Executive Board and Board of Advisors
The Executive Board
Leads the efforts to shape, produce and select speakers for the 2013 TEDxMarin gatherings.Bob Ayres (TEDx Licensee/Executive Producer), until 2007 sat on the prestigious Board of Advisors for the TED Conference and served for two years as the inaugural Executive Director of The TED PRIZE. Bob is the founder of The Next 20 years project and runs its associated industry salon, TwoDegrees. Currently he is the CEO of Comedic Ventures, a comedy showcase and development company born out of his infamous 80′s Haight-Ashbury comedy club, The Other Cafe. More importantly, Bob leans, bats and throws left.
Tim Gnatek (Executive Board) loves a good idea. As co-founder and Partner at the sustainability-focused communications agency Blue Practice, Tim leads marketing and public relations efforts for green companies and causes. As a journalist, he’s enjoyed covering technology, culture, science and sustainability for media like The New York Times, Wired, Frontline/World, NPR, the San Francisco Chronicle and The Technology Review. Tim spent the dotcom bubble as a PR flack for internet and consumer technology companies. He has also been a documentary film consultant and an editorial writer an for international humanitarian agency.
Maria Marchetti, (Executive Board) is a top Producer at Sotheby’s Real Estate. Maria is also the treasurer of World Reads, Inc. a non-profit organization dedicated to improving literacy, Maria is able to share and support her passion for reading as a critical skill for success. Maria’s passion for creativity and belief in supporting the arts is expressed in sponsorship of local comedy, film and technology events. As the prior owner of Oraibi, an award winning international user interface design firm, Maria’s business experience allows her to optimize technological and social web opportunities for precise research and effective marketing strategies.
Deborah Masters (Executive Board) is the founder of MasterSpeak, a company dedicated to helping Fortune 500 companies create influential leaders and high impact communicators. For more than 20 years she has coached thousands of business professionals on how to influence and inspire others to action and positive change. She is also a residential builder and developer and has brought more than 500 new homes to market. Formerly, she managed and consulted for top restaurants in the bay area. Her book, “The Magical Wisdom of Kids”, has spanned the globe bringing humor and wisdom to children and adults everywhere, including children’s hospitals and schools in third world countries. Deborah is an x triathlete who runs and bikes the beautiful hills of Marin County.
The Board of Advisors
Our Board of Advisors is a prestigious, hand picked group of Bay Area entrepreneurs and thought leaders, entrusted with helping to attract top speakers, like-minded attendees, volunteers and sponsors. We encourage you to support these folks in their endeavors.Kare Anderson, (Board of Advisors) Emmy-winning former Wall Street Journal and NBC journalist, Kare Anderson has been a public speaker in 18 countries, and consultant to companies, sports teams, startups, government leaders and non-profits as diverse as Google, The Skoll Foundation, London School of Economics, Nordstrom, Siemens and Novartis. Currently she serves on Deloitte LLP’s leadership team for Branding, Communications and Community.
Charlyn Belluzzo (Board of Advisors) is an internationally recognized author and global health expert and holds a doctorate in public health and tropical medicine. She has earned graduate degrees and post-graduate training from LaSalle University, the University of Colorado School of Business, Georgetown University School of Medicine and Tulane University of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Liana Bender (Board of Advisors) is the Development Director of the California Film Institute, a media arts organization that programs the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, produces the annual Mill Valley Film Festival, and runs an innovative education program. She was trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and went on to study with the British Chartered Institute of Marketing. She has worked to grow financial strength of non-profits in the US and the UK, including the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Bryan Boches ( Board of Advisors) is currently investing in private companies for a private debt fund and previously worked in investment banking for Morgan Stanley. He was a founding member of CICC in Beijing and CoreMetrics (acquired by IBM). He has been based in Beijing, Hong Kong, New York and now San Francisco. He attended Redwood High, UCSB and Wharton. He grew up in Corte Madera, delivered your newspaper, taught your kids to swim at the TPC, made your pizzas at Straw Hat, bused your tables at Sizzler and sold you pretzels at the Renaissance Faire.
