree highlights locally celebrated chefs, bartenders, mixologists and vintners in support of stronger, healthier babies. Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.; 6:30 p.m.; business attire; sponsorships start at $5,000; contact Nicole Dolan, 571-2572307,ndolan@marchofdimes.org.
21
UNCORKED! Taste numerous 90-point wines from around the world including Opus, Justin, Freemark Abbey, Chateauneuf du Pape and more. The evening benefits The Neediest Kids program of the the National Center for Children and Families. National Museum of Women in the Arts; 7:30 p.m.; cocktail attire; $250; sponsorships start at $750; contact Katherine Betzer, 301-365-4480, kbetzer@nccf-cares.org.
BY ERICA TROPP 18
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
LIFE OF THE PARTY WL-sponsored and Exclusive Events | CharityWorksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dream Ball, Inova Gala, Sibley Gala and more!
Monaco Amb. Maguy Maccario Doyle and John Paszterko at the Meridian Ball. (Photo by Tony Powell)
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
21
LIFE
of the
PARTY
Patrick Steel, Lee Satterfield, Meridian Intl. President and CEO Stuart Holliday, Gwen Holliday, Clyde Tuggle and Mary Streett
Meridian Ball Chairmen Beatrice and Anthony Welters
Jonathan Capehart and Samantha Tubman
Jim Gale and Lisa Barry WL SPONSORED
MERIDIAN BALL Count and Countess Renaud de Viel Castel with Michael Zingali and Timothy Lowery
Brazilian Amb. Luiz Machado, Maria Ikeda, Tara Compton and Neil Parsan
Meridian International Center PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
ONE NIGHT IN MARREKECH: Hookahs, a fresh fruit bar and thumping Morrocan music put a youthful, international spin on this always-elegant annual affair. Ambassadors, administration officials, members of the media and tech executives alike mingled underneath a canopy of illuminated trees in the Meridian International Center courtyard or shimmied on one of two dance floors after dining at either White-Meyer House next door or numerous embassy residences. Now in its 47th year, the ball benefits Meridianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ongoing efforts to prepare leaders for a complex global future.
Amb. of Grenada Angus Friday and Iris De Graaf
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Gina Healey and White-Meyer dinner chairman Susanne Larsen
Knox Singleton 22
Geoff Orazem and Whitney Austin Gray
Val Markovic and Catherine Howard WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Barry Dixon, Leah Gansler, Mark Lowham and Anthony Shriver Karina Mallona Sandra Vito and Andrew Viola WL EXCLUSIVE
CHARITYWORKS DREAM BALL National Building Museum | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Sandy and Dave Hodgkinson
Eric Benet
Amy and Pierre Chao
Todd Gambill and Mary Ann Best
Doug and Laura Gansler with Jack Gansler
A MAGICAL NIGHT: A smoke-filled dance floor, purple décor, acrobatic acts and dangling mirrors were a few of the special touches that fit this year’s CharityWorks ball theme “Smoke and Mirrors: The Art of Illusion.” Cochairmen Mark Lowham and Barry Dixon, CharityWorks founder Leah Gansler and Anthony Shriver made heartfelt speeches about Best Buddies, an organization Shriver founded to create opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities, and the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a charity that helps put military families on the road to recovery. CharityWorks annually selects two nonprofit groups to benefit from a series of fundraising and community service activities. Guests enjoyed music from Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Eric Benet, a live auction and dinner from Susan Gage Caterers. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Mert and Alev Bakan
Barbara Hawthorn WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Tommy Quinn and Lynly Boor
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Conner Herman and Shawn Daniel National Building Museum 23
Tom and Rachel Sullivan with Allan Meltzer
Chris and AJ Andreas with Manisha and Roy Kapani
Barbara Lang and Marissa McKeever
WL SPONSORED
SIBLEY ‘HOPE AND PROGRESS’ GALA The Four Seasons | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO FLORES
Karl and Kelann McDonnell, Viet Dinh, Jenny Dinh, Mark Brown and Linda Brown
HOSPITAL HELPERS: Sibley Memorial Hospital’s premier annual fundraiser raised more than $890,000 to expand oncology programs and support a new hospital. Co-chaired by Manisha & Roy Kapani and Rory & John Ackerly, Councilmembers Mary Cheh, Yvette Alexander, Jack Evans and David Catania were among the 300 guests who celebrated the night dancing to music from Odyssey band and noshing on delicious bites including Maryland crab cake and caramel and apple toffee pudding cake. “Sibley is undergoing a transformation that will position us as the model of an exceptional community hospital. All of you here tonight are helping to make this possible,” said Sibley president Chip Davis.
Ken and Jackie Duberstein with Morgan Adessa and Chip Davis
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Kristen Pruski and Rory Ackerly Wilson and Rosa Paine
Leo Sahakian and Annie Totah WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Jeff and Maureen Elting
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Elise Hoffman, Michael Farr and Chris Niemczewski
Austin Branson with Courtney and Matthew Weir and Maisie Branson
25
Ramesh Kumar and Monica Murphy Kumar Charles and Barbara Friedman
Ali Ganjei and Diamond Leone
John Deeken, Karin Walser, Alicia Skehan and Andrea Roane
WL SPONSORED
INOVA HONORS DINNER The Ritz-Carlton, Tyson’s Corner | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Jim and Amy Turner
THE FUTURE OF HEALTH: A glamorous gala topped off a whirlwind weekend of learning at Inova Health System’s annual thought leadership summit. Health advocates and experts kicked up their heels to music by the B52s while supporting the nonprofit group’s mission by bidding on live and silent auctions. The following day, guests heard inspiring words from “Good Morning America” anchor and cancer survivor Robin Roberts, who gave the Inova summit keynote speech. Guests had earlier met with panelists to discuss new technologies and investment opportunities in healthcare, growing trends in philanthropy, and how to demystify integrative and functional medicine.
Annette Kerlin with Bootsie and David Humanenasky
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Maggie Hayford and Mark Stauder
Maris Angolia and Tony Burchard
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Paula and Marshall Ruffin
Tina and Gary Mather
27
LIFE
of the
PARTY
Gabriel and Catherine Albornoz with Patrick O’Neil
Andrian Goodum, Kamal Ali and Pedro Alfonso
Kim Greenfield Alfonso and Erika Martin
Catherine Adams, Jay Adams and Bonnie Fogel WL SPONSORED
IMAGINATION STAGE GALA Imagination Stage | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL STRETCHING THE IMAGINATION: Once a year Imagination Stage gathers friends and supporters for an evening of fun, feasting and fund-raising to support its theater and arts education programs (which reach over 100,000 children in the DMV region annually). This time donations reached $250,000, including $25,000 for the Oyeme program raised during the evening’s funda-cause opportunity, and another $20,000 pledged by Montgomery County. Guests enjoyed a one-time-only performance of “Time to Grow (Party and Show!)” featuring professional actors alongside Imagination Stage students. Local playwright Karen Zacarias, from Arena Stage, and composer Debbie Wicks La Puma were honored for their work as 2015 Imagination Award recipients. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Evelyn Catarevas, Elizabeth Oliver-Farrow, Janet Farrell and Gina Williams
Jane Fairweather and Debbi Jarvis
Davor and Shari Kapelina Connie and Anthony Morella
Lily Eskelsen Garcia and Alberto Garcia
John and Debbie Laird
Nina DiSandro and Kristin Ikenson 28
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
POLLYWOOD The Nexus of Politicsďš? Hollywoodďš? Media and Diplomacy | Embassy Row, Susan G. Komenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Honoring the Promise gala and more!
Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal, H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden and Princess Sora Al Saud at the Mento Foundation International Gala (Photo by Tony Powell)
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
31
POLLYWOOD | EMBASSY ROW
Party Lines National days — How do you say Waldorf Astoria in Chinese? — Iranians make a move BY ROLAND FLAMINI
Guests at the Unity Day reception at the German Ambassador’s residence. (Photo by Nicole Glass/Germany.info)
PARTY, PARTY: It’s theoretically possible to
nibbled on poached potatoes and asparagus or spargel (which the embassy website incorrectly described as “egg noodles”) and dollops from a monumental chocolate and vanilla cake shaped like Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. One nostalgic guest said the evening reminded him of old times when an earlier generation of American policy makers were genuine Atlanticists for whom Europe was the core U.S. ally, with Germany as one of its cornerstones. Meanwhile, a newish trend among national day receptions was in evidence as embassies faced the challenge of not losing American officials, colleagues and contacts among crowds of nationals. Some missions – Spain and France, for example – solve the problem by separating the two groups: they hold two events on successive days. Others, among them the embassies of Italy and Germany, schedule an earlier reception for a smaller group which segues into a larger one for nationals. UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT: Late Fall is the
season when foreign ambassadors leave Washington in swarms, heading to Manhattan to be on hand for the opening session of the United
The Iranian Interests Section (Photo by Tony Powell)
NOTE VERBALE: The Iranian Interest
Section of the Embassy of Pakistan has completed its relocation from its Wisconsin Avenue location above a liquor store to larger premises — no, not to return to the old embassy on Massachusetts Avenue, but an office block on 23rd Street NW. Note that Iran’s official news agency says its apparent expansion has nothing to do with the recent nuclear deal: it was agreed well before. .
attend a national day celebration at a foreign mission in Washington most days of the year – assuming you’re invited or you belong to the small band of expert gatecrashers who eagerly line up at the door. In October, that meant 18 such events, including the national days of China, Germany, Austria, Azerbajan, the Czech Republic and Spain; and that’s not counting parallel celebrations in the mirror world of the Organization of American States. For many embassies this means a mid-day function known in dipspeak as a vin d’honneur, but for the larger missions it often signifies opening the doors to hundreds of ex-pat locals who only have to show a valid passport to gain access to (hopefully) mountains of canapés and rivers of booze. That was certainly the case at the German Embassy’s Unity Day celebration, marking the 25th anniversary of the unification of the two Germanys in the presence, uniquely, of German President Joachim Gauch (himself a leading figure in the dramatic days of unification). Two German military bands played on the crowded residence grounds as guests
Nations General Assembly’s new season. Most countries have permanent representatives at the U.N., but when heads of state or government are in town to make their respective inaugural speeches, reinforcements are often summoned from Washington. Besides, according to press reports, as many as 600 diplomats, aides and support staff from the White House and the State Department also decamp to New York, so there’s nobody to talk to here anyway. One official describes the exodus as “speed dating for diplomats.” This year, though, things were significantly different. For years, the second most important focal point after the U.N. building itself was the Waldorf Astoria Towers, the residence of the U.S. ambassador and also where a succession of American presidents have slept when visiting New York City. But that iconic piece of American real estate is now Chineseowned and so, to avoid bedroom bugs, the State Department has moved its permanent residence to the New York Palace.
