Theme: Redefining Success

In 2015, our speakers offer insight on changing direction mid-stream as their concept of achievement shifts. We’ll take a look at individuals who redefined success for themselves, their companies, or their civic endeavors, and how their realigned goals inspired creative new approaches.

2277 Napa Vallejo Hwy
napa, California, 94559
United States

Dan O'Connor

Actor, director and consultant Dan O’Connor is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Los Angeles based Impro Theatre, which has performed to sold-out crowds at the Broad Stage, Pasadena Playhouse, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Rep, North Coast Rep, Z Space in San Francisco and the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley. His acting credits included appearances on shows like Seinfeld, Malcolm in the Middle, and Raising Hope, and more than 75 commercials. He co-created the improv comedy television show World Cup Comedy and directed the sitcoms Sons and Daughters for ABC, and Campus Ladies for the Oxygen Network. Dan has co-created “The Living Story Board” for Dreamworks and Disney Animation, a real-time method for improvisers and animators to explore narrative for animated features.

Danny Kennedy

Danny is a globally recognized sustainability activist, businessperson, and opinion leader. In 2011, PBS named him “Innovator of the Year” for moving the planet forward, and in 2013 he was described as a “Solar Maverick” by Rolling Stone. He is the author of the book Rooftop Revolution: How Solar Power Can Save Our Economy—and Our Planet—from Dirty Energy; the co-founder of The SfunCube—the only Incubator and Accelerator with a mission of supporting the success of solar entrepreneurs; and the founder of Sungevity, the largest privately held solar service company in the USA. Before founding Sungevity, Danny was Campaigns Manager for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, and in 2001, he ran Greenpeace’s California Clean Energy Campaign, which led to the current California Solar Initiative.

Dave Madden

Dave Madden is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who plays with confidence, versatility and musicality. Dave was voted Best Arranger at the 2013 AMP Austin Music Industry Awards and in 2010 he won Best Austin Record for his pop-rock release, Open-Eyed & Broken Wide. He has played to audiences across the country. Dave also served as the on-stage music director for the National Youth Gathering concert at the Alamodome in San Antonio, preparing and performing music for a crowd of 30,000. He is an alum of Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Eileen Gordon Chiarello

Eileen Gordon Chiarello is the founder of Barnraiser, a community that powers the good food movement one project at a time. She and her husband, Chef and TV host Michael Chiarello, are proprietors of the sustainably-farmed Chiarello Vineyards in Napa Valley, the acclaimed Bottega & Coqueta restaurants, Emmy-winning Food Network shows and the NapaStyle brand. Each venture celebrates everyday rituals around the table, a legacy Eileen believes we must leave to future generations. Her passion for young people, story, and sustainability led her to create Dirt-to-Dine Adventure Camps for kids at Connolly Ranch before launching Barnraiser in 2014. Barnraiser has been featured in Fast Company, Food & Wine, Sunset, National Geographic’s The Plate, Civil Eats and more.

Fabiola Barba Ponce

Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Fabiola Barba Ponce is pursuing her PhD in Australia at Macquarie University in Sydney. Fabiola’s work focuses on the social conditions, economic and cultural values of Mexican immigrants in Australia and includes looking at the experience of coming up against stereotypical expectations. She works hard to ascertain factors that predict the intentions of the skilled immigrants of this community to remain in Australia, and she likes to press buttons around related social issues to bring problem areas to light. Fabiola is also the Director and Curator of TEDxMacquarieUniversity 2015.

Garen K. Staglin

Garen K. Staglin is a private equity investor and philanthropist dedicated to accelerating cures for brain diseases and removing the stigma surrounding them. He has co-founded and chaired One Mind, the International Mental Health Research Organization and Bring Change 2 Mind. As a result of these efforts, many global collaborations are underway including early dedication for schizophrenia, better diagnostics and treatments for traumatic brain injury and PTS, and understanding the mechanisms and genomic variations of depression. Garen and his family are founders of the STAGLIN FAMILY VINEYARD, a 64-acre estate in Rutherford, California. Their motto is “Great Wine for Great Causes,” and they have generated more than $825 million for charity.

