Gentry January 2019

GENTRY SAN FRANCISCO |

PENINSULA |

SILICON VALLEY

EXTRAORDINARY

WOMEN

Interviews with Tech Execs, Authors, Entrepreneurs, Athletes, Influencers, Thought Leaders, and more

GENTRY HEALTH Dr. Amelia Hausauer on Cutting-Edge Skincare Latitude—Silicon Valley’s New Food Allergy Clinic

GRACIOUS LIVING

Contemporary Architecture and Bold Designs JANUARY 2019 WWW.GENTRYMAGAZINE.COM

SAP’s Head of People Sustainability and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Judith Michelle Williams

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CONTENTS

GENTRY MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2019 • VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 10

FEATURES

60 Leading by Example Gentry spotlights a bevy of extraordinary women—from executives, entrepreneurs, and engineers to philanthropists, filmmakers, authors, and artists—who are making a difference on a local and global scale.

62 A Future for Everyone As SAP’s new Head of People Sustainability and Chief Diversity and Inclusion officer, Judith Michelle Williams is leading the way. Gentry’s Senior Editor Jennifer Massoni Pardini reports.

76 Ventures in Babysitting San Francisco-based UrbanSitter has raised $40 million in VC funding.

Gentry’s Contributing Writer David Needle catches up with CEO Lynn Perkins to understand the secrets of her success.

83 Gentry Health A New Year, a New You. Gentry speaks with experts in the fields of beauty and spotlights a clinic focused on one-on-one patient care for severe allergies.

107 Gentry Home Inside fresh remodels and an exquisite modern architectural masterpiece in Silicon Valley.

On the cover: Head of People Sustainability and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at SAP, Judith Michelle Williams.

Hair and makeup by GlamSquad. Photography

by Drew Altizer.

8 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

A Beautiful Balance Between Art and Engineering

The Stanford Barn 700 Welch Road, Suite 102 Palo Alto, CA 650.321.5994 www.DarrenMcClung.com Tuesday-Friday 11-6 Saturday 11-4:30

Expert Custom Work, Redesign, Restoration, and Repair

CONTENTS GENTRY MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2019

DEPARTMENTS

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42

162

Editor’s Letter

The A-List

History

Full Speed Ahead!

Ann Houghman, Pam Jackson, and Alexandra Daniels Edwards

By the Seat of His Pants History writers Michael Svanevik and Shirley Burgett recall the high flying days of aviator Robert G. Fowler.

16 Elsie Floriani

44

Growing

RSVP

18

Fundraising events, galas, openings, and more

Contributors Writers and Photographers in This Issue

20 Inside Gentry Philanthropic Events

23 The Current Talk Inside the San Francisco Ballet’s Opening Night Gala, interviews with leading entrepreneurs, a ranch getaway, and more.

36 On the Town Calendar for January 10 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

54 Giving Bringing Science to Life to Inspire the Next Generation A nonprofit works to spark and nurture a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in classrooms around the Bay Area—and beyond.

Robin Hindery reports.

56

166 Philanthropy Child Focused For over a century-and-a-half Edgewood Center has provided innovative care and services for local youth.

Karen Salama reports.

168 Pets & Thier People Love & Learn Animal expert Barbara DeGroodt offers words of wisdom.

Style

170

Aprés Ski Chic Emily Heitmann finds ski-wear that is both functional and fashionable.

Famous quotes from influential women throughout the ages.

Quoted

GENTRY Established 1993 • www.gentrymagazine.com

Founder/Executive Editor ELSIE FLORIANI President/Editorial Director STEFANIE LINGLE BEASLEY Art Director LISA DURI COSTANTINI Creative Services Manager MICHAEL KANEMURA Senior Editor/Marketing Strategist JENNIFER MASSONI PARDINI Senior Editor/Director Special Projects CORRY COOK Chief Photographer JACK HUTCHESON Senior Editors ROBIN HINDERY / KAREN SALAMA Food & Wine Editor AMALIA MCGIBBON Automotive Editor BRIAN DOUGLAS Style Editor EMILY HEITMANN History Writers SHIRLEY BURGETT / MICHAEL SVANEVIK Social Media Director LENA HALTEH Contributing Writer HEIDE VAN DOREN BETZ Contributing Photographers DREW ALTIZER / TRISHA LEEPER / JOHN AGCAOILI / RIO COSTANTINI / SCOTT LASKY / NATE FONG Intern GILLIAN BRESSIE Chief Revenue Officer/Senior Vice President Sales GISELLE ANNA PARRY Senior VP/Associate Publisher SARA SHAW Senior VP/Associate Publisher/Contributing Travel Writer BRENDA BECK Vice President /National Accounts NORENE SHEEHAN Associate Publisher COLLIER C. GRANBERRY Senior Account Executives MARILYN KALLINS / CAROLYN SCHUTZ Chief Financial Officer DOT JUBY Director of Operations LISA LEMUS Distribution Management CALIFORNIA DELIVERY Printing RR DONNELLEY

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Full Speed Ahead!

With the holidays firmly in the rearview mirror, it’s time to hit reset on our diets, fitness goals, and so much more. Your New Year’s resolutions may have you losing a few pounds, eating healthier, exercising more, spending more time with friends and loved ones, unplugging on the weekends—generally taking stock and striving for a better tomorrow.

If you need inspiration, look no further than the example set by the extraordinary women profiled in this issue (Leading by Example, page 60). For the past 13 years, we have devoted our January issue to highlighting the accomplishments of a select group of women who are making a difference in our community and on the global stage. These are leading ladies in every sense of the phrase. They seemingly take on the whole work/life balance conundrum and win. From physicians at the top of their field to high-tech moguls, engineers to artists, entrepreneurs to philanthropists, these women have assessed life and their careers and said, “I can do anything.” Whether it’s making a difference for clients, the arts, or people in need, they have never settled for the status quo.

I’m often asked how we find our story subjects for this issue—followed quickly by the question, “Won’t you run out of women to cover?” The answer is a resounding no! We will never run out fascinating women to cover. Silicon Valley is positively teeming with them. What we do run out of each January is space. We’d love to include even more than the two-dozen ladies spotlighted in this issue, but alas!, we are constrained by the confines of the page and our advertisers’ generous support. Never fear, though: We’ve already got a head start on our list for January 2020.

Also in this issue, our style editor Emily Heitmann was inspired by winter getaways to source perfect items for hitting the slopes or simply enjoying cocoa by the fire (Aprés Ski, page 56). Contributing Editor Karen Salama reports on the impressive work at the Edgewood Center. For over 150 years, this nonprofit has supported innovative care and services for local youth (Child Focused, page 166).

And, history editors Michael Svanevik and Shirley Burgett look back at the highflying days of aviator Robert G. Fowler (By the Seat of His Pants, page 162).

As part of our quarterly special section on Health, we highlight Bay Area physicians, scientists, and business leaders making strides in medicine and patient care. This month, Dr. Amelia Hausauer, Director of Dermatology for Asthetex in Silicon Valley, discusses the importance of caring for your skin (Science, Innovation + Art, page 84), and Senior Editor Robin Hindery takes a deep dive into the world of extreme food allergies with local mother-turned-activist, Kim Yates. Inspired by her own daughter’s challenging journey, Yates has created a food allergy clinic that offers up immediate action (Working to Take the Fear Out of Food, page 88).

We sincerely hope you’ll enjoy reading this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. From all of us at Gentry, we wish you and your families a Very Happy and Healthy 2019!

Stefanie Lingle Beasley, Editorial Director edit@18media.com

14 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

ATHER T TON ESTAT TE | MAGNIFICENT G 2.6 ACRE E GROUNDS

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MARY GULLIXSON

BRENT GULLIXSON

650.888.0860 0 mary@gullixson.com

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License# 00373961

License# 01329216

Mary & Brent are ranked the #18 team in the nation in The W Waall Strreeet Journal report of the Top Residential To Real Estate Professionals (published June 2018).

Information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Square footage and/or acrreage information contained herein has been received from o seller, existing reports, appraisals, public records and//or other sources deemed reliable.

However, neither seller nor listing agent has veriďŹ ed this information. Iff this information is important to buyer in determining whether to buy or to purchase price, buyer should conduc ct buyer’s own investigation.

ELSIE FLORIANI

Growing . . . . . . a word of many meanings, growing every day in its utilitarian standing in the universe of language. You can grow up or grow out or grow tired or sleepy, grow impatient or grow angry; you can grow vegetables, grow ill, grow fond of, or grow tiresome, grow pale or have growing pains or growing suspicions.

And a grown-up can be used as either a noun or an adjective, whereas the word grow can be a verb, an adjective, a noun, or an adverb—you can grow weary, grow old, be a grown-up or be full grown, and a duck can even grow down—a word of many meanings and usages, indeed. I think it might be time to stop thinking about our daily worries and pause to give a little appreciation for such an unacknowledged and useful word.

Is it any wonder that it becomes a very difficult task to learn any language other than the one with which you’ve grown up?

And to think I spent all my time just teaching my children to say mamma, when clearly their first instincts were to say the word dada, which, research shows, is an infinitely less complicated word.

Apparently, it’s easier to put tongue-to-roof-of-mouth than to close one’s lips.

This brings to mind the importance of selectivity when naming your pets as well. Dogs, for example, respond infinitely better to two-syllable words, like Daisy, Charlie, Bailey, Lucy, as opposed to one syllable words, which are usually associated with commands: sit! stay!, etc., probably another good reason to give your children multi-syllabic names, so when you say “no!” they understand it is a command. Of course, the tone level and finger pointing can help as well.

Is it any wonder that it becomes a very difficult task to learn any language other than the one with which you’ve grown up? And yet, in this growing society of easy transportation and interaction with distant friends and places, it would seem the logical thing to do, given the unlikely option of simply developing a “world language,” which, of course, would be the ideal.

And yet, in this growing society of easy transportation and interaction with distant friends and places, it would seem the logical thing to do, given the unlikely option of simply developing a “world language,” which, of course, would be the ideal.

There are a few words in the English language that have a little bio of their own. Maybe one year they meant one thing and then later, they expanded their reach and grew to mean something else entirely. I started researching this a little bit because I’m now grown up enough to realize for myself that some words, like languages themselves, have grown in a mode of their own.

Today, for example, the above-mentioned word “grown” is worth 9 points in Scrabble. Imagine—9 points with only 5 letters!

Its very utilitarianism is remarkable.

There are, in fact, many words with multiple meanings. The word “set,” for example, has 464 definitions. And, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “run,” runs a distant second with 396. And I don’t mean to run on here, but then there is also the word “go” with 368 different definitions, “take” with 343, and so on. It’s clearly astonishing that any foreigner can actually take the time required to run the gamut of complicated language structure required to learn proper English usage.

16 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

The bottom line here is that I’m just happy I grew up in America, learning this complicated language then and not now.

I believe it must be the most difficult of all languages to learn, what with all its exceptions, variations, same words/different meanings, and so forth. I am, however, a proponent of the requisite learning of yet another language.

My two years of Latin, for example, gave real understanding to the use and concept of many words. And living in Italy for five years gave me the gift of yet another language with a vocabulary of meanings and innuendo that helped broaden the appreciation for words. The lesson here, though, is that words matter. Words can help or hurt, eviscerate or elate, pick you up or put you down.

Yes, words matter. And we must always be mindful of how we use them. Following are a few words lovingly sent with affection and appreciation from all your friends here at Gentry Magazine: We hope your Christmas was a happy one, and we now send best wishes for a happy, productive, and prosperous New Year. Together now, as well as going forward, we are the local gentry, growing every day in positive ways and happy to be living in this part of the world. —Elsie Floriani, Founder & Executive Editor

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CONTRIBUTORS

Emily Heitmann Jennifer Massoni Pardini SENIOR EDITOR – MARKETING STRATEGIST The January issue has always been a personal favorite of mine. I love the opportunity to sit down with the truly extraordinary women who work, lead, and innovate here in Silicon Valley.

Take our cover story on Judith Michelle Williams, SAP’s new Head of People Sustainability and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. We love kicking off 2019 with her inspiring words about a more inclusive future for business and for us all.

I also had the chance to take a stroll around Stanford campus with an Olympian, decorated swimmer and world-record holder Katie Ledecky, who has her sights set on Tokyo 2020 as well her full-time psychology studies, and tour Cantor Arts Center with its new Assistant Curator of American Art, Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, Ph.D. Finally, I got a few of author Yvonne Tally’s secrets to not feeling so busy all the time (and she shares them in her new book written especially for women, Breaking Up with Busy). Be sure to take the time to read about all the inspiring women profiled in the special issue you hold.

STYLE EDITOR Happy New Year! 2019 will be the best year yet (isn’t that what we like to say?). Because January 1 is always full of hope and promise, yet resolutions plague our thoughts and loom over our (recently purchased) day planners, mine has a great inspirational quote on the cover for extra motivation.

But what if our intentions weren’t solely about “eating right” or “hitting up SoulCycle” everyday?

Why can’t we add resolutions that will bring joy to our lives? How about more time on the slopes?

Yes, this year, my resolution is to ski more. Spend more time by the fire reading a book as snow falls outside my window. Say yes to hot toddies and warm pastries. Now, these are all resolutions I can get behind. And keeping them will be a breeze with the collection of chic ski wear I found for this month’s Style department. It is a flurry of inspiration to keep you warm and toasty, yet fashion forward. I’ll see you on the slopes!

Jack Hutcheson CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

David Needle CONTRIBUTING WRITER Lynn Perkins, CEO and co-founder of UrbanSitter, built the proverbial better mousetrap. As a mom herself, she realized there had to be a better way to find qualified, trusted babysitters and make the experience more efficient for the sitters as well. But she’s not stopping there. As Lynn detailed in our interview, the plucky San Franciscobased company is expanding into new regions across the country and adding more services.

18 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

Photographing the extraordinary women in this issue started last summer. Coordinating multiple shoots is always a challenge, but an exciting one when you’re trying to capture professionals at the level of these women at work. We had a great time going on location at Apple HQ in Cupertino, SAP in in Palo Alto and South San Francisco, Stanford’s Cantor Art Center, San Jose’s SVO offices, and more.

Robin Hindery SENIOR EDITOR We all have our favorite holiday traditions; for me, working on our annual Women's Issue is near the top of my Nice List. This year, I talked to women in a variety of fields who are all pushing existing boundaries in their own way—from the realm of data science (listen up, Siri!), to food allergies, to the very way we perceive and define motherhood. There are big things coming from all of these inspiring individuals in the new year.

Please join us on Instagram @gentry_magazine for the latest on events, news, contests, and insider looks at what we’re loving now!

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.

6 Bed 8.5 Bath $30,000,000

Michelangelo Mazzola 408.373.6320 michelangelo@compass.com DRE 01949536

Ludovico Mazzola 415.652.7483 ludovico@compass.com DRE 01851286

INSIDE GENTRY

LOCAL CHARITY

Giving Back The Fifth Annual White Cross Ball raises over $100,000 for local charities.

PHOTOS: DREW ALTIZER

The San Francisco Commandery of the Sovereign Order of Saint John (SOSJ) of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller held their annual White Cross Ball at the San Francisco St. Regis. For more than 900 years, SOSJ has been dedicated to faith and service to humanity and helping the sick and the poor of all nationalities and races.

This year’s ball supported five worthy charities: George Mark Children’s House, Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, The Sentinels of Freedom, St. Louise Regional Hospital, and SF Night Ministries.

The evening opened with a cocktail reception showcasing artists, including Christa Grenawalt, Heather McFarlin, Alla Voroninskaya, Pamela Smilow, and Laurent Davidson (provided through Andra Norris Gallery). Guests were then seated for a full menu created by Chef Victor Parra. The live auction following the meal raised over $100,000 for the five signature charities. Gentry has been proud to support this wonderful event since its inception.

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JANUARY // 2019

THE CURRENT TALK EVENTS, IDEAS, & GOINGS ON

ADVENTURE + LUXURY

Winter Differently Just outside Steamboat Springs, Vista Verde Ranch offers unique snow-filled experiences.

Forget the hassles, crowds, lines, and endless shuttle buses like you find at the big ski resorts. At Vista Verde, vacations are intimate, personal, and convenient—everything is just outside your cabin door. Activities include everything from cross-country and backcountry skiing to snowshoeing, fat biking, tubing, horseback riding, sleigh rides, ice fishing, “snoga,” snowmobiling, a weekly cooking class, wine tasting, beer tasting, leather working, and photography workshops. All activities are guided and top-notch gear is provided. The guides cater the experience towards your ability and fitness level, so no need to worry about being in over your heads or not being challenged enough. The backcountry skiing tends to be the crowd favorite as you glide quietly through the fluffy powder snow with amazing views and a pristine setting. Also a hit is tubing, with the benefit of a snowmobile to pull you back up the hill before you head down for another ride. Vista Verde’s horseback riding program is unrivaled and includes either quiet

rides on the snow-packed trails or in-depth instruction with a ranch wrangler in the heated indoor arena. They even have a sleigh equipped with jingle bells for a romantic jaunt around the ranch.

In between activities, guests at Vista Verde delight in fabulous ranch cuisine prepared by talented chefs. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the Main Lodge and each meal is unique, creative, and freshly prepared.

Once you’ve played outside in the snow, relaxed to a delightful meal, and are ready to snuggle up, a luxurious log cabin awaits you, complete with a bubbling hot tub out on the deck under the starfilled sky. Wood-burning stoves set the ambiance for a quiet evening in the cabin.

Transfers to and from the Steamboat airport are included in your stay. Direct flights from SFO to the Steamboat airport are offered on United during the winter months. All-inclusive packages start at $1,595/person for a 3-night stay. www.vistaverde.com JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 23

THE CURRENT TALK

HEALTHY FUTURES

Blending Up

FITNESS

Actress and lifestyle personality Tess Masters kick-started the holiday season at a Fit Kids Champs event in Silicon Valley.

Author of The Blender Girl, The Perfect Blend, and The Decadent Detox, Tess Masters knows a thing or two about combining healthy and delicious ingredients.

Her online cooking show, The Blendaholic, has over one million followers on Facebook and she’s created a series of wellness programs, including four seasonal 3-day juice cleanses, 14-day cleanses, and a 7-day raw cleanse, with DailyOM. Masters came to Silicon Valley last month for the first in a special event series supporting Fit Kids, the Menlo Park-based nonprofit founded by Ashley Hunter in 2011. To date, Fit Kids has helped more than 5,000 kindergarten through 8th-graders fall in love with fitness through a variety of innovative sports programs for underserved youths.

Fit Kids’ new support arm, Fit Kids Champs, made up of com-

munity members who pay an annual fee of $250 (which covers the cost of one child in Fit Kids for a school year), will help build awareness and participate in fun events like the recent Tess Masters cooking demonstration. To become a member of Fit Kids Champs and learn about upcoming programs and events, visit www.fitkids.org.

TELL ME A STORY

The Storyteller Donna Griffit perfects the perfect pitch.

An ancient proverb declares that, “Those who tell the stories rule the world,” and corporate storyteller Donna Griffit has parlayed these words of wisdom into a thriving Silicon Valley career. Griffit is a self-described “pitch alchemist” who has helped more than 1,000 companies and individual investors to cut through C-Suite doublespeak and deliver highly captivating narratives.

Griffit’s own journey is an enthralling story in itself, and stands as eloquent testimony to the power of professional reinvention. After being accepted at New York University’s prestigious drama program, she spent six formative years in the Big Apple. Facing a paucity of vocational options in her preferred field, Griffit decided to answer a Craigslist ad on a whim a decade and a half ago.

It asked for trainers to teach presentation skills and business writing workshops. Griffit consequently found her true calling. She went on to work with a Who’s Who of corporate America and Fortune 500 heavyweights, advising such storied institutions as AOL, Facebook, and Microsoft on the art and science of crafting effective communications. Then in 2008, amid the restructuring wave brought on by 24 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

the Great Recession, Griffit successfully embarked on her own story’s next chapter. Deftly pivoting from the world of large organizations to dynamic startups, she became an indispensable advisor to an ecosystem of key founders, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists.

Griffit, who moved to the Bay Area about four years ago, is an expert on what it takes to make catchy written presentations, fundraising pitches, and sales decks. All told, she has helped clients in 30-plus countries to memorably distill information and simultaneously drive profits.

Summing up, Griffit says, “Storytelling has become a bit of an occupational buzzword over the past couple of years, but it’s as old as the Bible, Chekov, and Shakespeare. People are hardwired for stories. Knowing how to effectively convey a coherent message is imperative in any industry. It’s a skill that can be applied whether your business is focused on hardware or software, life sciences or lifestyles.” www.donnagriffit.com —KAREN SALAMA

THE CURRENT TALK HEALTH & HAPPINESS

Looking on the

BRIGHT SIDE VC Ajay Ramachandran is focused on the positive.

In the summer of 1776, our Declaration of Independence memorably mentioned “the pursuit of happiness.” At the dawn of 2019, Pharrell Williams’ hit song “Happy” has racked up over a billion views on YouTube alone. The quest to find greater joy and contentment in all of our lives is clearly a universal instinct that echoes through the ages.

Here in the Bay Area, Ajay Ramachandran is leading the charge to tap into this singular emotion at a corporate level.

Ramachandran is Managing Partner at Happiness Ventures. The Palo Alto-based outfit, which he co-founded along with Curtis MacDonald in March 2017, invests in disruptive early stage companies led by entrepreneurs who are passionate about having a positive “happiness mindset” and making the world a better place.

Happiness Ventures currently has more than $480 million under management. The fund takes a long-term approach to investing and venture capital, collaborating closely with startup founders. To date, it has backed a transformative portfolio of seven emerging (Seed and SeriesA) technology firms. These include Cocoon Cam, an innovative Mountain View company known for its smart baby monitors, and Santa Clara Artificial Intelligence startup Hypersonix.

The government of Bhutan has attracted considerable attention for compiling a Gross National Happiness Index. Indeed, happiness is an increasingly popular subject matter in the media. Ramachandran tells Gentry, however, that “Happiness is neither a fad nor a ‘topic du jour.’ It is a persistent longing that humans have pursued for millennia. Nothing has fundamentally altered, other than that we now better understand the science behind happiness.” (One of Ramachandran’s dual degrees from the University of California at Davis is in molecular biology.)

Angel investor Ramachandran, a father of two daughters, describes himself as a “serial entrepreneur.” Fluent in French and Kannada, this citizen of the world launched Bangalore-based international incubator SourceN and has held executive roles with almost a dozen successful startups, including the Macromedia-acquired CyberSage Software.

Happiness Ventures is involved in ongoing work at Harvard University’s Center for Health and Happiness. It’s developed a framework to test the mindset of company founders, analyzing happiness from selfawareness and mindfulness perspectives. Ramachandran explains, “The aim is to quantify the ethereal idea of happiness. How can happiness drive improved health outcomes and increase wellbeing? Harnessing happiness effectively can help to foster positive work cultures and improve a company’s prospects.” www.happinessvc.com —KAREN SALAMA 26 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

LUXURY TRAVEL

SFO’s new Polaris Lounge in the International Terminal is a definite knockout.

Over the years, United Airlines has had a mixed reputation with its airport club facilities. Back when frequent flying was relatively rare, attaining membership in United’s 100,000Mile Club allowed members a nice lounge, complimentary light snacks and drinks, and access to veteran reservation agents who could quickly solve travel issues. What followed was a period of time where club membership was paid, either directly or through mileage points, and the benefits of complimentary adult beverages and personal reservation service diminished. I call this “the vending machine era.”

What was the Red Carpet Club is now simply the United Club, and both bar service and better snack choices are available in nicely updated lounges. Separate United First Class lounges at major hubs upped the luxury treatment for those flyers in the premium seats. But the new Polaris Lounge at United’s SFO International Terminal takes United’s long-distance first and business class passengers to a level that’s as high as the best global rivals.

United’s regional spokesman Madhu Unnikrishnan gave me a tour of the two-story Polaris Lounge, located near Gate G92, and the impression I came away with was that United had equaled or surpassed Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class lounge at London’s Heathrow airport. Not only are the seating arrangements and private spaces luxurious, there’s a private shower, dressing facilities, quiet sleeping rooms, a great bar, food offerings, and a gourmet restaurant where reservations are accepted.

