Folklore and Stories: A Window to the Soul
Scholars suggest there are only a certain number of plots – all else is elaboration. How then do different cultures and groups tell the “same” story? What does the way such stories are told reveal about the values and dreams of different communities? Why do stories fascinate us so, cause us to remember and help us grow?
Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality
Just about everyone has experienced some exceptional moment of heightened consciousness – a time with nature, the birth of a child or some great event. Discover the key to the fullest expression of life: finding the miraculous in the ordinary or routine moments.
Stories for Leaders
Advice on management strategies is everywhere you look. Why, then, is changing so difficult, if not impossible to achieve? This exciting presentation takes a look at classic folklore, storytelling and leadership for today!
Rabbi Michael R. Zedek is rabbi emeritus of two congregations (Temple B’nai Jehudah in greater Kansas City and Emanuel Congregation in Chicago). Rabbi Zedek was the recipient of the Danforth Graduate Fellowship for outstanding teaching, a Fulbright-Hays Grant for advanced study in the United Kingdom, and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hamilton College, Clinton, New York. He speaks internationally on spirituality and folklore. Michael Zedek currently serves as Rabbi-in-Residence at St. Paul School of Theology.
Over the past 45+ years, Dr. Ken Dychtwald has emerged as North America’s foremost visionary and original thinker regarding the lifestyle, marketing, health care, economic and workforce implications of the age wave.
Maddy Dychtwald co-founded Age Wave, a world leader in understanding and addressing the far-reaching impacts of longevity and our aging population. Recognized by Forbes as one of the top fifty female futurists globally, for nearly 40 years, she has been deeply involved in exploring all aspects of the age wave and how it’s fundamentally transforming the marketplace, the workplace/retirement, and our lives. She is the author of four books, including the national bestseller Ageless Aging: A Woman’s Guide to Increasing Healthspan, Brainspan, and Lifespan, published in 12 languages, and the award-winning Influence: How Women’s Soaring Economic Power Will Transform Our World for the Better.
Nicole Inwentash is a Toronto based Holistic Nutritionist who specializes in weight loss, digestion, and healthy eating. She is also the founder of NUTRITIOUSLY NICOLE, a brand, Instagram, blog, and nutrition practice.
Julie Cielo is a veteran in the wellness industry, teaching her first yoga class, becoming a bodyworker, leading worldwide retreats, and sitting in silent meditation since the 90s. After a significant autoimmune health collapse in 2001, Julie became a gut wellness expert, later formulating the world’s first wildly fermented zero-proof cocktail, raising over $1.8M, and pioneering an entirely new beverage category.
Violinist Pei-Chun Tsai received her Doctorate in Musical Arts from City University of New York with the publication of her dissertation on the violin writing of Richard Strauss. She also holds bachelor’s and master’s Degrees in violin performance from The Juilliard School. She is the founding director of the Campanile Music Festival at San Diego State University and has been a member of the San Diego Symphony since 2006 in addition to being violin lecturer at SDSU. She released an album of solo violin works entitled “Chaconne” in 2021 highlighting Baroque and contemporary masterpieces of this form. Pei-Chun performs on 2020 violin by Boston luthier Charline Dequincy and a bow by Abe Liebhaber in San Diego. Pei-Chun is certified Suzuki violin teacher. She has taught at School for Strings and Lucy Moses School in New York City.
Abe Liebhaber, from Santa Barbara, California, has performed frequently with the San Diego Symphony, the Santa Barbara Symphony, Camarada San Diego, as well as in chamber settings domestic and abroad. He holds a tenured position in the Arizona Opera and has performed for nine seasons with the Sarasota Opera in Florida. He received his degrees in music performance from University of California Los Angeles and California State University Sacramento. Abe is a trained violin bowmaker and restorer of fine bows, and enjoys teaching the craft at his workshop on Adams Avenue “Antiques Row” in San Diego.
Abe Liebhaber: I made my first bow with Lynn Hannings in 2011 at the University of New Hampshire Bowmaking Program founded by Bill Salchow, and continued my study of bowmaking with George Rubino, Matt Cooker, and Steve Beckley. Each of my bows is a handmade original from the preparation of the bow blanks from rough-sawn boards of pernambuco to the first application of hair before the final finish, wrapping and branding of the stick. Since 2016 I have participated in the Violin Society of America’s Bowmaking Workshop in Oberlin, Ohio, where I contribute to the group reproduction of interesting bows for great clients. This workshop has given me the opportunity to meet, work with, and learn from fellow bowmakers from the USA, North and South America, Europe, and Asia.
Tom Birmingham is an artist and teacher with a vast experience leading family enrichment programs. As a founding director of the Big Sur Arts Initiative, Tom has provided instruction and enrichment in the creative arts in a variety of mediums. For ten years he led the art department in the summer children’s theater program, StageKids in Big Sur. For over fifteen years Tom has taught photography and drawing at Rancho La Puerta. Along with his wife, Erin Lee Gafill, he’s been a part of The Ranch’s Family Week since its start. Tom was the director of the Big Sur JazzFest, founding member of Big Sur’s Hidden Garden’s Tour, and currently manages Studio One – Big Sur. Tom is the founder of 26Letter Press, a small press dedicated to printed materials celebrating and inspiring creative expression.