32
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Dan Nelson Dolph Lundgren WL SPONSORED
MENTOR FOUNDATION’S INTERNATIONAL GALA H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden, Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal and Princess Sora Al -Saud
Lisa Barry, Jim Gale and Dawn Fenton
Mayflower Renaissance Hotel | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL FOR YOUTH: More than 300 VIPs from business, philanthropy and government gathered to greet Sweden’s Queen Silvia and support her efforts to reduce drug use and promote positive development among young people throughout the world. Young performers showcased their talents, among them electric cellist Benjamin Gates, the Empyrian Heights Acapella Group from Annandale High School and slam poets from T.C. Williams High School. Irasema Salcido, founder of the Cesar Chavez School for Public Policy, was honored with the Mentor’s Partner in Prevention Award for her efforts in youth development and for advancing the work of Mentor Foundation USA. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Angelica Lovquist and Andy Hamer
Grace Bender, Austria Amb. Hans Peter Manz and Rhoda Septilici
Inga Haarde and Iceland Amb. Geir Haarde
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Sen. Edward Markey
Jeannette Thulin and Marc Carrie
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Carol Meharry and Helma Bloomberg
Susan Blumenthal and Deborah Sigmund
Kelly Standiford, Katherine Bouweiri and Heather Louise Finch
33
POLLYWOOD
Samantha Thomas and Ellen Page
Allison Janney and Melissa Fitzgerald
Carly Rae Jepsen
HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN DINNER Walter E. Washington Convention Center | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Gigi Gorgeous
CELEBRATING DIVERSITY: Vice President Joe Biden gave the keynote address at the 19th annual Human Rights Campaign national dinner, voicing support for letting transgender people serve openly in the military and laughing off calls that he throw his hat in the presidential race. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who came out as gay last year, accepted the group’s Visibility Award as actress Ellen Page (who received the Vanguard Award), “West Wing” star Allison Janey, former basketball player Jason Collins and singer Carly Rae Jepson looked on.
Jason Collins
Ed French and Arne Sorenson
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Lynn Blitzer
Mort Kondracke and Dr. Francis Collins
Buck and Patricia McKeon Heather and Howard McKeon WL SPONSORED
MORRIS K. UDALL AWARDS Ronald Reagan Building | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Reps. Diana DeGette and Fred Upton
Susan Hand, Sloane Hurst and Jessica Lawrence-Vaca 34
Robin Elliott and Robin Katsaros
POLITICOS FIGHT PARKINSON’S: Congressmen, veteran political reporters and lobbyists were spotted at the signature annual fundraiser of the Parkinson’s Action Network recognizing individuals who have made contributions toward enhancing the lives of those with the disease. Reps. Michael C. Burgess, Diana DeGe e and Fred Upton were honored with the Morris K. Udall Award for Public Service, and NIH director Dr. Francis Collins was a special guest. Former Rep. Morris Udall died in 1998 after a long battle with the disease. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Nancy Brinker, Deborah Norville, Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Joan London
Stuart Bernstein and David Rubenstein
WL SPONSORED
SUSAN G. KOMEN’S HONORING THE PROMISE GALA Kennedy Center | PHOTOS BY BEN DROZ
Melinda Maxfield, Eric Brinker and Melissa Maxfield
FOR THE LOVE OF PINK: More than 600 guests helped raise $1.5 million for research and for Komen’s 19 breast cancer grantees in the National Capital Region, where the mortality rate from breast cancer is 40 percent higher than the national average. This annual event is always awe-inspiring, as both the audience and stage are packed with survivors who are fighting for a cure. This year’s David M. Rubenstein Mission Advancement Award winner, former “Good Morning America” host Joan Lunden, gave a moving speech about taking her battle public in June 2014, sharing her grueling nine-month journey through radiation and chemotherapy treatments with viewers. “Thanks to the continued support of events like Honoring the Promise, Komen has been able over the years to invest more than $35 million in more than 300 community grants to serve low-income, uninsured and medically women in the [D.C.] region,” said Susan G. Komen’s President/CEO Judith Salerno.
Gala Chairmen Ray and Kathy LaHood
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Anne Roddick and Gay Johnson
Yvonne Trupiano, Bob Green and Kaye Ceille
Steve and Alice Rosenberg
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Wilma Bernstein
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Matt Goss
Steven Izen and Jamie Worthy Judith Salerno and Robin Heller 35
POLLYWOOD
HOLLYWOOD ON THE POTOMAC
MOVIE MAGIC ON CAPITOL HILL Lawmakers get a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood’s special effects.
N
obody seemed to mind the ominous gun-toting Star Wars trio holding court at the “Beyond the Red Carpet: Movie & TV Magic Day” event on Capitol Hill; nor did anyone request they be removed from the premises of the Cannon Caucus Room, although a security cop kept a watchful eye. The occasion was hosted by the House Creative Rights Caucus with bipartisan CoChairmen Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) helping showcase a behind-the-scenes look at an industry that supports millions of jobs and brings in billions of dollars. “The fact that two million people got up this morning in all 50 states and went to work in the television and film industry is something,” Chris Dodd, CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, told us. “We bring back about $16 billion in a positive balance of trade in a time when we have trade deficits. American television and movie products are revered all over the world, even in countries where people don’t like us ... so I’ve become an evangelist on the subject. ” Other evangelists on the subject were in the room as well. Wade Tyree, who works on motion picture and television sets as a lighting technician, said the group was most concerned about digital theft and the impact it has on the industry. “The message that the creative future wants to put out there is that it’s important to protect the creative integrity of all of our hard work,” he said. “It’s show-business at the end of the day and the studios definitely don’t want to go into production knowing that they’re going to have an immediate loss.” (Tyrell’s work can be seen on “The Wire,”“House of Cards” and many other top productions.) John Kilshaw works for Method Studios and does visual effects for commercials, TV and film. “Effectively, we work on about 20 percent of all the commercials that come out in the U.S. and we’ve got an even bigger footprint across all
36
B Y J A N E T D O N O VA N
Rep. Judy Chu introduces Darth Vader while Rep. Doug Collins and two Stormtroopers look on. (Photo courtesy MPAA)
visual effects from media work to film.,” he told us. “We make images come to life in moving form.Then the editor can take those images and put them all together and start to work with the director to make the film.” Kilshaw then showed how he turned a sketch of a hamster into a living, moving creature and a helicopter into one that looks like the ones that fly over the White House. So, now we’re wondering: Did anyone actually land on the Moon? SAG-AFTRA was there to represent their 160,000 members. “We’re trying to make sure that the people who work in the union are properly represented in any legislation that goes through,” explained Iqbal ThebaIt of the Screen Actors Guild. “It affects everything that we do.” Another thing that is so wonderful about the union is that it “represents actors and broadcasters, not only from the major markets of Hollywood and New York City, but from all around the country, like Washington,” actress Abby Dylan added. We were thrilled to meet the cinematography guys. Steven Poster said he has worked with Vilmos Zsigmond, an Academy award-winning cinematographer of “The Long Goodbye” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” fame.
The International Cinematographers Guild, he explained, has 7,600 members across the country encompassing directors of photography, camera operators and assistants, digital imaging technicians and still photographers. “We also have 1,100 women in trade, motion pictures and television,” he noted. His associate, Michael Chambliss, is busy working with drones. His specialty is focusing on the introduction of new technology into the motion picture industry, so he works with advanced digital imaging and is “very active with drones at this point,” he said, noting that they are dangerous in the hands of people who are not trained. “All of our folks have the FAA exemption and follow very strict safety rules.” When automobiles first came out we didn’t have paved roads, stop signs or traffic systems, he noted, pointing out that back then the technology moved slowly. “It took 20 years for things to happen,” Chambliss said. “Now things are happening in a year and it’s really a struggle. The Camera Guild is a professional accomplishment bringing that standard to what I would call a new vernacular in the language of cinematography.” Skip the drones, send in the popcorn!
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Elvimar, Mariana, and Esai Morales Jimmy Smits and Jose Andres
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Merel Julia and Felix Sanchez Patti Solis Doyle and Maria Cardona
WL SPONSORED
Fabiola Cino
NATIONAL HISPANIC FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS’ (NHFA) NOCHE DE GALA Renaissance Mayflower Hotel | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
José Díaz-Balart
OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Noche de Gala had its 19th incarnation with hosts Jimmy Smits, Merel Julia, Esai Morales, Sonia Braga and Felix Sanchez returning to celebrate prominent Latinos’ contributions to the arts. The gala also celebrated the completion of NHFA’s second Quórum Call, honored newsman José DíazBalart with the Raúl Juliá Award for Excellence and Alfonso Gómez Rejón and Cristela Alonzo, who received the NHFA’s Horizon Award. The crowd responded enthusiastically when chef José Andrés was toasted for severing ties with Donald Trump after Trump made offensive comments about Mexican immigrants.
Molly Ivins, Philippe Sanchez and Ginny Grenham
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Gianna and Chazz Palminteri
Sergio Marchionne Franco Nuschese WL SPONSORED
Dr. Josephine Templeton
Justice Samuel Alito and Italian Amb. Claudio Bisogniero
NIAF 40TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Marriott Woodley Park | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL BIG NIGHT: Between the antipasto and primi and secondi courses at the culmination of the National Italian American Foundation’s 40th anniversary weekend, guests toasted NIAF’s 2015 honorees, including Chrysler FIAT CEO Sergio Marchionne, who skipped the tuxedo in favor of his “uniform” of a white shirt and black pullover sweater, and Cafe Milano owner Franco Nuschese. Also savoring la bella notte: the evening’s masters of ceremonies, NIAF President John Viola and Fox News Anchor Maria Bartiromo; Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and actor Chazz Palminteri; and Patricia de Stacy Harrison, NIAF’s vice chair and president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. To the crowd’s delight, Harrison won the door prize – a Fiat 500 – but generously returned it.
President John Viola and Maria Bartiromo
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
37
POLLYWOOD
Ann Pincus, PowerPost Editor Rachel Van Dongen and Rep. Deborah Dingell
Lloyd and Ann Hand with Marlene Malek and Robert Higdon
‘POWER POST’ LAUNCH POV Lounge and Terrace, W Hotel | PHOTOS BY JAY SNAP
Hilary Rosen and Washington Post Editor Marty Baron
Washington Post Publisher Fred Ryan, PowerPost “The Daily 202” correspondent James Hohmann and Charlie Ingersoll
Sally Bedell Smith, Michael Beschloss and Sally Quinn
MORNING BUZZ: The new Washington Post promises to be bigger and better under new management (nod here to owner Jeff Bezos) and the changes include the recent launch of PowerPost, a new digital vertical that gives readers early morning news with sharp reporting and analysis plus exclusive interviews and other “intelligence for leaders.” ON AND OFF THE RECORD: It’s fairly certain that many of the guests spotted at the kick-off celebration will be avid readers as well as sources in the years to come. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Jack Quinn, Fabien Lefevre, Michael DiRoma and Carolyn Murphy
Jean and Steve Case with Mayor Muriel Bowser
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Shinola President Jacques Panis and Rep. Debbie Dingell
SHINOLA STORE OPENING Shinola D.C., 14th Street NW | PHOTOS BY DANIEL SWARTZ
John Carlson and Nate Schmidt 38
MADE AND FUNDED IN AMERICA: The Detroit watch maker (and purveyor of journals, bicycles and small leather goods) marked the opening of its Washington flagship space in the heart of the 14th Street corridor with an all-American celebration featuring a politically star-studded crowd, including members of Michigan’s congressional delegation, and Mayor Muriel Bowser who said, “This store means jobs here in D.C. and for our friends in Detroit who assemble these products.” Also raising a glass were Shinola’s president Jacques Panis, supermodel-cum-Shinola women’s design director Carolyn Murphy and venture capitalists Ted Leonsis and Steve Case, whose Revolution Growth recently invested $25 million in Shinola’s parent company, Bedrock Manufacturing, part of an overall $125 million funding round led by Revolution. WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Meredith Balenske, Zach Leonsis, Ted Leonsis, Mandy Flemmer and Karl Alzner
Rep. John Conyers and Jon Samuels
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Jim and Kate Lehrer Jackson Breyer, Susan Richards Shreve, Mary Breyer and Calvin Trillin
Michael Haft and Mary Haft
PEN/FAULKNER FOUNDATION CELEBRATION
Participating writers T. Geronimo Johnson and Jocelyn Reyes
Ludmila Cafritz, Izette Folger and Conrad Cafritz
Folger Shakespeare Library | PHOTOS BY JEFF MALET
CREATIVE SPARK: Twelve accomplished writers read short original works based on the theme “Spark” at PEN/Faulkner’s 27th annual fall benefit, an event that supports the group’s Writers in Schools programs. After the authors’ readings in the Folger’s Elizabethan Theatre (standouts included Susan Coll’s teenage memory of riding on a Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade float and Marlon James’ tale of a relationship that he finally realized had “only a flicker” but never a spark), guests moved on to a buffet supper in the library’s Old and New Reading Rooms. TO CHANGE — OR NOT: Opinion was evenly divided about the switch from a traditional black-tie, seated-dinner-with-place-cards format to a decidedly casual mix-and-mingle affair with open seating and food stations. A one-year-only experiment or a permanent format change? Stay tuned ....