Bonnie Bruderer (Board of Advisors) is best known as “The Girl Who Ran With The Gurus”. She has led a successful career, globe trotting, with the worl’s finest minds in personal development and human potential, including Tony Robbins. Harvey Mackay and others. She is a multiple author, with three books, and has been featured on all of the TV Networks, and over 250 radio shows as well as national and local magazines, with her ground breaking teaching of visioning strategies.She has personally coached over 7,000 people in 5 countries, around the world.
Eric Edmeades (Board of Advisors) is a serial entrepreneur, author, high-end business consultant and venture capitalist. He owns a number of businesses including two in Marin county; Kerner 3D Technologies, a manufacturer of 3D camera systems that were used in the production of Avatar, Transformers III and Pirates of the Caribbean IV, and KernerWorks , the developer and manufacturer of the award-winning and hyper-realistic Multiple Amputee Trauma Trainer (MATT) for the US Army. MATT is a life-saving training device that empowers the army to use humane training simulators rather than live animals. Eric is also an avid wildlife photographer and nutritional anthropologist. He founded TEDxMarin in early 2010.
Louise Glasgow (Board of Advisors) is the Producer of Maker Faire, O’Reilly Media’s award winning event developed by Make Magazine which focuses on education within the DIY movement, celebrating art, craft, sustainability, engineering, science & technology. With twenty six years of production experience, Louise has been integral to the success of a vast array of different types of projects such as the Int’l Conference on AIDS, 2002 Winter Olympic Games, YPO Bermuda, SunNetwork, Dwell on Design, ESPN’s MLBPA Player’s Choice Awards & Big League Challenge and Oracle’s 2000 iDevelop World Tour which represents a show 22 countries in 26 weeks. Louise has produced events in over 24 international and 32 domestic locations.
Beth Greer, ( Board of Advisors ) known as the Super Natural Mom®, is author of the bestseller Super Natural Home, endorsed by Deepak Chopra and Ralph Nader. She’s a radio talk show host, former President/Co-Owner of The Learning Annex, Certified Build It Green® Healthy Home/Workplace Specialist, Huffington Post columnist, speaker, and eco-health consultant, who eliminated a sizable tumor in her chest without drugs or surgery. Beth is leading a movement of awareness and responsibility about environmental health. She is a trusted consumer advocate in the Natural Product and Sustainability Market and consults for spas, homes, businesses, schools and health centers nationwide. www.supernaturalmom.com
Chris Hobbs (Board of Advisors) is an active angel investor and advisor to emerging companies. He has been a senior executive on all sides of dynamic businesses — operating, investing and lending. This has given him a complete perspective on the challenges of motivating teams, managing risk and maintaining strategic discipline. Chris has been a CFO/COO for emerging companies including WorkingPoint and XUMA, and performed international corporate development and strategy roles for large public companies such as Imperial Bank and TeleTech.
Cynthia Holladay (Board of Advisors) is founder and CEO of UpRight Marketing, an organization dedicated to bringing more humanity into technology, products and services. She helps entrepreneurs build sustainable companies and coaches Founder Institute startups in customer development and communications. Cynthia is Chairman, Nominations Committee of the Computer History Museum Fellow Awards. She led the Silicon Valley American Marketing Association to earn the AMA’s highest leadership award. Cynthia studies neuroscience, philosophy and language and is a supporter of the Long Now Foundation, live performances and modern art. Previously she was a concert pianist and holds a post-graduate degree at the Boston Conservatory of Music.
Teri Hollowell (Board of Advisors) founded One World Partners, a corporate event management company that specialized in creating memorable events around the globe. Her programs have covered the spectrum, from dinner for 300 on the Great Wall to hosting a private concert inside Notre Dame Cathedral. Having traveled to over 50 countries, Teri has a strong commitment to supporting the world community. While at One World, she created the “Footprints” program. Its goal was simple: to leave every event destination visited a little better off than when they arrived. Approximately $100,000 was donated over ten years. Teri sold One World Partners in 2009.
Ken Kaufman (Board of Advisors) Novato-based Kaufman is known as “the grandfather of expos,” having helmed the New Living Expo (formerly the Whole Earth Expo) for much of its existence, and expanding it to a wider audience each year. This worldwide phenomenon draws exhibitors, speakers, and attendees from all parts of the globe and is now a mega-event. After selling bath and body products at the Whole Earth Expo in the early 80’s, Kaufman decided to take over San Francisco rights to the decade-old counter-culture tradition in 1986. In addition to producing the New Living Expo, Ken is increasingly sought after as a consultant for those who are interested in producing events.