An award-winning painter and author, Erin Gafill has inspired people around the world with her inspirational art, heartfelt stories, and uniquely engaging teaching methods. Her work bridges art, craft, and community, weaving observation, intuition, and imagination into her painting, writing, teaching, and public speaking. A fifth-generation California artist, she was born in Big Sur, California in 1963, the daughter of a beatnik and a flower child. She is the great-great-granddaughter of Carmel’s first artist-in-residence. Growing up at her grandparents’ legendary restaurant, Nepenthe, a mecca for poets, bohemians and dreamers, she drew inspiration from its ever-changing cast of characters as well as the stunning and mystical beauty of the coast. Erin is the founder of the nonprofit Big Sur Arts Initiative, and a founding member of the Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association (MBPAPA). In 2001 Erin was honored to serve as the first American Artist-in-Residence at the Hamada International Children’s Museum, Hamada, Japan. In 2009, she and her husband Tom Birmingham were named Champions of the Arts by the Arts Council of Monterey County and were honored by the United States Congress for their service to the community through the arts. Her exhibit Color Duets was the featured 2021 Spring/Summer show for the Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey, California, followed the next summer by a solo exhibit, California Atmosphere at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, California. She is the author of a coffee-table art book, Color Duets, with Kaffe Fassett, and a memoir about life/work balance, Drinking from a Cold Spring, a Little Book of Hope.
Susan McCandless, RDN, IFNCP, a Functional Dietitian Nutritionist, is a sought-after speaker known for her expertise in delivering engaging educational workshops. She is an effective health coach with a distinct ability to translate the science right to the plate and inspire powerful diet and lifestyle habits. Board Certified in Integrative and Functional Nutrition, Susan understands how body systems work together. She focuses on improving client function and performance by treating the root cause of nutrition imbalances. In her private practice with MINT Nutrition, Susan is delivers clients proven results through in-depth assessment, food-first solutions and a personalized nutrition toolbox. Susan holds advanced certifications in integrative and functional nutrition, digestive health, immunology, genetics, food sensitivities and intuitive eating.
Dawn Petter is a clinical herbalist and flower essence practitioner based in New York City. She is a graduate of Arbor Vitae School of Traditional Herbalism and is trained as a flower essence practitioner with Delta Gardens and Findhorn Essences. Dawn offers in depth health consults and custom formulated remedies to her clients. She teaches classes and retreats at corporations and institutions including, the NY, Brooklyn and Chicago Botanic Gardens, to name a few. Her classes are imaginative, accessible, and encourage students to use herbal medicine in everyday life. Dawn is the owner of Petalune Herbals which specializes in wild and organic herbal skincare. Visit www.petaluneherbals.com to learn more about her offerings, and follow her on social media @petaluneherbals.
Dr. Stephanie Peabody, PhD is a neuropsychologist with over 30 years of experience as a clinician and program designer, consistently working to improve outcomes in brain health, development, aging, and performance at the individual and community levels. In collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital and a global team of scientists and clinicians, she is the Founding Director of the Brain Health Initiative. Dr. Peabody has developed and co-leads several academic courses at Harvard, including Culinary and Nutritional Neuroscience, Lifestyle Medicine for Brain Health & Performance, Women’s Brain Health, and Positive Neuro Psychology. She researches, teaches, and advises Harvard undergraduate and graduate students and a large cohort of Brain Health Scholars representing more than 30 high schools and undergraduate, graduate, and medical school programs globally. She is also an advisor to the World Economic Forums, New Frontiers of Nutrition, and the Future of Personalized Wellbeing platforms. Dr. Peabody is a brain health expert and is often called upon to serve on global think tanks and consult on national and international brain health initiatives.
Carrie Geraci, BA, is a plein air painter and public art curator based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She has been an active part of the Jackson art scene since 1995, showcasing work that blends intuition, expressive mark-making, and unexpected color juxtapositions. Specializing in soft Sennelier pastels for her plein air pieces, her studio practice also includes oils and acrylics. Geraci earned a BA in Visual Arts from Brown University, where she also studied printmaking and photography at the Rhode Island School of Design. She further expanded her artistic perspective during a semester abroad in Florence, Italy, immersing herself in sculpture, photography, and drawing while exploring the region’s rich art history. A dedicated arts educator, she has taught at Portsmouth Abbey Summer School, Snake River Institute, and the Jackson Hole Community School. Beyond her personal practice, Geraci is the founder and executive director of JH Public Art, a nonprofit she established in 2010. Under her leadership, the organization has commissioned dynamic, free, and accessible public art, enriching the cultural landscape of Jackson Hole.
Dr. Nicole Andreatta (Dr. A) is an executive coach that leverages a multidimensional approach to the science of human thriving. Combining decades of experience in neurorehabilitation and psychotherapy with the discipline of positive psychology, Dr. A helps people harness their gifts to focus their purpose–bringing more meaning to their work and more joy to their lives.
Kim Ross, MS, RD, CDN is an integrative nutritionist with a holistic approach to health. Treatments are aimed at enhancing the body’s ability to heal and detoxify itself to prevent and reverse illness. Goal-oriented, Kim creates flexible nutrition programs tailored to the specific objectives of each individual and company. She incorporates a variety of modalities that enhance optimal health including cutting-edge testing, nutraceuticals, homeopathy and herbs. Currently, Kim lectures nationwide and consults to businesses and investors. Kim maintains a 
Amy Carstensen, a San Diego based Professional Organizer, started her business “Organizing with Amy” in 2013. Amy holds a master’s degree from UC San Diego in International Relations. She has taught high school Spanish, worked for the International Community Foundation and was the Founder and Executive Director of Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center. When she’s not out helping clients let go of excess Tupperware and bags, she’s home annoying her husband and two teenage boys reminding them “to never leave a room empty handed.”