Kay Cochran and Sen. Thad Cochran
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Jarrel Price
Astghik Tsatryan, Anya Shahnazari, Narine Esmaeili and Alex Shtarkman
Jemi Laclé, Torrey Shallcross, and Anastasia Dellaccio
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN FOREIGN POLICY’S AFFAIRS OF STATE National Press Club | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Megan and Doug Damron with Sarah MacLellan, Sonya Elizabeth and Chuck Green Todd Flournoy and Suzanne Kianpour
NIGHT OF THE YOUNG: The 8th annual State of Affairs Gala once again brought Washington’s younger crowd together for an evening of dancing, fund-raising (to the tune of $25,000) and networking. “As YPFP enters its second decade, we look forward to building new partnerships and expanding our global presence,” said YPFP’s new president Jarrel Price. “Our goals are ambitious, but our potential is unlimited.” Along those lines, the group added a new location in San Francisco this year and is currently discussing the launch of additional hubs in Denamark, Kenya and Nigeria.
Natasha Yousaf, Sridhar Dronavalli and Monica Shah
Lindsey Kopacz and Lars Hankin
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
39
INNOVATORS | COVER STORY T H E WA S H I N G TO N L I F E
TECH
The entrepreneurs who are making waves, affecting communities and simplifying our lives. BY VIRGINIA COYNE | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL S P E C I A L T H A N KS TO T H E J E F F E R S O N H OT E L , 1 7 76 A N D H A LCYO N H O U S E
Clockwise from top left: John Gossart, Juan Pablo Segura, Gary Hensley, Michelle Brown and Manu Smadja at 1776.
T
he individuals on the following pages have inspired us with their innovative thinking. They are among the thousands of area entrepreneurs creating products for the next generation. Some are consumer oriented, while others are changing the face of philanthropy, medicine and education on a global scale. While deciding whom to highlight, we went straight to the source – other entrepreneuers. As a result, those listed here are all respected members of the local tech community who have been recommended
40
by their peers. They lead bustling lives and we spent a month tracking them down and taking their photographs all over town – at incubators like 1776, aptly named to reflect a revolutionary time when our country was starting anew; Halcyon House, where young, altruistic thinkers are provided the tools to make an impact; on Capitol Hill (as was the case with Rep. Jared Polis); and in the Jefferson Suite of the Jefferson Hotel, which seemed the most appropriate space of all since the third president was, along
with Benjamin Franklin, one of the original American innovators. Monticello historians describe Jefferson not only as an inventor but also someone who “delighted in the innovations of others and incorporated good ideas into his daily life whenever possible.” Some of the websites, apps and technologies you’ll read about here are ones we’re already using – while wondering how we ever lived without them. We dare you to read on and not be awed by these ideas. Perhaps you’ll even be inspired to start something of your own. >>
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
TECH |
1776.vc 1776 is a global incubator and seed fund that finds promising startups focused on solving the world’s most fundamental challenges and helps engineer their success. 1776 focuses on startups in the most broken, entrenched industries and sectors that impact millions of lives every day – specifically education, energy, health and cities. From its hub in Washington, it is sparking a global movement of “problem-solving’ startups through its Challenge Cup and Startup Federation, the premier network of incubators throughout the world. The companies on this page are all based at 1776 and are disrupting the philanthropic, medical and education worlds.
JOHN GOSSART
JUAN PABLO SEGURA
COO and Co-Founder, GoodWorld goodworld.me
President and Co-Founder, Babyscripts getbabyscripts.com
T
his Army veteran, Georgetown University adjunct professor and former deputy director of special operations and couterterrorism policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense helped create GoodWorld, a platform that allows charitable donations to be made using a hashtag on social media. Simply tweet #donate to a charity or post #donate on their Facebook page to make a contribution. (There is a brief, one-time sign-up process after your first #donate missive.) Only out of beta since April, GoodWorld already boasts partnerships with over 700 charities, including UNICEF, Save the Children, United Way and Oxfam, and has amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from over 15,000 users. GoodWorld was founded by Dale Nirvani Pfeiffer.
H
e jokes about sharing the same first name as a certain ABC “The Bachelor” star - the one dubbed by some the “most hated bachelor in history,” - but rather than starring in reality television, Segura, a former Deloitte consultant, is working on improving the health care experience, an interest he developed after watching a friend tackle a debilitating disease. Enter BabyScripts, which is reimagining how pregnancies are managed using Internet-connected medical devices. They deliver “mommy kits” to expectant mothers that include an Internet-enabled blood pressure cuff and weight scale. Through the devices and the BabyScripts mobile app, they “monitor a mother’s vital signs between appointments and work with her doctor to deliver more precise and convenient care.”
MANU SMADJA
MICHELLE BROWN
GARY HENSLEY
CEO and Co-Founder, MPOWER mpowerfinancing.com
CEO and Founder, CommonLit commonlit.org
CEO and Founder, EdBacker edbacker.com
ormer English teacher and Teach for Amer ica cor ps member Michelle Brown founded the non-profit CommonLit while pursuing her master’s degree in education policy at Harvard. Today, the free website allows teachers and parents to access a curated digital collection of high-interest instructional materials designed to address the diverse needs of both high and low-skilled readers. It now serves roughly 70,000 students per day. Brown says she is dedicated to closing the achievement gap in literacy for 5thto-12th graders and helping ensure that all students are prepared with the reading and writing skills necessary to be successful in college and beyond. In 2015, she was recognized as the winner of the Teach for America Social Innovation Award.
ensley made national headlines in 2014 when he was suddenly left the widower of a former Playboy Playmate, going from a stepfather to a single father of two school-age children, now 7 and 14. It was his role as a dad that helped inspire Edbacker, which simplifies how PTAs and other parent organizations raise funds, sign up volunteers and host events by centralizing the process online. “I wanted a better way to raise money than running around a track collecting quarters or eating out,” he says, referring to standard school fund-raisers. Edbacker now works with over 750 organizations in 27 states. Previously, Hensley built and sold a dropout prevention tool to Pearson Education. His roots in education started as a teacher and assistant principal in California.
A
s an international student from France, Smadja found it hard to get the financial assistance he needed during his college years, relying on odd jobs and financial sacrifices from his family in order to graduate from the University of Virginia. He and co-founder Mike Davis began MPOWER to help the one million international students and more than two million domestic students across the United States whom they say don’t have access to traditional student loan options. MPOWER offers three- or 10-year, fixedrate loans ranging between $2,000 and $25,000 and disburses payments directly to the university to cover tuition, housing, meal plans and health insurance. In the last year, they began lending at Harvard University and are now in talks with more than 30 additional schools.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
F
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
H
41
INNOVATORS | COVER STORY
IAN COSTELLO & ALAN CLIFFORD Co-Founders, Galley galleyfoods.com
J
ust over a year ago, Costello and Clifford were co-workers at LivingSocial in a similar quandary: what to eat for dinner after working long hours at the office? They decided there had to be something better than traditional takeout – pizza, Thai and Chinese food – but not as complicated as having to shop for ingredients to prepare a meal themselves. Their solution: Galley, an app and website that allows the exhausted and ravenuous to order healthy, fully-cooked meals and have them delivered in less than 20 minutes. They left LivingSocial and recruited friends to test their recipes, which Clifford whipped up in his own kitchen and Costello delivered in the family car “with a baby seat in the back.” Galley formally launched in January and its customer base has been growing steadily since. Costello and Clifford now work out of a commercial kitchen facility in Ivy City in Northeast and their meals, prepared by trained chefs, are so much in demand that they’ve expanded delivery service outside the District to Bethesda, Chevy Chase and parts of Baltimore. Meal options, ranging from seared ahi tuna to a chicken and squash wrap, sell out on a regular basis and have become tech community favorites. Local incubator 1776 frequently orders enough Galley lunches to feed the entire coworking space. Costello’s advice to budding entrepreneurs: “Just get started, even if you don’t have all the answers. Pushing the ball the first revolution is the hardest part.”
Ian Costello and Alan Clifford, photographed at The Jefferson Hotel.
42
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
TECH |
LISA THROCKMORTON COO, SpeakerBox Communications speakerboxpr.com
A
finalist for this month’s Washington Women in PR’s “PR Woman of the Year Award,” Throckmorton has helped give voice to area innovators and organizations by entrenching herself in the local tech scene, working pro bono at times and significantly raising the profiles of local companies and the region. Throckmorton put her personal touch on the launches and on-going visibility of 1776, Fortify Ventures, Foster.ly, ID.me, HiRise, Eastern Foundry and LifeFuels, and has been recognized with numerous awards for her contributions to the communications and technology industry, including the 2015 Smart CEO’s Brava Award for leadership.
SHANA GLENZER CMO, Aquicore aquicore.com
A
q u i c o re, the energy management software firm that helps commercial real estate owners compile data from utility meters in real-time to ultimately reduce energy usage, snagged Glenzer away from another area tech company, SocialRadar, over the summer. She now leads Aquicore’s efforts to accelerate customer acquisition and build the brand.The blonde dynamo previously worked at Blackboard, where she helped close the largest Blackboard Mobile sale in history to a system of over 23 colleges. She is a frequent on-air contributor to Fox Business News and an organizer of DCFemTech, a brain trust of women tech leaders trying to increase diversity at local companies. Shana Glenzer and Lisa Throckmorton, photographed at The Jefferson Hotel.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
43
INNOVATORS | COVER STORY
Clockwise from left: Sage Salvo, Daniel Kuenzi, Kate Glantz, Mariama Kabia and Daniel Yu at Halcyon House.
