5th Anniversary Day Speaker Bios

Blythe Hill, CEO & Founder, Dressember Foundation

Blythe Hill is the CEO and Founder of the Dressember Foundation, an anti-trafficking nonprofit organization that engages women and men in the fight to end modern-day slavery. Through their annual campaign, thousands of people across six continents commit to wearing dresses or bow ties for the month of December as a way to bring awareness and raise funding for anti-trafficking work. In six years, Dressember advocates have raised over $7MM USD. Dressember has received press attention from the likes of Forbes, Glamour, InStyle, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, the TODAY Show, Relevant, among others. Originally hailing from Seattle, Blythe now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their dog, Friday. She loves a good red wine, a good cheese and, clearly, a good pun.

 

Brandon Hall, CBO and Co-founder, ONEHOPE Wine 

Mr. Brandon Hall is a Co-Founder of ONEHOPE Wine, LLC and serves as its Chief Brand Officer. Mr. Hall was Chief Marketing Officer of ONEHOPE Wine, LLC. Mr. Hall is a member of and intricate part of the Football team which achieved one of the greatest turn around seasons in College football history in 03 and were Insight bowl champions in 04. After working one year for E&J Gallo in Southern California, he joined forces with 7 close friends to start ONEHOPE Wine. At ONEHOPE , he has putting his passion for marketing to work. He has always strived to make every visual aspect of the business stand apart from the rest and pushes the team to continually think of was to innovate the brand. He spends a large part of his time managing sales, distributors and relations in the South East region. In 2009 he was recognized alongside partners Jake Kloberdanz and Tom Leahy in the OC Metro’s “Top 40 under 40.? He attended the University of California, Berkeley and graduated with a degree in American Studies.

 

Brit Gilmore, President, The Giving Keys

Brit, a native of Detroit, is President of The Giving Keys, a company that exists to employ people transitioning out of homelessness in Los Angeles to make inspirational jewelry and accessories. Each wearer of a Giving Key is meant to embrace the word on their key and then pass the key on to someone who needs it more. The Giving Keys has created 120+ jobs for people transitioning out of homelessness. Brit is passionate about job creation for community transformation and using business to build self-esteem and break cycles of poverty. Brit made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017 is in the MSSE program at USC and lives in Venice, CA, with her husband, Ryan who worked for TOMS. Brit and Ryan believe social enterprise is the way of the future.

 

Caroline Pinal, Co-founder, Giveback Homes

Fueled by a passion for social entrepreneurship, Caroline Pinal co-founded Giveback Homes to empower the real estate industry to turn their business into an opportunity for social good. Pinal and team deliver innovation and impact to their network of like-minded real estate agents, brokerages, technology and service providers. In concert with these companies, Giveback Homes has helped deliver over 200 homes to families in need during the past five years. Pinal worked directly with Concierge Auctions to establish Key For Key™ an award-winning social impact program that builds a home in Central America every time a property is sold at auction.

 

Farhoud Meybodi, EVP Creative & Co-owner, Wayfarer Entertainment

Creative Director of Wayfarer Entertainment, Farhoud Meybodi is a writer, director, and producer focused on “disruptively inspirational” storytelling content across scripted, unscripted, and branded distribution channels.  Unlike many creatives in the entertainment business, Farhoud started his career in law, and spent his mid-twenties climbing up the corporate ladder as a sales and marketing Executive for a global luxury brand. This non-traditional background gave Farhoud a marketers mindset — something he draws upon quite frequently while helping brands, networks, non-profits, studios and NGO’s create stories that build empathetic bridges to viewers from all walks of life. Farhoud is also a firm believer in the power of “Anti-branded content,” a term he coined that represents authentically constructed branded content that gives viewers the space to connect with universal brand values without forcing them into a sales conversation. At his core, Farhoud is passionate about creative content that entertains, educates and inspires, without coming off as heavy handed. He believes in the power of raw and honest storytelling to help transcend political/social divisiveness through shared experience, and empathy. Mostly recently, Farhoud directed and executive produced Season Three of My Last Days, an award-winning documentary series about life told by people living with a terminal illness. He developed, and executive produced Chefs Without Borders, a documentary series focused on food insecurity. Farhoud also developed, executive produced and wrote Man Enough, a disruptive dinner conversation series that explores the heart of traditional masculinity in America. Farhoud created and executive produced Project Upgrade, an unscripted series for Google featuring YouTube stars, The Merrell Twins, as they set out to design and build a new consumer product with the help of successful, female mentors from Google, Space X, NASA, and Disney. Farhoud has also developed and directed national campaigns for Subaru, Frosted Flakes, MetroPCS, and The Ad Council, and sold several scripted pitches to major studios and television networks.

