Pop Up 94920+ Speakers

An Antidote to Polarization: Integration

Stephanie Lepp is a producer whose work strives to hold up a mirror and invites us  to grow from what we see. She’s the Executive Producer at the Center for Humane  Technology, the organization at the heart of the Netflix documentary, The Social  Dilemma. Stephanie won two Webby awards for the internationally-exhibited project,  Deep Reckonings, a series of deepfake videos that imagines public figures having a  crisis of conscience.

ExtraFood: Ending Hunger & Wasted Food in Marin

Amber Driscoll is ExtraFood’s Director of Development and leads organizational  efforts that include fundraising strategy, foundation and government grants, corporate  sponsorships, marketing and communications and special events. Before joining  ExtraFood, Amber owned and operated three restaurants in Marin and Sonoma  counties, and worked as a development professional for nonprofits focused on  environmental justice, domestic violence, sustainable food systems and animal welfare.  She has an MBA in Marketing from UC Irvine and a Bachelor's degree from the  University of Arizona. Amber is also a Master Gardener.

Life Lessons Found in Chess

Ladia Jirasek is 22 years old and a self-taught International Chess Master. He  recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a major in economics and currently works as  a junior quantitative trader at the Cutler Group. He has been a chess coach for the past  eight years and loves helping people improve and achieve their goals

Breakthroughs at the Buck Institute

Dr. Gordon Lithgow’s Lithgow Lab at the Buck Institute studies the biology of aging  and focuses on identifying small drug-like molecules that prolong lifespan through  enhanced molecular stability. Dr. Lithgow has strong collaborations in preclinical aging  research on diseases such as osteoporosis and Parkinson’s disease. A recipient of many  awards for his research, Dr. Lithgow coined the term “geroscience” which is used  internationally to describe research focused on the connection between aging and  disease.

Tales of Urban Whales

Bill Keener is a marine biologist on the Cetacean Field Research Team at The  Marine Mammal Center in Marin County, where he studies the local whales, dolphins,  and porpoises. His latest studies are focused on the conservation implications  of increasing numbers of whales in San Francisco Bay. He joined the Center back in the  1970s as an animal care volunteer and later served as Executive Director. In 2010,  he co-founded the former nonprofit Golden Gate Cetacean Research. Bill’s career  highlights include the first-ever humpback whale and bottlenose dolphin photo identification catalogs for San Francisco Bay, and a multi-year project to document the  return of harbor porpoises to the Bay after an absence of 65 years.

Bringing Cinelounge to Tiburon

Christian Meoli is the Founder/CEO of CINELOUNGE®, with theaters in Hollywood and  the Bay Area. He offers an unparalleled perspective on the entertainment industry,  bringing more than 30 years of experience with a formidable background in marketing,  theatrical exhibition, special events, and being in front of and behind the camera.  Meoli founded Cinelounge® from the ground up with a mission to preserve the  theatrical experience for independent films. The mission of the brand is to be a bridge  between home and theater entertainment. Meoli is an asset with his out-of-the-box  viewpoints and his passion to elevate exhibition and only make it better.

 Caroluna, Lyric Soprano

 Caroluna is an award-winning soprano, artist and filmmaker. She performs as a  soloist and video artist in US and internationally, including at the XX Olympic Winter  Games in Turin, Italy. She has performed title roles with The Contemporary Opera of  

Marin and the Oakland Lyric Opera. She is a featured soloist with diverse chamber  ensembles and orchestras including the Musical Art Quintet and the Classical  Revolution Orchestra. Caroluna performed and presented her program, “Music as a  Path to Peace,” at the 7th Parliament of The World’s Religions in Toronto. She produced  and composed her debut album, “Sacred Love Songs,” devotional songs inspired by the  ecstatic poetry from mystics of diverse spiritual paths, scored to her original  music.