Unnikrishnan shared with me that international travel from the San Francisco Bay Area was the driver in United’s decision to prioritize SFO as one of the Polaris signature locations. Other Polaris lounges have opened in Chicago, Houston, and New York. Los Angeles is next with an opening planned this year, followed by Washington Dulles, Hong Kong, London Heathrow, and Tokyo Narita.

For passengers who haven’t bought a Polaris class seat on their international flight, the United Club is available between Gates G98 – G100. For domestic flights, United operates lounges in Terminal 3, including an arrivals lounge in the baggage area. Perhaps this passenger pampering will catch on with other airlines. —BRIAN DOUGLAS

THE CURRENT TALK

“Our goal is to teach kids in the way they naturally prefer to learn, to continue improving their attention span, and to teach them about the magic in everyday life scenarios. Implicit across the new website will be teaching by example and showing children how to turn negatives into positive learning experiences.”

FINDING A WAY

The Pioneer

Songs. This emerging generation of young ‘digital natives’ is embracing educational tech gadgets as never before, but trailblazer Abromovitz remembers a time when this was far from the case. “When I started this company and told parents their children would be learning to read and speak with technology like our original mobile video book series, they were adamant it would never ever happen,” she recalls. “Now, my friends’ kids all learn how to use iPads and mobile phones at age three.”

Being a pioneer comes naturally to Abromovitz who, despite learning differently, graduated top of her classes from high school through to graduate school. Over the subsequent quarter-century, she has held prestigious positions in management, marketing, and strategy at both multinationals and successful high-growth startups in the education technology arena.

Next up for The Dreamalings is an exciting interactive website due to launch this month, whose aim is to entertain and educate in equal measure. Jovial characters who have genuine early childhood development traits will accompany kids on enjoyable interactive learning playground adventures complete with hidden clues.

A special English learning series is also set to be unveiled.

Summing up, Abromovitz says, “Our goal is to teach kids in the way they naturally prefer to learn, to continue improving their attention span, and to teach them about the magic in everyday life scenarios. Implicit across the new website will be teaching by example and showing children how to turn negatives into positive learning experiences. Much like life!” —KAREN SALAMA

Gentry speaks with digital education entrepreneur Jaime Abromovitz about helping children with learning challenges learn to love reading.

Jaime Abromovitz explains to Gentry that, “As a child, traditional education never worked for me. I was an auditory learner with a short attention span and hyperactivity. This was great for sports, bad for learning.” In addition, Abromovitz notes, “I had reading difficulties and consequently found comfort in a ‘live learning environment’, teaching myself through contextual interactions and dialogue.”

It was this personal experience that provided Abromovitz with the inspiration to establish The Dreamalings some 16 years ago.

The digital storybook company features a roster of colorful characters designed with experts from Stanford, Harvard, and Cornell.

The curriculum is tailored to children aged 1 – 6 who have learning challenges like ADHD, Autism, and Dyslexia.

The Dreamalings’ highly innovative offerings have proven to be a big hit with kids and teachers alike. Lovable ‘Family and Friends’ impart important life lessons to children, utilizing learning tools such as Interactive Digital E-Books, Music Videos, and Sing-Along28 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

THE CURRENT TALK

UNBRIDLED ARTISTRY

Ready for Some Passion in Your Life?

Gentry takes an insider’s look at the San Francisco Ballet’s Opening Night Gala—This is Passion.

PHOTO: ERIK TOMASSON

BY HEIDE VAN DOREN BETZ

T

he 2019 season of the San Francisco Ballet, the oldest professional ballet company in the United States, will begin with a spectacular multi-tier gala of cocktails and dinner hosted by the Ballet Auxiliary on January 23 in San Francisco’s City Hall, followed by a one-night-only performance by the SF Ballet at the War Memorial Opera House. Guests will return to a transformed City Hall to what has become the most festive and famous After-Party in the city—complete with dessert, drinks, and, of course, music.

The Opening Night Gala will be designed by famous-for-fabulous designer J. Riccardo Benavides of Ideas Event Styling, who 30 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

has worked with Gala Chair Claire Stewart Kostic and Décor Chair Donna Bachle to “breathe life and emotion into the ongoing Ballet tradition.” Benivides adds: “San Francisco’s City Hall will be the backdrop for an evening immersed in sunset tones, lush florals, and fabulous décor. The event will be dramatic, bold, and artistic.

It will be passion!”

Gala Chair Kostic says she wanted to take on the tremendous task of chairing the SF Ballet gala because of her love of ballet, which “combines physicality with the visual and the music.” She also has a long history with the institution. “I have been décor chair, benefactor chair, and launch chair, so I have been involved on many levels; it was time to take on this challenging role.”

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THE CURRENT TALK

PHOTO: TRISHA LEEPER

San Francisco Ballet Opening Night Décor Chair Donna Bachle, Sustainer Co-Chair Trish Ferrin, and Sustainer Co-Chair Daru Kawalkowski, all wearing custom gowns by Azadeh and jewelry courtesy of Shreve & Co. Photographed on location at Shreve & Co., San Francisco.

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul and body.”

PHOTO: ERIK TOMASSON

—MARTHA GRAHAM

32 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

“My biggest task is to meet the financial goals, then to oversee the flawless execution of all aspects of the gala,” Kostic continues.

Fortunately, she has 30 committed Ballet Auxiliary members on her committee, including Donna Bachle, décor chair; Lydia Bergman, dinner chair; Daru Kawalkowski and Trish Ferrin as sustainer chairs. This committed group helps oversee everything from the planning, décor execution, reception, dinners, to the after-party.

Those are many wheels to keep in motion! Kostic is proud of this year’s theme, This Is Passion, which she hopes will generate excitement and anticipation for the event.

Helgi Tomasson, SF Ballet’s world-renowned artistic director and principal choreographer, is looking forward to this season.

“This season, I’m thrilled to bring back some of the wonderful new works from last season’s unprecedented Unbound Festival,” he

THE CURRENT TALK

SF Ballet Gala

BY THE NUMBERS 3,200 total guests 900 guests at the Auxiliary

Gala Dinner (includes Grand Benefactors, Benefactors, and Patrons) 400 guests at the ENCORE! Gala 3,200 guests at the Sparkling Stroll and Gala performance 2,400 guests at the After Party $1,500 – $6,000 ticket price $15,000 – $60,000 table price $175 After-Party ticket 2 days for City Hall set-up 3 hours to transform City Hall from a Gala Dinner venue to an After Party atmosphere 7 months for planning

PHOTO: TRISHA LEEPER

San Francisco Ballet Gala Chair Claire Kostic and Dinner Chair Lydia Bergman wearing jewelry courtesy of Shreve & Co. and photographed on location at Shreve & Co., San Francisco.

shares. “I’m also pleased to present two world premieres by frequent collaborators Liam Scarlett and Yuri Possokhov, as well as the Company premiere of Benjamin Millepied’s Appassionata—which received rave reviews when it premiered in Paris. I’m also delighted to bring back audience favorites like Justin Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes and Alexei Ratmansky’s Shostakovich Trilogy.”

Principal Dancer Mathilde Froustey is looking forward to Opening Night and the subsequent celebration. “I would say the very formal ceremony around the show—from the beautiful dresses of the audience, to the good pressure backstage of knowing that the audience is so excited to see us dance—is very exciting,” she says.

“I also like the feeling of opening the door to the coming season.”

34 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

Principal Dancer Angelo Greco agrees, saying, “This is a really an important night for the San Francisco Ballet. I like the tension that exists backstage. I must say that before the evening begins, I get really nervous knowing that we are launching a new season ahead of us. I’m looking forward to this special night for the SF Ballet.”

The Opening Night Gala program isn’t finalized until a week or so before the event, so prepare to be surprised and amazed, and be ready for passion. The 2019 schedule offers eight exciting Repertory Programs, including Don Quixote, Kaleidoscope, In Space and Time, The Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Lyric Voices, Space Between, and the Shostakovich Trilogy.

This is Vision. This is Passion.

Proceeds from the Opening Night Gala benefit SF Ballet artistic initiatives, new works, community education programs, and scholarships for SF Ballet School students. For more event and ticket information, visit sfballet.org/gala.

ON THE TOWN LOCAL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

JANUARY breathing—is walking. It’s an amateur activity. But what happens when we become explicit, inquisitive, and deliberate about what is as natural to us as eating and breathing?

As writer Rebecca Solnit, the famous geographer and walker of San Francisco, said, “Walking is a mode of making the world as well as being in it.” This project examines the variety of ways in which artists take this specific, mundane activity and use it to make meaning. Inspired by Solnit’s history of walking, the exhibition considers what walking can mean today, touching on topics as disparate as urban planning, immigration, and the dérive.

San Jose Museum of Art www.sjmusart.org

THROUGH MARCH 31 CONTACT WARHOL: PHOTOGRAPHY WITHOUT END

Steve Kahn: The Hollywood Suites This show presents Kahn’s conceptual photographic series from the ’70s. Begun in 1974 as a directorial essay, Kahn used these works to explore issues of dehumanization and alienation achieved through photographs with no tangible human presence.

Kahn came to focus on scuffed doors and walls adorned with pieces of banal hotelroom art, windows framing cityscapes, and haunting outlines of mirrors long since removed. This exhibition will present artifacts of Kahn’s photographic process. de Young Museum, San Francisco www.deyoung.famsf.org

ART EXHIBITS THROUGH JANUARY 6 Contact Warhol: Photography Without End Photographs by Andy Warhol that have never been displayed publicly are at the heart of this exhibition, which draws on a trove of over 130,000 photographic exposures that the Cantor Arts Center acquired from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in 2014. The collection of 3,600 contact sheets and corresponding negatives represents the range of Warhol’s black-and-white photographic practice from 1976 until his death in 1987.

Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University www.museum.stanford.edu

THROUGH FEBRUARY 24 Art & China after 1989: Theater of the World Bracketed by the end of the student pro-

36 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

tests in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and the Beijing Olympics in 2008, this exhibition presents works by more than 60 artists and artists’ groups that anticipated, chronicled, and agitated for the sweeping social transformation that saw the rise of China as a global power in the new millennium. The exhibition examines conceptually based performances, paintings, photographs, installations, videos, and socially engaged projects that question consumerism, authoritarianism, and the rapid development transforming society and China’s role in the world, placing their experiments firmly in a global art-historical context.

SFMOMA, San Francisco www.sfmoma.org

THROUGH MARCH 10 Other Walks, Other Lines One of our most elemental behaviors as physical beings—like eating, sleeping, and

THROUGH APRIL 7 Gauguin: A Spiritual Journey In the first exhibition at the Fine Arts Museums dedicated to the work of Paul Gauguin, an exceptional display of more than 50 Gauguin paintings, wood carvings, and ceramics from the renowned collections of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, will be on view for the first time in San Francisco. Gauguin: A Spiritual Journey presents these pieces alongside Oceanic art and Gauguin works on paper from the Fine Arts Museums’ permanent collections. The exhibition explores Gauguin’s inner quests and imaginings—his spiritual journey—and how his intimate relationships with his wife, other artists, and people he encountered during his sojourns shaped his experiences, his work, and his development as an artist. de Young Museum, San Francisco www.deyoung.famsf.org

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ON THE TOWN THEATER JANUARY 8 – FEBRUARY 3 Come From Away This unforgettable theatrical experience takes the audience into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into friendships. Don’t miss this breathtaking new musical written by Tony nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and helmed by Tony-winning Best Director Christopher Ashley. On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all.

SHN Golden Gate Theatre www.shnsf.com

JANUARY 16 – FEBRUARY 10 Frost/Nixon Richard Nixon has resigned. David Frost has been canceled. With America caught in the riptides of Watergate and Vietnam, the former leader of the free world and the lightweight English talk-show host clash in a legendary series of TV interviews that will determine the President’s legacy forever.

During the course of this riveting political prizefight, the cameras roll, the truth spins, and it becomes clear that he who controls the medium controls the message. Written

by Peter Morgan, with direction by Leslie Martinson, Frost/Nixon was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts www.theaterworks.org

JANUARY 18 – FEBRUARY 24 Late Company In an attempt to find closure after a family tragedy, Debora and Michael invite their son’s bully and his family over for dinner. As the night progresses, pain, loss, and rage all come to a head, and there’s enough blame for everybody to have a share. At turns both beautiful and brutal, Late Company is a hotbed of visceral tension as questions are raised that no one is prepared to answer.

This regional premiere is written by Jordan Tannahill and directed by Evren Odcikin.

him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett’s luck shifts when Todd’s thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has patrons lining up . . . and the carnage has only just begun!

Hillbarn Theater, Foster City www.hillbarntheater.org

JANUARY 24 – FEBRUARY 10 Seascape Artistic Director Pam MacKinnon continues her exploration of American theater’s legendary playwright, Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee. In this wildly imaginative and satirical comedy, a retired couple picnics on a beach and squabbles about their life together when they are interrupted by two human-sized, English-speaking lizards. Are the newcomers an evolutionary miracle, or a threat? Which couple is the greater risk to the other? As the two pairs begin to communicate, they come together, discovering how transitions in life can spark terror and restlessness in any creature of habit.

A.C.T’s Geary Theater, San Francisco www.act-sf.org

JANUARY 18 – 19 The Cat in the Hat It was raining outside—we could not go and play . . . but the Cat in the Hat changed our lives on that day! Dr. Seuss’ beloved classic comes to life in this charming stage adaptation. Presented by the Peninsula Youth Theatre, this performance lasts 45 minutes with no intermission, and is appropriate for all ages.

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts www.theatreworks.org

JANUARY 25 – FEBRUARY 3

New Conservatory Theater, San Francisco www.nctcsf.org

Don Quixote With sparkling wit, exuberant characters, and show-stopping dancing, Don Quixote is the stylish rom-com of classical ballet— and an audience favorite. Helgi Tomasson and Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, with set and costumes designed by Tony Awardwinner Martin Pakledinaz, features a lively cast of characters from Miguel de Cervantes’ novel, not to mention some of ballet’s most technically demanding dances.

JANUARY 23 – FEBRUARY 17

War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco www.sfballet.org

Sweeney Todd Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat has simultaneously shocked, awed, and delighted audiences across the world. In this infamous tale, an unjustly exiled barber returns to 19th-century London seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed

Something Rotten!

This production of the musical comedy is a hilarious smash that tells the story of Nick and Nigel Bottom, two brothers who are desperate to write a hit play. When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of the-

38 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

JANUARY 29 – FEBRUARY 3

atre involves singing, dancing, and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical!

San Jose Center for the Performing Arts www.sanjosetheaters.org

LIVE MUSIC JANUARY 11 – 12 Patti Smith and Her Band Patti Smith released her first recording, “Horses,” in 1975. The album has since been inducted into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. A four-time Grammy nominee and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Smith has also been honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers with its Founders Award for lifetime achievement.

Filmore San Francisco www.thefillmore.com

JANUARY 12 Sing Out For Seva Seva is a global nonprofit organization that transforms lives and strengthens communities by restoring sight and preventing blindness. To date, Seva has restored vision for more than 5 million people and provided eye care services to 40 million people spanning some 20 countries. This eagerly awaited concert, hosted by Wavy Gravy, features such popular singers as Joan Osborne, Jackson Browne, and Bonnie Raitt.

Fox Theater, Oakland www.thefoxoakland.com

JANUARY 12 Kate Liu Kate Liu has quickly become a rising star in the classical piano world. She won third prize and Best Mazurkas at the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland. Liu also took home the audience favorite award in which radio listeners voted her the best pianist. An informative introduction to the music precedes the concert, and a meet-the-artist opportunity follows.

Trianon Theatre, San Jose www.steinwaysociety.com

JANUARY 14 Itzhak Perlman World-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman notes that this music is truly his own—klezmer, “what you might hear if you came to my house and I decided to jam with some friends.” Combining Yiddish folk music with the diverse musical heritage of Eastern Europe, hear the infectious rhythms of violin, accordion, mandolin, clarinet, and more in a rousing performance by Perlman, leading musical ambassadors of Old World

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ON THE TOWN tradition, and the Klezmer Conservatory Band.

Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco www.sfsymphony.org

JANUARY 19

PHOTO: ALNERT SANCHEZ

Elton John After more than half a century on the road, rock superstar Elton John is embarking upon his final tour, “Farewell, Yellow Brick Road.” This new stage production will take his fans on a musical and highly visual journey spanning a 50-year career of hits the likes of which no one has ever seen before.

SAP Center, San Jose www.sapcenter.com

JANUARY 19 – 20 Brahms & Dvořák Pianist Jon Kimura Parker showcases his outsized technique in this program that includes a concerto built on a heroic symphonic scale that requires sheer stamina as well as supreme artistry. A masterpiece of musical contrasts, it is also filled with lyrical interludes, including an extended cello solo.

Dvořák’s symphony follows, inventive but gentler, almost idyllic, and irresistibly tuneful.

California Theatre, San Jose www.symphonysiliconvalley.org

JANUARY 24 Kelly Clarkson Kelly Clarkson is joined by Kelsea Ballerini and Brynn Cartell for “The Meaning Of Life” tour. The legendary singer-songwriter has sold more than 25 million albums and 45 million singles worldwide. Among many other honors, she has three MTV Video Music Awards and two Academy of Country Music Awards to her name.

Oracle Arena, Oakland www.oraclearena.com

EVENTS JANUARY 7 & 10

Margret Cho

mix of national headline acts, local notables, and emerging talent. The annual event showcases sketch, improv, stand-up, and alternative comedy. Scheduled performers this year include Janeane Garofalo, Jen Kirkman, the legendary Carol Burnett, and San Francisco’s own Margaret Cho.

dedicated supporters dazzle at its Opening Night Gala. The intricately planned evening includes cocktails, a lavish dinner, a onenight-only performance, and the Bay Area’s best after-party in San Francisco’s beautiful Beaux-Arts City Hall.

www.sfsketchfest.com

War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco www.sfballet.org

JANUARY 11

JANUARY 29

William Shatner Live On Stage Prepare to be beamed up for an unforgettable night with the iconic actor! Attendees will enjoy a viewing of the classic film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on the big screen.

After the film Captain James T. Kirk himself, one of Hollywood’s most recognizable figures, will take to the stage to share fascinating anecdotes from a storied career that spans over half a century as an award-winning actor, producer, director, and writer.

Fans will also have an opportunity to participate in an audience-led Q&A with Shatner.

Flint Center, Cupertino www.flintcenter.com

An Evening with Paul J. Steinhardt When leading Princeton physicist Paul Steinhardt began working in the 1980s, scientists thought they knew all conceivable forms of matter. His new book, The Second Kind of Impossible, tells the story of Steinhardt’s long quest to challenge conventional wisdom. Steinhardt’s discoveries chart a new direction in science. They not only change our ideas about patterns and matter, but reveal new truths about the processes that shaped our solar system.

The underlying science is important, simple, and beautiful—and Steinhardt’s firsthand account is an engaging scientific thriller.

JANUARY 13

Oshman Family JCC, Palo Alto www.paloaltojcc.org

Ken Burns The Marin Speaker Series is comprised of eight lectures in a season, running from September to April. Participants are selected on the basis of their extraordinary achievements and unique expertise in their particular field. To begin 2019, acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns will take to the stage.

This multiple Emmy Award winner’s works include documentaries about baseball, the American Civil War, and Prohibition.

Good Foods Awards Marketplace This event returns to celebrate top food and drink artisans from 40 states in five U.S. regions and 16 culinary categories. Good Food Awards judges have narrowed down the 2,035 entries to 401 from whom the winners are selected. The categories recognize food purveyors creating award-winning products such as beer, cider, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, confections, elixirs, fish (preserved), honey, oils, pantry, pickles, preserves, snacks, and spirits.

Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael tickets.marincenter.org

Fort Mason, Center, San Francisco www.fortmason.org

JANUARY 10 – 27

JANUARY 23

Part the Cloud The Part the Cloud Luncheon featuring guest speaker actress and activist Marcia Gay Harden will take place at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club. The goal of this special event is to educate as well as fundraise. Proceeds raised through Part the Cloud funds support the Alzheimer’s Association’s International Research Program and fund novel research ideas to determine if they will be effective treatments for those affected by brain disease. Since 2012, Part the Cloud events have raised over $29 million for cutting-edge research. For infor-

SF Sketchfest This beloved comedy festival, occurring at multiple Bay Area clubs, features an eclectic

San Francisco Ballet Opening Night Gala The stars of San Francisco Ballet aren’t the only ones who shine. One night each year,

mation on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dagmar Schildwach at 408.372.9905 or dschildwach@alz.org.

40 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

FEBRUARY 13

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THE A-LIST PEOPLE TO KNOW

Ann Houghman

Pam Jackson

Alexandra Daniels Edwards

Ann Houghman stands a scant 5' 2", but she is a bona fide giant in oenophile circles.

Since 2000, Houghman has been the sole owner of Mesa Del Sol Estate Retreat and Winery in Greenfield. This 14-acre jewel has produced a succession of award-winning vintages under the direction of acclaimed winemaker Ian Brand.

Mesa’s organically grown grapes have received numerous industry accolades that keep customers coming back for its spectacular Syrahs and zesty Zinfandels. The estate’s accompanying mountain view accommodation, meanwhile, hosts everything from think tanks to weddings for approximately 1,000 annual visitors. It’s welcomed generations of esteemed guests, including Teddy Roosevelt.

Houghman is also active in the local philanthropic community. She tells Gentry, “It’s a joy to pour my wines at charity events for worthy organizations, including the Monterey County Symphony and Big Sur Food and Wine.”

The New York native has deep roots in Napa Valley, having arrived here in 1966.

She majored in Environmental Planning at U.C. Davis, spent several years as a ski instructor in Tahoe, and bought Mesa Del Sol with late husband Jake in 1998.

Summing up, Houghman says, “I have an abiding attraction to the wilderness, and take pride in crafting a place where people can unplug from their busy lives and experience deeper connections with nature and one other.”

According to the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Dog officially ended last month. Yet, thanks to Pam Jackson, Bay Area canines will continue to have a voice in 2019 and beyond. Jackson is a leading dog trainer and the ghostwriter for Veni, a Hungarian hunting breed adopted by Jackson and her husband. Veni has since authored two popular books, the most recent is titled Born to Lead.

Originally from Seattle, Jackson is a longtime resident of the small town of Chualar near Salinas. The mother of two began training dogs at home more than three decades ago when her sons were still in grade school.

She holds many obedience and championship degrees. Countless numbers of her four-legged friends, from Corgis to English Cockers, have been shown in conformation.

All told, Jackson has trained almost 10,000 dogs on California’s Central Coast.

These include a pair of pooches that starred in productions of the play Annie, and her own Standard Poodle who performed in John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley.

Switching from stage to screen, Jackson says, “I recently returned from a pitch festival, with a view to making Veni’s books into a movie. In the meantime, Veni is very busy working on her third book. In this one, she starts her own canine private detective agency.”

This is clearly one shaggy dog story that’s destined to have a happy ending!

January, with its newly minted New Year’s resolutions, is a peak month for health club signups. Alas, if history is any guide, many of our gym memberships will soon gather dust. For Alexandra Daniels Edwards, however, the pursuit of physical fitness has entailed a lifetime commitment.

Edwards, born and bred in Carmel, is a certified Pilates instructor at Monterey Bay Contrology. She also owns and operates the facility, which offers private, duet, and small group exercise. Having begun teaching the discipline in 1996, Edwards says she tells her students that her studio has been some 22 years in the making, and that it is her intention to educate the next generation of Pilates instructors.

For more than two decades, this woman of many talents has also tutored dance students, worked in the film industry, and been a writer. Edwards is an adjunct teacher in the Athletics Department at Monterey Peninsula College, and a lead teacher for Tandy Beal’s Dance Around the World Program in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.