44
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
TECH |
HALCYON INCUBATOR
SAGE SALVO
DANIEL KUENZI
President and Founder, Words Liive wordliive.org
Co-Founder, Local Roots localrootsfarms.com
halcyonicubator.org The S&R Foundation’s Halcyon Incubator has supported 24 ventures directly impacting more than 17,400 people. According to the group, once scaled, approximately 71 percent of ventures have the potential to directly impact people in the D.C. area. About half of accepted fellows are local residents. The incubator has seen a 113 percent increase in applications by female entrepreneurs after a targeted campaign to recruit more women. Females make up nearly 40 percent of current fellows, up from 18-25 percent for previous groups. The incubator was recently recognized by the U.S. Small Business Association as an elite growth accelerator program and was awarded a $50,000 grant. The individuals on this page are all Halcyon fellows.
ords Liive is a 21st century education technology fir m dedicated to literacy augmentation. It creatively engages students though Contemporary Language Integration, a process of incorporating urban music lyrics, social media lingo and computer programming languages into classroom lessons. Schools and organizations that have partnered with Words Liive include Teach For America, College Success Foundation, the D.C. Public Library (DCPL) and Cardozo Senior High School in the District. Salvo also recently debuted the Words Liive app at SXSW, which creates a marketplace for lesson plans and gives teachers the opportunity to earn ancillary income. On top of it all, Salvo is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at Howard University.
W
L
ocal Roots is a next-generation agriculture company dedicated to providing access to fresh, healthy and affordable locally-grown produce for everyone. Its co-founder, Daniel Kuenzi, specializes in developing vertical farm technologies (think indoor farms) where produce can go grow year-round. The climate-controlled, farming environments are uniquely housed in shipping containers that can be placed anywhere. “We know that with the right technology and partnerships, Local Roots will eliminate food deserts, combat obesity and usher in a new era of sustainable food production,” says Kuenzi, who, along with his partners, is set on creating the most innovative farming community in the world.
MARIAMA KABIA
KATE GLANTZ
DANIEL YU
Founder, Memunatu Magazine memunatumagazine.com
CEO and Founder, Heartful.ly heartful.ly
CEO and Founder, Reliefwatch reliefwatch.com
A
s the daughter of immigrants from Sierra Leone, Kabia grew up in the United States but was made aware of the decade-long civil strife that affected her parents’ homeland. “What stood out to me,” she says, “was the way that war, poverty and cultural barriers prevented girls in Sierra Leone from advancing in school and their communities.” While an undergrad at the University of Pennsylvania Kabia and her twin sister, Fatmata, founded Memunatu Magazine, a classroom publication for girls aged 10 to 17 in West Africa that promotes literacy, leadership and empowerment. Kabia, who grew up in Fairfax, is a 2014 Master in Public Policy graduate from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. At Harvard, she was co-chairman of the Social Enterise Conference.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
H
eartful.ly is a wedding registry for charitable giving. By partnering with nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and around the world, it connects engaged couples and their communities to life- changing development projects in need of funding. Glantz was inspired to create the registry after serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania, where the community was poor but gathered together to celebrate weddings and other special events, welcoming strangers and feeding everyone. “That’s why I created Heartful.ly,” she says. “I believe that life’s most important moments are the best times to give back ... When our communities unite around these moments, we have the power and opportunity to do great things.”
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
R
eliefwatch is a platform to assist organizations in the developing world track essential supplies needed in rural health clinics through basic mobile phones. Yu started Reliefwatch after witnessing pervasive product stockouts and expirations while living in Egypt. He has already launched the service in five countries and over 18 million units of supplies have been tracked to date. Reliefwatch is in the process of expannding to four new countries across Europe and the Americas. Yu has been awarded with numerous international honors for his work, including the Prince of Wales Young Entrepreneurs Award and was recently recognized at the White House as an Emerging Global Entrepreneur.
45
INNOVATORS | COVER STORY
SUSAN TYNAN CEO and Founder, Framebridge framebridge.com
S
ince launching in August of 2014, Tynan’s Framebridge has framed tens of thousands of artworks and photographs for customers who enjoy the ease of uploading and previewing their masterpieces through a computer or iPhone. Old photos and concert tickets can also be mailed in for framing. Part of the draw is a simple pricing plan and the ability to preview the art in a variety of frames. Framebridge has raised $11 million to date from New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Revolution Ventures and former Living Social CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy, for whom she used to work. Why did she start the company? “I couldn’t believe how hard it was to get something framed,” says Tynan.
Susan Tynan in Framebridge’s Georgetown office.
SEAN GLASS CEO and Founder, Advantia Health advantiahealth.com
L
ocal tech leader, entrepreneur and investor Sean Glass’s latest venture is an attempt to redefine and streamline the health care delivery process, particularly for women. His Advantia Health business is buying OB/GYN practices and transforming them into “highly efficient, consumer-centric facilities” where doctors can perform in-office lab tests, minor surgeries, imaging procedures and telemedicine — thus saving patients and medical professionals costly trips to hospitals. The Yale grad and founder of Yale’s entrepreneurial society has personally invested in 50 early stage companies and has given to 46 start-ups through his seed fund Acceleprise.
Sean Glass, photographed at The Jefferson Hotel.
46
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
TECH |
PAUL GUTHRIE Co-Founder and CSO, QxBranch qxbranch.com
Q
xBranch, is leading the software development for quantum computing technology. A quantum computer harnesses the properties of quantum mechanics to process information simultaneously, rather than in series or parallel.What exactly does that mean? “Imagine walking into a concert with 50,000 people and trying to find a friend whose phone died. With a quantum computing functionality, you could ‘see’ everyone there simultaneously, and instantly locate your friend,” says Guthrie, whose clients are in the fields of finance, energy and national security. The former Olympic rower holds master’s degrees in economics and international science and technology policy. Paul Guthrie, photographed at The Jefferson Hotel
REP JARED POLIS Member of Congress polis.house.gov
P
olis started the electronic g reeting card company BlueMountain.com and flower delivery service ProFlowers.com in the late ’90s, long before Uber and Snapchat, during a period he calls Internet 1.0, when companies like Amazon and Yahoo were also making their debut. A congressman since 2009, the Colorado Democrat founded the bipartisan Innovation and Entrepreneurship caucus, worked on open source copyright reform and launched “Startup Day,” where over 30 colleagues visited startups in their districts last August. He’s passionate about fixing education policy and says he’s working towards ensuring young people have the skills to compete in the modern world. Rep. Jared Polis, photographed in his office on Capitol Hill.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
47
INNOVATORS | COVER STORY
ALEX SKATELL President and Founder, IJReview IJ.com
F
orty-five million people a month visit IJ.com, a video-heavy millennial news site founded by Alex Skatell who previously helped senators communicate better online as a Republican Senatorial Committee staffer. After realizing that traditional news sites weren’t speaking to millennials outside of urban areas, he set out to create something to engage them. Today, many of IJ’s stories have gone viral, including the video of Sen. Lindsey Graham destroying his mobile phone after Donald Trump publicly shared his number. Skatell’s advice to entrepreneurs:“You can’t have an ego. You have to be willing to constantly get told no a lot and not let it deter you from reaching your goals.” Alex Skatell, photographed at The Jefferson Hotel.
ROB MCGOVERN CEO and Founder, Cobrain cobrain.com
T
hink of it as having a personal shopper at your fingertips. Bethesda-based Cobrain, founded by serial entrepreneur Rob McGovern, learns what you like and dislike as you search for clothes online and gets smarter as you use it. It provides personalized recommendations from 400 major merchant partners – including Nordstrom, Macy’s and Lord & Taylor – and allows you to shop for items all in one place, saving time and essentially taking the thinking out of shopping. A mobile version is in the works, meaning shoppers will soon be able to find the perfect pair of boots by simply reaching into their pocket. McGovern previously built Careerbuilder.com and Jobfox.com. Cobrain’s Rob McGovern. Susanna Quinn, photographed at The Jefferson Hotel.
48
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
TECH |
GEOFF ORAZEM CEO and Co-Founder, Eastern Foundry eastern-foundry.com
I
n less than 12 months, Orazem has built his government contracting incubator, Eastern Foundry, into a 21,000-square-foot co-working space hosting 53 businesses in Crystal City and is planning to expand into the District by the end of the year. His team of experts is helping companies that are developing emerging technologies for the federal government understand the procurement process, develop business plans and even come up with logos. “In a lot of ways I want to think of ourselves as being the New York Stock Exchange of government contracting. Buyers come in one door, sellers come in another door,” says Orazem, a former Marine infantry officer. Geoff Orazem, photographed at The Jefferson Hotel.
CHRIS SPANOS CEO and Co-Founder, Urgent.ly urgent.ly
K
nown as the “Uber for roadside assistance,” Urgent.ly, which has been used over 200,000 times, allows stranded motorists nationwide to instantly see, connect and track the nearest tow truck from their smartphones in real time. Frustrated by his own bad experiences getting roadside assistance from auto clubs, Spanos helped form Urgent.ly in 2013 when it seemed like all other startups were centered around delivering food or transportation ondemand. “No one was focused on reinventing roadside assistance,” he says, “so we set out to create a better experience.” Spanos is a former general manager of AOL Local and vice president of Going.com.
Urgent.ly CEO Chris Spanos.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
49
INNOVATORS | COVER STORY
BILL O’HARA CEO and Co-Founder, KlowdTV klowdtv.com
O
ver a million dissatisfied subscribers canceled their cable and satellite service last year. The so-called “cord-cutter” demographic is growing rapidly, partly due to the increasing cost of cable and lack of ability to choose content. Enter O’Hara’s KlowdTV, which allows customers to pick the channels they want and delivers that content directly to their chosen devices. KlowdTV live-streams sports, news and entertainment beginning at $6.98 per month. You won’t get all the channels offered by traditional cable line-ups, but the price is right, especially for “people who hate cable, but who love TV,” says O’Hara, a Naval Academy grad and former officer.
KlowdTV CEO Bill O’Hara.
SUSANNA QUINN President and Founder, Veluxe veluxe.com
Q
uinn launched Veluxe, an ondemand beauty and fitness app earlier this year and the service has already become a favorite of certain members of Congress, diplomats,TV news anchors and professional sports figures. With four clicks on their mobile devices, local clients can order in-home makeup applications, blow-drys, massages and yoga sessions at prices (with tip included) that are competitive and in some instances less than what one would pay at a salon - the result of eliminating the middle man of a brick and mortar store. Quinn recently expanded her business model to sell Veluxe’s platform to providers who want to grow their own client base by offering on-demand services.
Susanna Quinn, photographed at The Jefferson Hotel.
50
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
TECH |
ZACH LEONSIS Director, Monumental Network moumentalsports.com
W
hen Zach Leonsis isn’t attending Wizards, Capitals or Mystics games, he’s hard at work turning Monumental Network into a full-blown over-the-top (OTT) network. Set to launch in January 2016, Leonsis is helping to turn Monumental’s existing digital infrastructure, comprised of approximately 30 blogs, into a regional OTT platform targeting millennials and Generation Z, who are no longer getting the majority of their news from traditional sources. The content will be available on all devices and platforms from IOS to Roku, Apple TV, Android, Fire TV and Chromecast. Also in the works: monthly product bundles for sports fans ala Birchbox. Zach Leonsis, photographed at the Verizon Center.