Colleen Kemp (Board of Advisors) currently serves as Vice President of Operations and Outreach for Dr. Dean Ornish’s Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito where she has served in a variety of roles including Project Director of the Gene Expression Modulation in Nutrition and Lifestyle research study. Colleen is a Board Certified holistic nurse , founded TLC Works, a continuing education company where she developed a series of Integrative Health continuing education courses for nurses and has studied and practiced the use of intuition and other energetic healing modalities. From 2007-2010 she taught professional role development at the Dominican University of California’s graduate nursing program.
Roger King (Board of Advisors) is “that start-up guy” He’s been building and funding start-up companies for over 20 years. He is the Founder of BayAngels which he formed in 1998. He is also the Founder & CEO of ChiefPeople an executive search firm which specializes in staffing early stage technology companies. Roger is interested in “the next new thing”, classic cars, photography and family travel.
Jeff Klein (Board of Advisors) is founder and CEO of Working for Good, where he activates, produces and facilitates mission-based, Stakeholder Engagement Marketing™ campaigns and Conscious Culture development programs. Jeff is a trustee and member of the executive committee of Conscious Capitalism, Inc. and co-producer of the annual Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit. He authored the award-winning book, Working for Good: Making a Difference While Making a Living, hosts a weekly radio program called It’s Just Good Business. Jeff is an actively engaged single father of a 13 year-old daughter. He enjoys surfing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, ChiRunning and moving in general.
Michael Leifer (Board of Advisors) is a Cultural Anthropologist, Serial Entrepreneur and Chairman of guerilla PR, a 12 year old award-winning firm that helps to build social movements and markets. Leifer is also the Founder of Ecodads, a 3 year old private non-profit network of 200 sustainability stakeholders, who “behind the scenes” support initiatives and programs that subtly share with children how the world works. Recently, Leifer Co-Founded PIXT with Chris Schmidt (Lego, Leapfrog) a new technology platform and presentation layer that allows a user to create, set permissions and share content from all their devices, social networks and sources on one infinitely-scrollable Wall.
Michael Lipson (Board of Advisors) is VP BizDev at Exicon, a mobile services firm. He’s started-up companies for 25 years, subsequent to investment banking at GECC for 10 years. He’s worked alongside numerous founders in groundbreaking industries: CD-ROM, Internet, speech-tech, mobile, psychometrics, LOHAS. He helped launch the first multiplayer online game company, interim CEO’d the first business to post music online, worked at Paul Allen’s Interval Research think-tank and has helped over 250 companies with strategy and deal making. But, Michael is more than business. He’s passionate about living authentically and fully. He facilitates personal growth work, coaches, speaks and recently took his young family on a learning odyssey around the World.
Glenn Martinez (Board of Advisors) is Co-founder of Branditecture which provides award winning design and branding solutions to regional, national and global companies . For many years Glenn was Creative Director and Brand Ambassador for SUN. During this tenure, Glenn was responsible for creative direction of Sun’s brand, marketing, industrial design, user experience and packaging. Glenn helped orchestrate Sun philanthropic endeavors, including Sun’s support of the TED Prize. In the unlikely event of an unscheduled water landing, Glenn may also be used as a flotation device.
Alex Mandossian (Board of Advisors) is the CEO of Heritage House Media, which is a boutique electronic marketing and publishing company that “repurposes” written and spoken word content for worldwide distribution and he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Aimee and two children, Gabriel and Breanna. Alex Mandossian has personally consulted Dale Carnegie Training Centers, NYU, Learning Annex, Nightingale Conant, InfusionSoft, The Strategic Coach, Wal-Mart and thought leaders such as Brian Tracy, Harvey Mackay, Lisa Nichols, Harv Eker, Les Brown, Keith Cunningham, Ken Blanchard, Jack Canfield & many others.
Elisabeth Manning (Board of Advisors ) is a writer and pioneer on the frontier of human development through what she calls the Fertile Living movement. A former personal assistant to Phil Knight of Nike and a consultant with a handful of high profile individuals for over 15 years, Elisabeth now satisfies her passion for what makes an individual truly successful on all levels by producing and developing self-development workshops. Elisabeth is currently practicing as a Master Certified Spirit Coach, speaker and author.