The Sarah Lawrence College graduate originally discovered Pilates through her interest in ballet. She trained in Manhattan with famed instructor Romana Kryzanowskam, who herself learned under the legendary auspices of Joseph Pilates.

Jackson describes classical Pilates, a tradition that incorporates over 500 exercises, as a wonderful workout for the entire body that’s adaptable for all ages and abilities.

—KAREN SALAMA

42 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

Trophy Pacific Heights View Building I $12,000,000

Grand Renovated Pacific Heights Mansion I $7,500,000 www. l945FranklinStreet.com

Iconic San Francisco Estate I $7,785,000 www.47CheneryHouse.com

Pending

Georgian-Style Pacific Heights Mansion I $7,495,000 www. l735FranklinSt.com

,I � Panoramic Views From Nob Hill Tower I $5,500,000 www. ll70SacramentoStreet17A.com

One of the City's Most Beautiful Penthouses I $3,950,000 www.TheHamiltonPenthouse.com

Luxury Living on Nob Hill I $3,200,000 www.850Powel1Streetl04.com

Ultra-Contemporary in Mill Valley I $2,495,000 www.340Laure1Way.com

Golden Gate & Bay Views From Nob Hill I $1,175,000 www.120 I CaliforniaStreet904.com

Joel Goodrich (415) 308-8184 CalRE #01028702 Joel@JoelGoodrich.com www.JoelGoodrich.com

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• San Francisco's Newest Price Record • Tahoe's Most Expensive Estate Ever • Union Square's Billion Dollar Hotel • The Trillion Dollar Tech Effect View My Latest Global Luxury Report! www.ToelGoodrich.com/Se:ptember-2018/

©2018 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker• is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Office is Owned by a Subsidiary of NRT LLC. Real Estate Agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are Independent Contractor Sales Associates and are not employees of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage or NRT LLC. CalBRE License #01908304.

RSVP

Robin Wright and Yvette Robbins

Mia Maestro

Karolína Kurková and Archie Drury

Nicole Lacob and Shannon Getty

Nina Seničar and Jay Ellis

Ali Sonsini Buttles

EVENTS & FUNDRAISERS

THE RIGHT CARDS amfAR’s Inaugural Charity Poker Tournament brought celebrities, professional poker players, and supporters together to raise funds to support amfAR’s mission to end the AIDS epidemic through innovative research. Guests were invited to the the private residence of Ann and Gordon Getty to buy in to the tournament for a chance to play with professional players to help support amfAR’s mission. The gala included the tournament, a live auction, and special music, comedy, and magic performances.

David Shimmon, Tyler Florence, Greg Lopez, Tolan Florence, Shauna Harden, Kurt Wootton, and Alicia Engstrom

44 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

Mia Maestro and Philipp Meyer-Schmeling

RSVP

Heidi Castelein Fisher and Ken Fulk

Nirav Tolia and Karen Harbin Clammer

Elena Licari, Tony Licari, and Antonio Esfandiari

Katie Traina

David Shimmon, Katie Traina, and Will Wick Archie Drury, Kurt Wootton, and Keith Barrett

Karen Harbin Clammer

Shauna Harden and Alicia Engstrom

Karolína Kurková, Archie Drury, and Romain Pavée

Justin Willman, Tatum Getty, Joannie Ericson, and Laurie Hanna Carrade PHOTOS: DREW ALTIZER

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 45

RSVP

Performance

Bernard Osher and Cynthia Fry Gunn

Jake Heggie, Dede Wilsey, and Matthew Shilvock

Jorge Maumer and Kai Tan

AN EVENING ON STAGE The black-tie gala, set onstage at San Francisco Opera with the backdrop of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life (think: angel wings, stars, purple lights, flowers), and music composed by Jake Heggie with librettist Gene Scheer, was an extraordinary evening.

This year’s sixth-annual An Evening on Stage was Co-Chaired by Kim Dempster and Linle J. Froeb.

The honorees of the evening, John Gunn, chairman of San Francisco Opera’s Board of Directors, and arts patron Cynthia Fry Gunn, are both passionately committed to not only opera, but to the Fine Arts Museums, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and Stanford’s Hoover Institution.

The Gunns were introduced by both former General Director David Gockley and General Director Matthew Shilvock, who observed that, “Centuries ago, the western artistic world was shaped by

Matthew Shilvock, Keith Geeslin, and David Gockley

Golda Schultz PHOTOS: DREW ALTIZER

46 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

370 Mountain Home Court, Woodside A Bucolic Masterpiece Perfectly Located This splendid estate of nearly 3.93 acres (per county) sits on the most coveted street in Woodside and is walking distance to downtown Woodside. The home is every entertainer’s dream, and includes a recreation room, gym, and guesthouse, for a total of 4 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and a living area of 10,969 sq. ft. (per drawings). Amenities include a pool, tennis court, exquisite landscape with lush grounds, pergola, and walkways that meander along the creek through wisteria-entwined arbors. Mere moments to Huddart Park, The Horse Park at Woodside, Highway 280, and extensive network of trails for equestrians, hikers, and bikers. Children may attend excellent schools, such as Woodside Elementary (K-8) (#13 Elementary School in California) (buyer to verify eligibility).

For video tour & more photos, please visit:

www.370MountainHome.com Offered at $17,988,000

Listed by Michael Repka of the DeLeon Team 6 5 0 . 9 0 0 . 7 0 0 0 | m i c h a e l @ d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | w w w. d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | D R E # 0 1 9 0 3 2 2 4

RSVP

Victoria Weatherford and Mary Poland

Sobia Shaikh and Clara Shayevich

families like the Medicis and Hapsburgs. Today, we are fortunate to have—at this time and in this city—the generous support of the Gunns. It is their magnanimous support that has set an extraordinary standard for our arts community.”

The Gunns’ support has helped bring about new works and bold productions such as György Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre in 2004, Philip Glass and Christopher Hampton’s Appommattox (2007), and recently, John Adams and Peter Sellars’ Girls of the Golden West (2017). Ten years ago, the Gunns made an extraordinary gift of $40 million to help fund signature opera projects, including new operas and productions, multimedia projects, and outreach programs.

In accepting the Opera Guild’s Crescendo Award, Mr. Gunn noted, “Our passion for opera has gone on for decades from the heart and from the head. This is a phenomenal evening in honor of the second-largest opera company in the United States. Opera is a dynamic art form and all of us play a role in keeping it vital.”

Heavenly entertainment during the evening included South African soprano Golda Schultz, angel Clara of It’s a Wonderful Life, performing “Chi bel Sogno” from Puccini’s La Rondine, then the South African song “Pata Pata” made famous by Miriam

Theresa Spirz, Carl Spirz, and Terri Mino

Cynthia Fry Gunn and John Gunn

Maryam Muduroglu and Stephanie Tuttle

Arlene Inch, Natalia Urrutia, Elizabeth Fullerton, Elaine Mellis, and Barbara Brown PHOTOS: DREW ALTIZER

48 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

27500 La Vida Real, Los Altos Hills Silicon Valley’s Ultimate Estate 5 bedroom, 12 bath, residence of 20,982 sq. ft. (per county) rests on more than 8 acres (per county) of resort-like

inspiring and comfortable. From its sumptuous master suite, supremely appointed kitchens, and indoor pool under a retractable roof, to its 15-seat theater, 3,000-bottle capacity wine cellar, and comprehensive home

home, this prestigious estate is surrounded by verdant views and is just minutes from all the major Silicon Valley tech companies, Sand Hill Road VCs, top-10 ranked California schools, major airports, and central to the best of

For video tour & more photos, please visit:

www.27500LaVida.com $55,000,000

Listed by Michael Repka of the DeLeon Team 6 5 0 . 9 0 0 . 7 0 0 0 | m i c h a e l @ d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | w w w. d e l e o n r e a l t y. c o m | D R E # 0 1 9 0 3 2 2 4

RSVP Jack Calhoun, Golda Schultz, Jake Heggie, and Dede Wilsey

Performance

Mark Calvano and Carolyn Chandler

Bill and Mary Poland

Linle Froeb and Ginny Ziegler

Makeba (we were all searching YouTube to download). One could easily have retired happily after this performance, but there was more. The opera chorus enthralled the crowd with a vibrant rendition of Handel’s “Zadok the Priest” and a second choral work of the American folk song “How Can I Keep From Singing,” arranged by Gwyneth Walker.

Ever-creative event designer J. Riccardo Benavides related, “Tonight, on one of the most beautiful stages in the opera world, everything is warm and magical. It’s nothing edgy, but it kicks off the holiday season in a joyous and happy spirit.” An exquisite dinner by McCalls Catering & Events was followed by dancing.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Opera Guild’s education programs reaching more than 50,000 students in nearly 200 schools throughout Northern California. —HEIDE VAN DOREN BETZ

Sheila and Todd Hoyles

Claire Fluhr and Tammy Neuhaus

Pitch Johnson PHOTOS: DREW ALTIZER

50 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

During this special time of year, we look back with utmost appreciation and gratitude to our amazing clients and wonderful community that have made our success possible.

We hope that 2018 has been just as memorable for you and your loved ones, and look forward to an even better 2019 together. From all of us here at DeLeon Realty, Happy New Year!

650.900.7000 | michael@deleonrealty.com | www.deleonrealty.com | DRE #01903224

RSVP

Stacey Summer and Heather Bennett

Charlie Pham and Maggie Rizer

Melissa Ovadia and Shani Hall

MODEL APPROVED Fashionistas gathered for the grand opening of M—a boutique launched by model Maggie Rizer. M boutique features a curated collection of designer clothing inspired by Rizer’s decades-long experience working as a fashion model for the world’s most esteemed designers. The boutique carries collections from Rizer’s dear friends Helmut Lang, Rick Owens, Temperley, Anna Sui, and more. Designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, the store features whimsical floral wallpaper by Matthew Williamson and charming touches like a five-foot-tall gilt bird cage.

Alex Mehran and Maggie Rizer

Mary McLean, Shannon Jones, and Stacy Sommers PHOTOS: DREW ALTIZER

52 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

RSVP

Robert Kelley and Liz Kniss

CELEBRTAING THOUGH TIME Donned in everything from renaissance gowns to spacesuits, guests gathered to celebrate acclaimed regional theatre TheatreWorks Silicon Valley at the company’s TheatreWorks Everlasting Gala, inspired by the time-traveling theme of its production Tuck Everlasting. The unique fundraiser, held at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club, raised more than $450,000 to help the company mount productions of artistic excellence, bring arts education to the community, and to develop new plays and musicals.

Giovanna Sardelli

Rose Hau, Mary Murphy, and Jennifer Chow Lawrence Dong and Jenny Do

Walt and Gayla Lorthridge Wood

Megan and Peter Chenot with Judy Heyboer PHOTOS: DREW ALTIZER

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 53

GIVING

SCIENCE FROM SCIENTISTS

Inspiring the Next Generation

exactly take off like a rocket. “We had to beg and scrounge and operate in a very lean way in order to prove the concept such that people would believe in us,” Angle recalls.

Thanks to an unexpected detour— winning the title of Miss Massachusetts in 2004—Angle suddenly had the platform she needed to expand SfS’s reach and mission. Her new vision: a program that would send selectively chosen and trained (and, importantly, charismatic) scientists with advanced STEM degrees into classrooms to teach hands-on science lessons to kids in grades 3 – 8.

The nonprofit currently partners with 76 schools in Northern California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota and puts emphasis on collaborating with each school’s faculty, following statewide education standards, and providing measureable results via student and teacher surveys. Its in-school programs served 9,000 students last year across the three states, and it has raised millions of dollars in funding.

SfS relies on frequent surveys of both students and teachers to ensure its approach is making a real difference. “Our students’ responses to our program are overwhelmingly positive,” notes

A fast-growing nonprofit works to spark and nurture a passion for STEM in classrooms around the Bay Area—and beyond.

Growing up in the Bay Area, Erika Ebbel Angle was a science lover from an early age, winning numerous national science fair competitions for a six-year independent project she began as a middle school student in Hillsborough. After graduating, she moved across the country to attend MIT and was dismayed to read news stories about the waning interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), especially among young girls. What could she do to help reach students in elementary and middle school and keep a passion for science alive, she wondered.

The answer was Science from Scientists, a nonprofit she founded while still at MIT in 2002. Initially, SfS focused on getting elementary school kids excited about science through participation in science fairs (something close to Angle’s heart). It didn’t 54 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

GIVING

runs the Boston-area for-profit biotech startup, Ixcela. “There are millions of nonprofits in the U.S.,” she continues. “Making sure we differentiated ourselves and had clear metrics that indicated impact helped us to grow and continue to get funded. We had to adapt.”

That evolution included the launch in 2017 of SpectacuLAB, a stage show at Epcot at Disney World, and a collaboration that same year with America’s Cup in Bermuda, as the international sailing competition’s official educational partner. In addition, and not surprisingly, SfS is in high demand in other cities across the country and abroad. Angle hopes to simultaneously focus on expanding the list of permanent sites, as well as continue to experiment

Teachers, for their part, “Enjoy watching their students come alive with our hands-on lesson plans that are relevant and informative, but also fun,” says Geraghty. “They have expressed that they have observed an improvement in students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to work within a group and adapt to positive role models.”

Patrice Geraghty, Ph.D., director of California operations for SfS, which operates in 14 schools in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. “Their ‘advice’ for us is that they would like us to come more often.” Teachers, for their part, “enjoy watching their students come alive with our hands-on lesson plans that are relevant and informative, but also fun,” Geraghty continues. “They expressed that they have observed an improvement in students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to work within a group and adapt to positive role models.”

“Building a business is hard,” says Angle, who earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine and also

The goal of Science from Scientists is to ensure the nation’s youth is competitive globally in STEM fields through exciting, informative, and engaging training by practicing scientists. The lesson topics address many standards within the new Next Generation Science Standards, as well as other state standards.

with large-format events that can reach thousands of children at a time—perhaps by acquiring a long-term corporate partner.

The big-picture metrics from the nonprofit’s surveys tell an important story, but for Angle, the feedback she and her staff receive from individual students or families is equally rewarding. At a recent open house for nonprofits in Massachusetts, for example, a woman approached the SfS table and introduced herself as the mother of a female program alum from 2005, when the little girl was in 4th grade. “Now, many years later, the daughter is in the process of getting her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and attributes that to having had Science from Scientists when she was a young student,” Angle shares. “She had a female SfS instructor who had always encouraged her to be a scientist/engineer and was inspired to do so. These are the types of stories we absolutely love to hear.” www.sciencefromscientists.org —ROBIN HINDERY

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 55

STYLE

2 1

3 WINTER FASHION

Après Ski Chic 4

The holidays may be over, but winter is just beginning. Here are some key pieces to keep you warm on—and off—the snow.

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There’s nothing more chic than white ski pants on the gondola. The Perfect Moment Aurora Stretch-Jersey Flared Ski Pants ($400) feature a stretch fabric that makes skiing a breeze, while the waterproof lining keeps you dry. www.perfectmoment.com Don’t skimp on that perfect beanie accessory. Instead, snatch up this Missoni Pom Pom-Embellished Intarsia Wool-Blend Beanie in brown ($265). It will move seamlessly from hours on the snowboard to evenings sipping hot toddies in the lodge.

Neiman Marcus, San Francisco, 415.362.3900. Everyone needs a good gray sweater in their closet. The Nili Lotan Lee Chunky-Knit Turtleneck Sweater ($850) is so slouchy and soft—pair it with a relaxed boyfriend jean and sneakers for those fireside chats. www.nililotan.com Sometimes, you just need a down coat that doesn’t look like any run-of-the-mill down coat. This very hip, very oversized Thom Browne Plaid Quilted Down Coat ($4,300) features a high color, detachable hood, and all the style. Barneys New York, San Francisco, 415.268.3500. Bogner x White Cube Malen-D Metallic Quilted Down Coat ($2,500) is made in glossy metallic and down-filled for absolute warmth.

Pair this luxurious coat, which features a pop of orange lining, with a dark skinny jean and black ankle booties. Wilkes Bashford, Stanford Shopping Center, 650.322.7080. There should be a law stating that one must purchase a new scarf every winter. And this Italian-made Acne Studios Cassiar Plaid Logo Scarf ($240) would make a plush addition to anyone’s collection. The cool logo detail and soft tartan print will perfectly transition from fall to spring. Acne Studios, San Francisco, 628.444.3238.

Everyone knows that gloves and rudimentary tasks often don’t mix.

Whether trying to type out a text on the iPhone or helping your little ones tie their shoes, easy access to the digits is necessary. So grab up these two-toned Rag & Bone Jonie Striped Ribbed-Knit Mittens ($125). Rag & Bone, San Francisco, 415.416.3978. Even if one has on all the layers, true warmth only comes from the right pair of shearling boots.

These Moncler New Fanny Suede Snow Boots ($480) are made in Italy and flecked in gold glitter. And while gorgeous to look at, they are also the coziest of cozy. www.net-a-porter.com

The Moncler Genius Chevron-Striped Shearling Jacket ($8,325) is just the perfect layering piece for those cold days on the slopes. It features a tuck-away hood and wrist gaiters that keep those hands both toasty and accessible. Moncler, San Francisco, www.moncler.com. Feel like the absolute Bond vixen in this Cordova Aspen Striped Stretch-Shell Snowsuit in navy ($920). The snowsuit is fully lined in fleece and the fit clings to all the curves. Plus, the slim legs will make tucking them into winter boots a breeze. www.modaoperandi.com

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—EMILY HEITMANN

FASHION | A GENTRY SPECIAL PROMOTION

The Carolina Button-Down Blouse

Contemporary Chic Parisian trained designer Amanda Manashi brings couture technique and detailing to her California-made small batch ready-to-wear line Arlum. Gentry catches up with the designer to discuss inspiration, versatility, and the power of a great skirt.

GENTRY: Your background?

AMANDA MANASHI: I grew up in Danville, California, with an older sister, younger brother, grandmother, and parents who ran their own aeronautical engineering consulting firm. While my parents’ business revolved around airplanes, they instilled creativity and maintained a love for architecture and design. Having grown up sewing and studying fashion history, I began my technical education focusing on womenswear design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In the summer before my senior year, I spent time working 58 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

for the whimsical formal wear label Marchesa in New York City.

Following graduation in San Francisco, I presented a collection of dresses and received a scholarship to attend the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris. From the historical couture institution known for breeding Creative Directors, including Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, and Karl Lagerfeld, earning a Master’s Degree in Women’s Wear Design led me to various design roles in Paris.

I took my draping and construction skills and worked with Coralie Marabelle,

a past Hermès and Alexander McQueen designer who creates “couture-to-wear” pieces. Next, I joined the tight-knit design team known for classic Parisian staples at Isabel Marant. Working closely with Isabel and the other designers, I worked directly with fabric development, and the development of soft tailored pieces and Victorian inspired draped cocktail dresses.

After contributing to many collections presented during Paris Fashion Week with Isabel Marant, I returned to New York City and worked in operations with Morgane Le Fay. GENTRY: Tell us about Arlum AM: I returned to California to start Arlum, a women’s ready-to-wear brand focusing on sizes 10 to 20. The initial three pieces in the first Arlum capsule collection were inspired by imagery revolving around women in the 1960’s. I drew on the classic cuts and soft tailoring women would wear throughout their days in this decade. Inspired by the “less is more” approach French women have to their wardrobe, I strived to create a blouse, a skirt, and a dress that could all serve as versatile and elevated staples worth holding onto.

A GENTRY SPECIAL PROMOTION

that may take her from desk to cocktails to time with her family.

GENTRY: What is the Arlum client looking for?

AM: The Arlum client is unbothered by trends. She invests in the pieces that will suit her body type and inspire confidence.

She is looking for quality pieces that will

Sophie Asymmetrical Skirt (here and above)

GENTRY: Who is the Arlum client?

AM: The Arlum client has a refined eye for design and curates a wardrobe of essentials that can transition from casual to professional and formal settings. Derived from the word heirloom, Arlum inspires customers to collect clothes for longevity. The Arlum woman is polished but does not sacrifice comfort when dressing for a week

| FASHION

look as relevant today as they will for years to come. She admires the small details in design, appreciates breathability in fabric and prioritizes the subtleties in fit and function.

GENTRY: Favorite pieces in the current collection?

AM: While each piece offers its own versatility, I personally love the Sophie Asymmetrical Skirt. It comes in three colors: black, a rich charcoal grey, and deep sapphire blue. The medium-weight ponte knit fabric is imported from Italy and draped beautifully for this soft tailored piece. The subtle A-line silhouette easily pairs with flats or heels and can be worn with a sweater for the weekend, silk blouse tucked in for work, or a belted peplum top to dress things up. The asymmetrical silhouette elongates the figure and there are hidden inseam pockets that bring an added level of comfort and ease to your day.

The Arlum collection is sold online at www.arlumstudio.com. Join the Arlum email list to receive information on trunk shows and pop up shops.

Dion Dress

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 59

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

60 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

Gentry spotlights a bevy of extraordinary women —from executives, entrepreneurs, and engineers to philanthropists, filmmakers, authors, and artists—who are making a difference on a local and global scale.

TEXT BY ROBIN HINDERY, STEFANIE LINGLE BEASLEY, JENNIFER MASSONI PHOTOGRAPHY BY DREW ALTIZER, JACK HUTCHESON, TRISHA LEEPER, AND JOHN AGCAOILI

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 61

A Future for Everyone Gentry connects with SAP’s new Head of People Sustainability and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Judith Michelle Williams.

In many ways, the title alone says it all: Head of People Sustainability and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. It articulates that global software corporation SAP is both paying attention to inequities in the workforce and its ecosystem, and also striving to make—and set a standard for—change. Leading the way for those changes at SAP is Judith Michelle Williams.

When we meet, Williams is 60 days into her new role, with well over 100 employees in the extended Diversity and Inclusion network at SAP, as well as her own People Sustainability team. Williams is based in South San Francisco, but travel is a key component of the job, with upcoming stops in Pennsylvania, Vancouver, and New York, as she continues to introduce herself to the multinational company.

“Right now, it’s about getting to know all of the key stakeholders, so people know me and I know them and I can have that face-to-face conversation with the folks who are on the ground,” she explains while sitting in a conference room on the 11th floor of SAP’s Tower 1, the skyline a mix of industrial and Bay views. “I talk to all the leaders and understand what their pain points are, what their interest is, help with their communications to explain that this is how we should talk about inclusion.”

Williams is building her own platform as she puts her title into practice, and she brings a unique skillset she earned, in part, in academia. “I have yet to meet someone who has my career path,” she says of earning her Ph.D. from Stanford in PHOTO: DREW ALTIZER / HAIR AND MAKEUP: GLAMSQUAD

62 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 63

Theater and Performance Studies and going on to tenure-track positions at Tufts University, the University of Kansas, and the University of Massachusetts. But she never quite felt at home on those campuses.

“The rubric that everyone had told me one should use for choosing a career or a life really hadn’t worked,” she acknowledges. “We tell young people, ‘Do what you love, and everything will fall into place.’ And I did that. I loved theater and I loved literature and I thought, this is what I will do. But it turns out that it’s not just do what you love—it’s finding a way of working that makes sense for the life that you want. So I had to think differently about what I wanted to do at this stage of my life, and I really had no idea.”

Williams did know two things: she wanted to travel for work and she wanted to have a home base back in California. Over the past 12 years, she has worked for four companies— and started her own business—here in the Bay Area and hasn’t had to move once from her San Francisco home. And over that time, she’s put those academic skills, such as researching, problem solving, and an impressive degree of comfort speaking in front of different groups of people, to work. Knowing she wanted to break into the business world, she started studying The Wall Street Journal and business sections of The New York Times and Washington Post daily, and diligent networking soon landed her at the Corporate Executive Board, as what was then called a Research Director, in Human Resources. “While I was there working around strategic issues around HR, we would get requests for diversity and inclusion. Today, they have more of a practice focused on diversity and inclusion, but at that time (a decade ago), they did not,” she recalls. “I developed the experience by doing that off the side of my desk.” When a company buyout was offered, Williams took it and started her own diversity and leadership consulting practice with an attorney. After career interests took them in different directions, Williams went in-house at Google, where she led “unconscious bias” workshops as Diversity Programs Manager for over four years. Her next stop was Dropbox as Global Head of Diversity.