ALLEN GANNETT CEO and Founder, TrackMaven trackmaven.com
A
sk anyone in-the-know to list the local tech community’s biggest stars and the name Allen Gannett is sure to cross their lips. In 2012, Gannett, a protégé of Sean Glass, and former chief marketing officer of Glass’s EmployInsight, founded TrackMaven, a competitive intelligence platform for marketers, for which he’s already raised $20 million. Today, TrackMaven helps hundreds of brand-name clients – including Marriott, the NBA and Martha Stewart – track everything their competitors are doing across digital marketing channels. Gannett’s plan for the next 10 years: make TrackMaven one of the area’s biggest and best tech employers … and take the company public. Allen Gannett, photographed at The Jefferson Hotel
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
51
INNOVATORS | COVER STORY
THE STARTUPS REDEFINING HOW WASHINGTON WORKS From graffiti walls and giant boomboxes to meditation zones and four-legged coworkers, these inventive firms are energizing work spaces as we know it. BY DA R A K L AT T
A work shed conference room at Contactually.
Dog are welcome at iStrategyLabs.
Modus Create’s workspace features a giant boombox made of cardboard.
T
his is the anti-office,” fashion blogger Meg Biram states matter-of-factly about her Georgetown-based Creative Collective. Looking out at the Key Bridge from this stylish, sunlit space with modern armchairs and standing desks (while a photo shoot with rubber French jewelry gets underway in the back), she beams, “I’m still kind of like ‘pinch me,’ is this really my office?” Here, and at a number of forward-thinking startups, the traditional office space is being rethought … or maybe regurgitated. In its place is something bright and playful, open and hip, and perhaps even happy. Channeling a Silicon Valley-type sensibility, the offices are built on the concept of being anything but typical. This is reflected in imaginative conference rooms, quirky homemade art, game stations and svelte lounge
52
This 1973 VW Transporter bus at iStrategyLabs will soon be a meeting room.
areas. It’s also evident in the multitude of hot drinks and Trader Joe’s snack options, bathroom amenities and indoor bike racks. Call it the millennial dream office come true. At iStrategyLabs, a digital agency in Shaw, the average staffer age is 28 and a youthful creative tech vibe runs rampant across their brand new, eye-popping 18,000-square-foot space. You’ll see a blue 1973 Volkswagon Transporter bus (soon-to-be converted into a meeting room), a colorful library with a secret door, an elevated nap pod, a serene mediation area and a trifecta of yellow, turquoise and red conference rooms. Similarly, Contactually’s Mt.Vernon Square office embodies fun and startup-scrappy. Inside this 4-year-old firm are work shed conference rooms that still smell like fresh timber and are decorated with birthday streamers and polka
dot art. The kitchen has a beer tap, bottles of Sriracha hot sauce and a panini press. And even before 11 a.m., CEO Zvi Band says, “it’s like Thunderdome,” with dogs running around and knocking into each other. What truly stands out with these trendsetting spaces is the brand touch in the details. Social Tables in Chinatown created its own “wallpaper” with the group’s core values emblazoned across the design and made an impromptu wall out of employees’ job application cover letters. Modus Create CEO Patrick Sheridan and his coworkers built a giant boombox out of cardboard boxes in their Reston office (after Googling how to do it) and painted a graffiti wall with their logo and software code. It all makes you smile and want to stay for awhile. That’s what they’re going for.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Bee Shan and Cassie Clark Bill O’Leary and Paul Freedman
George Lehrman, Elisa Lees Munoz, Pilar O’Leary, Lakshmi Singh, Heidi Levine and Bryan Monroe
Jocelyn Prudencio
REPORTA APP LAUNCH Newseum | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL
Lyndsey Wajert, Holly Koch and Cassie Balfour
KEEPING JOURNALISTS SAFE: The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) unveiled Reporta, a new mobile safety app for journalists, at an interactive reception filled with members of the Fourth Estate. The technology allows reporters to check-in, send alerts and issue SOS messages to key contacts while working in potentially dangerous environments. Participants included NPR anchor Lakshmi Singh and IWMF executive director Elisa Lees Muñoz, who demonstrated the app, which was made possible by a grant from the Howard G. Buffe= Foundation. VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Kheira Benkreira and Christian Duffus
Katherine and David Bradley
Lisa Throckmorton, Danielle Theroux and Revital Finkel
Mark Snowiss
Manpreet Singh and Dan Mindus
TECH DAY BY THE BAY Glass Residence | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL TECHIES AT PLAY: An exclusive group of investors, founders and C-level executives of burgeoning technology companies, along with friends in government who interact with the tech sector, gathered at Sean and Kellee Glass’s Queenstown residence for an afternoon of “team building activities” — playing bocce ball and eating BBQ together — before watching the sunset over the Chesapeake Bay. Atlantic Media’s David Bradley and wife Katherine stopped by the party, which was co-hosted by local tech glitterati, including Veluxe’s Susanna Quinn, Aquicore’s Shana Glanzer and TrackMaven’s Allen Ganne .
Jack Quinn, Sean and Kellee Glass and Susanna Quinn VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
53
LIFESTYLES
'39286= '3>= FRINGE MINI SKIRTS OVERSIZED SWEATERS AND CUSTOM BAUBLES SERIOUSLY AMP UP ANY “WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY” LOOK PHOTOGRAPHY TONY POWELL> WWW TONY-POWELL COM WARDROBE WILL LAWRY> FOR CAPITAL IMAGE> CAPITALIMAGE@LIVE COM HAIR KRISTIAN ANDRADA> KRISTIANDRADA@GMAIL COM MAKEUP TERESA FOSS-DEL ROSSO AT T H E ARTIST AGENCY MODEL ASHLEY MANGAN AT T H E ARTIST AGENCY MANAGING EDITOR LAURA WAINMAN PHOTOGRAPHED ON LOCATION AT THE WHITE MOOSE INN> LITTLE WASHINGTON> VA WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO JIM AND MAI ABDO
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI sweater ($3,895) and PARKER leather fringe skirt ($352), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; ADELER JEWELERS 18kt collar diamond and kunzite necklace ($23,980), ADELER JEWELERS 18kt ammonite, gold crystal and diamond ring ($5,890) and ADELER JEWELERS 18kt druzy black onyx and diamond ring ($7,890), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 22066, 703-759-4076, www.adelerjewelers.com.
STELLA MCCARTNEY jacket ($2,600) and GIVENCHY purse ($2,695), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-6579000; ADELER JEWELERS 14 kt. rose de france and diamond red shep hook earrings ($9,980) and ADELER JEWELERS ring ($9,780), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 22066, 703-759-4076, www. adelerjewelers.com.
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN dress ($5,175) and BRUNELLO CUCINELLI necklace ($2,905), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; ADELER JEWELERS 18kt druzy black onyx and diamond ring ($7,890) and ADELER JEWELERS 14kt. pyrite and white zircon ring ($7,890), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 22066, 703-759-4076, www.adelerjewelers.com; STUART WEITZMAN heels, stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own.
CELINE pants ($1,900) and CELINE sweater ($2,200), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; ADELER JEWELERS 14 kt. black tourmaline and diamond dangle earrings ($8,980) and ADELER JEWELERS 14 kt. quartz and diamond ring ($9,980), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 22066, 703-759-4076, www.adelerjewelers.com; heel’s, stylist’s own.
CELINE dress ($2,950), Saks Fifth Avenue, 5555 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815, 301-657-9000; ADELER JEWELERS 14 kt. quartz, emerald and diamond pendant necklace ($10,460), 772 Walker Rd., Great Falls, VA 22066, 703-759-4076, www. adelerjewelers.com; heels, modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own.
LIFESTYLES
AROUND TOWN
‘Comfortable in her Own Skin’ Washington remembers Olga Hirshhorn, patron of the arts BY DONNA SHOR
W
hen the late Joseph H. a Museum of Modern Art dinner Hirshhorn phoned an agency at the Pierre Hotel. Several of the in Greenwich, Conn. to hire a jewel-bedecked and designerchauffeur, he couldn’t know the gowned ladies looked disapprovingly joy that call would soon bring into at Olga in her peasant garb. One his life. The young woman who said, “Why are you wearing that?” answered the phone was about to Olga simply smiled and said, “It’s a enter a wondrous new world as well. Picasso.” Hirshhorn admired her Touché! efficiency, her exuberance and The Hirshhorns were delighted her voice. He was staffing a newly in 1974 when the Hirshhorn purchased estate, so there were calls Museum and Sculpture Garden, and then more and more calls. housing their stunning collection, Three years later they were wed. opened on the Mall. He was 30 years older; no matter, They had maintained three fine they had a happy marriage. residences, but after his death when Olga, who died on Oct. 3 at the age she was alone in Washington, she of 95, was the daughter of Ukrainian lived in a tiny, 500-square-foot immigrants, had married her high carriage house she dubbed “The school English teacher and borne him Mouse House” that was filled to three sons, but the marriage had frayed. overf lowing with the 200 “little She had started a home-based business pieces”she had gathered over the to keep going financially. The agency years. They went to the Baker Joe had phoned, Services Unlimited, Museum in Naples, Fla., a city she was her company. dearly loved and where she spent Olga Hirshhorn at her 95th birthday party in Naples, Fla., on April 26, 2015. Hirshhorn, called “the Uranium much of the year. (Photo courtesy Robert E. Heggestad) King” (despite being a successful As for her larger collection prospector of gold and oil as well), was a (estimated to be worth about $10 million), (She had converted to Judaism so she could major art collector and his new wife was she called a close friend, David Levy, then be buried beside him.) the director of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, soon plunged into that world. She studied Olga was perhaps the last link to the and stunned him by saying she intended to painting, sculpted and was always at his side roster of the greatest 20th-century artists. give it to the Corcoran as she felt it would visiting world-renowned artists’ studios Name them, she knew them. She was be lost at the Hirshhorn. where he bought lavishly, usually adding unassuming, despised pretentiousness and Levy recently reminisced that the some “little pieces” for Olga. Then she was very playful. Washington lawyer Robert Heggestad (who hosted her 80th birthday in Hirshhorns once happened by as he and decided to choose pieces herself. When he artist-filmmaker-musician Larry Rivers gave her $5,000 for clothes, she spent it on a 2000) tells this: were rehearsing their jazz combo, the East “During summers at Cap d’Antibes, sculpture instead. 13th Street Band. The high-spirited couple the Hirshhorns became close friends with He loved her originality; “Her brain stayed on and danced to the music. their neighbors Pablo Picasso and his wife, keeps me awake at night,” he said. She took “She was comfortable in her own skin,” him for a birthday lunch at McDonald’s. He Jacqueline. Picasso designed and then Heggestad says of his beloved friend, “and that’s Jacqueline sewed a peasant dress for Olga. loved it, and when she showed him a f lea why everyone who knew her, loved her.” Picasso signed it. Years later she wore it to market he was delighted. Joe died in 1981.