Ginger Johnson

Ginger Johnson is a serial entrepreneur. She started her first company in 2002, the little pillow company, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She’s gone on to found Women Enjoying Beer and Ginger Johnson LLC, a marketing strategy and tactics service that helps companies and organizations properly and successfully market to women and all consumers through lively and engaging education. As an expert on the customer experience and female buyers, she’s been featured in several national publications as well as TV and radio, and has produced the weekly live radio program BeerRadio for the last 4 years. She also appears on the award-winning documentary The Love Of Beer.

Heather Anderson

Heather, known as Anish on trails, completed her “Triple Crown” of backpacking in 2006 at the age of 25. She hiked the 2,100-mile long Appalachian Trail in 2003, the 2,600-mile long Pacific Crest Trail in 2005, and the 2,600-mile long Continental Divide Trail in 2006. She subsequently took up ultra-marathon running and has completed six 100-mile races since August 2011, as well as dozens of 50k and 50-mile events. She is well known for setting the overall self-supported speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013, completing the trail in 60 days, 17 hours and 12 min, and breaking the previous record by four days.

Katy Haber

Katherine Haber turned a long career in film and television production into a platform for community outreach. She has spearheaded the BAFTA LA Innercity Screening Programme, a gang-prevention effort that brings films and filmmakers to LA’s most underprivileged areas; served as executive director of the Dome Village Transitional Housing Community for the homeless; and co-founded the Compton Cricket Club, the only all American-born exhibition cricket team for homeless and inner city youth. With the support of HRH Prince Edward, the team toured England in 1997, 1999, and 2001, and Australia in 2011. The program has become instrumental in helping young men develop into stalwart community members and advocates of gang prevention.

Kimberly Jessica Gonzalez Ramirez

Kimberly’s childhood was marked by difficulties. She had family members involved with gangs and drugs, she witnessed domestic violence, and she lost her younger sister and grandmother in a tragic car accident when she was thirteen. Using her own pain and experience she hopes to make our world a better place through her involvement with a variety of programs, organizations, and clubs. As a 17 year-old senior at Napa High, she founded a support group for at-risk girls called Girls United. She hopes to attend Lewis & Clark College in Portland and eventually work in law enforcement as a lawyer.

Simone Bruni

After losing her Louisiana home in the Katrina floods, Simone Bruni took on the daunting task of rebuilding. She quickly recognized that demolition was the first step to helping her neighbors start over in the devastated region and founded the Demo Diva Demolition Company. With a strong background in marketing, Simone positioned the Demo Diva for success in a male-dominated industry and reinvented the recipe for construction marketing, public relations, social media and customer service to create strong brand identity and raving “fans” instead of customers. Starting with one hot pink Volvo excavator and five hot pink dumpsters, the Demo Diva has grown into an inspirational business success story.

Stephen Thomas

The Oxbow School is a unique interdisciplinary semester program for high school students based in downtown Napa. Combining rigorous studio art practice with innovative academics, its mission is to strengthen students’ abilities in creative and critical inquiry. Stephen came to Oxbow from his position as the chair of the art department at The Urban School of San Francisco, where he taught and served in several administrative positions from 1984 to1998. In 1990, he became instrumental in the development of the Aim High summer program at the Urban School site and headed the school through two cycles of the WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation process. In 1994 to 1995, he was awarded a Klingenstein Fellowship for a year of study at Teachers College Columbia University. Stephen’s career in art began the late 1970’s when he worked at Crown Point Press, printing intaglio editions for artists; he ran his own printmaking business from 1980 to 1992.

Steve Potter

Born and raised in Napa, California, Steve has more than three decades of law enforcement experience in Napa County. A proud public servant described by the mayor as a good communicator, problem solver and widely involved and respected in the community, Steve was appointed Police Chief in Napa in 2014. He is a current member of the Napa County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and sits on the board of directors for Leadership Napa Valley. Steve is also an associate member of IACP (the International Association of Chiefs of Police), an associate member of CPCA (the California Police Chiefs Association), and a member of the California Peace Officers Association.