But after losing her mother quickly to illness, Williams again took stock of what she wanted out of her life and career. She then took on consulting work with startup accelerators, VCs, and organizations like Reframe, “a partnership with women and film and the Sundance Institute. The goal is to increase gender balance in film, TV, and digital media,” Williams explains. “I helped them develop their culture-change roadmap and also some curricula around the question: How do we create a more diverse and balanced ecosystem?” It was also important to see diversity among women as well, she continues. “We worked really hard in thinking about: How do we make sure that intersectionality isn’t lost?”

Then SAP called. Her first reaction? Surprise. But as Williams got to know the company, its focus on innovation, and the members of what is now her HR peer group, she saw real parallels. “If you think about SAP’s mission—we help companies run better so we can improve peoples’ lives—and someone who’s been working to expand opportunity, there’s a really great alignment. There’s also the fact that at SAP we build the technology on which

“If you think about SAP’s mission—we help companies run better so we can improve peoples’ lives—and someone who’s been working to expand opportunity, there’s a really great alignment. There’s also the fact that at SAP we build the technology on which businesses run, so we want to think about: How do we build the technology for inclusion? SAP is truly poised to build that technology and ensure that as businesses grow and change, we’re thinking about building a future for everyone and not just some people.”

64 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

businesses run, so we want to think about: How do we build the technology for inclusion? SAP is truly poised to build that technology and ensure that as businesses grow and change, we’re thinking about building a future for everyone and not just some people.”

In action, that has Williams talking to product managers about their product road maps so the products can effectively drive inclusion. “And that’s going to be really salient to not only the way we use it, but then how our customers use it,” she says. It also has SAP revising goals it strives for and meets, like having 30% of women in leadership roles by 2022 after surpassing its goal of 25% in 2017. “That’s something that we’ll continue to work for, making sure that we continue to promote women at executive levels and ultimately all levels of the business,” Williams stresses. “SAP was one of the first tech companies to be EDGE certified, and that’s really an international standard where we agree to be measured, and we’re going to continue to drive on our gender equality.”

Meanwhile, the leads on programs like Autism at Work, “a flagship program for bringing neurodiverse people into SAP,” Williams explains, are asked to speak globally about establishing such programs and supporting its participants, putting SAP in a real pioneering position. “SAP does have quite a lot of influence, both in its technology in terms of its reputation among its customers and the ecosystem,” she says.

As Williams looks ahead to the rest of 2019, she is excited to keep building on this programming, while bringing critical thought to real impact—and not just activity—measures. So, she says, rather than asking how many sessions might have been held of a certain workshop, ask also: “What do we do next? What’s the impact? And what have we done to change the culture? If we’re saying that unconscious bias is the lever by which we create a more inclusive culture, then we need to have some impact measures so we know that that is happening. I’m really focused on identifying key impact measures, which is why having a goal of 30% women in leadership by 2022 is so important. It is also important to think aspirationally, to ask ourselves: Is this program delivering the kind of impact that we want?”

These driving questions, this professor-like inquiry, harken back to those earlier passions of hers—for performance and education, for communication and connection. “I studied theater as an artifact of culture,” Williams concludes of the correlations, “and I’m really interested in culture, the way culture changes, the way culture thinks about itself. I feel like I still get to do that.” —JENNIFER MASSONI PARDINI

PHOTO: DREW ALTIZER / HAIR AND MAKEUP: GLAMSQUAD

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 65

PHOTO: JACK HUTCHESON

that served her well growing up in Southern Maryland to parents who modeled hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit but who had never attended college. Young Jill became a quick study of what it would take to successfully apply to top schools, and she attended Towson University and then Georgetown, where she met future husband Pete and earned a master’s degree in security studies.

Living and working in D.C. after Georgetown, she developed and implemented growth strategies in intelligence, defense, civilian and consumer markets. Then, Pete was accepted to Stanford Business School and the couple moved to the Bay Area with their 6-month-old baby girl (they now have two daughters).

A mother-daughter outing to a school playground near her home led to Koziol’s next venture, after she realized no product yet existed to help turn a standard swing into a bucket swing safe for infants. She designed and patented the SwingEase to solve that problem, and developed the Millennial-focused HoneyBee Child brand to market that and other stylish, upscale products.

In 2015, Koziol was contacted by a loose acquaintance, journalist Liz Tenety, a New Yorker who wanted to create a new type of mom-focused media company. Koziol was happy to share her advice, but she couldn’t shake a nagging feeling that something bigger was out there for the taking—or, as she puts it, “white space” waiting to be filled.

“The next Monday, I called Liz back and said, ‘I know you don’t know me but I think we should partner on this and Inc. build not a media company, but a brand,’” she recalls.

Tenety agreed, and Motherly was born.

So far, the brand has engaged with its audience primarily through online content, whether a week-by-week guide to pregnancy, an online video class on decluttering your home, news stories relevant to parenting, or Instagram mantras that convey Motherly’s “aspirational, empowering, nonjudgmental” tone, Koziol says. But many more things are coming this year, including the launch this month of “The Motherly Podcast,” an ongoing collaboration with online publishing platform Medium on “The Future of Parenthood,” the March debut of a line of breastfeeding and pregnancy pillows, and the publication that same month of This Is Motherhood, Motherly’s first book (available now for pre-order on Amazon).

“We felt that no one was talking to the new generation of mothers in a way that reflects their experience,” Koziol says. She describes the brand’s expansion as an effort to build the Martha Stewart Living of the Millennial generation, minus the omnipresence of a single personality. “For the Motherly mom, we’re already in her heart, we’re on her phone, and now we want to be in her home.”

Koziol stresses the belief that mothers these days should not have to choose either/or—loving or ambitious, nurturing or strong. Similarly, she sees no limits when it comes to her company’s potential.

And so far, we don’t either. —ROBIN HINDERY

Rebranding Motherhood Jill Koziol—Co-Founder and CEO, Motherly, After spending much of her early career as a strategy consultant for the CIA, NSA, and other powerful organizations, Jill Koziol’s resume carries some impressive weight. But even those agencies are dwarfed by the three-letter entity she’s serving now: MOM. Koziol is the co-founder and CEO of Motherly, Inc., a community-driven lifestyle brand aimed at Millennial women whose aim is nothing short of “redefining motherhood.” Since its launch on Mother’s Day (naturally) in 2015, the company has developed a fiercely loyal and ever-increasing following, based largely on “organic, mom-to-mom sharing” of its content, Koziol says.

Having raised $2.2 million and employing a staff of about two dozen people—both extremely small figures compared to its main competitors—Motherly currently boasts an average of more than 80 million articles read or videos watched each month by an audience of more than 25 million. The week leading up to my interview with Koziol at her Menlo Park home just after Thanksgiving (all of Motherly’s employees work remotely), the site’s unique audience had reached 80% of that of digital media company Refinery 29, which employs about 400 people. “We’re punching far above our weight,” Koziol says proudly.

Koziol is naturally positive, ambitious, and determined—traits 66 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

The Next Inspiration

“My parents both hail from Baghdad,” relates Gabrielle Zilkha, who goes by Gabby.

“Our family ancestry dates back thousands of years there. It was incredibly difficult for them to leave, but they escaped and started lives in New York. There is a strong IraqiJewish community in New York and that’s how my mother and father met.”

Zilkha’s father started his immigrant journey as a dishwasher in a New York restaurant. He finally put together enough savings to purchase a coffee cart. His new bride pitched in and started baking for the enterprise that eventually became a successful catering business. “I grew up on Long Island,” recalls Zilkha, “in a entrepreneurial household that placed a strong emphasis on work ethic.”

Zilkha was fascinated by business from an early age. “I saw it not just as a way to gain security, but as a tool to make change,” she says. “In high school, I joined a business club called DECA and simultaneously watched a documentary on the founders of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. I was fascinated by the concept that a business could have a social impact—that a flavor of ice cream could help the rainforest and more.” Zilkha majored in business and psychology with a minor in East Asian studies while at Brandeis University, where she earned the Eli J. and Phyllis N. Segal Fellowship for Citizen Leadership at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

“Eli Segal helped develop the AmeriCorps program under Clinton,” says Zilkha. “The Segal Citizen Leadership Program was established to commemorate his legacy and to develop new generations of citizen leaders.” As a Segal Fellow, Zilkha had the opportunity to spend a summer internship at Time Warner in the Corporate Responsibility department, where she worked closely with Segal Program Founder Steve Silverman. “After that experience,” says Zilkha, “I knew that I wanted to go into some kind of National service.”

But not before she gained some international experience. Zilkha traveled to China for a two-month college program at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. “I got involved with some entrepreneurs who were launching an app geared at the expat com-

PHOTO: JACK HUTCHESON

Gabrielle Zilkha— Product Owner @ SAP Conversational AI

munity and decided to stay for an additional four months and intern with their development team,” she recalls.

Upon graduating from Brandeis, Zilkha joined the City Year program with Americorps, working with 4th- and 5th-grade students on STEAM lessons in Silicon Valley. “I created activities and plans to help catch my students up to grade level—it was an incredible experience. While I was there, I discovered that SAP was a big supporter of the program and had the chance to take a shadow day at SAP. I was so excited to learn about the purpose-driven nature of SAP.” It was Zilkha’s first exposure to enterprise software. She was quickly offered a spot in SAP’s Silicon Valley Next Talent Program.

“I am now a Product Owner @ SAP Conversational AI,” she notes.

“I work with a team of product owners developing an AI app. We are constantly asking questions and discovering ways to build value for the customer service field.”

While Zilkha’s career is in its formative stage, it is clear that there is a bright future ahead for this talented and multi-faceted young woman. —STEFANIE LINGLE BEASLEY JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 67

PHOTO: TRISHA LEEPER / HAIR AND MAKEUP: HALO, MENLO PARK

The Swimming Scholar Katie Ledecky—Olympian and Stanford Junior To sum up Katie Ledecky’s accomplishments in the pool is no small task. The freestyle force and world record-holder made her first ascent onto an Olympic starting block back in 2012 at the London Games, where she won gold at just 15. When it came time to compete in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, she made that four golds and one silver—making her the most decorated female athlete of those Games and second-most decorated athlete, behind only teammate Michael Phelps. And while it comes as little surprise that she has sights on Tokyo 2020, she is also carrying a full course load at Stanford, where she is a psychology major in her junior year.

On campus, the swimmer in Ledecky is impossible to miss, her posture and strength formed by 15 years now in the pool. “My mom thought the best way for us to meet people was to join the swim team,” Ledecky recalls of her earliest laps at age 6 back in Bethesda, Maryland. “We started swimming and all of a sudden had a hundred friends.” Ledecky also stayed active with basketball, soccer, Irish dancing, and piano, but when she broke her arm playing basketball in 4th grade, she was most disappointed about being kept out of the water. When she got back in, there was no stopping her. She worked her way up from local and national records to qualifying for Olympic trials at the age of 14.

Of walking onto an Olympic stage one year later, Ledecky says, “It was never something I dreamed of, but it was like a dream when I was there. My race wasn’t until the very end of the swimming, so I got to sit there and watch everybody, and I think that made me feel like I belonged in that setting and with those swimmers. Just watching them succeed gave me so much excitement and motivation.” As for her race, the 800-meter freestyle, she took home that first gold. By the time she got to Rio four years later, Ledecky had a full swimming schedule, and the rest is Olympic history. “I wasn’t a spectator until the very last day,” she says.

Within weeks, she entered Stanford as a college freshman. And here at the university, it’s easy to spot something else definitive in Ledecky—the absolute joy she finds in being on campus. With a big smile you would recognize from her iconic wins, she walks us over to the Quad and catches us up about her latest decisions and endeavors, both in and out of the pool. After leading Stanford to two NCAA Championships, she turned professional last March while remaining a full-time student. She will be able to focus on preparing for 2020 and still train with her team, an arena Ledecky continues to rely on for those friendships and camaraderie. “They are just really great people, very motivated both in the pool and in their academics, and that, I think, sharpens all of us,” she says of teammates, many of whom will also be competing for Olympic trials.

While she is carrying a full class load right now, she will cut back leading into 2020 and come back to full classes to graduate, though she isn’t rushing it. “I love it here. The longer I spend here the better. If I could live at Stanford the rest of my life, I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” she says in good humor.

She will also have more time to continue the educational outreach she is passionate about, as she adds local schools to the long list of those she’s spoken to back home in D.C. and works on programs and partnerships that explore STEM or entrepreneurship, which she sees being of interest to kids in Silicon Valley.

Ledecky, having followed her own interests from swimming to psychology to education, is an ideal representative. “At the end of the day, I started swimming just for fun and never imagined it would take me this far,” she says. “I can give back that message that I found something that I loved and got pretty good at and am continuing to do. I think if kids can find something like that and grow with that, that’s a great thing.” —JENNIFER MASSONI PARDINI JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 69

The Power of Curiosity Mala Anand—Executive Vice President, SAP Leonardo | Data & Analytics | Industries

PHOTO: JACK HUTCHESON

“Curiosity has shaped my career and defines who I am,” Mala Anand relates. Anand grew up in Mumbai and had a passion for science and math from an early age. “I was always very curious to learn and try new things,” she notes. Anand’s parents held science in the highest regard and instilled in her a love for how things work. “They are both physicians,” she says, “my father a cardiologist and my mother a pediatrician.”

for Corosoft (BMC), Rapt (Microsoft), and Beyond, Inc. Anand went on to lead enterprise software and go-to-market teams at Oracle and Digital Equipment Corporation, focusing on software products and technology vision, go-to-market strategies, and delivering enterprise software and services. From there, she spent a decade at Cisco leading the company’s Data and Analytics | Automation Software Platforms business with a focus on innovative solutions to aggregate and analyze today’s hyper-distributed and real-time streaming data.

A strategic thinker with multiple technology patents to her credit, Anand was recruited most recently to SAP for the role of Executive Vice President Leonardo | Data & Analytics with a goal of delivering innovative solutions to the market that help customers develop informed, timely insights to establish new modes of engaging their workforce and customers.

“SAP’s Leonardo digital innovation platform is fascinating,” notes Anand. “It combines software capabilities across machine learning, Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and analytics, all on the cloud platform using advanced design thinking services and creating differentiated business outcomes for customers.” Her primary focus is on market acceleration, product development, and adoption in one of SAP’s core areas of integrated innovation.

When asked how the landscape has changed for women in technology over the years, Anand stresses that she sees positive improvements, but believes it’s up to women with established tech careers to give back. “Mentoring is so important,” she says.

“I think being able to mentor and encourage women in this field is critical to instilling confidence and learning to take risks.

Women need to aim high and know that they can walk through the doors of technology and succeed, but they must be surrounded by a network of mentors.” A strong believer in teamwork, Anand points to Nelson Mandela as a source of inspiration.

“He shaped a lot of my thinking,” she relates. “He had a desire for constant learning and was a great unifier—so critical when building teams.”

Team building extends into Anand’s home life as well. When she’s not at work, Anand loves to travel with her husband and two teenage sons. “Travel and exploration have always been a great passion of ours,” she says emphatically. “We treasure that quality time together and have worked hard to maintain that over the years.”

Anand earned a spot at the University of Massachusetts to study computer science. She followed it up with a master’s in Computer Science from Brown University. “I selected Brown because I wanted to pursue research in data, and Brown was very strong in the data base arena,” she says.

Upon graduating from the university, Anand worked for several startups and jumped into the VC world as Entrepreneur in Residence for Kleiner Perkins. She also developed software products 70 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

—STEFANIE LINGLE BEASLEY

PHOTO: JACK HUTCHESON

College wasn’t an option for Nguyen. “It was a necessity,” she says emphatically. “It was my only way to a better life.” The ambitious young Nguyen was accepted at UC Santa Cruz, where she majored in history. “I then went to the University of Chicago for my master’s degree,” she notes, “and returned to Santa Cruz to pursue a Ph.D. in sociology, and then taught sociology classes at De Anza.” It was during that period of time that Nguyen began studying the local Vietnamese community.

“I realized that this vibrant community had been in San Jose for 25 years, yet did not have a voice in local government,” she recalls.

“I decided to run for a seat on the local school board.” She ran against three incumbents in 2001 and won. Four years later, Nguyen ran for San Jose City Council in a special election to replace Terry Gregory in District 7. She won with 62% of the vote and became the first Vietnamese American to serve on the San Jose City Council.

In 2011, Mayor Chuck Reed nominated Nguyen as Vice Mayor, and she was unanimously approved by the City Council. “It is still hard for me to believe that an immigrant like myself could be Vice Mayor of one of America’s 10 largest cities,” she notes. “This is why parents risked so much—they wanted us to have opportunity.”

Nguyen attempted to run for Mayor in 2014, but came in fourth. She says, “Once you run for public office, it’s in your blood.” Nguof SVO yen does not rule out jumping back into an election in the future, but for now her focus is on pushing Silicon Valley Organization (SVO) to be a driver of public policy throughout the Valley. She wants SVO to work with more nonprofits like Hunger at Home (the nonprofit she ran until January 2018). “Groups like SVO,” says Nguyen, “don’t typically touch on issues like homelessness and hunger, but they can have a major impact of small and large businesses.”

During her precious downtime away from advocating for SVO’s 1,400-member businesses, Nguyen enjoys spending time with her daughter and husband. “I love to read, too,” she notes. “I think my years in academia have really influenced me. I will read policy position papers late into the night.”

When asked if her parents are proud of her accomplishments, Nguyen relates, “They are now, but not at first. They left Vietnam because of politics and couldn’t believe I would choose to go into this field, but now see its value. Politics is really a mechanism to enable people without a voice to have one.” —STEFANIE LINGLE BEASLEY

The Dreamer Madison Nguyen—Executive Vice President Speaking from her new office at the Silicon Valley Organization (formerly the San Jose Chamber of Commerce), Madison Nguyen recalls her childhood. One of her very first memories is of leaving her homeland, Vietnam, via a fishing boat in the middle of the night—she was just 4 years old. “My parents risked everything for the American Dream,” she says. “All nine of us crowded onto the boat (Nguyen had seven siblings at the time). We were at sea for seven days before a ship from the Philippines rescued us.”

The Nguyen family spent the next three years in a refugee camp in the Philippines until a Lutheran church in Scottsdale, Arizona, sponsored them to come to the U.S.. Nguyen’s father worked as a janitor at the church, but his single salary did not go far enough to care for the family. In need of finding work for more of the family, they moved to Modesto. “I woke up at 4AM,” notes Nguyen. “I was in the fields picking fruit with my parents by 5:30AM every day— weekends, summers, any day that I was not in school.”

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PHOTO: JOHN AGCAOILI

The Mindfulness Maven Yvonne Tally—Author of Breaking Up with Busy & Founder of Poised You’re on deadline for a big work project. You volunteered to be room parent. You sit on a charitable board. You fit in exercise when you can, not to mention running a household, where your partner or kids have competing commitments. If any of this sounds familiar, you have a lot in common with the “overscheduled women” described in author Yvonne Talley’s new book, Breaking Up with Busy.

You’d also have a lot in common with Tally herself, whose personal breakup with busy started after suffering an eye-opening panic attack—her first and only—back in 2012. “I missed my own signs of being overscheduled and over busy,” Tally explains of once getting by on five hours sleep while maintaining a heavy-duty work schedule and the responsibilities of raising her daughter as a single mother. “Now, we can do this, and I mean ‘we’ as women,” Tally emphasizes. “But it’s being able to sustain it in a healthy way.

And that was the knock on the head.”

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As co-founder of Poised—a health and fitness company based in Menlo Park that she has run with business partner and best friend Jill Plant since 2000—Tally was in the ideal position to make necessary lifestyle changes. “I work with companies, organizations, nonprofits, and individuals to expand their wellness through mindfulness and health,” explains Tally, who found her own starting point with mindfulness, something she had ironically lost track of as she both prescribed and pursued an otherwise healthy lifestyle.

It’s easy to lose track when “busy” has become the norm, Tally lays out in the book. It’s part status symbol, part cultural ideology, and part measure of success. “Busyness is not just a behavior; it is an ethos that claims ownership of our time,” she writes. “Moving away from busy behavior takes more than just solutions; it requires each of us to discover the motivation underneath our behavior.”

To identify those motivations and seek solutions, Tally spoke with other women and found she wasn’t alone. “Most women have felt like an overscheduled woman at some point in their lives, especially when raising a family and building a career simultaneously,” she says, noting that many of her female clients who do not have children still experience unrealistic levels of expectation and demand. It’s this “imbalance between obligation and expectation and the lack of personal replenishment that leaves many women feeling like they can’t catch up with their lives.” The things that would help—a little more leisure time, saying no to that next ask— often come with a sense of guilt, especially for women. (Again, sound familiar?)

While Tally’s book is full of exercises to help identify your own motivations and solutions, she says there are three things anyone can do to break free from common busy traps in small, incremental shifts: simply slow down the way you walk, talk, and drive. “Try that for one day just to get a feel for where your pace is. Then you can start to see or create a shift,” says Tally, who advises making one shift at a time—from one minute of daily meditation to cutting back on social media by five minutes a day—in order to make manageable and valuable changes in overall wellness, as well as the well-being of our most important inner circles of family and enjoyments.

Having now raised her daughter, Juliette, who is 26 and building a marketing career, Tally notes she is already leaning on mindful solutions. “I’m thrilled she’s adopted, at her young age, the meditation, the yoga, that holistic lifestyle when it comes to solving difficult situations. I think a big thing, especially for Millennials, is that they can create that space where they can unplug in a way that’s going to nurture them, away from the tech and the fast pace of continuous distraction.”

No matter our generation, be it the one that worked so hard to have it all, the one often overscheduled with it all, or the one connected 24/7, Tally’s thesis is an important reminder that we can all afford to slow things down. Perhaps then, busy for the sake of busy will look a little less familiar. —JENNIFER MASSONI PARDINI

The Events Guru What do Tim McGraw, Ronnie Lott, and Hunter Pence have in common? They’ve all worked closely with Bay Area-based events specialist Kelley O’Brien. Indeed, O’Brien’s rock-star contact list reads like a who’s who of the entertainment, sports, and philanthropic world. For nearly 25 years, she’s perfected her craft of creating flawless events that range from intimate 20-person dinner parties to concerts, to major fundraising events that fill up venues like AT&T Park.

“I started in retail,” recalls O’Brien. “While I was going to school at FIDM, I took a job at Nordstrom. I rose through the ranks quickly and became the youngest Personal Touch manager in the company’s history.” O’Brien’s skills were spotted by the special events team and she quickly started developing programs for the retailer.

In 2000, she was recruited to join NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott’s All Stars Helping Kids—a charitable organization designed to seed-fund nonprofit startups serving low-income youth. “Ronnie launched All Stars Helping Kids after gathering a few friends together for a dinner to benefit the local community,” says O’Brien.

“The evening raised $100,000. In 1989, that was a large sum. It spurred Ronnie to create the charity. I was brought in as Director of Special Events to design/execute events that would help fund the organization’s goals and take their existing events to the next level.”

O’Brien oversaw The Ronnie Lott Celebrity Invitational Golf Classic at Pebble Beach, which included over 40 different celebrity performers and participants, including Al Gore, John Elway, Buzz Aldrin, Penny Marshall, Howie Mandel, Dwight Clark, Joe Montana, Sterling Sharpe, Keri Walsh, and Kristi Yamaguchi, as well as An Evening of Music, Art, & Heart, which featured such world-renowned artists as Jackson Browne, Kenny Loggins, Lionel Richie, Harry Connick, Jr., Natalie Cole, and Darius Rucker.

Five years later, the CEO of UCSF personally asked O’Brien to establish and build a Special Events and Community Relations department at UCSF Medical Center. “I loved the challenge,” recalls O’Brien fondly of her decade-long position at UCSF. “We were able to be really creative.” Highlights during her tenure included the opening events and gala for the Mission Bay Hospital, the Chancellor Leadership Speaking Series, which included speakers like Sheryl Sandberg, and the UCSF Concert for Kids in partnership with the Salesforce.com Foundation, which draws some top names in entertainment like Bruno Mars, the Foo Fighters, Green Day, and U2.