60
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
LIFESTYLES | TREND REPORT
GUCCI Geometric-heart metallic-knit dress ($2, 221); matchesfashion.com
MISSONI Crochet-knit blazer ($1,710); net-a-porter.com
MARC JACOBS Plaid cashmere cardigan ($1,600); marcjacobs.com
GARRETT LEIGHT Tortoise clip-on Brooks optical glasses ($435); garrrettleight.com
ETRO Metallic wool-blend sweater ($1,060); saksfifthavenue.com
6):)2+) 3* 8,) 2)6(7
CHLOĂŠ High-rise houndstooth woolblend tweed shorts ($895); barneys.com
Mix prints and fabrics, quirky accents and tortoiseshell glasses for a retro schoolgirl, geek chic style. BY ERICA MOODY
ROSETTA GETTY Cropped plaid wool-gauze pants ($860); shopstyle.com
MARNI Gold-plated and resin brooch ($230); thecorner.com
NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD Carnaby patentleather Mary Jane pumps ($995); saksfifthavenue.com
MIU MIU Printed crepe dress ($2,530); mytheresa.com
FENDI Micro monster backpack-shaped charm ($1,150); neimanmarcus.com
MOSCHINO Pussybow blouse ($850); farfetch.com VAGABOND Kenova oxfords ($140); urbanoutfitters.com
VICTORIA BECKHAM DENIM Plaid wrap mini skirt ($305); neta-porter.com WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
61
WASHINGTON S O C I A L D I A R Y over the moonďš? ypfp awardsďš? grand opening of rolls royce sterling and more!
Sheila Johnson and Beverly Johnson at the book signing Sheila hosted at her Salamander Resort & Spa for Beverlyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new book â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Face That Changed it All.â&#x20AC;? Seventy-five guests traveled from as far as the West Coast to attend an afternoon of Beverly sharing stories from her book and a Q&A session on a glorious autumn afternoon. Beverly credits Sheila as her mentor and â&#x20AC;&#x153;the one who gave me the courage to speak my truth and tell my story to Vanity Fair.â&#x20AC;? (Photo courtesy Beverly Johnson)
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
63
| BOOKS BOOK TALK
CATWALK CONFESSIONS Groundbreaking supermodel Beverly Johnson shares the highs and lows of her life in an intimate, tell-all memoir. BY ERICA MOODY
W
64
“‘Too fat.’ Those were the first words uttered to me by the legendary Eileen Ford.” The pressure to be thin, the pressure to keep partying on the ’70s scene and the inf luence of an addict husband, led to Johnson’s regular use of cocaine and other drugs. “It was absolutely an unspoken rule in the world of modeling then - as it is now - that the thinner you were the better you’d look on a page. We all lived or died by that rule and achieved it by any means we could. I remained thin by relying on any number of vices, each one more detrimental than the next.”
“As we settled in to rehearse, Mr. Cosby asked if I wouldn’t mind acting out the part of a drunken woman for the scene we were about to practice. As I concentrated on portraying the best drunk I could, Mr. Cosby made a cappuccino and offered it to me. I declined it was late afternoon, and coffee of any kind would keep me from sleeping that night… But Mr. Cosby wasn’t interested in my insomnia. He kept insisting that I’d never had a cappuccino like this one, and I’d be missing out on something really spectacular. I didn’t want to argue with him after he’d been so gracious and against my better judgment, I took a few sips. In an instant, I felt woozy.” She also wrote about working with Ford Agency founder Eileen Ford at the start of her career:
The book is unique in the completely honest way she writes of her romantic relationships, with all triumphs and failures included. Genuine insights from moments of ref lection follow memorable, vivid scenes, including one in which she is taken away in handcuffs in front of her young daughter, the orchestration of her mobster husband, Danny Sims. “The elevator doors opened and two police officers came out. They asked me if I was Beverly Johnson, and when I said yes, they arrested me for theft. It seems that Danny had reported me to the police for taking the Keith Haring picture. He had also worked out that the police would be handcuffing me in front of our daughter, but he hadn’t counted on our daughter’s keen mind.” A riveting story that is ultimately empowering, Johnson shares good and bad moments in equal measure, capturing the chaos and beauty of life in the memoir of a model and writer to be admired.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
P H OTOS CO U RT E SY O F S I M O N & SC H U ST E R
hat’s the story behind this famous face? In 1974, Beverly Johnson made history as the first African-American model to land the cover of Vogue magazine, a milestone that launched an explosive modeling career and a life in the limelight, but one not without hardships. In her newly released New York Times bestselling memoir “The Face that Changed it All” (Simon & Schuster, $28), Johnson gives a brutally honest, comprehensive account of her fast-paced life, from dealing with bullies as a kid to falling in love, getting married then divorced (twice), struggling to make it in the modeling industry, dealing with custody battles, spousal abuse, addiction, speaking out against Bill Cosby and finally finding peace. Johnson’s ability to use humor as a way to talk openly about her struggles captivates readers as much as her stories of perseverance inspire them. As André Leon Talley states in his foreword, referencing that iconic Vogue cover: “Since that defining moment in 1974, Beverly has journeyed on in her life with grace, gravitas, and gold-rimmed guts.” The book is replete with insightful anecdotes from Johnson’s encounters with other celebrities and inf luential people throughout the course of her 30-year career. Among those featured are Mike Tyson (she dated him brief ly), Michael Jackson (who asked Johnson for skincare advice), Jacqueline Onassis, Bob Marley, Oprah Winfrey, Iman and Eddie Murphy. Johnson did not shy from including the most controversial of her celebrity encounters; she made the news in a highprofile case when she bravely stepped forward to stand with other women who claim to have been drugged and/or sexually abused by Bill Cosby. From her chapter “Mr. Cosby”:
Quintonia and Felix Bighem Sara, Sid and Sherrie Beckstead WL EXCLUSIVE
Thomas Moorehead and Eric Shepherd
GRAND OPENING OF ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS OF STERLING Sterling, VA | PHOTOS BY TONY POWELL WELCOME TO THE FAMILY: The British haute luxury brand has been around since 1906, but under present owner BMW, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars of Goodwood, England still produces less than 4,000 of its Phantom, Ghost, Wraith and Dawn models every year. Each coupe and sedan “sets the luxury standard among cars of its segment,” said Eric Shepherd, president of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars of North America, who added that next year the company will be producing a sport utility vehicle (SUV) for the very first time in its history. Shepherd welcomed long time BMW dealer (and RollsRoyce owner) Thomas Moorehead and his wife Joyce Moorehead into the “Rolls Royce family” by presenting them with a boxed set of Spirit of Ecstasy trademarked hood ornaments at the new $25 million showroom in Loudoun County. “Our brand is not just about selling a car,” Shepherd noted. “It’s about molding relationships in the community, and Tom and Joyce are testament to that.”
Brandi Bridgett, Sean Foster and Lori Matthews
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Sabrina Stacy and Alyssa Bartashy
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Brendan Pinto
Joyce Moorehead
LaSharm Ellis and Willie Goode Doris and Reggie Brown
Vida Alimi, Devin Hoffman and Megan Leavy
Martha McKenzie and Tamara Kemp
Jeffrey Levene, Chris Sleeman, Tamara Grove and Bryan Riss
65
OVER THE MOON
Virginia’s Good Earth The Piedmont Environmental Council builds on its success by continuing to put hundreds of thousands of acres under easement in nine Virginia counties. BY VICKY MOON
Perin and Gertraud Hechl, who spends her days as a jewelry expert for Bonhams, cochaired the ball committee, which included Mimi Abel-Smith, Gail Clark and Lena Scott Lundh. And then there was a stellar junior committee: Matilda Reuter Engle, Sloan Coles, Leatitia Stanfield Gorra, Selina McPherson, Ali Pejacsevich, Jens and Angela Scott and Nicole Wyatt. All of which means this good cause will continue thriving in younger but very capable hands. Lennart and Lena Lundh with Jens and Angela Sco at the Piedmont Environmental Council benefit. (Courtesy Photo)
T
he Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is recognized as the land conservation group that helped prevent a proposed 3,000-acre Disney theme park in Manassas back in 1994. The nearby historic Civil War battlefields would have been one-upped by “Disney America.” Virginia’s then Gov. George Allen was in favor of the project, which, in addition to the theme park, would have included a golf course, a water park, 2,000 houses and 1,000-plus hotel rooms. Opponents raged that it would clog the roads, desecrate the character of the countryside and attract thousands of ice cream-obsessed visitors and their balloon-toting toddlers, all swathed in rodent paraphernalia. What Allen and other pro-Disney supporters did not calculate was the strength of the PEC and one of its most outspoken leaders, the late Charles S. Whitehouse, a diplomat who had served as U.S. ambassador to Laos and Thailand. When the project finally failed, the New York Times said it was “the most irresponsible idea ever hatched in the Magic Kingdom.” Now, 20 years after running Mickey Mouse out of town, the PEC, which stretches over nine counties from Charlottesville to Middleburg, has perpetually safeguarded nearly 370,000 acres. A total of 100,000 of those acres in
66
conservation easement are in Fauquier County, which includes Warrenton,The Plains and part of Middleburg. The 100,000-acre milestone in Fauquier was recently accomplished when the Burton family entered into an agreement to conserve their 396-acre “Wainbur Farm.” It has been owned and operated as a dairy for almost 80 years. About half of the protected acres in Fauquier are prime farmland. The rest consists of forest and 9,932 acres of Civil War battlefield. Other portions include wetlands and 395 miles of streams in the Rappahannock, Occoquan and Goose Creek watersheds, which benefit the area’s wildlife, increase water quality and help ensure clean drinking water. Jean Perin and George Ohrstrom II are the current co-chairmen of the PEC board and they recently hosted the annual Piedmont Ball, “La Noche en Habana,” at “Sweet Bay Farm,” the residence of Michael and Nadia Stanfield. A gleaming red 1959 Cadillac convertible set the tone as guests arrived and paused for photos just as the sun sank across the adjacent paddocks, hay and corn fields. A tropical décor completed the atmosphere in an outsized white tent where ladies wore inspired colorful gowns and some of the gents sported nostalgic white dinner jackets.
PRIME PROPERTY: For those who might want to join in on the rural Fauquier County lifestyle, Joe Allen of Allen Real Estate in Warrenton has “Edgeworth,” a 100-acre property once owned by descendants of Chief Justice John Marshall. The log portion dates to circa 1759 with formal additions (1830 and 1850) all in pristine condition. Where homes were once valued for the number of fireplaces, this one has seven. There are first and secondfloor bedrooms and high ceilings throughout. The eight-car garage surely would make Jay Leno happy. A stone guest house, cottage with three bedrooms (and three fireplaces) plus a heated pool, six-stall stable, barns, fenced paddocks, stocked pond, fabulous gardens, clouds of coveted boxwood, flowering trees and shrubs. The price: $2.5 million.
“Edgeworth,” a circa 1759 estate in Fauquier County. (Courtesy Photo)
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
Becca Glover Watkins with Rory and Lauren Pillsbury Cristian Becker and Fernando Machado
Nara de Sa Guimaraes, Whitney Burns, Mo Baptiste and Mallory Lobisser Meghan Fahy, John Kilmer, Valentina Troisi, John Mayhugh and Canon Hirschler
WL EXCLUSIVE
YOUNG NELSON SOCIETY PARTY
Robert Banner, Alison Cooley, Michele Powers, Benjamin Simons
The Graham Rooftop | PHOTOS BY JAY SNAP KEEPING UP WITH THE NELSONS: It is said that during the Revolutionary War George Washington’s favored horse was nicknamed “Old Nelson.” While most colonial artwork depicts Washington on his other mount, “Blueskin,” he favored Nelson, a gallant chestnut undaunted by cannon fire and the sounds of battle. Old Nelson’s bravery carried Washington through much of the Revolutionary War and ultimately to the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and the British Army in 1781 at Yorktown. To celebrate this extraordinary bravery, a group of local professionals formed The Young Nelson Society of Washington to support the Washington International Horse Show and other causes. “All of these charities embody the courage, bravery and trust needed to achieve independence and overcome adversity, like the partnership between George Washington and Nelson,” said chairwoman Mallory C. Lobisser, who hosted the reception with cochairmen Mo D. Babtiste, Justin A. Batoff, Whitney Burns and Olivia L. Stringer (who graced WL’s September cover).