 

Folayo Lasaki, Head of Marketing, SoulPancake

Folayo Lasaki is a marketing executive, creative, and brand strategist who specializes in creating innovative campaigns for digital and traditional media. Currently Folayo is VP and Head of Marketing at SoulPancake, the award-winning content studio founded by actor Rainn Wilson, now a division of Participant Media. At SoulPancake Folayo oversees brand, content, and social media marketing as well as communications, distribution, and strategic partnerships. A 15-year entertainment industry veteran, Folayo has held marketing positions for companies including Variety, Landmark Theatres, Hollywire TV, Film Independent, IFP, and FILMMAKER Magazine. Folayo is also Principal + Founder of entertainment marketing and communications firm, Striped Elephant. She is a member of IADAS, is a voting member of the Telly Awards, and sits on the board of directors of WIMMIES | Women in Media. Folayo is a graduate of Pepperdine University and UCLA, and resides in Los Angeles. She can often be found making a mess in the kitchen, or waxing poetically about women and representation in media.

 

Hannah Skvarla, Co-founder & CEO, The Little Market

Hannah Skvarla is the co-founder and CEO of The Little Market, a nonprofit fair trade shop featuring ethically sourced products that are handmade by artisans around the world. The Little Market is dedicated to the economic empowerment of women in need through dignified job opportunities. Hannah has traveled extensively to see and experience the impact of top human rights nonprofit organizations. These trips inspired her to dedicate her life to helping women break the cycle of poverty so they can create a better future for themselves and their families. She has visited projects sponsored by Landmine Survivors Network in Vietnam and Cambodia, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) in El Salvador, and CARE in Uganda. She has traveled with Human Rights Watch to Burma, Congo, Colombia, Thailand, and Turkey. To meet with artisans and source handcrafted goods for The Little Market, she has traveled to Bolivia, India, Guatemala, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Peru, and Thailand. She has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, MyDomaine, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, People, The Chalkboard Mag, The Good Trade, Parents, Brit + Co, and POPSUGAR. Hannah was also honored to be named Chapman University’s first recipient of the Albert Schweitzer Institute Rising Star Award in recognition of the work of The Little Market. Hannah is committed to empowering women and advocating for human rights. She is proud to connect gifted artisans with customers who value their talents, changing the lives of families with fair wages, safe workplaces, and a commitment to family well-being.

 

Justin Wolff, Chief Impact Officer, Yoobi 

While practicing law, Justin Wolff spent much of his day isolated with mountains of paperwork. In 2012, he met Ido Leffler, the CEO and co-founder of Yoobi. At that meeting, Ido spoke about a social enterprise concept which had the potential to change classroom reality for teachers and students across the US. Today Justin oversees Yoobi’s buy one, give one program, developing strategic partnerships in order to ensure that donated school supplies make their way to the kids that need them most, right here in the US.

 

Kathleen Talbot, VP Operations & Sustainability, REFORMATION

Kathleen joined Reformation in 2014 to help further the brand’s mission to lead and inspire a sustainable way to be fashionable, and challenge the status quo in the fashion industry. Reformation designs and manufactures limited-edition collections in its Los Angeles factory – the first sustainable sewing factory in the U.S. Kathleen leads Factory operations, as well as sustainability programs that range from fabric sourcing, supply chain compliance, and operational efficiencies to make beautiful styles at a fraction of the environmental impact generated by most fashion brands. Kathleen also works on customer-facing campaigns and services to raise awareness around the impact fashion has on the environment, and how Reformation offers sustainable solutions. Prior to joining Reformation, Kathleen worked as a Sustainability Officer for a liberal arts university and for the National Science Foundation.Kathleen received her MA in Sustainability from Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability.

 

Merlin Clarke, Co-founder & “Head of Happenings”, Dogeared/Do Good Bus

Merlin Clarke is Co-Founder and “Head of Happenings” at Dogeared, the California-based jewelry brand synonymous with real style and meaningful messages. Merlin spearheaded Dogeared’s initiative to become a certified B Corporation (B-Corp) – a certification awarded by meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. Dogeared received its certification in 2011. With his dedication to giving back, a commitment to American-made manufacturing and a passion to lead by example for social and environmental change through business, Merlin has worked to foster Dogeared’s culture. He’s clarified the brand’s mission, purpose and promise to advocate the importance of being a good corporate citizen throughout all aspects of their business, with their employees and the community.

Lately, Merlin has been spending his time running their non-profit, the Do Good Bus. The Do Good Bus drives good people to create community and purpose. It is an extension of the good that Dogeared has always done, now they have a literal vehicle to do it!

The Do Good bus has operated in Los Angeles since 2012, supporting the mission of hundreds of non-profits, creating awareness for thousands of riders and built communities of do-gooders through-out Southern California. In 2019, the Do Good Bus will expand its operations to San Francisco and Boston.

 

Natasha Case, CEO and Co-founder, Coolhaus

Los Angeles native, Natasha Case, received her Masters of Architecture degree from UCLA, and began interning at Walt Disney Imagineering in Hotel and Master Planning. During this time, she started baking cookies, making ice cream, and combining them into “cool houses” with co-founder and wife Freya Estreller. After discovering their new-found passion they purchased a beat-up old postal van, and debuted Coolhaus at the 2009 Coachella Valley Music Festival…and the rest is history!