In 2015, O’Brien made the move to launch her own eponymous firm. “The timing felt right,” she says of the move. “I wanted to be able to leverage my skills and relationships to help clients and a variety of charities. I so love what I do. We don’t just put on great parties, we strive to make memories. We bring people together often for inspiring causes. There’s nothing more rewarding than spotlighting a charity that’s making an impact.” —STEFANIE LINGLE BEASLEY

PHOTO: JACK HUTCHESON / CLOTHING: BROOKS BROTHERS, SAN FRANCISCO

Kelley O’Brien—Founder of Kelley O’Brien Events

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PHOTO: JACK HUTCHESON

have occurred institutionally throughout the history of art,” Alexander says. “Ultimately, this address only enhances the state of field, because you get to tell more challenging—and more representative—stories. We’re in a moment right now where a lot of museums are reevaluating their role, and, importantly, value, in contemporary society. So I’m very excited to be able to participate in that conversation.”

In her new role at the Cantor, Alexander is continuing to bring her passion to the invaluable contributions of so-called “outsider” or “self-taught” artists, as she works to reinstall the Cantor’s modern and contemporary galleries. “I’ll be bringing some of these artists’ work into the installation to reinvigorate our collection and help us more accurately reflect the diversity of modern and contemporary art,” she says. In that vein, the Cantor is opening three exhibits beginning in February: The Medium is the Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, Ph.D.—Assistant Curator Message: Art Since 1950; Josiah McElheny: of American Art, Cantor Arts Center Island Universe; and STRAY: A Graphic Tone, featuring the work of Shannon Ebner.

When speaking to Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, one can hear two And in March, Alexander is bringing artist and musician Lonnie distinct emotions in her voice. First, there’s the relief. The Assistant Holley to the Cantor, where some of his pieces will be on display as Curator of American Art at Stanford University’s Cantor Arts part of The Medium is the Message.

Center recently completed her dissertation, earning her Ph.D. from Alexander is quick to point to John & Jill Freidenrich Director UCSB’s Department of the History of Art and Architecture. Over Susan Dackerman as the driving force behind the Cantor’s “re-enseven years, she worked on “Unaccountable Modernisms: The visioning,” saying, “One of the major reasons I wanted to come to Black Arts of Post-Civil Rights Alabama,” researching, meeting, and the Cantor is because her vision for the museum is so exciting and eventually assisting in exhibiting work by a group of black male necessary.” Alexander also tips her hat to fellow curators Dr. Padma artists from the Birmingham area of Alabama.

Maitland, Patrick J.J. Maveety Assistant Curator of Asian Art, and As for that other emotion in her voice, it comes from her genDr. Elizabeth Mitchell, Burton and Deedee McMurtry Curator and uine, energizing excitement for bringing a broad and diverse field Director of the Curatorial Fellowship Program. “We’re all collecof American Art and American Art History into wider focus. “The tively working on turning the Cantor into an even more vibrant black South has produced some of the greatest artistic movements arts center of Silicon Valley,” she says. Being housed on the Stanand artists of the 20th century,” she notes. “Long overlooked, the ford campus is an extension of that collaborative ethos for Alexproduction of this region is an essential part of the narrative of ander, who loves being part of a university, a setting that offers American art.” both the opportunity to be experimental as well as the vital curiosAs the Jane and Morgan Whitney Fellow in Modern and Conity of a student body. temporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City The theme of education also plays back into Alexander’s driving over this past year, Alexander assisted curators Randy Griffey and passion for inclusion. “Often, artists who are not formally trained Amelia Peck with the exhibition, History Refused to Die: Highlights tend to get marginalized in Art History, or the intellectual power of from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation Gift. Three of the artists their work is not thoroughly acknowledged,” she says. “We must she was then writing about were included in the exhibit (and she have a more nuanced and expansive understanding of what concontinues to write about two of them today for an upcoming showstitutes an education, and who has the ability to access certain kinds ing at the Cantor). “Museums have a social, intellectual, and moral of education.” Under such direction at art institutions like the Canimperative to really address the inequities and the oversights that tor, greater access indeed feels granted. —JENNIFER MASSONI PARDINI

The Artist’s Champion

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The Problem Solver Yael Garten—Director, Siri Data Science and Engineering, Apple

PHOTO: JACK HUTCHESON

My work writing about Yael Garten for this issue began with a question—but not for Yael Garten. “Siri, what is data science?” I asked my iPhone. The response (pulled from Wikipedia): Data science is an interdisciplinary field that uses scientific processes and systems to extract knowledge or insights from data.

This seemed insufficient to describe the profession Harvard Business Review dubbed “the sexiest job of the 21st century” in 2012. So to find out more, it was time to turn to Garten, Apple’s director of Siri Data Science and Engineering. Speak to me like a kindergartener, I requested; what’s your job all about?

A data scientist, she explained, is “a person who finds a problem that is important to solve —like predicting weather, how safe a piece of electronic device is, how good a medicine will be for a specific person, what part of a product experience can be measurably improved, where a company should invest its resources (money and people)—and solves it using math and statistics, creative analytical thinking, and computer programming, to prototype, experiment, analyze, recommend, and build.” The “science” in data science comes from creating a method of analysis that is both rigorous and reproducible, she continues, and there’s an art to it as well, in the form of figuring out how to represent an oftenvast, real-world problem as data points that can be analyzed. Okay, that’s more like it.

Garten joined Apple in 2017 after six years spent working in data science at LinkedIn. She describes her team’s mission as improving Apple’s voice assistant “by using data as the voice of our customers. At Apple, we focus on creating products that enrich people’s lives, and Siri enables people to get things done better, faster, and safer.”

A lifelong passion for scientific experimentation, two parents who worked as computer programmers, and a stint in the Israeli Army working in Intelligence (Garten was born in Israel and her family moved back when she was 14 after a dozen years on the East Coast) all helped point her toward pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Computational Biology—the use of software and algorithm design to solve problems in biology and medicine.

She went on to receive a master’s in Bioinformatics from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and then moved to Califor-

nia to attend Stanford, where she received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Informatics in 2010. Her thesis focused on pharmacogenomics, the study of how genetic variation in humans impacts our response to drugs. She developed a system that understands and infers from scientific literature the critical interactions between genes, drugs, and diseases, and provides researchers and clinicians with useful predictions of potentially harmful drug interactions.

“I really believe in data-informed (not data-driven) product development,” Garten explains. “Fundamentally any problem can be better solved, and any decision can be better made, using data.”

When she’s not hanging out with Siri in Cupertino, Garten can be found spending time with her husband and three kids, ages 11, 9, and 4. Her hobbies include hiking, travel, and photography— preferably all three at once. She also volunteers her time to Project Cornerstone, an initiative of the YMCA of Silicon Valley that works to build a web of support around young people so they feel valued, respected, and known. In and out of work, she is an active advocate advancing Women in STEM. Garten’s passion is evident and infectious. “I want to make sure that the work I do has real impact on as many people as it can,” she shares. “My passion for data science leadership is about enabling organizations to realize maximum potential utilizing measurement as a way of life to make better decisions.” —ROBIN HINDERY JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 75

VENTURES IN

BABYSITTING San Francisco-based UrbanSitter has raised $40 million in VC funding. Gentry catches up with CEO Lynn Perkins to discuss the secrets of her success.

Story by David Needle Photography by Jack Hutcheson

Lynn Perkins cofounded the popular UrbanSitter, the San Francisco-based company that has proven to be a godsend to parents in need of childcare. The website and app has facilitated over 700,000 babysitting jobs across 65 cities and has more than 500,000 members. A mom of three boys, Lynn was once a babysitter herself and launched the site back in 2011 to help both babysitters and families find the best match. The company has raised $40 million in venture capital funding to date.

What made you think to disrupt the babysitting industry?

Babysitting has been around a long time, but we haven’t changed the performance of babysitting. What I realized was that parents really want a trusted connection before they hire a childcare provider. I’d hear over and over again from friends who would say, “Oh, your babysitter is fantastic, does she have other friends available?”

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And that led to starting the company?

I had been taking some time off from my previous job. I love helping people find restaurants or jobs, and I was constantly finding babysitters and nannies for my friends. I actually found my cofounder a nanny. One thing I kept hearing was that people wanted babysitter referrals, and I started to think about how all these technology trends like peer-to-peer recommendations might help.

You were able to raise money and launch in the Bay Area?

Initially, though it was a frothy time to raise money, we waited to make sure we had a real business. We started in San Francisco, and the Peninsula was second. The question we wanted to answer was, “Do people want this and will they be repeat customers?”

The rest, I guess, is history. It worked.

We showed trusted referrals from day one

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 77

and we got people sitters, though back then it might take up to a day to find a sitter. Now, with mobile and being able to access the service through an app, the average response time in San Francisco or Palo Alto is three minutes.

What? That’s incredible!

It’s because the sitters are all on their devices. The sitters love this because it’s tied to when they’re available to work. Back in college, I used to constantly get phone calls like, “Are you free Tuesday?” And answer or call them back, “No I’m not.” Here, the request only comes for when they are free and they have their phone with them and can respond really fast.

I’ve heard UrbanSitter compared to OpenTable, but really there is a similarity to Uber.

It’s like Uber with a little more trust; it is not a commodity. Versus a driver being assigned to you, we know parents want to be involved and pick the sitter.

What if I’m in Menlo Park and need a sitter, but I’ve never used UrbanSitter and I don’t know anyone who has?

First, we get your zip code and we’ll say, “Oh great, there are 33 families in your area that use UrbanSitter and here are two sitters that have sat for two kids the same 78 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

age as yours.” We also know that there are groups popular in this area like PAMP (Palo Alto Menlo Park Parents) Club and we might ask, “We see you are in this zip code.

Do you know about PAMP?” Or we might ask, “Does your child go to Ravenswood Elementary School?” You select these things and you confirm these are your groups. Or if you need a sitter tonight and your kids go to Duveneck Elementary School, it will say to me, “Lynn, of the 2,000 babysitters in Palo Alto, a hundred of them are available tonight,” and the algorithm will show the ones who babysit for kids at Duvenak Elementary higher in the results.

Does the website work like Uber or iTunes, where you get a piece of each transaction?

We don’t get a cut; it’s a subscription. Payments are all through the platform. Parents love that because at the end you’re not looking for your wallet, it takes away that transaction feel. And the sitters like it because they say they get tipped more and they are less likely to spend it right away because it’s not cash.

Why would they get tipped more?

With cash, people round up and it might not be that much. On the app there is a box to tip and people feel more obligated to give a tip when it’s presented like that.

So outside of the Bay Area, is this a franchise?

No. In other areas like Denver, it’s the same idea as here. When we go to a market, we look for sitters in highly qualified areas. In the Bay Area, for instance, people love the USF nursing students; here on the Peninsula, the Menlo College students, particularly the athletes, are very popular; in the East Bay, Mills College and Saint Mary’s sitters are popular.

How is the turnover?

The sitters stay in the network because they like being able to control their schedule.

We know an absolute sign of trust is when you’ve invited a sitter into your home more than once. It’s not uncommon in this area to have a sitter that has 50 five-star reviews and 40 repeat families.

To use a tech industry phrase, there’s no barrier to entry here, right? Anyone could enter this business.

The competitor space is interesting. It’s really hard to build up the social network that helps parents make decisions, so that’s sort of our secret sauce.

The Bay Area is your biggest region?

We now have half-a-million babysitters on the platform. San Francisco is bigger than New York, but New York is catching up.

Can you truly open a new region like Denver without having staff there?

Right, that’s a big thing in the evolution of our business. It used to be we would send a team to a new region like Brooklyn and partner with all the parent groups manually. Then we realized we could launch different regions on the platform. We are also a corporate benefit for companies that can see a lack of childcare prevents employees from being at work on certain days.

They’ll give you your UrbanSitter member-

“What resonated for me was that technology could help what was already a tangible need.

It felt like a better solution for both sides, and I was drawn to that.” ship and put credits in an account. In the Bay Area, we work with companies like Pinterest, Medium, and others. If I work at Pinterest, I can see the sitters my fellow employees use. It’s another layer of trust.

We see companies like Uber expanding out to things like Uber Eats. Are there logical spinoffs you’re looking at?

Yes. Within the childcare category, we now also do nannies. People will also post things like, “I need a tutor,” or, “My son is at the Mandarin immersion school and I need JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 79

someone who speaks Mandarin.” Or it can even be something like, “I need someone to come over and make dinner and take my kid to soccer practice.”

These are similar to babysitters in that you are bringing someone into your home and there’s that same level of trust that is so important. We’re really good in categories where you need that level of trust and there is a transaction involved. On the

“One thing I kept hearing was that people wanted to get babysitter referrals, and I started to think about how all these technology trends like peer-to-peer recommendations might help.”

Peninsula, we have a lot of college athletes at Menlo College and we have people post, “Hey, my son is really into baseball. Are there any baseball players on the platform that could give him a couple of hours of hitting instruction?”

We have sitters who are chefs and athletes, who have training in autism and diabetes and EpiPen experience with allergies.

Everything I’ve heard you talk about I belive I have seen offered or requested on Nextdoor.com.

We’re more planned and we have a very thorough vetting process that only one in 80 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

four sitters makes it through. It’s a fairly lengthy process to get on the platform because we know if you are willing to do a profile about yourself and do a video, you have serious intent and you want these kinds of jobs. There is also a background and ID component.

What does it cost to hire a sitter on UrbanSitter?

The Bay Area is the most expensive place in the nation to hire childcare providers and more expensive than New York. A sitter in the Bay Area can average about $18 an hour for one child versus nationwide about $16.50. New York is $17-something. When we started UrbanSitter, rates in New York were higher than San Francisco, but that flipped about four years ago. I think transportation is part of it because it’s easier to get around metro New York than the Bay Area. Sitters here are in demand and they can have crazy requirements like, “I have a four-hour minimum,” or higher rates that parents are willing to pay. That doesn’t work in other markets. Our highest rate on record for the Bay Area is $60 and we’ve had approximately 200 jobs completed at that rate, so it wasn’t just a one-time occurrence.

The sitter keeps everything and the service is free for them.

Yes. The families pay a monthly subscrip-

tion of $19.95 per month or $99.95 for a full year. Eighty-five percent of our sitters tell us that money is essential income for housing or something else important, so to keep the best sitters on the platform, the model is to let them keep everything they earn.

What drove you to do a startup?

What resonated for me was that technology could help what was already a tangible need. It felt like a better solution for both sides, and I was drawn to that. I knew from being a sitter myself that going to a family’s house for the first time can be very intimidating. What the sitter sees is similar to the parents—“I don’t know this woman Lynn, but I’ve sat for three of her friends before and my friend has babysat for her.” So it has that trust side. And we give the sitters cool tools.

Like what?

A sitter can ghost families. It’s really awkward for a sitter to break up with a family; it can be really uncomfortable. I use the example of my cofounders. One has one child, the other has two children, and I have three boys. And you, as a sitter, know we’re all friends, but it’s really awkward to say, “Your three boys are crazy. I don’t want to sit for them anymore.” On the app, you can just say, “I don’t want to show up as available for Lynn. I have never looked to

see if I’ve been ghosted, but I’m sure I have!”

Many times it’s not a big reason at all, it’s just that the chemistry isn’t there.

Was it difficult as a female entrepreneur to get venture capital funding?

I just go on the data and sell the big picture.

You either understand this is a multi-billion-dollar opportunity or you don’t. It’s interesting to pitch to a room full of people, most of whom haven’t had to procure childcare for their families before, but I try to relate it to something they can understand, like, “This is OpenTable for babysitters.”

I was recently at one of my VCs that has an annual CEO symposium. The first year I met them, like seven years ago, I was one of three women out of the hundreds of people there. Now it’s a lot closer to even; there were a lot more women in the room this year. And female entrepreneurs ask me to look at their pitch decks, which I’m happy to do. I think if I can demystify the idea of going into a VC boardroom and make it feel less intimidating, that’s a good thing.

There are also now women-owned VC funds.

Yes! None of that was there when I started UrbanSitter and now there are female-led VC funds and female entrepreneurs, minority-focused VC funds. Hopefully the trend continues.

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY | 81

Hope Services will be hosting the inaugural In Concert with Hope benefit concert at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga on May 30, 2019 featuring a two-time GRAMMY nominee as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient. These artists will be showcasing their musical talent preceded by a VIP reception and dinner for our key supporters.

Lineup will be announced January 2019.

Stay up to date on the latest news at www.hopeservices.org/event/in-concert-with-hope/.

For sponsorship information: development@hopeservices.org or 408-284-2862.

Providing services in six counties to the developmentally disabled since 1952.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

WINTER 2019

QUARTERLY

HEALTH | EXPERT INTERVIEW

Science, Innovation, + Art Berkeley-born Amelia Hausauer’s childhood was spent as a classically trained ballet dancer. She lived and breathed dance for over two decades, understanding fully the rigors and discipline required to excel and inspiring a deep appreciation that the “sum is far more than the parts.” She relates, “from head to toe, every flick of the finger or tilt of the head is important.” That early understanding of beauty and line, muscle and tissue, has become key to her work as the Director of Dermatology at Aesthetx, the Silicon Valley’s premier plastic surgery and dermatology practice, as well as her multiple roles as a clinical research investigator, author, and visionary in the field of minimally invasive aesthetics.

Prior to Aesthetx, Dr. Hausauer gained critical experience, education and training in medical, surgical, and aesthetic dermatology—a knowledge base she brings to every consultation with her patients. After receiving a Bachelors of Arts with the highest honors in Human Biology from Stanford University, Dr. Hausauer went on to earn her medical doctorate at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and completed her dermatologic residency at New York University’s (NYU) Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology (ranked among top three programs in the nation). During this time, she worked with luminaries in the field and became particularly interested in the role of platelet rich plasma (PRP) and microneedling to stimulate self-healing and potentially treat skin conditions. Dr. Hausauer then returned to California to complete an American Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS)-accredited cosmetic surgery fellowship at the world-renowned Skin Care and Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills. There are only a handful of these advanced training programs in the country, so Dr. Hausauer notes, “I was incredibly fortunate to receive direct tutelage and mentoring in the management of wrinkles and folds, rejuvenation, resurfacing, minimally invasive lifting, body contouring, veins, scar revision, and hair therapies.”

It’s clear when speaking with Dr. Hausauer that she has a thirst for knowledge and passion for furthering her craft. She spent several years pioneering PRP and microneedling including spearhead84 | GENTRY HEALTH | JANUARY 2019

ing the most influential clinical trial on this subject for non-surgical hair growth. She now trains physicians around the country as a luminary in the rapidly growing field of regenerative dermatology and prejuvenation. In fact, Dr. Hausauer enjoyed the rare honor of being selected as the Chief Editor of and contributing author to the upcoming medical textbook PRP and Microneedling in Aesthetic Medicine. She has also written extensively about neuromodulators (i.e. BOTOX® cosmetic) and dermal fillers and has served as an investigator on FDA trials for Allergan, Merz Aesthetics, Revance Therapeutics, and ThermiGen LLC. She was recently selected to participate in the prestigious ASDS Future Leaders Network, a program designed to groom thought leaders and influencers in the field of procedural dermatology. Dr. Hausauer uses this background to develop a full-spectrum plan, addressing various concerns with multiple non-surgical treatment options. That plan starts on the day of consultation and evolves into discussions of long term plans (at home and in the office) that are intended to maintain results over time.

Dr. Hausauer’s unrelenting love of art and style influences the way she approaches even the simplest treatments. She adds, “I seek to treat my patients in their entirety—to boost, lift, and fill the structure that gives the skin its shape as well as to soften and erase surface irregularities and pigmentation.” She accomplishes this through the deft use of fillers, neuromodulators, a complement of different lasers (the Halo laser is a staple in her practice), and thread lifts. Dr. Hausauer continues, “Many of these treatments tap into the body’s phenomenal ability for self-healing and regeneration.

This is an area that is near and dear to my heart since I’ve worked extensively in the field of PRP, which harnesses growth factors normally meant to heal wounds but potentially beneficial for hair growth and collagen or elasticity boosting.”

All of this expertise goes into treating her patients daily at Aesthetx. Along with Aesthetx co-founders and highly regarded board certified plastic surgeons, Dr. Kamakshi R. Zeidler and Dr. R. Laurence Berkowitz, Dr. Hausauer offers her patients the unique benefit of blending dermatology and plastic surgery all under one roof.

PHOTO: NATE FONG

A thought leader in the field of minimally invasive aesthetics, Dr. Amelia K. Hausauer, Director of Dermatology for Aesthetx, discusses the science and art of skin care and the blending of dermatology and plastic surgery.

EXPERT INTERVIEW | HEALTH

Dr. Amelia K. Hausauer, Director of Dermatology at Aesthetx

Aesthetx patients have access to a wide variety of procedures designed to aesthetically enhance the face and body from minimal to surgical, in addition to treatments focused on medical conditions of the skin and soft tissue. For example, Dr. Hausauer can perform procedures including deep laser treatments to the face or de’colletage when a patient is undergoing a surgical procedure. “We truly believe the best, most natural results come from combination therapies that leverage all of our joint expertise,” said Dr. Hausauer. “This also allows patients a chance to recover simultaneously, the advantage of undergoing anesthesia only once and most importantly, a quicker return to normal activities. The benefit of having multiple specialties in one practice—dermatology and plastic surgery—is that each provider holds the others to the highest standard while having a far greater understanding of the intricacies of every procedure than is typical of a single specialty practice. Blending provides much more forward-thinking and high level outcomes.”

When patients come to see Dr. Hausauer, they may come in for a problem like looking tired, but may not be able to articulate the procedure they need. Dr. Hausauer adds, “I look at their skin and structure as a whole and offer solutions. Ultimately, the key is highly customized and comprehensive plans combined in unique ways using sophisticated techniques that minimize downtime but maximize the results.”

Dr. Hausauer loves what she does and her enthusiasm shows in her care for her patients and warm smile. “My job is to understand and implement the beauty of nuance—especially when it comes to the most personal and sensitive sites like the face, chest, and hands that are exposed to the world on a daily basis.”

Aesthetx, 3803 South Bascom Avenue, Suite 100, Campbell.

408.559.7177. www.aesthetx.com

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY HEALTH | 85

WINTER // 2019

THE PULSE HEALTH-RELATED EVENTS & NEWS

IMPROVING AWARENESS

How’s your Heart?

On February 14 the American Heart Association (AHA) hopes that you’ll really examine your heart health at the Go Red for Women Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.

Celebrating and honoring women who have survived cardiovascular diseases and stroke, the annual American Heart Association Go Red for Women event will recognize the newly expanded Silicon Valley/Bay Area Division of the national nonprofit.

The Go Red for Women luncheon, now in its 15th year, will recognize the successes and accomplishments of female legacy leaders, executives, and philanthropists such as Silicon Valley’s Anita Del Grande and Marie LoPresto. The Go Red for Women movement focuses on educating women on their No. 1 and No. 4 killers, heart disease and stroke. Monies raised fund American Heart Association research, policy efforts, and community outreach programs.

Sponsors for the luncheon will include Chevron, First Republic Bank, and UCSF Health. For more information on tickets and spon-

86 | GENTRY HEALTH | JANUARY 2019

PHOTOS: TRISHA LEEPER

sorship opportunities, visit www.GoRedBayArea.heart.org.

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First, she battled her daughter’s horrific food allergies. Now, Kim Yates is fighting on behalf of other affected families, creating a new model of the allergy clinic, one that serves a rare delicacy: immediate action.

STORY BY ROBIN HINDERY // PORTRAITS BY JACK HUTCHESON

A Latitude Founder & CEO Kim Yates

fter watching her 1-year-old daughter nearly die from an allergic reaction to something she ate, Kim Yates knew something had to change for her child. By the fourth near-fatal incident, she knew something had to change for all people with food allergies.