Tiffany Valentine and Brooke Montgomery
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
Sofia Proctor, Danielle Davis and Gwen Hudson
Lou Cardenas, Marc Charon, Jon Dauphiné and James Lumalcuri
Jonathan D Taylor, Schroeder Stribling, Trish Yan and Stuart Allen
TASTE OF LOGAN CIRCLE BENEFIT 14th Street/Logan Circle restaurants | PHOTOS BY JAY SNAP CELEBRATE LOGAN: Local restaurants, businesses, neighbors and friends united to celebrate the fantastic foods and flavors of the 14th Street/Logan Circle corridor while raising critical funds for N Street Village. Fifteen restaurants participated, spanning from 15th and M streets NW to 14th and U streets NW, to accommodate more than 550 guests — 300 more than last year. The TTR Sotheby’s-sponsored feast raised $50,000 for Washington’s largest provider of comprehensive services for homeless and low-income women. Guests sampled their first tastings at check-in — homemade pesto made by Village residents from ingredients in their community garden.
Marie Kelly, Amine Radwane and Uriel Martinez WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Evan Fain, Caitlin Oyler, Laura Jurewicz and Andrew Gernt Ilana Cookler and Sara Conklin
VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
67
PARTIES PARTIES PARTIES
Adoption advocates, Bolivian designers and Armenian scholars VIEW ALL THE PHOTOS AT WWW WASHINGTONLIFE COM!
COMPASSION THROUGH FASHION
IERES PANEL ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
EMBASSY OF FRANCE
1
(Photos by Vithaya Phongsavan)
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Renowned French designer Jean-François Garcia showcased his latest collection at a fashionable evening benefiting Arco Iris America. Supported by the Ambassador of France to Bolivia, Michael Pinard, the festivities included specialty wine tastings, a silent auction and a second showcase by Bolivian handbag designer Kathyuska Carrasco to help provide life-sustaining care for disadvantaged and homeless children in La Paz, Bolivia.
(Photos by Jay Snap)
6
1. Kathyuska Carrasco and Jan Du Plain 2. Linda Awkard, Carole Randolph and Marsha Muawwad 3. Changu Newman, Amb. of Botswana David Newman and Alejandra Jauregui
Professors discussed the history and significance of the Armenian Genocide commemorating the massacre’s 100th anniversary at a panel assembled by George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. Panelists included Ron Suny, professor of political science and history at the University of Chicago and Hope Harrison, associate dean for research and associate professor of history and international affairs at GW. IERES director Peter Rollberg and Near East Foundation board chairman Shant Mardirossian gave the welcome remarks and IERES associate director Cory Welt moderated. 6. Gegham Mughnetsyan, Talin Baghdadlian and Armen Sahakyan
2
7
3
7. Shant Mardirossian, Hrachia Tashchian and Charles Benjamin
ANGELS IN ADOPTION RONALD REAGAN BUILDING (Photos courtesy of CCAI) The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute recognized “Friday Night Lights” actress Connie Britton and X-Factor star Rachel Crow for their work to raise awareness about adoption and fostering youth. Korie and Willie Robertson of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” served as emcees, Crow performed and 140 “Angels” from across the country were also celebrated by their members of Congress. Sen. Roy Blunt and Rep. Karen Bass were among those in a=endance. 4. Rachel Crow performs with her band
9
8 INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP
5. Korie and Willie Robertson
ANACOSTIA NATIONAL PARK (Photos by Jay Snap) As a part of the world’s largest volunteer effort to clean up waterways and the ocean, Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day, approximately 250 people lent their services to Anacostia National Park. The volunteers collected more than 1,600 pounds of trash from the park; including the usual cigare=e bu=s and food wrappers, but also athletic balls, a Guitar Hero game and a wallet containing multiple IDs. The effort collected more than 16 million pounds of waste throughout the world this year. 8. Olivia Dodu, Katie Green, Kisbel De La Rosa and Buddha the pug
4 WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
5
9. Josue Lopez Calderon
10
10. Alex English and Eric Wolfert
69
HOME LIFE Real Estate News and Open House I Inside Homes and My Washington
,SWXW [MXL XLI 1SWX Matt and Ashley Bronczek bonded over a shared love of entertaining, and together they created the ideal home BY LAURA WAINMAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY TONY BROWN
HOME LIFE | INSIDE HOMES
he Bronczeks are no strangers to the Washington social scene. Their monikers,“Ashley” and “Matt,” are often splashed across invitations as chairmen or hosts of some of the glitziest affairs in town. Whether for the Washington Ballet, with whom Ashley has worked closely since moving to the District in 2004, or Meridian, Susan G. Komen or Teach for America, the philanthropic duo have more than played their part. But these days, with two children under the age of three, their focus is on entertaining on a smaller scale - think at-home birthday parties, baby showers and intimate dinners with friends. “I spent much of my first 10 years in this city being so social and focusing on others and my charity work, but now I am embracing being a mom and being present for my kids,” Ashley says. Even though her two little ones, Bridget (“Birdie”) and Brody, now dictate most of her schedule, her love for entertaining has not waned. “We both love to host and that was actually something we clicked on right away,” Matt says. The couple made sure to factor entertaining needs into their 2012 decision to buy the 1940s Tudor house they like to call their “forever home.” The Bronczeks, both native Californians, began and ended their search in the Spring Valley neighborhood, mainly because it had sentimental value to Ashley, whose grandparents, Ann and Lloyd Hand, live two blocks away. The parents of her first childhood friend still live three doors down. “The neighborhood holds special memories of summers spent with my grandparents and I love that my
72
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
PREVIOUS PAGE (clockwise from top left): Matt Bronczek does not like anything on the walls, so the master bedroom is the one place devoid of hanging photographs or artwork; Two-year-old Bridget’s room highlights her nickname “Birdie” with bird cage stenciling; The Bronczeks retained the terracotta tiling in the kitchen as a nod to their California roots; The one room in the house Matt designed, the downstairs “man cave,” is being transformed into a children’s game room because it has easy access to the pool and the outdoors; (inset photo) The settee and chairs in the formal living room were a honeymoon purchase at the Paris flea market. THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left): The Bronczeks use their dining room more than most people as it is the focal point of their entertaining; Though neither of them play the piano, they hope that their children will learn; Ashley fell in love with this painting in Mexico because it reminded her of a wedding dress, but did not purchase it. On their first anniversary the couple returned to Mexico and Matt surprised her with the painting, which became all the more special since they had just learned they would be having a daughter; Ashley loves her canopy chair from Noir Furniture LA; The master bathroom has become a meeting point for the family as they all get ready in the mornings; This French shabby chic room is the couple’s favorite.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
kids are now going to grow up playing in the same big, wide streets that I did,” Ashley says. She fell in love with the interior of the house due to its layout and the fact that the flow of the rooms and open spaces would be conducive to entertaining. She didn’t have to sell Matt, who loved the “bones” of the house as well as the outdoor spaces, including a big lawn and a pool. They were happy enough with its basic structure that there was no need for gutting. They could focus instead on smaller renovations, such as updating all the bathrooms. The master bathroom was the largest project. After a tour, its clear that decorating with family heirlooms or pieces with sentimental value is important to the couple. Artwork is replaced by baby photos and family portraits; the chairs and a settee were purchased at the Paris flea market on their honeymoon; the dining room chandelier was another honeymoon purchase in Florence; the dining room table seating 14 was an antique passed down from Ashley’s grandparents, while the intricate cherry blossom mural in the dining room was painstakingly painted over a month-long period by Matt’s cousin, Nicolette Capuano. “I was careful not to over-decorate when we first moved in, as we knew we were in the stage of life where things would be changing quickly, particularly since we knew we wanted to start a family,”Ashley notes.“I didn’t want to outgrow things or not have room to add on as our family dynamic changed.” Though Matt and Ashley both admit that they currently spend a majority of their time in the family room off the kitchen because it is an easy place to monitor their children, they hope to quickly outgrow that space and utilize the other rooms aas well. Matt agreed, for example, to transform his downstairs “man cave” into a game room, though he retained the elegant sliding mahogany door that his company salvaged from the Old Executive Office Building. “This house affords us lots of space to grow into that will adapt as our family changes,” Ashley says. “I want it to be the fun house, the house where the kids all congregate and want to hang out, and I think that is exactly what we will have. I feel very rooted here.”
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
73
HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS
Old and New Alike Top-of-the-line properties in Georgetown and Spring Valley surpass the $5 million mark BY STAC E Y G R A Z I E R P FA R R
Samuel Lehrman, whose family co-founded Giant Food, sold his 20,000-square-foot residence to an undisclosed but definitely deep-pocketed buyer after listing it at $22 million (one of the most expensive listings in Washington, D.C. metropolitan area). Nancy Itteilag of Long & Foster, an affiliate of Christieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International, was the listing agent. The neoclassical brick and limestone seven-bedroom mansion at FESSENDEN STREET NW in Forest Hills was built in 1994 but looks more like an 18th-century English estate complete with formal gardens and a dramatic fountain. The property features a pool and pool house, wine cellar and tasting room, a motor court and half-size sports court.
THE DISTRICT An environmentally friendly residence at GLENBROOK ROAD NW in Spring Valley sold for $5.3 million when Med and Shari Lahlou purchased the property from Chryssa Wolfe at Hanlon DesignBuild, a local builder known for innovative design and green/ smart houses. The stucco Colonial residence boasts eight bedrooms and incorporates 7,705 square feet of high-end finishes and state-of-
76
the-art green technology. An outdoor kitchen with a grill, refrigerator and stone fireplace helps transform the backyard into a great entertaining space while the swimming pool, cabana with changing area and bathroom and a fire-pit make for a perfect outdoor oasis. TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theo Adamstein and Jonathan Taylor were the listing agents while Beasleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ross Vann represented the buyer. A stunning, four-bedroom Georgetown
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
4871 Glenbrook Rd
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
house changed hands when Robert and Jessica Sterchi bought P STREET NW from the Florence H. Cohen Revocable Trust for $2.9 million. The 1850 Federal residence features an attached garage, large rear patio and roof deck. Tastefully renovated with high-end finishes, it also maintains many of its original charming details. Washington Fine Properties’ Nancy Taylor Bubes represented both sides in the transaction. John and Theresa Morgan bought P STREET NW from father and son duo Ronald and Alan Cohen , for $2.9 million. Ronald Cohen is president of Cohen Companies, a local commercial real estate development firm. His son, Alan, is a general contractor and president of ADC Builders Inc. The four-bedroom Federal townhouse in Georgetown’s East Village was built in 1938 and boasts hardwood floors, a private garden and two- car garage. TTR Sotheby’s Russell Firestone was the listing agent and acted as buyer’s agent.
