Local Bright Lights to Speak at TEDxNapaValley 2015

TEDxNapaValley will feature Eileen Gordon Chiarello, whose Barnraiser foundation powers the good food movement one project at a time. Eileen and her husband, Chef and TV host Michael Chiarello, were featured at this month’s SXSW (South by Southwest) festival panel, The Future of Taste, moderated by hiphop star and food enthusiast Questlove.

As Napa Valley dwellers know, Eileen and Michael 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.

Also featured is our Garen K. Staglin, a private equity investor and philanthropist dedicated to raising awareness of brain disease and mental illness. He has co-founded or chaired One Mind for Research, the International Mental Health Research Organization and Bring Change 2 Mind. Bring Change 2 Mind launched its first PSA on national networks in October 2009 with a spot directed by Ron Howard and featuring Glenn Close and the music of John Mayer. Garen and his family are founders of the Staglin Family Vineyard, a 64-acre estate in Rutherford, California. This year marks their 21stAnnual Music Festival for Brain Health. Their motto is “Great Wine for Great Causes,” and altogether they have generated more than $825 million for charity.

The student speak-off competition in February led us to 17-year-old Kimberly Jessica Ramirez Gonzalez, a gifted young woman emerging victorious from a childhood was marked by challenges. Several members of Kimberly’s family were involved with gangs and drugs, and she also witnessed domestic violence.

At the age of thirteen, she lost her younger sister and grandmother in a tragic car accident. Through her own struggles, Kimberly has been inspired to make the world a better place. She has already begun giving back through her involvement with a variety of programs, organizations, and clubs, including the support group she founded for at-risk girls at Napa High, called Girls United. As a 17 year-old senior at Napa High, she founded a support group for at-risk girls called Girls United. Kimberly hopes to attend Lewis & Clark College in Portland and eventually work in law enforcement as a lawyer.

Finally, in the face of recent violent crime, City of Napa police chief Steve Potter digs deeply into his more than three decades of local law enforcement experience. Steve, sworn in on January 5 of this year, was born and raised right here in Napa County, and is a proud public servant described by the mayor as a good communicator, problem solver and widely involved and respected in the community.

He is a 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.

Don’t miss the April 12 live event—tickets are still available, but going fast. TEDxNapaValley also have a very limited number of weekend packages left, a deal that includes dinner with the speakers the night before, early admission seating, and much more!

Find out more about how Kimberly made it to the big stage below;