Today, Coolhaus distributes in 6,000+ grocery stores ranging from Whole Foods to Safeway to Publix markets with 30 SKU’s including hand-crafted ice cream sandwiches, artisan pints and chocolate-dipped bars. Natasha works as CEO, creating new products, designing merchandise and packaging, running the marketing department, building new relationships and innovating ideas that keep Coolhaus on top of its game as zealous expansion continues. Natasha has been named Forbes 30 Under 30 for Food and Beverage, and Zagat 30 Under 30 in New York City.

 

Noora Raj Brown, SVP of Global Communications, goop

Noora Raj Brown is the Senior Vice President of Communications at goop. In addition to working with the team to conceptualize new product lines, content verticals, collaborations and live events, Raj Brown oversees corporate positioning and developing press strategies around all goop initiatives.  She also acts as a spokesperson for the company.

Prior to goop, Raj Brown worked in a number of creative industries, most recently at Time Inc, where she led communications for their fashion and style brands, including InStyle, People StyleWatch, MIMI, XoJane and Wallpaper*. Previously, she served as Director of Lifestyle & Special Events at Alison Brod Marketing & Communications where she worked with non-profit, fashion and culture organizations, from New Yorkers For Children to Mercedes-Benz’s title Fashion Week Sponsorship. She has held positions in Special Projects and Communications at Thompson Hotels (now Sixty Hotels), talent public relations at BWR and in the fashion department at the Details Magazine.

Raj Brown is an accomplished freelance writer, focusing on travel, culture and art for publications such as Departures, Wallpaper*, Food & Wine and InStyle.

Originally from Palo Alto, California, Raj Brown holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing and Italian Literature from the University of California, San Diego. She has also studied journalism at New York University and Italian Literature and Art at Lorenzo D’Medici in Florence, Italy.

 

Rob Koenen, Chief Marketing Officer, Boxed Water is Better

Rob Koenen is the Chief Marketing Officer of Boxed Water is Better; a company committed to changing the way water is packaged, shipped, and enjoyed. Rob is charged with expanding Boxed Water’s core message of “better for you…better for the planet.” Prior to Boxed Water, Rob has held leadership roles, building consumers experiences on the UGG and Timberland lifestyle brands.

Boxed Water is the leading beverage company offering a sustainable alternative to plastic water bottles. They obsess over providing the purest water in the most sustainable way.  Beyond pure water, they have also expanded their business model to include cleaning beaches and planting trees in our national forests. To date, they are responsible for planting 790,000 trees, due to Boxed Waters’ consumers supporting their” #Better for Our Planet” program.  Along the way, they have created strong connections with millennial consumers and have subject matter experts in the emerging Premium Sustainability category. Boxed Water is proving that sustainability is a meaningful business solution for today’s consumer.

  Rob lives in Grand Rapids Michigan with his wife, Elizabeth and three children.

 

Sam Polk, Founder & CEO, Everytable

Sam’s also the founder and Executive Director of the non-profit Groceryships. Prior to becoming a social entrepreneur, Sam was a hedge fund trader on Wall Street. Sam’s memoir, For The Love of Money, was published in July 2016 by Scribner. Sam grew up in LA and witnessed the city’s inequality while helping his mom run homeless medical clinics in Skid Row. Years later, after noticing families in low-income areas struggling with access to healthy food, he started Groceryships, a non-profit working at the intersection of poverty and obesity. He is a graduate of Columbia University.

 

Suzanne Lerner, President, Michael Stars

Suzanne Lerner, co-founder, CEO, and president of lifestyle and clothing brand Michael Stars, is an activist entrepreneur and philanthropist. Her primary focus is on creating economic empowerment for women and girls and supporting organizations that promote gender and racial equality – giving back to communities both domestically and internationally through personal grants, impact investments, and the Michael Stars Foundation. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Suzanne’s commitment to social and racial equality began at a young age, becoming part of the city’s dynamic movements for gender and racial equality. As a young adult, she spent five years traveling the world solo, learning about the cultural diversity, while at the same time observing that inequality, especially for women, was a universal issue. She and her husband Michael Cohen co-founded and built Michael Stars with opportunity, equality, and diversity as core values. Today Suzanne inspires new generations of social impact entrepreneurs and is a frequent contributor and speaker on investing, founding, and running socially conscious businesses. She serves as a director on several non-profit boards including the ACLU of Southern California, the ERA Coalition, and the Ms. Foundation, an organization dedicated to building women’s collective power for social, economic, and reproductive justice. She has been honored as a “Woman of Vision” by the Ms. Foundation and was recognized as one of “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women’s eNews in 2018. She is also an active member of both Women Moving Millions and Women’s Donor Network. Suzanne also serves as an advisory board member of Prosperity Catalyst, Children Mending Hearts, and A Call to Men. She resides in Los Angeles, CA with her #feministpup @ms_simba.

 

Todd Grinnell, Co-founder, This Bar Saves Lives

Todd Grinnell graduated from Pitzer College in Claremont, California with a degree in History and Political Studies. Having taken numerous trips to Sierra Leon, Liberia and Haiti where he helped to facilitate medical procedures for children in need, Todd carries This Bar Saves Lives’ philanthropic focus. He oversees the brand vision and its partnership with humanitarian organizations. Todd is also known for his co-starring role in NBC’s Four Kings and for his current role on Netflix’s One Day at a Time.