MARYLAND John and Joan Vassos sold COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE in Bethesda for $3,350,000 with the help of Long & Foster’s Marc Fleisher. Mr. Vassos is president at BCE Corporation of Rockville, a wholesale office equipment company. The stately stone and clapboard Colonial was built in 1991 and sits on two acres of lush landscaped land that backs Congressional Country Club’s golf course. Its classic features include a pool with pool house, a five-car garage with a second floor apartment, a chef ’s kitchen and paneled library. VIRGINIA Recently suspended Washington Nationals pitcher Jonathan Papelbon and his wife Ashley bought BERKELEY ROAD in Alexandria’s Belle Haven neighborhood. The couple bought the property from Coble LLC. Papelbon is suspended for the rest of the season for attacking another teammate and intentionally pitching at Baltimore Orioles’ player Manny Machado’s head. The fivebedroom, 6,000-square-foot Colonial was built in 2009.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Linda Battalia owner of Linda Battalia Design, an interior design firm, sold her six-bedroom Federal townhouse at TH STREET NW within days of being listed at $5.1 million. Built in 1798, the property was originally built for prominent Revolutionary War leader Col. Charles Beatty and is one of the oldest structures in Georgetown’ East Village. Many original features are intact, including wide-width heart pine floors and matching fireplace mantels in the charming double parlor. The five-level house features an elevator, a gourmet kitchen and an expanded lower level opening to an English Garden and terrace. TTR Sotheby’s Kelly Williams and Loic Pritchett were the listing agents.
A private trust recently purchased the exquisitely renovated and expanded Center Hall Colonial at FOXHALL ROAD NW for $3.4 million. Jason and Melissa Twomey sold the property, which they purchased in 2010. Mr. Twomey is an executive at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Washington Fine Properties’ William F.X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki and Adam Rackliffe listed the seven-bedroom house in Wesley Heights. Built in 1938, it features a circular driveway, gourmet kitchen with marble breakfast bar, gracious formal entertaining rooms, a lower level exercise room and second family room. Washington Fine Properties’ Mark McFadden was the buyer’s agent.
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
77
HOME LIFE | REAL ESTATE NEWS
PROPERTY LINES
CLEVELAND PARK CHARMER: Jacques and Isabelle Besnainon have listed TH STREET NW for $1,995,000. Mr. Besnainon is president of Kurion Inc., an innovator in nuclear and hazardous waste management. The 1924 Tudor house was thoughtfully renovated in 2013 to the highest standards and includes five bedrooms, an eat-in chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen and master suite with tree-top deck. Beasley Real Estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sheila Mooney and Ty Hreben are the listing agents. LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: Famed race car driver and former Indy Racing League vet Will Langhorne and his wife, Samar, are selling N STREET NW for $9,995,000 with the help of TTR Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Russell Firestone III. The six-bedroom Contemporary (1960) townhouse was built by Georgetown developer Richard Levy for his mother. Langhorneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents bought the property from Levy, and Langhorne in turn bought the house from his parents. The main entry features a 1,000-pound pivoted door with smart glass that switches from clear to translucent at the touch of a button, Boffi-designed bathrooms, a glass elevator, second floor Bulthaup gourmet kitchen and media room. The exterior features a garden terrace with heated pool. DANCING ON THE CEILING: Known around the neighborhood as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lionel Ritchie Houseâ&#x20AC;? (apparently its previous owner played Lionel Ritchie music on repeat all night long), the once rundown and unloved property at ST STREET NW has a new song to sing now that it has been lovingly restored by the mother/daughter real estate development team, MAD
78
HUMAN RIGHTS CHAMPION LISTS: Miles and Nancy Rubin have listed CHAIN BRIDGE ROAD NW, their home for 35 years, for $7,350,000. Mrs. Rubin served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and has worked domestically and internationally with numerous government and private entities for over three decades. Mr. Rubin is an attorney and the founder of Miles Electric Vehicles. The seven-bedroom, 1940s-era Italianate mansion in Kent features beautifully landscaped gardens perfect for al fresco entertaining, large swimming pool and views of Battery Kemble Park. The property is listed by William F. X. Moody, Robert Hryniewicki, Adam Rackliffe, and Christopher R. Leary.
Property. The four-bedroom Victorian was essentially rebuilt, except for its brick shell and is offered at $1,299,000. Located on a corner lot, the stately painted-brick house retains its two original turrets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one round, one square â&#x20AC;&#x201C; along with much of its original exterior detail. The interior is a bright and modern marvel, with walls of glass on two floors, a chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen, Carrara marble with radiant heating in the master bath plus custom built-ins and steel stair railings. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s James Kastner is the listing agent. LOGAN CIRCLE PERFECTION: An immaculately restored Victorian row house at R STREET NW is on the market for $2.5 million. Dave Holder is selling his threestory, five-bedroom residence, which was built in 1877 by H.H. Bates. The property includes an English basement suite, secluded outdoor space and private parking for two vehicles. The Alex Venditti Group and Jeffrey Taylor of Compass Real Estate are the listing agents. Send real estate news to Stacey Grazier Pfarr at editorial@washingtonlife.com.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
2037 1st St.NW
1309 R St. NW
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
HOME LIFE | OPEN HOUSE
Hunkering Down Settle into one of these cozy options before Winter hits. BRADLEY FARMS
FOX MEADOW LANE> POTOMAC> MD
ASKING PRICE: $5,250,000
This gated estate sits on more than three acres in Potomac’s sought after Bradley Farms neighborhood, just minutes away from the famed Congressional Country Club and downtown Washington. Quality finishes and attention to detail are apparent throughout this immaculate 14,000-square-foot Nantucket-style residence. Soaring high ceilings, picturesque windows and an abundance of natural light enhance the main level’s great room, gourmet kitchen, solarium and master bedroom and bathroom.The second level offers five additional bedrooms, each with their own baths, while the lower level has a separate in-law suite with a kitchen and bathroom. The property also features garage parking for eight cars.
LISTING AGENT: William F. X. Moody and Robert Hryniewicki, 202.243.1620, and Marsha Schuman and Betsy Schuman Dodek, 301.943.9731, Washington Fine Properties
CRAFTOWN CLIFTON ROAD> CLIFTON> VA
ASKING PRICE: $2,600,000
This extraordinary gated estate sits on 6.71 acres with a one-acre pond. Enjoy 14,300 square feet of luxury living on four finished levels. The new deluxe kitchen includes double granite islands, Pella windows and doors, a new master bath and a new roof. A beautiful 1,350-square-foot deck and 1,000-square-foot slate patio make the house perfect for entertaining.
LISTING AGENT: Lilian Jorgenson, 703-407-0766, Long & Foster Real Estate
CHEVY CHASE BROOKSIDE DR\> CHEVY CHASE> MD This traditional Kenwood home is tastefully renovated for today’s fine living and entertaining. It’s set on a lush, landscaped corner lot and features a gourmet kitchen, five bedrooms, five bathrooms, four finished levels, a grand room, a library, a formal dining room, a spectacular master suite, a recreation room, an office and an outdoor living space off the kitchen.
FALCONHURST
SORREL AVENUE> POTOMAC> MD
ASKING PRICE: $5,300,000
This three-acre gated property includes nearly 15,000 square feet of beautifully-designed living space and top-of-the line amenities throughout. A spectacular first floor master suite opens onto gardens with a championship tennis court and separate pool/ guest house.
LISTING AGENT: Ellie Shorb, 240-338-8919, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
ASKING PRICE: $3,050,000 LISTING AGENT: Anne Marie Drechsler, 301980-6687, Beasley Real Estate
79
MY WASHINGTON John Dickerson, Host, CBS News’ “Face the Nation” BY KEVIN CHAFFEE
1
2
YOU ARE HOSTING A SHOW WITH A GREAT LEGACY. HOW DO YOU HOPE TO MAKE IT YOUR OWN? First, I’ll work to protect the legacy as the hosts who have come before me have. I hope to make it my own through the way I interact with guests, the questions I ask and the kinds of conversations we have at the round table. I’m also doing some short notebook-style pieces — called “Field Notes” — during the broadcast that will use the reporting I do and allow me to write in a way that’s a little different. HOW MUCH ATTENTION DO YOU HAVE TO PAY TO RATINGS? More than a teaspoon and less than a pint. WHOM WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE AS A GUEST? The Pope. He’s a compelling religious leader who is changing the church and returning the focus of Catholic teaching to Christ’s love, which is healing to a church that has had some serious challenges. Now that he’s talking about issues like climate change and poverty that makes him an interesting political character.
3
114
DOES YOUR EXPERIENCE GROWING UP IN WASHINGTON GIVE YOU AN EDGE? I’m sure that it helps, though who knows how much. I met famous people when I was very young so it’s more natural than when I meet someone who has stardom in a non-Washington environment. The folk tales and family stories I was told growing up all had some
connection to politics — some of them might even be true — so I have that kind of long-term connection to the history and life of politics. WHAT WOULD YOUR LATE MOTHER, PIONEERING FEMALE JOURNALIST NANCY DICKERSON, SAY IF SHE COULD SEE YOU NOW? She’d be proud and then she’d say, “Sit up straight and don’t try to be too fancy.”
MY TOP SPOTS 1. The National Gallery of Art. It’s one of the fastest ways to leave the city without actually traveling. My wife Anne and I spend a lot of time there with the kids too, which sparks all kinds of conversations. 2. The Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls Park, especially in Fall. I love scrambling over the rocks when it’s just cold enough to need a fleece. 3. The Shakespeare Theater Company is another way to escape the rush of life and lose oneself completely. For a long time it was also the only date we could keep when the kids were young. 4. The Ohio Clock in the Senate and Speaker’s Lobby in House of Representatives. I loved covering the Hill and every time I go back to those places (or anywhere around the U.S. Capitol) I remember those early days and the fun of covering legislation back when legislation was produced in Washington. 5. Two Amys (3715 Macomb St. NW). Before I had a Sunday gig we’d go to 2 Amys after church and sit at the upstairs table. We did it for years, when the kids couldn’t sit still, when their legs were too short to touch the ground. Every time we go back with them I am reminded of that ritual and the pause of Sunday before another week begins. 6. The C&O Canal. Both the paved and dirt paths are such peaceful places. For some reason my fixation is mostly associated with Fall and the color of the leaves and the cold. I used to go running or rollerblading there every Thanksgiving morning and even if I run in the heat of summer I experience flashes of Thanksgiving Day morning there.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
D I C K E R S O N P H OTO CO U RT E SY; N AT I O N A L G A L L E RY O F A RT P H OTO V I A F L I C K R / K Ā R L I S DA M B R Ā N S ; B I L LY G OAT T R A I L P H OTO V I A W I K I ME D I A / B O N N AC H OVE N ; S H A KE S P E AR E T H E AT R E CO M PAN Y P H OTO V I A W I K I M E D I A / SA RA H STI ER CH .
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AS YOU CONTEMPLATE MODERATING THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES’ DEBATE IN DES MOINES ON NOVEMBER 14? It’s exciting! People are really interested in this presidential debate, the stakes for the country are big. It’s not just the issues that are in play, but whether our system is so broken that we can no longer even address those issues. There’s also so much great history and political drama associated with debates — not simply the clashes, but the moments of clarity that have come from these sessions. It’s a thrill to be able to have a chance to make something out of that for voters.