Victoria Miller (Board of Advisors ) is a designer and creative director with 20 years of integrated brand marketing experience on projects ranging from corporate branding and package design to web strategy and interactive advertising. She has helped many brands carve their niche in the marketplace, designing for the likes of CBS, Cisco, Nestlé, Disney, Mattel, J. Paul Getty Museum, PBS, Restoration Hardware, Wells Fargo Bank, Oracle and Lexus. In her current role as Creative Director of SieckGrowth Branding and Design Victoria leads all creative and production for the firm and is responsible for Seed, an innovative brand development process for new products in sustainability and healthy food categories. In addition to her commercial work, Victoria is also a photographic artist. Victoria’s work has been awarded a Clio, is included in the Smithsonian Institute’s Permanent Collection of Design, and has been published in many industry publications and annuals.
Warner Philips (Board of Advisors) Warner is Co-Founder and Managing Principal at Tendris, a leading innovator, investor and operator of businesses with sustainable, market-driven solutions and cutting-edge technologies.He is also the Co-Founder of Tendris’ portfolio company Lemnis Lighting, a leading LED lighting company. With over 3 million of its Pharox light bulbs sold, Lemnis has pioneered LED lighting and accelerated the lighting industry’s transition to a new standard.
Peg Alford Pursell (Board of Advisors ) is the founder and producer of the Why There Are Words Literary Reading Series , founder of North Bay Writers , and an award-winning writer and educator. She is a fiction editor for Prick of the Spindle Literary Journal, serves on the advisory board of Litquake, and as a director on the board of California Writers Club-Marin. In previous lives, she was a science writer for a Southern Atlantic coastal research consortium, a volunteer coordinator for a large city’s homeless shelter, and began the writing program at the Charleston School of the Arts.
Donna Riley (Board of Advisors) spent 22 years in high-tech sales for Microsoft, Apple and Dell. When her fourth child graduated from college, it was time for Donna to try something new. Donna is known as a total San Francisco foodie and writes for www.sflocalsguide.com and also writes and edits for magazines. She is working on her first book. Donna also consults in the areas of sales, business development and sales coaching for Katapult Business Optimization Services.
Betsy Rosenberg (Board of Advisors ) is a veteran of radio news and a Green media trailblazer. She worked as a newscaster and reporter at KCBS and CBS Radio News for two decades and then turned to covering the Green beat full time. The creator, host and producer of “TrashTalk” (KCBS), “EcoTalk” (Air America”) and currently The Green Front (The Progressive Radio Network), is passionate about raising urgency and eco-awareness about the many environmental challenges we face, first and foremost, climate change. Betsy is a graduate of Al Gore’s Climate Project and is a writer and speaker on green topics. She’s also the founder of “Don’t Be Fueled” and “America’s Green Tea Party”
Martin Sacks (Board of Advisors) is a serial entrepreneur in the technology industry, having founded, grown and sold software companies in the computer aided design and workforce planning spaces. Martin was also the CEO of IMSI, a Marin based public software company for several years. As a South African native, outdoor enthusiast and father of three Marin-born boys, he is interested in causes that support mentoring, conservation and third world entrepreneurism.
Tom Short (Board of Advisors) works on internal enterprise collaboration for PwC, a global consulting and accounting firm. In his current role he is driving the rollout and adoption of a global social networking and collaboration platform. Over the last 20 years Tom has consulted to blue chip companies in a variety of industries at the intersection of culture, technology, and work processes, helping them find new ways to leverage these assets to drive innovation and improve effectiveness. He has also been the chief strategist for a cloud computing start up in Marin. Tom is a published author and has spoken frequently on the topic of knowledge management. He has lived in Marin since 2006, and is an avid motorcyclist, hiker and skier.
Stuart Rudick (Board of Advisors) has been a leading practitioner and investor in the health and sustainability community for over 30 years. He is founding Partner at Mindful Investors LLC, a leading social impact Private Equity fund and has been a top performing investment manager for two decades making money by “making a difference.” He passionately supports sustainable agriculture and water conservation companies and NGOs, currently serving on the Board of Blue Planet Network. Stuart’s daily practice includes yoga, meditation, Qigong and mindful living.