Yates, a Menlo Park mom of three girls, is not a scientist, doctor, or serial entrepreneur.

But her passion to provide people of all ages with correct allergy diagnoses and, when possible, effective treatment has led to something groundbreaking: a clinic focused 100% on food allergy, offering the latest Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) treatment, 24/7 patient care, and a clinical model that enables fast access to “food challenge” testing that can take an average of 4-6 months to schedule in a traditional setting.

Latitude, the Redwood City-based clinic, began seeing patients in September and boasts a medical advisory board filled with heavy hitters from the allergy world, as well as business advisors that include executives from Amazon, Lyft, and Sutter Health, among other big-name organizations.

One in 12 American children under the age of 21 and one in about 50 adults is affected by a doctor-diagnosed food allergy.

Of those individuals, approximately 25% will have a near-fatal anaphylactic reaction at some point in their lives. The United States spends an estimated $25 billion annually on reactive food allergy care.

Yates is in a unique position to help change these sobering statistics. Her oldest daughter, Tessa Grosso, now 16, was just 6 months old when she was diagnosed with a staggering array of allergies, including dairy, wheat, eggs, nuts, and soy, among others.

These weren’t just stomachache/hives food “sensitivities”; they were life-threatening, life-altering allergies.

Danger seemed to lurk at every turn. “Our first visit to the hospital came when Tessa was 9 months old,” Yates recalls. “She was at a birthday party and was crawling on the floor when she found a Goldfish cracker some kid had dropped and ate it.” The risks were so great that the family had to lobby for Tessa to have a full-time aide with her at school until 2nd grade, after which she continued to have a chaperone on the playground and at lunch.

Tessa was about 8 when her mom attended a talk at Stanford that would start to change everything. The speaker was renowned allergy and asthma expert Kari Nadeau, MD, Ph.D., who was working on a protocol to treat food allergies through OIT, an allergy treatment in which patients are dosed daily with tiny amounts of the foods that cause their allergic reactions. Over time, the dose is gradually increased until the patient can tolerate normal Family Nurse Practitioner Jamie Saxena

90 | GENTRY HEALTH | JANUARY 2019

The Latitude leadership and on-site team, including, from left, Saxena, Co-Founder Debbie Chizever Taback, COO Jung Park, Yates, Board of Directors Chairman Mike Kaplan, office manager Suzie Mardini, and allergist Dr. Rani Maskatia.

One in 12 American children under the age of 21 and one in about 50 adults are affected by a doctor-diagnosed food allergy.

Of those individuals, approximately 25% will have a near-fatal anaphylactic reaction at some point in their lives. The United States spends an estimated $25 billion annually on reactive food allergy care.

quantities of the food. “I went up to her afterwards and asked her what could be done for patients like Tessa, with multiple severe food allergies,” Yates recalls. “She said nothing yet, but she promised she would figure it out.

“Then I asked her what she needed, and she said, ‘Resources.’ Honestly I was so naïve I thought she meant things like supplies for the hospital,” Yates continues, laughing. “She said, ‘No, I need money.’”

What Yates lacked in formal fundraising experience she made up for in passion, energy, and a valuable ability to relate to families who might become future OIT recipients as well as donors. She led a volunteer coalition that successfully raised the money needed to fund the first study of a combination multi-food-allergy therapy, and in December 2014, Tessa began receiving shots of the asthma drug Xolair, meant to suppress a critical antibody in anaphylaxis known as IgE. The following month, she was started on OIT micro-dosing for the foods she and her family once feared. “Within four months, she could eat a serving size of those foods,” Yates recalls, the awe still distinct in her voice even four years later.

Tessa was the first to complete the trial, but hundreds of patients followed, garnering global attention and leading to the development of the Sean M. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford, which Nadeau now runs.

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY HEALTH | 91

Latitude aims to create a warm, calming environment in which patients are free to socialize, roam around, and relax while receiving treatment.

92 | GENTRY HEALTH | JANUARY 2019

All told, Yates’ community building efforts on behalf of Stanford (at first unofficially and then as a Special Advisor to the Parker Center, a role she maintains today) has helped raise more than $80 million for the university’s allergy research and treatment efforts. It also helped Yates herself develop strong ties to communities of specialists and allergy sufferers around the country.

“I’ve talked to hundreds of people,” she says, “and they all want access to this type of treatment. But Stanford is set up for clinical research, not clinical care. Latitude was born of the frustration that we couldn’t treat all of these people at Stanford—the frustration of people having nowhere to go.”

Even families with the means to enroll in the Stanford trial can run into roadblocks if the trial term ends before the desensitization process has reached the desired level, as was the case with young Brody Carroll of Phoenix, whose father Chuck now sits on Latitude’s advisory board. Brody’s severe allergies to eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and several other foods were diagnosed when he was 11 months old after a terrifying episode on Mother’s Day when Chuck and his wife Michele gave him a taste of an egg-coated pasta dish.

Brody was selected for the Stanford OIT trial in July 2017, but by the end of the allotted time, his allergies hadn’t made the progress Chuck and Michele had hoped for. Fortunately, they had formed a relationship with Yates through her work at the Parker Center, and she told them about her idea for a new type of clinic.

“On our flight back to Phoenix that evening, I found myself feeling more and more excited about Kim’s vision for her then-unnamed company,” shares Chuck, the Chief Investment Officer at investment advisory firm TFO Phoenix. “It wasn’t just that her vision might provide a greatly needed solution for our family. I thought about all of the families around the country on waiting lists at research facilities like the Parker Center, all the families who are so desperately hoping to escape the ‘avoid, wait, and hope’ approach that is so commonly prescribed for food allergies, and how great it would be for those families to have access to the treatments that were being developed at leading research institutions like Stanford.”

The Carrolls were among Latitude’s early investors and transferred Brody, now 8, to the clinic Yates and Mike Kaplan, when it opened its doors this fall. the founder and managing director of Altos Health Thanks to continued OIT, he can Management and one now tolerate about seven times the of the earliest supporters of Yates’ vision. amount of egg and tree nuts that he

“I’ve talked to hundreds of people,” she says, “and they all want access to this type of treatment. But Stanford is set up for clinical research, not clinical care. Latitude was born of the frustration that we couldn’t treat all of these people at Stanford—the frustration of people having nowhere to go.”

was able to ingest at the end of the Stanford clinical trial, Chuck says. He adds, “What we see in Latitude is a rare combination of two things that are so important to families who are affected by food allergies: 1) The potential to bring freedom to those families through evidence-based treatments developed at leading research institutions, and 2) Providing those treatments in an environment where patient care is paramount.

A place where the founders and staff truly care about their patients and understand what it’s like to wrestle with the daily challenges of food allergies.”

The Latitude model—which Yates hopes to see replicated in cities around the country—is one that offers expanded options not only to patients and their families, but to its medical team as well. Allergy specialist Rani Maskatia, MD, came on board after working in private practice at an allergy clinic in Palo Alto, lured by the rare opportunity to focus entirely on food allergies. The traditional clinic setting offers only limited space and time to do food challenges, she notes, despite the fact that those tests are the best way to ensure proper diagnosis and empower patients with accurate information about their health.

“Since we’re just starting out, I’m able to devote time to every patient and family,” Maskatia said of Latitude in a November interview. “We’re also able to see and treat people quickly. We had a patient this morning who has chosen to start OIT, and we were able to give him the first dose right here today. People are tired of waiting and doing nothing.”

Both Yates and Maskatia are quick to stress that they don’t see themselves as being in competition with regular allergy clinics. Instead, they hope to work in collaboration to ensure patients are receiving the best, most advanced, custom-tailored care.

Yates has delighted in the reactions she’s seen so far among patients and their families, many of whom had given up hope that life could be different. Equally important to her has been the close involvement of her three daughters: Tessa, Reese, and Alyssa. “All my kids have been involved with building this company,” she says proudly.

Looking back on her family’s own often-harrowing journey, Yates recalls a heartbreaking comment Tessa made at a very young age about her desire to be allergy-free. “She said, ‘Mom, I don’t even care if I can eat the food; I just don’t want to be scared anymore.’”

“That fear is so much of what’s driving me,” Yates continues. “What I’ve learned is you can be a mom on a mission and make headway.” www.latitudefoodallergycare.com

Yates with her three daughters, Alyssa, Tessa, and Reese, at their Menlo Park home.

JANUARY 2019 | GENTRY HEALTH | 93

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Bella Schneider highlights beautiful and courageous women in her life. (left to right) Her grandmother at 20, Bella with her mom, and her mother at 35.

Courageous Beauty

LaBelle Day Spas and BSB Beauty Founder & CEO Bella Schneider

discusses the art of powerful women.

When we are young, we are led to believe by culture that beauty is something superficial, crafted on the outside by a perfect nose or body. When the tribulations of life hit, we realize that beauty is something much deeper and more powerful-the art of a woman who knows how to carry herself with a walk of confidence and a head held high no matter what the circumstance.

I learned the true meaning of beauty from the strong women in my life; my grandmother, my mother, the women who propelled me forward in my career, and the countless powerful and gorgeous women who visit my spas and inspire me daily.

My grandmother survived the Holocaust that ravaged Europe because she was beautiful. Tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, she carried herself with an air of elegance and integrity that defied even the cruelest regimes. It was, indeed, this strength that gave her the ability to meld into places like Romania, Poland, and Russia at a time when Nazis were looking for Jews. She literally walked with three children in hand, including her deaf eldest, my mother, from country to country looking for her husband without any belongings. Not even her name belonged to her anymore. She had to use a false name and hide her mother tongue (Yiddish) to go undetected. And yet, when I see the black-and-white pictures of her from that time, she stands tall with a bold stare and com­ pletely erect posture. From her, I learned that beauty is knowing how to be softly feminine yet fiercely con­ fident no matter what the situation.

My mother was deaf from the age of 2, yet she was willful and determined in what­ ever she put her mind to. As beautiful as they come, with the pout of a movie star, she always spoke or, more accurately, signed her mind. Never recoiled and always direct, she didn't mince her emotions in any situ­ ation. She loved openly, giving the most 94 I GENTRY HEALTH I JANUARY 2019

vivacious hugs and smothering of kisses. From her I learned that being beautiful is expressing love fully and without hesitation.

My first beauty job was in the salon of a famous Russian duo who managed to fix the skin of teens and celebrities alike. They made it their business to give unapologetic clinical European facials that cleaned out every last pore and then some. Regular deep pore cleansing was a prescription and our clients came for their routinely scheduled appointments diligently. From these women and our loyal clients, I learned that beauty is a commitment. Like any other aspect of life, flowering is the result of routine dedication, effort, cleanliness, and steadfast care.

Later, it was my own clients who inspired me to give and receive the secret of beauty. These women are constantly balancing their feminine side with the difficulties of competing with a glass ceiling.

They're finding ways to pursue their passions, support themselves, and balance home and professional life with integrity.These women are smart AND beautiful, even when society tells them that they have to be one or the other. In an era of the #MeToo movement, women want to be beautifully safe and bold.

From these women, I learn that being beautiful is our duty to our­ selves. Concurrently, being beautiful means being soft and kind yet say­ ing no when you feel like it.

From all the strong women in my life, I learned that being beautiful is being uniquely you, standing bold in the world exactly as you are, because it is your uniqueness that propels the world forward. High­ lighting and celebrating your individuality is what my spas and I strive for. The secret to beauty is being self-confident and elegant at every mo­ ment. Then, only then, will you turn heads.•

gentry promotion

Amazing

women portraits of accomplishment Gentry introduces a wonderful group of our region’s amazing women.

Successful in areas from medicine to business to education, these women have risen to the top of their fields with their energy, vision, and determination. Wherever they go, they command attention.

Take a moment to get to know them.

HESSLER PLASTIC SURGERY / PALO ALTO / 650.799.9009 / WWW.HESSLERPLASTICSURGERY.COM

Dr. Jill Hessler is a double-board certified facial plastic surgeon providing the latest advances in aesthetic procedures and an internationally recognized leader and invited speaker at plastic surgery conferences worldwide. Her extremely natural facelift results utilize modern techniques combined with lasers to create a refreshed appearance with minimal recovery time. Dr. Hessler has also refined surgical techniques to allow these procedures to be performed safely without general anesthesia.

She is one of a select group of doctors chosen to train other physicians on advanced techniques using cosmetic injectables and lasers to rejuvenate the face without surgery.

Dr. Hessler serves as medical director for the Hessler Plastic Surgery Aesthetic Center in Palo Alto. Housing the latest lasers and devices, this comprehensive facility includes a hair restoration center, a state-of-the-art accredited outpatient surgery center, and clinical suite for the most advanced minimally invasive face and body treatments.

i71�W MD PC

Harrell Remodeling, Inc. Design+Build

As Harrell Remodeling's General Manager, Lisa Sten leads the team of employee owners, collaborating with the design and build departments, ensuring innovation, top-notch quality and a client-focused process is always top of mind. As a designer, Lisa's ability to design to her clients' needs, in addition to her awareness of diverse architectural styles, brings a depth of knowledge and experience to Harrell Remodeling's design/build and leadership team. Lisa's dedication to design excellence has been recog­ nized repeatedly by multiple local and national design awards. Prior to joining Harrell Remodeling, Lisa co-owned a Minneapolis-based design company that had the opportunity, among other engagements, to work on the design project management for the restoration of the Washington Monument. She holds an Interior Design degree from Paier College of Art in Hamden, CT. and a B.A. from Boston College. Lisa is credentialed as a Certified Interior Designer (CID) and Universal Design Certified Professional (UDCP).

photo scott lasky

www.harrell-remodeling.com / 650.230.2900 / design studios in palo alto and los gatos

Remodeling is an experience, a journey culminating in the realization of a home and garden reflecting your personality and lifestyle.

Designing beautiful, highly functional homes has inspired Harrell Remodeling for 33 years. An award winning, full-service design + build firm, we specialize in high-end residential interiors and exteriors throughout Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 1985 by Iris Harrell, we are proud that 53% of our employee owned company is comprised of women, some of whom you see here.

Our award winning team of designers: Top row, left to right: Sara Jorgensen, Gloria Carlson, Cynthia Collins, Lisa Sten, Vidhya Thyagarajan. Seated: Lisa Parramore, Debra Winston, Lisa Mellberg. Not pictured: Genie Nowicki.

Harrell’s projects include stunning whole house, kitchen, bathroom remodels, additions, home theaters and wine cellars, outdoor kitchens and living spaces, to smaller projects delivering impactful design change. Our clientele experience quality renovations managed by a collaborative, receptive team of professionals. Start a conversation with one of our client-focused designers to get started on the path of your exciting remodeling journey.

MICHELLE ENGLERT

compass real estate 650.387.4405 www.michelleenglert.com dre 01304639

photo scott lasky

Having established herself as a top sales force in the Industry for nearly two decades, Michelle has facilitated the sale of over $300,000,000 of Bay Area real estate.

Backed by three generations of local real estate knowledge and her reputation for integrity, responsiveness, and results, Michelle personifies sophistication and a level of unparalleled excellence. Specializing in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

DR. ALEXA ALBORZI alborzi orthodontics 235 north san mateo drive, #300 san mateo 650.342.4171 www.gottosmile.com Dr. Alexa Alborzi served as Professor of Orthodontics at UCSF for 15 years.

She has been practicing for over 25 years and has created over 7,800 beautiful smiles. Dr. Alborzi delivers the friendliest, highest quality orthodontic care in high-tech facilities handling the most difficult cases routinely avoiding extractions or surgery. As the highest rated Invisalign Provider on the Peninsula, anyone is a candidate for a perfect smile with Invisalign! Or if you prefer braces, she uses her expertise with the Damon Brace System to avoid extractions, expanders, and headgear.

THE STERNSMITH GROUP alain pinel realtors / 1440 chapin avenue #200, burlingame / 650.678.5455 casey@sternsmith.com / www.sternsmith.com / dre 01733080

The Sternsmith Group is the most dynamic and successful female Real Estate Team in the Peninsula. Their knowledge of the Bay Area’s residential market is extensive and unparalleled.

Their signature relationship-based approach is proven by the group’s $134 million in home sales in 2018 alone and rank as #1 in San Mateo.

Their clients rely on their real-time knowledge on the state of the market, trends, comparable sales, off-market options, and property values to find the perfect real estate opportunity.

They are committed to going above and beyond for their clients. For buyers, the Sternsmith Group is adept at finding clients a home perfectly suited to their lifestyle and budget.

For sellers, they regularly achieve the highest possible price through expert marketing and strong negotiations.

A dynamic group of 5 female agents (from left to right): Mary Lawson, Tess Salter, Casey Sternsmith, Christine Kosturos, and Susan Michal bring together their unique skills to meet the needs of the fast-paced Bay Area Real Estate Market!

photo jack hutcheson

DONNA EATON

palace cafe catering founder/proprietor 650.622.4171 www.palace.catering

After years of hosting some of Silicon Valley’s most illustrious events as an owner of Palace Restaurant and Event Center, Donna founded Palace Cafe Catering in 1999. Her goal was to bring the signature dishes and excellent service the restaurant was famous for to private events. Donna’s twenty-plus years of experience make her uniquely qualified to create truly special events for private clients, corporate clients, and charity events alike.

She loves helping clients envision their ideal event—down to the last detail—and then executing it for them flawlessly.

Donna thrives on the challenge of creating and coordinating successful events while being the mother of three. Some of her most memorable catering events have been in spectacular locales such as Hearst Castle, SF MOMA, Thomas Fogarty Winery, and San Francisco’s Legion of Honor.

michelle podbelsek paige parenti-gordon christine pimlott michelle: 650.324.8478 mpodbelsek@hotmail.com christine: 650.291.7191 cmpimlott@gmail.com paige: 650.776.8884 paige@watermarkacademic.com

Menlo Park college counselors Michelle Podbelsek, Paige Parenti-Gordon, and Christine Pimlott will be sharing a new location as of January 11th, 2019: 845 Oak Grove Avenue, Suite 100 (moving from 724 Oak Grove Avenue). Come check out our new space!

photo rio costantini

MARGARET MITCHELL epi center medspa / 450 sutter street #800, san francisco / 415.362.4754 / www.skinrejuv.com

Margaret Mitchell, CEO/founder of Epi Center MedSpa, has been ahead of the game since 1998 when she conceptualized the first medical spa in the nation alongside Patrick Bitter, Sr., MD, worldrenowned cosmetic dermatologist and developer of IPL/PhotoFacialSM. With a Sustainable Beauty mission in mind, Mitchell transformed Epi Center into the first LEED Certified MedSpa in the country, an endorsement by Governor Gavin Newsom. Recently completing a strategic leadership course through the Stanford School of Business, Mitchell continues to be a leader in her field, setting the tone for elite industry standards. Her latest innovation is Centered on You, a program designed for and by the patient. Individual skincare goals are addressed within complimentary consultations and customized treatment plans are developed for long-term results. Looking beyond its 20-year history, Margaret continues to expand the Epi brand, providing progressive anti-aging treatments to over 30,000 patients in the Bay Area and beyond.

LABELLE DAY SPAS & SALONS / 36 STANFORD SHOPPING CENTER, PALO ALTO / 650.326.8522 95 TOWN & COUNTRY VILLAGE, PALO ALTO / 650.327.6964 / WWW.LABELLEDAYSPAS.COM

LA BELLE DAY SPAS 6 SALONS

Find an oasis of beauty and pampering at LaBelle's full-service spa-salons. They provide exclusive relaxation and advanced beauty services from the comfort of favorite Palo Alto shopping centers.

They believe you should always have time for yourself. That's why they offer every beauty and relaxation service under one roof. From results-oriented skincare to exquisite massage, LaBelle meets all your grooming needs in one intimate and personalized spa setting. Award-winning facials, body treatments, makeup services, an in-house medspa awakenMD, and products crafted by Crystal Award Winner and owner Bella Schneider make these spas stand out. They've repeatedly won "Best Day Spa," "Best in Silicon Valley," and "Best Salon" because their expert staff truly cares about your needs.

LaBelle's mission is to always bring the latest beauty trends and secrets from around the world to their services and clients. You'll see and feel the difference. Learn more at LaBelleDaySpas.com.

photo scott lasky

HEENA JOSHI 750 university avenue, suite 150, los gatos / 408.656.5939 / hjoshi@apr.com / www.hjoshi.apr.com / dre 01998854

Heena brings in a decade’s worth of experience in customer service, management, and sales.

Friendly, energetic, and empathetic, Heena relates that her commitment to her clients is the most important aspect of her career. Her LinkedIn recommendations include raves such as “You can even call her a unicorn hunter as she is great at gauging what you want.” She has been nominated for the “Rising Star Award 2018” by the California Association of Realtors and has been a consistent Top Producer at Alain Pinel Realtors. She was also featured in Gentry Magazine's “Top Ten Realtors Under 40.” In addition to selling real estate, Heena loves to spend time with her family, listen to music, watch movies, and dance. She acts as the Student Costumes Manager for one of the Bay Area’s premier dance companies and has been designing costumes for their bi-annual showcases for the past eight years.

photo scott lasky

DEBBIE BLACKWELL parsley sage rosemary & thyme / co-founder, sommelier / catering & events / 800.798.8388 / www.psrt.com

Debbie Blackwell, co-owner of the highly-successful San Jose catering company of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, is the epitome of an Amazing Woman. Not only is she the hands-on President of the 30-year-old company (which she co-founded with husband, Vince Guasch), but she is also a certified Sommelier bringing extensive wine expertise to her clients’ events. But aside from this busy life of catering, Debbie is also a wife, a dedicated mother of two, an active member of the prestigious downtown San Jose Rotary Club, a cancer survivor, and a supporter of numerous local charities.

Through the years, PSRT has donated their services to hundreds of our non-profits, enabling them to raise their much-needed program funds. When asked about her success, Blackwell notes, “I have always been driven by a strong work ethic, no matter how hard the challenge.”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

CONTENTS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

114

EDITOR’S NOTE Fresh Ideas

116

INSPIRATIONS Runway trends inform today’s best furnishings and accessories.

Gentry Home’s Emily Heitmann reports.

124

SINGULAR SENSATIONS Virtuoso furnishings, accessories, and floor and wall-coverings

132

DESIGN INTERVIEW A soft bedroom comes to life with a sophisticated makeover.

136

DESIGN NOTES Scenes from GENTRY HOME’s Design Excellence Awards 2018 at 181 Fremont in San Francisco.

140

SIMPLICITY OF LINE Award-winning architects Swatt | Miers conjure a private Silicon Valley residence that embodies effortless elegance.

146

VALLEY CLASSIC Mark De Mattei of De Mattei Construction breathes new life into a historic Queen Anne Revival-style residence in the heart of Silicon Valley.

160

Interior designers Connie Heaton and Laura Williams Ulum of Heaton + Williams

110 | G E N T R Y H O M E

ON THE COVER A crisp, contemporary residence in Silicon Valley by the architectural firm Swatt | Miers. Photography

by Russell Abraham.

PHOTO: RUSSELL ABRAHAM

HOURS WITH

HEIRLOOM QUALITY DOWN COMFORTERS & PILLOWS

Palo Alto

Town & Country Village paloalto@scandiahome.com

EUROPEAN BED & BATH LINENS

Beverly Hills

322 N. Beverly Drive beverlyhills@scandiahome.com

Follow us @scandiahome scandiahome.com

Founder/Executive Editor ELSIE FLORIANI President/Editorial Director STEFANIE LINGLE BEASLEY Art Director LISA DURI COSTANTINI Creative Services Manager MICHAEL KANEMURA Senior Editor/Marketing Strategist JENNIFER MASSONI PARDINI Senior Editor/Director Special Projects CORRY COOK Chief Photographer JACK HUTCHESON Senior Editor ROBIN HINDERY Associate Editors BRIAN DOUGLAS / AMALIA MCGIBBON Style Editor EMILY HEITMANN Contributing Photographers RUSSELL ABRAHAM / DEAN BIRINYI / VIVIAN JOHNSON / TRISHA LEEPER Chief Revenue Officer/Senior Vice President Sales GISELLE ANNA PARRY Senior VP/Associate Publishers BRENDA BECK / SARA SHAW Vice President /National Accounts NORENE SHEEHAN Associate Publisher COLLIER C. GRANBERRY Senior Account Executives MARILYN KALLINS / CAROLYN SCHUTZ Chief Financial Officer DOT JUBY Director of Operations LISA LEMUS Distribution Management CALIFORNIA DELIVERY Printing RR DONNELLEY

ABOUT Gentry Home enables homeowners from San Francisco to Silicon Valley to discover the latest trends in architecture and interior design.

ONLINE Visit us online at www.18media.com. You can read complete editions of Gentry Home as well as other 18 Media publications on our website.

EDITORIAL Please send written correspondence by mail to: Gentry Home, Editorial Department, 873 Santa Cruz Avenue #206, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

Email correspondence can be directed to: edit@18media.com.

CIRCULATION Gentry Home is published bimonthly and is poly-bagged and distributed with Gentry Magazine to nearly 30,000 homes in San Francisco, the Peninsula, and Silicon Valley.

ADVERTISING For information about advertising or for a personal appointment with a sales associate, please call Lisa Lemus at 650.324.1818 x200.

CIRCULATION SERVICES For questions about delivery, please call Lisa Lemus at 650.324.1818 x200, or send written correspondence to: Circulation Services, 873 Santa Cruz Avenue #206, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

SUBSCRIPTIONS, GIFTS, AND SINGLE COPIES To purchase a one-year subscription of Gentry Home, please send a $24 check, along with the proper name and address, to: Circulation Services, 873 Santa Cruz Avenue #206, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

Please add $25 per year for foreign addresses.

To send a gift of Gentry Home, along with your payment, name and address, please list the recipient’s name and address and we will send the recipient a gift card.

If you would like to purchase a single copy of Gentry Home, please list the issue and month and enclose $7 per copy ordered.

Editorial Advisory Board Lina Broydo, Barbara Campisi, Rebecca-Sen Chan, Marilyn Dorsa, Nanci Fredkin, Mary Gebhardt, Marie LoPresto, Sandy Mandel, Teresa Medearis, Brian Neel, Kelly Porter, Margo Ritter, John Thibault, Terri Tiffany, Bernard Vogel III, Tess Wallace, Jane Yates

GENTRY HOME IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR BY 18 MEDIA INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION. ENTIRE CONTENTS ©2019 BY 18 MEDIA INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION OR USE OF CONTENT IN ANY MANNER WITHOUT PERMISSION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. GENTRY HOME IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS OR ARTWORK. 18 MEDIA OFFICES ARE LOCATED AT 873 SANTA CRUZ AVENUE #206, MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA 94025. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

editor’s le er

FRESH IDEAS The way we live now. Putting this issue of GENTRY HOME together has been so energizing. Our features focus on two incredibly different homes that have been brought to life by some of the Bay Area’s best design professionals. The common thread between the two is a laser focus on form, function, and how families live and thrive today. Both residences have been masterfully crafted to serve their owners for decades to come.

First up is a gracious remodel of a Queen Anne Revival wedding cake of a dream home in Santa Clara. This historic beauty had fallen on tough times, but through the talent and expertise of award-winning builder Mark De Mattei and his team at De Mattei Construction, the home has been reimagined for the 21st century (Valley Classic, page 146). Next, acclaimed architects Bob Swatt and George Miers of Swatt | Miers in Emeryville conjure a sublime piece of modernism in Atherton. The home is elegant in its refined simplicity, yet perfectly suited to a casual California lifestyle (Simplicity of Line, page 140).

Also, in this edition Style Editor Emily Heitmann focuses on runway trends that are crossing over to the furnishing and accessories world (Inspirations, page 116). We spotlight Lauren Evans and a charming recent project she completed for a very lucky little girl (Designer to Watch, page 132). And, we catch up with Connie Heaton and Laura WiliamsUlum, the dynamic designers behind Heaton + Williams (24 Hours with . . . , page 160).

We hope you’ll find a lot to savor!

Stefanie Lingle Beasley // Editorial Director // edit@18media.com

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INTERIOR LANDSCAPES Engineered to perfection by Midland Cabinet Company Fine custom cabinetry & millwork since 1965

For more than 50 years, Midland has built and designed the finest custom cabinets and casework for the finest homes in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Get in touch today to learn what we can do for you.

www.midlandcabinet.com 719 Industrial Road, San Carlos, CA 94070 650.594.0890

INSPIRATIONS TO DREAM TO DISCOVER TO LOVE

I DREAM OF BEACHY Matthew Williamson’s new DEYA COLLECTION for Osborne & Little is named after a magical village in the hills of the Balearic island of Mallorca. Williamson has a home there and his collection of embroidered and printed fabrics exude a Mediterranean lifestyle.

The collection is available at Osbourne & Little, San Francisco Design Center, 415.255.8987.

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The finest in ceramic, porcelain, stone, mosaics, glass and metal tiles for every area of your home.

Tile Fantastic has been serving the needs of the Bay Area’s homeowners, builders, contractors and designers for over 40 years, featuring the finest tile products for every area of your home.

We are the South Bay’s only direct dealers for Walker Zanger, Richards & Sterling, Sonoma Tilemakers and Oceanside Glasstile.

2910 S. Bascom Avenue San Jose, CA 95124 www.tilefantastic.com

inspirations

Valentino Resort 2019

Kate Spade Home Wild Garden Pillow ($90). Kate Spade, Stanford Shopping Center, 650.324.3813

A ’ S REVIVAL Prada Resort 2019

Groovy florals and geometric prints set the tone for the upcoming spring collections.

Essential Home Doris Armchair. www.essentialhome.euÂ

Marimekko Unikko teapot ($115).

Marimekko, Stanford Shopping Center, 650.353.2170.

Haute House Drum Ottoman ($1,061). www.hautehousehome.comÂ

Lobmeyr Geometric Glass Tumbler ($170). A. Rudin, San Francisco Design Center, 415.431.5021.

Maison Numen Garofano Imola Coffee Service Set ($1,370). www.maisonnumen.comÂ

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STUDIO SNAIDERO BAY AREA

30 LIBERTY SHIP WAY • SUITE 3160 • SAUSALITO 415.332.1745 SNAIDEROKITCHENS.COM

inspirations Christian Siriano Resort 2019

Michael Kors Collection Resort 2019

Boca do Lobo Diamond Amethyst Sideboard. www.bocadolobo.comÂ

SHIMMER & SHINE A heavy hand of metallics adds a sophisticated touch to both your ensemble and living spaces.Â

Designers Guild Tiber Slate and Zinc Large Quilt ($695). Osbourne & Little, San Francisco Design Center, 415.255.8987.

Ligne Roset Falda Table by Andreas Kowalewski. Ligne Roset, San Francisco, 415.777.1030.

ModShop Art Deco Dining Chair in Gold Speckled Cowhide ($2,295). www.modshop1.com Puiforcat Sterling Silver Tumbler ($2,590). Hermes, San Francisco, 415.391.7200.

120 | G E N T R Y H O M E

inspirations

Altuzarra Resort 2019

Dior Resort 2019

Herend Horseshoe Paperweight ($335). www.herendusa.com.

BLACK & WHITE Whether patterned or checked, you can never go wrong with this color combination.

Elyse Graham Black Magic Mirror ($5,800).

Anyon Atelier, San Francisco, 415.814.3849.

Haviland Art Deco Dinner Plate ($113). Neiman Marcus, Stanford Shopping Center, 650.329.3300.Â

Mitchell Black’s Addition: Jet Black Reverse Wallpaper from Mrs. Paranjape Papers Collection. www.mitchellblack.comÂ

Tom Dixon Medium Terrazzo Candle ($100). Â Brenda Houston Black and White Striped Circular Bowls from Una Malan. www.unamalan.comÂ

122 | G E N T R Y H O M E

© 2018 Dean Birinyi Photography

COME HOME TO EXCELLENCE At TIMELINE, we design and build houses you can’t wait to come home to. Our in-house team of architects, project managers, interior designers and craftsmen work together to create a custom home renovated just for you.

We focus on every detail so you can simply live and love the life you’ve built, in the home we’ve built, together.

408.741.3000 | tldesign.net

LIC# 598967

singular sensation

Classic Coral Legendary interior designer Nina Campbell’s latest collection of printed and embroidered fabrics and wallpapers, “Les Indiennes,” was inspired by the 17th- and 18th-century fascination for textile designs originally produced in East India and traded via the Compagnie des Indes. Campbell has reinterpreted these prints in blues, aquas, teals, and rich corals, as seen here.

Campbell’s latest collection of trimmings, including braids, fringes, cords, and the “Triannon Bauble” pictured here, take their inspiration from Versailles and its surrounding palaces. Campbell’s witty and charming design sense makes these traditional elements feel fresh and contemporary. www.osborneandlittle.com

124 | G E N T R Y H O M E

Helping Create Lasting, Beautiful Homes

Your local source for Architectural Stone, Paving, Landscape Stone & more.

MASONRY SHOWROOM

2490 Charleston Road

Mountain View, CA 94043

(877) 282-0522

Yard Locations | Redwood City | Sunnyvale | San Martin | Livermore

www.pbm1923.com

singular sensation

Let There Be Light From France, home of the City of Light, comes a company offering sublime luminescence. Les Jardins Solar Lighting pairs a sleek design aesthetic with environmentally sustainable LED bulb modules offering up to 200 hours of life per charge.

Its “Skaal� lantern will illuminate even the gloomiest January evening. This chic teak piece blends both versatility and durability. The soothing mood lighting works beautifully either indoors or outside. www.lesjardins.solar

126 | G E N T R Y H O M E

singular sensation

A Healthy Dose of Sunshine Has Old Man Winter got you down? Then this colorful tabletop collection known as “Le Belle Donne” is the perfect antidote! Wonderfully crafted

by Bay Area homeware designer Julia Berger, the limited-edition series of appliqued linens, painted ceramic plates, hand-blown crystal, and engraved silverware pays homage to four of history’s most iconic females: Anastasia, Cleopatra, Elisabetta (pictured here), and Julietta. www.juliab.com

128 | G E N T R Y H O M E

Architecture and Interiors 2718 Ninth Street Studio No. 2, Berkeley, California 94710 | 510.524.5181 | www.gustavecarlsondesign.com

singular sensation

Personally Yours Designer William Yeoward’s “Nantes” dining chair is bench-made by hand in England. Each frame is constructed of sustainable European hardwood with dowelled screwed and glued joints. The interiors are traditionally hand webbed and sprung using British products and fillings. Where appropriate, legs are polished and finished with handmade castors and individually nail-head trimmed. Clients select the finish of the legs. The chair is then upholstered in the custom-made fabric of the client’s choosing. www.williamyeoward.com

130 | G E N T R Y H O M E

design interview

DESIGNER TO WATCH

L AUREN E VANS

PHOTO: VIVIAN JOHNSON

A so bedroom comes to life with a sophisticated makeover.

Lauren Evans is hard at work juggling multiple projects on the Peninsula and in San Francisco. “It’s a very busy time,” says the designer, “but an exciting one.” Evans has become a go-to resource for a host of Bay Area families looking to upgrade their interiors with Evans’ help and impeccable eye for detail. Gentry Home caught up with the designer to discuss color, function, and fun.

How did this project begin?

This wonderful space belongs to a little girl named Delaney. She’s 7 now, but has very sophisticated tastes. She had a list of musts that included the color blue, lots of storage, and a pin board.

What inspired your design?

I took my cues from a Galbraith and Paul wallpaper. I love their ability to have a feminine motif, but masculine colors can be added to it and they do custom colors! So I was able to match Delaney’s adjoining blue bathroom tile and completely hand pick my exact desired custom colors for the wallpaper. Instead of a simple pink, I opted for a coral shade that seemed fresh and just a little more grown up. To layer the colors, I added two tones of blue paint to the walls without wallpaper and a crisp white chair rail.

Special touches?

I wanted this room to be sweet, but somewhere a teen could eventually hang out, too.

It was important for the space to be practical, a place where homework could be done, books and clothing and other things could be organized and stored. We also created 132 | G E N T R Y H O M E

YOUR ROOM WILL LOOK AND FUNCTION BETTER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE!

HOME OFFICES WALL BEDS MEDIA CENTERS CLOSETS WARDROBES GARAGES & MORE

READ OUR 5-STAR REVIEWS ON YELP!

CAMPBELL 1190 Dell Avenue 408.370.1041 DANVILLE 602 Sycamore Valley Road W. 925.362.8838 VALETCUSTOM.COM

LICENSE #782217 • SINCE 1973

EXCEPTIONALLY DESIGNED • EXPERTLY CRAFTED • DELIVERED WITH 5-STAR EXECUTION

design interview

a space where she can “swing-out” and chat with friends. I’m a sucker for custom-tailored bedding. I love layering patterns as well as finding a way to personalize the space, hence the monogramed pillow! The custom details like the coral-trimmed lampshades, pom-pom trim on the widow coverings, and wallpapered magnet board helped make the space more playful.

PHOTOS: VIVIAN JOHNSON

What’s your favorite aspect of the finished project?

I am very happy that it’s not a typical kid’s room. It’s feminine and sweet, but in a sophisticated way. It’s very easy to see that my client will be able to grow with the space. The built-ins were a must to give her the functionality she needed. I have three kids myself and understand how important it is to have plenty of space to store everything!

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customhomebuilders

MTM BUILDING GROUP

1610 Dell Avenue, Suite D, Campbell | 408.448.4068 | www.mtmbuildinggroup.com Silicon Valley Design Builder, Michael Mangano, has 37 years of professional experience in the building industry.

After owning several construction and consulting companies, Michael created MTM Building Group with the vision of creating new standards in the residential construction market by designing and building homes that give families thoughtful, functional, and unique modern designs.

Michael noticed there was a growing need for experienced custom home builders for hillside and view lots,

which was his expertise, so he went to work to help clients realize their dream custom home without the time and cost delays that arise for most complicated hillside projects. He also creates “Build to Suit” opportunities for future homeowners.

MTM Building Group is known for their unique proprietary process, which is the reason why MTM Building Group can run multiple projects efficiently and effectively, on time and within budget. Find out their secrets…

PHOTO RIO COSTANTINI

MTM BUILDING GROUP

design notes

CELEBRATING DESIGN EXCELLENCE The GENTRY HOME DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS took place on the Sky Lounge level at the stunning 181 FREMONT BUILDING in San Francisco in November.

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PHOTOS: TRISHA LEEPER

A collection of the Bay Area’s top interior design firms, architecture firms, and landscape architecture firms was fêted at an elegant awards presentation. Photos of the winning projects appeared in the November/December issue of GENTRY HOME. The event took place at 181 Fremont —considered the most luxurious expression of living that San Francisco has ever seen. Starting at 500 feet in the sky, the 181Fremont residences are unparalleled

Who says your garage is just for parking cars? With real estate prices soaring, our clients are taking advantage of every square foot their garage has to offer. Are you?

Our experienced team can transform your garage into that Man, Kid or Mom Cave, Craft Room, Exercise Room or a great place to park your cars with lots of storage.

Garage Solutions | Live Well Organized.

Contact us to start your garage transformation today.

800.755.7704 www.garagesolutions.com CA License: 722005

Calm. Cool. Very Collected.

design notes

in design and finishes, views, privacy, security, amenities, and service. The building’s designer, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy of ODADA design firm, related, “To enter the lobby of this building is like walking into a living sculpture.”

Guests at the event had the exclusive opportunity to view the building’s resplendent interiors, designed by ODADA, and a Kendall Wilkinson-designed half-floor penthouse featuring sweeping views of the San Francisco cityscape and beyond from 700 feet up.

This evening was made even more special with gourmet bites from ALX Gastropub in San Francisco and Recchiuti Chocolates. JCB poured champagne while Woodside Vineyards and O’Brien Estate Winery poured special vintages for the discerning crowd.

The 2019 GENTRY HOME DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS will take place at Riggs Sub-Zero Wolf in Burlingame on November 6. Mark your calendars!

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PHOTOS: TRISHA LEEPER

For details on the GENTRY HOME DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS competition, email edit@18media.com.

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STORY BY STEFANIE LINGLE BEASLEY ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN BY SWATT | MIERS EMERYVILLE LANDSCAPE BY LANDSTUDIO BUILT BY LENCIONI CONSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUSSELL ABRAHAM

SIMPLICITY OF LINE Award-winning architects Swatt | Miers conjure a private Silicon Valley residence that embodies effortless elegance.

G E N T R Y H O M E | 141

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hey’ve done it again. The team from Swatt | Miers has been on a veritable roll for the past 20 years crafting homes and commercial buildings that express a crisp, contemporary point of view that places the utmost value on beauty, sustainability, and user responsiveness.

The wonderful private home on these pages is a prime example of what this firm does so well.

Notes Bob Swatt, “Our clients discovered this property in Atherton with marvelous mature trees and brought us in to rethink the site and create a forever home. They are young, with children, and wanted an informal space that would suit their lifestyle and maximize indoor/outdoor flow.” To that end, the architects designed an L-shaped structure with the short leg of the L facing west and the long side of the L running east to west. The shape of the structure and its placement on the property allows for spectacular green space that can be accessed from every room on the ground floor. The grounds were beautifully designed by landscape architect Bernard Trainor of Landstudio and include a pool, sport court, and planting beds. “The patio areas have these incredibly long horizontal extensions that are topped with sleek aluminum trellises,” says Swatt. “The interplay of shadow and dappled light from them throughout the day is marvelous.”

A peaceful water feature leads to the home’s front door. Once inside, a dramatic wall of INAX ceramic tile from Japan offers striking texture.“The home’s single vertical element,” shares Swatt, “is the striking stairwell that features a stack of windows along the far corner and elegant glass railings to maximize light.” The top floor includes a series of bedrooms with en-suite Jack-and-Jill baths with garden views, while the lower level features a wine cellar and gym.

An extraordinary highly polished concrete floor that more closely resembles stone was expertly poured to run the length of the main level through the living room, office, kitchen, and dining room.

“At first,” notes Swatt, “the home owner did not want a formal dining room—keeping everything casual was key to them.

But as the design process continued, they realized that in the future, it might be something they would consider, so we

.

Fresh, contemporary, and casual were the guiding ideas behind the design in this Silicon Valley home.

The team at Swatt | Miers kept the lines of the home crisp and simple, allowing wonderful flow between the interiors and spacious garden beyond.

G E N T R Y H O M E | 143

The color scheme in the home is neutral, allowing a few bold punches of art work and rich texture to shine. The master bedroom opposite features a wrap around deck with views of the garden.

created a very flexible space with 15-anda-half-foot ceilings that is now tasked as a play room/homework/ piano area.”

The kitchen features double islands with waterfall stone countertops that contrast with striking quarter-sawn eucalyptus cabinetry by Arclinea. Top-of-the-line appliances from Gaggeneau, Miele, and Sub-Zero ensure that cooking is a dream.

Interior designer Connie Wong from the Swatt | Miers team selected contemporary furnishings that emphasize the home’s clean lines; for instance, the sculptural “Big Bang” pendant by Foscarini makes an impressive statement over a large dining table, and the slim-back leather chairs are from B&B Italia.

In the living room, a low-slung sectional sofa by Minotti sourced from Akitektura in San Francisco provides plenty of room for entertaining. The INAX ceramic tile from the foyer is repeated on the massive hearth that includes a fireplace by Ortal. “The garden was key to this design,” says Wong, “so we purposefully selected a restrained color palette, allowing the seasonal colors of the garden to play their pivotal role.”

When asked about his favorite aspect of this finished project, architect Robert Swatt reflects, “I think it lives well. I like the simplicity—it’s quiet and elegant, working in harmony with the site.”

144 | G E N T R Y H O M E

BUILT BY DE MATTEI CONSTRUCTION INC SAN JOSE INTERIORS BY JANINE ARIETTA OF DE MATTEI CONSTRUCTION INC SAN JOSE PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEAN BIRINYI

VALLEY CLASSIC Award-winning builder Mark De Mattei of De Mattei Construction breathes new life into a historic Queen Anne Revival-style residence in the heart of Silicon Valley.

G E N T R Y H O M E | 147

Award-winning builder Mark De Mattei of De Mattei Construction restored this beautiful Queen Anne Revival-style home in Santa Clara with careful attention to detail. The homeยนs elegant historic charm and bones were preserved while simultaneously updating the entire home to fit the needs of a modern family.

I

“

t was quite a fixer upper,” recalls Mark De Mattei. This comes from a man who understands buildings and what it takes to create them. For over 30 years he has earned the reputation for being one of the best in the business in the Bay Area— constructing over 2,000 homes in the process.

When De Mattei first laid eyes on this Queen Anne Revival-style home in Santa Clara, he knew he wanted to restore it—not just to its former glory, but to something far better. He wanted to give it new life so that a 21st-century family would love it and live in it for decades to come.

The Queen Anne Revival style came to prominence in America from 1870 – 1910—the height of the Victorian Age. While Victorian architecture was rigid and regimented, the Queen Anne Revival style was far less formal with fluid lines, front-facing towers, turrets, and gables. The homes often featured wrap-around porches and large bay windows. The style was opulent, for its day, speaking to the position of its owners. This lovely home had certainly been built for someone of great means during the early days of the Santa Clara Valley, when fruit orchards were planted as far as the eye could see.

.

G E N T R Y H O M E | 149

Time had taken its toll on the residence, though, and it was in need of careful restoration. “The basement and foundation were first on our list,” recalls De Mattei. “We needed to ensure that the home had strength from bottom to top, and we reworked and replaced the foundation, the roof, restored and replaced windows, created a new kitchen and baths, and replaced the landscaping.” De Mattei and his team did it all in nine months with the blessing of the local historic commission. The home is now one of the loveliest in the neighborhoods that surround the University of Santa Clara.

“The quirks of the home are truly charming,” says Janine Arrieta, interior designer for the De Mattei team. “I first saw the house when it was down to the studs.” Originally from the East Coast, Arietta says that she has a fondness for historic homes and architecture.

“It was important to our team to celebrate the architecture,” she says, “but to also craft a home that would very much appeal to a modern family. Our design choices had to have a timeless appeal.” To that end, Arietta kept the palette neutral, opting for dove greys, pewters, and soft blues, all punctuated with fresh white trim. “I played a lot with texture and pattern, especially in the tile selections,” she notes. In one of the guest bathrooms, she employed a fan-shaped tile to echo the scallops of the home’s roofline. In another

150 | G E N T R Y H O M E

guest powder room and the master bath, she added a new tile from Vardara’s “Toledo” collection in a brushed salt finish.

The kitchen is a particular favorite of the De Mattei team.

Gleaming quartz counters from All Natural Stone pair beautifully with the custom cabinetry. “We designed a group of cabinets to look like a hutch,” notes Arietta. “We wanted them to look as if they had always been there.”

The mudroom is also very special. Here, Arietta installed patterned tiles by Pan American Ceramics with an intricate motif and a Victorian feel.

The project had its challenges. “Odd shapes and small spaces,” says Arietta, “were something we really had to work on—so we played with scale to keep it interesting.”

Interesting, indeed—this home is definitely a testament to the hard work, dedication, craftsmanship, and formidable skills of the De Mattei team.

Originally built in the late 1800s, the home features an extraordinary gabled roof, wraparound porch, and cupola. The team from De Mattei construction rebuilt the home from top to bottom so that it will serve future families for decades to come.

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152 | G E N T R Y H O M E

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DESIGN RESOURCES

2019 Gentry HOME presents our annual compilation of outstanding design products and resources. Our homes reflect who we are and provide a place where we can feel our best. The following excellent design services and ideas will allow you to make your home as special as you are.

MIDLAND CABINET COMPANY FINE CUSTOM CABINETRY FROM MIDLAND: WE BRING YOUR STYLE TO LIFE

C

ustom cabinetry and architectural millwork are the hallmarks of fine interior styling, which is why Northern California homeowners, architects, and designers trust Midland Cabinet Company to turn their design concepts for fine living into reality.