Jeff Saperstein (Board of Advisors) is an author, university teacher, consultant, and enabler in how technology can be used to create growth in regional economic development, success for organizations, and personal career planning. His most recent book, co-authored with Hunter Hastings, is “Bust the Silos: Opening Your Organization for Growth”. He teaches Marketing at Hult International Business School in San Francisco and University of San Francisco (USF). Jeff also hosts International MBA groups for immersion tours in Silicon Valley and leads technology bloggers on writing trips to regional centers of innovation excellence including Israel and London/Cambridge.
Ron Sheridan (Board of Advisors ) is a co-founder and CMO of Pixt.com. Ron Sheridan was a co-founder of, and the Director of Business Development for Oversee.net from 2001 to 2009. At Oversee.net Ron launched and managed DomainSponsor.com the largest third party domain parking platform, and created and managed the domain industry’s leading annual trade show, DomainFest.com, which is held every year. Since leaving Oversee Ron has become an advisor to and investor in several early stage dot com startups: AboutUs.org, CitySourced.com, ConectFU.com, LetsListen.com and Global Basics Inc.
Rob Sidon (Board of Advisors) Owner/Publisher/Editor of Common Ground Magazine, Owner at High Ground Consulting. Former Manager and Marketing honcho at Disney. Personal Interests: Spiritual philosophy combined with social service.
Jo Streit (Board of Advisors) is an award winning producer/director of compelling visual stories that promote social change. As founder & Executive Producer of Streit Productions: Visual Media for Social Change, she uses her journalism and broadcast skills to maximize clients’ educational goals through storytelling. She has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations and foundations. In addition, Jo is a working voiceover talent and actor represented by Tonry Talent in San Francisco.
Jessica Switzer (Board of Advisors) is a founding partner of the sustainability-centric communications agency Blue Practice. She specializes in product and company launches, integrated marketing campaigns, and public relations and crisis communications. She is an active member of the TED community and the Switzer Foundation, which is devoted to creating environmental leaders through academic and project leadership grants. She formerly was Vice President of Marketing for Tesla Motors, and Managing Director of the global PR agency Ruder Finn.
Barbara Tomber (Board of Advisors) has served on the Board of Directors of San Francisco Film Society for twelve years and is currently the head of several Board Committees. Before moving to the Bay Area, Barbara lived in Honolulu and served on the boards of the Honolulu International Film Festival, Moana Valley Theatre and the Children’s Advocacy Center. Barbara was Executive Vice President of First HawaiianBank/Bank of the West in charge of Corporate Lending specializing in Entertainment/Media finance. She retired in 2006. In 2009, she co-produced a documentary that premiered at Sundance. She has a undergraduate degree in Theater and an MBA.
Cassandra Vieten, PhD, (Board of Advisors ) is a licensed clinical psychologist, Director of Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Scientist at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, and Co-President of the Institute for Spirituality and Psychology. She is the co-author of Living Deeply: the Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life and author of Mindful Motherhood: Practical Tools for Staying Sane During Pregnancy and Your Child’s First Year.
Wendy Wallbridge, (Board of Advisors ) founder of On Your Mark Corporate Coaching & Consulting, Inc. is a strategic advisor and coach to executives from Apple, McAfee, Genentech, Dolby, NetApp and VMware.Wendy has been a pioneer in the coaching field, her groundbreaking coaching techniques have gained her media attention from Fortune Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times, as well as numerous appearances for such organizations as WITI, PBWC, and UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Her forthcoming book, “Spiral Up! Rising to Power in your Self, Work and Life” maps the journey women must take to access the inner authority, authenticity and conviction necessary to create a purposeful, passionate life.
Claudia Welss (Board of Advisors) has worked for 10 years at the intersection of business + sustainability and now another 10 at the intersection of sustainability + consciousness. She s a board member of the Foundation for Conscious Evolution, focusing on social synergy and co-creating a “synergy engine,” and is on the Steering Committee of the Global Coherence Initiative (Institute of Heartmath) as director of Strategic Partnerships. She is also founder/executive director of NextNow Collaboratory, a lab for “cultivating connective intelligence for collective action.” Her main focus is using information-visualization technologies to raise awareness about the relationship between human activity, states of being, and Earth changes and is a co-producer of 3 consciousness-raising films.
And more to be named shortly;
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