Founded in 1965, still family-owned and family-run, our 50-plus years of experience count when it comes to delivering what customers expect: precision detailing. Our reputation for expert product delivery and service lies in our hands-on approach, extending from the cabinetry we fabricate in our local San Carlos facility to the care we take to communicate with clients throughout the project.

Building and installing the finest products is our sole focus, and we ensure the end result by calling on the best domestic and exotic wood, the highest-quality American and European hardware, and the latest innovations in cabinetry engineering, finishes, and glazes. With a staff of master craftsmen working on the industry’s top-of-the-line computerized machinery, we can guarantee that Midland’s passion for quality shows in the final product, inside and out.

Visit us at MidlandCabinet.com, or come by for a tour of our showroom and fabrication facility.

Photography: Rusty Reniers

Best wishes for 2019, Rob, Sue, and Jeb Boynton, and the entire Midland staff

719 Industrial Road, San Carlos • 650.594.0890 www.MidlandCabinet.com

REBARTS INTERIORS

B

art and Becky San Diego are the proud and proficient owners of Rebarts Interiors who share 30 years of outstanding professional experience. At Rebarts Interiors, they work closely with you in creating the finest custom window fashions, from a residential setting to a large commercial project, from the consultation to the installation, and to make sure that no detail is overlooked.

Rebarts Interiors designs beautiful shutters, blinds and draperies that come in many styles, colors, and textures. They have three gallery showrooms. The main showroom office is in Burlingame with a branch in San Carlos and Los Altos to better and more conveniently serve you.

Rebarts Interiors is a certified Hunter Douglas Gallery Centurion exclusively previewing all the latest and newest products before any other dealer. They custom-fit window fashion treatments to any shape and size, offering a complimentary inhome design consultation with measuring services. They also work with an extremely talented group of in-house design consultants, as well as a network of outside designers, decorators, architects, developers, and realtors.

Rebarts Interiors celebrates over 30 years of business. Their commitment and their goal is to develop a working relationship with the client in making their window fashion vision become a reality, from the beginning stages to the end.

1352 Broadway, Burlingame • 650.348.1268 990 Industrial Road, Suite 106, San Carlos • 650.508.8518 253 State Street, Los Altos • 650.288.4377 www.rebarts.com

CLOSET FACTORY BRINGING MORE ORDER AND BEAUTY TO YOUR LIFE.

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our storage problem is unique, and no closet company is better fit to help you organize your life than Closet Factory. We understand every closet system is custom, made to order, your order. It’s the reason we’ve become the authority in customized storage solutions.

Our Closet Factory closet systems are not your typical closet organizers. They are designed just for you, your space, your wardrobe, your needs, and your budget. We listen carefully when you tell us what you want, and then we create a closet design that will fit your needs and space perfectly.

Closet Factory has become a leading closet company franchise in closet organizers with locations throughout the United States. This national network of closet companies and their people is dedicated to creating the best custom closet organizers possible, right down to the handles on the doors and drawers.

Whether you live in Los Angeles or New York, you will find the same high-grade closet materials, lifetime warranty, highly trained closet designers, and great workmanship that defines the Closet Factory brand. The Closet Factory has made itself into the industry standard as a closet company.

1000 B Commercial, San Carlos • 888.678.6789 www.closetfactory.com

24 hourswith . . .

DESIGNING WOMEN

Courtney Heaton is a second-generation designer. Her love for interiors began while working alongside her mother transforming homes in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Beaver Creek. In 2003, she launched her eponymous ďŹ rm Courtney Heaton Design in San Francisco. Eleven years later, veteran designer Laura Williams-Ulam, whose career has been spent creating beautiful projects in Washington, D. C., Atlanta, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Napa Valley, joined Courtney’s team. Recently, the duo decided to oďŹƒcially partner and rebrand the company Heaton + Williams. Gentry Home caught up with this talented team to understand the secrets to their success.

PHOTOS: THOMAS KUOH

Laura Williams-Ulam: AM Wake up, have coffee, and check my social media—Instagram and Pinterest—then do some online sourcing for Atherton clients. Courtney Heaton: AM Grab my phone to check the time and see there are texts, Instagram messages, and emails . . . so I check it all from the comfort of my cozy bed. Then I shower and get ready for the day. Courtney:

AM Wake up my three girls and help them get ready for the day—they wear uniforms, so that helps! I make myself some tea because everyone knows I’m a lot Courtney Heaton and nicer after I’ve had my tea! Courtney & Laura: AM Ready for the day and conference Laura Williams-Ulam call with each other about our Healdsburg project. Today, we are finalizing finishes for the kitchen and baths. Loving the tile samples from Heath Ceramics! Courtney: AM I drop the girls off at school and now I’m off to check on progress on a Victorian remodel we are working on in the city. Thankfully, we have the best contractor and he has everything under control. I show my client furniture plans for her living room—a beautiful sectional sofa, two swivel chairs in a great Anna French fabric, and a large rug from HD Buttercup to ground the space. We’re off to a good start.

Laura:

AM Stopping by our Napa project for a quick site visit. Hardwood floors are going in today.

Courtney: AM I need to source a rug for a client in Los Gatos, so I stop at Krimsa and find a few options along with a few pillows that are perfect for another project! Courtney & Laura: AM Lunch at the new Marlow Cow Hollow as we go over our meetings for the day, and decide which fabrics to show our client in Atherton. We review some great options from Well Made Home—one of our favorite resources. Courtney: PM Arrive in Atherton for the delivery of dining room furniture. The room has been lacquered, the chandelier was hung, and now the table and chairs complete this beautiful dining room for the holidays. This is what makes our job so much fun! We run by another client in the area to show her some art to complete her living room; we really enjoy the finishing touches. Laura: PM Arrive in Atherton for delivery of furniture. This is so fun to see the finished product! Make a few quick decisions on the fabric for pillows and shades and we’re off to our second client close by. New coffee table came in and we can’t wait to see it! Courtney: PM Head back to the city to get my girls. We don’t have any activities today, so we get a snack and get started on homework. I open my laptop and follow up on emails and place a few orders. Laura: PM On my way back to Napa, stop in the city to see the new Hewn showroom and meet with them about the new fabric lines they are carrying.

Courtney: PM We walk the dog to the park and enjoy a little fresh air. Laura: PM Time to brave the traffic! Always a long drive in the evenings back to the Napa Valley! Laura: PM Arrive home. Time for dinner at R&D Yountville with friends. Seems to be a regular event! Courtney: PM Dinner, bedtime reading, and tuck in. Courtney: PM It’s been a long day. I trade in my iced-tea for a margarita, and my husband and I chat about our flip project in the wine country. Then we settle in for some nighttime TV. Shameless is the show for tonight. Laura: PM Crash on the sofa for a little HGTV and Bravo. Always sourcing online while I’m watching my shows! Try to stay awake, but usually out by 10. At the end of a long day, I’m so happy to be doing something I love!

Courtney:

PM Time for bed!

160 | G E N T R Y H O M E

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HISTORY

THE HUMAN DYNAMO

By the Seat of His Pants Members of the local press enjoyed reporting on pioneer California aviator Robert G. Fowler. They described the young, blue-eyed, 180pound, six-foot-tall flyboy as a “human dynamo” who always liked to be the first in whatever he did.

In 1911, he became the first aviator to fly across the San Francisco Bay, taking off from what later was called Mills Field. He claimed to complete the first West to East transcontinental flight from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida, and, in the process, garnered national acclaim for his extraordinary speed. And then there was a pioneer flight in Central America, when he flew from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. On this adventure, he carried a cameraman aloft to film the Panama Canal. Later, the motion picture was featured at San Francisco’s Gaiety Theater. Fowler, himself, provided the live narration.

Although seldom annoyed, Fowler became so in 1911, when the press reported that he was a native of Los Angeles. In fact, he was born in San Francisco in 1884. And when pressed for details, he admitted he grew up in Gilroy, usually adding that he was the single aviator that the small Santa Clara Valley town had yet produced.

Everybody in Gilroy knew the Fowler name. He was the scion of one of the town’s most prominent families.

In 1903, when he had barely turned 20, Fowler had taken a train to Detroit, purchased a Ford motorcar and had driven it all the way back to California, no easy task. It was the first Ford in the state. For several years, Fowler demonstrated his acumen as a driver, making speed records and winning numerous automobile races.

Machines of all sorts fascinated him. But from the first time he witnessed an aeroplane in flight at the Dominguez Field Air Show in Los Angles (1910), there was no longer any question about what 162 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

he wanted to do. He had to fly. Off to Dayton, Ohio, by train, he went to spend several weeks with America’s most famed aviators Wilbur and Orville Wright who, in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, had been the very first men to fly.

Following a few hours of lessons with the famed brothers, and a single successful solo flight, and having purchased a Wright Flyer, Fowler headed home to California, again by train, determined to become the first to fly from coast-to-coast.

Virtually every shop and business in Gilroy was shuttered September 11, 1911. Almost everybody in town had gone to San Francisco, more specifically the stadium (later the Polo Fields) in Golden Gate Park to watch Fowler’s cross-country takeoff. Fowler’s motivation was a $50,000 prize offered by journalist William Randolph Hearst to the first aviator to fly successfully from coast-to-coast (within a single month).

Even Sunny Jim Rolph, one of the city’s mayoral candidates, who never missed photo opportunities, came out to wish the aviator well on this extraordinary undertaking. With great ceremony, Rolph christened Fowler’s 200-pound aeroplane, the Cole Flyer, with a bottle of Pacific Ocean water. A San Francisco Examiner reporter, perhaps over generously, estimated the crowd witnessing the takeoff at 10,000. Fowler fully A determined Fowler (above, left) expected to reach the Atlantic in mugged for photographers at 20 days of actual flying. the controls of his Cole Flyer before taking off. Flyers (above, But navigation presented a right) at the 1915 Panama-Pacific bit of a problem. Reflecting on International Exposition in San Francisco. Pilot Roy Francis, later the feat later in his long career, superintendent of San Francisco’s Fowler commented about such airport (standing), with Fowler (center) and aviator Art Smith. difficulty, explaining that, “We

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE MS&SB COLLECTION

Gentry recalls the high flying days of aviator Robert G. Fowler.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE MS&SB COLLECTION

used to fly by the seat of the pants and follow the iron compass— the railroad tracks.”

Faye Fowler, Bob’s proud mother, knew how the aviation game was played. Moreover, she felt that someone should go along on the trip to care for her boy. Determined to go herself, she chartered a private train. Accompanying her would be Fowler’s manager and a couple of mechanics with “a pile of spare parts.” The train included both baggage and sleeping cars, indeed all elegant Pullman equipment. Their intent was to follow the tracks of the Overland Limited.

The takeoff from Golden Gate Park was picture perfect. Fowler flew a Wright biplane with a Cole automobile engine. He soared eastward across the bay and soon sighted the navigation train departing from Oakland. He completed the 88-mile flight to amento in just under two hours, a new record. Sacramento’s reception was tumultuous. An estimated 25,000 excited folks turned out to greet him. Joined by his mother, Fowler dined with California Governor Hiram Johnson.

His flight to the East was dramatically abbreviated when, flying too low after leaving Sacramento, he collided with trees near Colfax in the Sierra Nevada. Scratched and bruised, Fowler was not badly hurt. The plane didn’t fare as well. Mechanics managed to repair it.

A week later Fowler took off again. There were five attempts, but he failed to make it over the Sierra Bob Fowler became known for and finally abandoned the effort. taking a motion picture photographer along to film his exploits.

A month later, on October 19, Here they are seen on a second 1911, Fowler tried again, this cross-country attempt at Beautime taking off from Los Angeles mont, Texas, 1911. Fowler often blanketed himself with canvas bound for New York. It soon befor protection from the icy winds. came the news story of the year.

Daily, newspapers breathlessly reported his “progress.” The first mishap occurred when he crashed into a crowded grandstand at Tucson, Arizona. Just reaching Arizona generated a sensation.

Fowler’s plane was the first ever to land there, an exciting event later commemorated with a bronze statue of the young aviator.

Continuing east, near El Paso, Texas, he was brought down by a sandstorm. Engine trouble caused another delay near Fort Worth where the appearance of his airplane had caused cattle to stampede.

New Orleans was reached on New Year’s Eve. Although bound for New York, instead, he eventually reached Jacksonville, Florida, February 1, 1912. Start to finish, the transcontinental trip required 60 landings and 112 days. While he claimed to have completed the crossing “in the original plane,” only the engine and rudder from the original craft reached Florida. Nevertheless, Fowler still won

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Other Walks, Other Lines

HISTORY

Other Walks, Other Lines focuses on artwork made during the last thirty years by artists around the world who use walking as a mode of making the world, as well as being in it.

This wandering exhibition considers topics as disparate as procession, immigration, protest, and accessibility.

Artists included are Yuji Agematsu, Francis Alÿs, Ginny Bishton, Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla, Brendan Fernandes, Ana Teresa Fernandéz, Regina José Galindo, Hiwa K, Brad Kahlhamer, Glenn Kaino, Suki Seokyeong Kang, Kimsooja, Pope.L, Omar Mismar, Paulo Nazareth, Gabriel Orozco, Wilfredo Prieto, Lordy Rodriguez, Michal Rovner, Lara Schnitger, Clarissa Tossin, and Charwei Tsai.

SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART

110 S. Market Street Now–Mar 10, 2019 sjmusart.org/other-walks Sponsored by Applied Materials Foundation and Melanie and Peter Cross. In-kind support for equipment is provided by BrightSign. Supported, in part, by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José. Image: Gabriel Orozco, Right couple (detail), 2010; Chromogenic print; 16×20 inches; Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery. ©Gabriel Orozco.

acclaim as the first aviator to fly across the continen from West to East.

Determined to improve his time, the always-creative Fowler opted for one more ocean-to-ocean attempt. On April 27, 1913, piloting a single-engine hydroplane of his own design, with a motion picture photographer in tow, Fowler took off from Panama City and flew, nonstop, to Cristobal on the Atlantic side. He completed the innovative transcontinental crossing in a mere 55 minutes. He was the first pilot to cross the Isthmus.

Photographs and motion pictures were taken of the still under construction Panama Canal. One especially clear photograph showed a new type of gun emplacement then being created to guard the Pacific entrance to the Canal.

Delighted with the photographic work, just months before the Canal opened, Sunset magazine editor Charles E. Field published them along with an article by Riley E. Scott in its April 1914 issue.

Scott, a graduate of the U.S. Military at West Point, had astutely noted that the Canal was adequately protected from the land and sea but asked the haunting question, “can the Panama Canal be destroyed from the air?”

Alarmed with the publication of what the War Department considered classified defense information along with the mere suggestion of the Canal’s vulnerability, the government ordered the arrest of Robert Fowler, writer Riley Scott and photographer Ray Duhem.

The charge was espionage. Fowler was arrested at his San Francisco home in July 1914.

But before delivering indictments, a federal grand jury evaluated the case and determined that neither the aviator nor any one else had acted with any intent to injure the nation. In return for Fowler’s pledge to remove several sections of the film, the government declined prosecution. Fowler always claimed he had received permission to make the flight from Colonel George Washington Goethals, the chief engineer in charge of Canal construction. However, by Executive Order signed by President Woodrow Wilson, it was made illegal to photograph the Panama Canal or any of its defense network. Violators of the order would be faced with ten years of imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.

Robert G. Fowler was unique among early flyers, most of whom failed to survive pioneering years. During World War I, Fowler opened a factory in San Francisco and was responsible for manufacturing 275 airplanes.

In 1928, he helped establish the San Jose Flying Club, one of the oldest such organizations in the country, and became a charter

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE MS&SB COLLECTION

Faye Fowler, determined to help her son in his first crosscountry venture, is seated at a sewing machine repairing canvas in a chartered Pullman train car equipped with “a pile of spare parts.”

member. Fowler served as president of the club during the 1920s and 1930s. He had become a public personality as a flyer during San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915 where he took hundreds of enthusiasts aloft to introduce them to the wonders of flying. He proudly displayed his still operational 1915 plane at the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island in 1939.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE MS&SB COLLECTION

Proud flyer Robert G. Fowler standing in front of his tinker toy aeroplane (above) before his 1911 transcontinental effort. Fowler was one of the few pioneer aviators to survive the early years of flying. He is pictured with his wife, Lenore, at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island (left), displaying a plane he flew at San Francisco’s 1915 PanamaPacific International Exposition.

He passed away in 1966 at age 82.

Revered as one of California’s most indestructible pioneer aviators, Bob Fowler became a much sought-after dinner and luncheon speaker for audiences hungry to hear his stories. Moreover, his wife, Lenore, achieved recognition as one of the first women glider pilots in Santa Clara County. She was a force behind the establishment of San Jose Municipal Airport that many people still believe should have been named for Robert Fowler.

Fowler passed away in San Jose in 1966 at the age of 82. Eulogists nostalgically recalled that in 1911, the intrepid young aviator had started off on a transcontinental flight after just three hours of flying experience. Sometime later, he became the first pilot to fly more than 100 miles per hour. He was interred in the cemetery at Mission Santa Clara. The ceremony was highlighted by a flyover of 50 antique aircraft.

History writers Michael Svanevik and Shirley Burgett may be reached by regular mail at 3182 Campus Drive, #442, San Mateo 94403.

PHILANTHROPY

RESTORING HOPE

Child Focused

166 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

PHOTO: ISTOCK

The year 1851 was an undeniably eventful one. It saw the publication of Herman Melville’s iconic American novel Moby Dick.

Across the Atlantic, Victorian Age marvels wowed visitors to The Great Exhibition in London’s Crystal Palace. And here at home, the San Francisco Orphan Asylum was founded. Fast-forward 168 years and this beloved area institution, which since 1997 has been known as Edgewood Center for Children and Families, continues to offer vitally important services to at-risk children, youth, and families.

Originally established as a sanctuary for orphans of the California Gold Rush, Edgewood has since grown to become a key provider of behavioral health, family support, and educational services to almost 11,000 individuals. The 501c(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization emphasizes the timeless values of family, community, and diversity.

As the oldest children’s charity in the western United States, Edgewood provides some 27 separate programs throughout San Francisco, San Mateo, and Alameda counties. The organization, whose motto is, “Transforming Lives, Restoring Hope,” runs an eponymous Community School that serves students from eight area districts.

Furthermore, Edgewood plays a pivotal role in helping children to overcome the challenges and stigma associated with mental health issues. In San Francisco it offers behavioral health facilities such as a 23-hour crisis stabilization unit, along with short-term residential treatment services. Here, kids with acute psychiatric needs can be treated, while families receive intensive support and therapy to help heal.

Working in tandem with parents and teachers, the organization also runs drop-in centers designed to serve transitional-age youth requiring mentoring or job training. In addition, Edgewood Center supports elderly kin who unexpectedly find themselves assuming the mantel of caregiver to a new generation of youth.

Edgewood’s CEO Lynn Dolce recently noted that, “We are in the relationship business. That’s what we do—build relationships with vulnerable children and the ecosystems that surround them. Relationships are messy. In our business,

OCK PHOTO: IST

For over a century-and-a-half, Edgewood Center for Children and Families has provided innovative care and services for local youth.

there is no ‘finished product.’ The true cost of our work is never fully covered and/or transparent.”

Indeed, ever since 1854 when none other than Mr. Levi Strauss gave $100 to the organization that would eventually become Edgewood, charitable donations have played a key part in its philanthropic mission. Dramatic public funding cuts of late, even as Edgewood’s client roster has steadily increased, have made the largesse of individual donors, family foundations, and the wider community ever more important.

Two eagerly anticipated annual events help with Edgewood’s annual budget of approximately $33 million. The organization is a benefactor of the Across the Bay 12K race that last year featured almost 4,000 runners. In addition, Edgewood Auxiliary organizes the annual Edgewood Fair and hosts a range of other activities.

As 2019 dawns, the organization established in Happy Valley during the middle of the 19th century continues to put priceless smiles on the faces of countless Bay Area children and their loving families. —KAREN SALAMA To learn more about Edgewood Center, including ways to donate, please visit www.edgewood.org.

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PETS & THEIR PEOPLE

FROM THE HEART

Love & Learn

the Year award, which is presented at the prestigious Westminster Dog Show. Her deep devotion to animals ensures that De Groodt is a highly sought-after speaker, having addressed various veterinary organizations, law enforcement agencies, and animal health departments.

Over the years, she’s been the proud owner of numerous adorable pets, including Chihuahuas, redheaded terriers, and Yorkie mixes. De Groodt, who is also a fully certified first aid instructor, currently has three Rottweilers and two shelter dogs. Last May, she spent time in Thailand, helping rescues, strays, and street dogs.

Closer to home, De Groodt brought seven dogs home after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

From the Heart’s annual August fundraisers, now in their 16th year, have donated approximately $45,000 to worthy canine causes. Poignantly, at each such event, the organization lights 100 red candles to honor the legions of homeless dogs. De Groodt chides careless breeders in Salinas and Monterey who, she says, “pump out puppies to make money.”

Ultimately, she stresses, the key is to love and learn from your pets. “Hug them daily and make sure you are a right fit for each other,” she advises. “Above all,” De Groodt adds, “be realistic with your goals. Very few dogs are Lassie. Remember, it took 18 of them to make one!” —KAREN SALAMA

Animal lover and award-winning trainer, Barbara De Groodt, offers words of wisdom.

Barbara De Groodt, owner of Monterey County’s From the Heart Animal Behavior Counseling and Dog Training, tells Gentry she doesn’t ever remember not having a dog.

Her father, who had a working kennel, instilled a love of canines from early on. De Groodt began training dogs at the tender age of eight. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, before embarking upon graduate work at Edinburgh University.

Classes were located not far from where legendary Greyfriars Bobby, the famously devoted Skye terrier, roamed the streets of Scotland’s capital city in the 19th century.

Back on this side of the Atlantic, De Groodt has been an animal behavior authority for more than three decades. From the Heart, whose underlying ethos is, “Respect Your Pet & Treat Without Pain,” provides a wide range of services for pooches. Among its offerings are Paws at Play doggie daycare, individual private training, and athome consultations. All programs eschew older compulsion-based methods in favor of more modern behavior-focused training.

De Groodt also serves on the Advisory Council of Peace of Mind Dog Rescue in Pacific Grove. She is a past winner of the Trainer of 168 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

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QUOTED In honor of the Amazing Women featured this month, here are some inspirational thoughts from extraordinary women past and present.

“

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. —MARIE CURIE

I do know one thing about me. I don’t measure myself by others’ expectations or let others define my worth.

Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve. —J.K. ROWLING

Happiness comes from being who you actually are instead of who you think you are supposed to be.

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal.

You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.

—SHONDA RIMES

—BARBARA BUSH

With each and every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice. —OPRAH WINFREY

It’s not what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.

—JANE AUSTEN

Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles. —TINA FEY I am my own muse, I am the subject I know best.

The subject I want to know better. —FRIDA KAHLO When a woman earns a dollar, the payback is higher.

She’ll invest in her children, in their education, health care, and basic needs. The impact of a woman’s role in the economy benefits society at large. —ANDREA JUNG 170 | GENTRY | JANUARY 2019

Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th. —JULIE ANDREWS The essence of America— that which really unites us —is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion—it is an idea—and what an idea it is.

That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things. That it does not matter where you came from but where you are going. —CONDOLEEZZA RICE Whatever you’re fighting for, you go with full passion and love. —MICHELLE KWAN

—SONIA SOTOMAYOR

If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself. —MINDY KALING Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world. —MALALA YOUSAFZAI There’s no bad consequence to loving fully, with all your heart. You always gain by giving love. —REESE WITHERSPOON I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks. If winning is God’s reward, then losing is how he teaches us. —SERENA WILLIAMS

“

The price of inaction is far greater than the cost of a mistake. —MEG WHITMAN

You can be miserable before you have a cookie and you can be miserable after you eat a cookie but you can’t be miserable while you are eating a cookie. —INA GARTEN I do know one thing about me—I don’t measure myself by others’ expectations or let others define my worth.

—JOAN BAEZ

—EMILY HEITMANN

COME AS YOU ARE ®