Performers
The East Bay Jazz High School All-Stars is an after-school program for high-caliber musical performance and education for high school jazz musicians. East Bay Jazz's two ensembles, big band and combo, rehearse on a weekly basis and frequently perform between January to June. In East Bay Jazz students develop their skills within the jazz idiom, gain real-world performance experience, and share our love of music with the East Bay community and beyond. East Bay Jazz's educational programs are fully supported by the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center.
Author & Illustrator
Elisa Kleven spent much of her childhood happily creating handmade, miniature worlds. Her early passions have become her adult work, as she pours her creativity into picture books.
A self-taught artist, Elisa is the author and/or illustrator of over thirty books. Her books have been adapted for professional ballet and theater productions and have received many honors, including a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award for SUN BREAD. He illustrations for the bestselling ABUELA, by Arthur Dorros, are currently touring children’s museums nationwide as part of "Storyland", an interactive exhibit of seven classic children's books.
Elisa received a BA at the University of California at Berkeley, and a teaching credential at Berkeley's Graduate School of Education. She continues to teach art to young children several times a week.
Elisa lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and pets. Visit Elisa's web site at www.elisakleven.com.
STEM Educator
Eugene Chou is an engineering and math teacher passionate about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education. Since 2011, she has been the program coordinator for the Dublin Engineering and Design Academy (DEDA) expanding and improving the quality of education for her students through community partnerships, engaging curriculum, and student enrichment opportunities. She currently teaches Project Lead the Way Principles of Engineering and Digital Electronics, and runs the DEDA Mentor Program. Eugene was proudly selected as the 2017 Project Lead the Way California Engineering Teacher of the Year. She earned her B.S. in Mathematical Sciences from UC Santa Barbara and M.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from UC Berkeley. Her spare time is devoted to making things with her hands and exploring the natural world through hiking and traveling.
5th Generation Winemaker
Karl Wente oversees all Winemaking at Wente Family Estates. Karl joined the family business in 2001 and has lead wine innovation, started Nth Degree and helped expand the Wente Family Estates portfolios. His education includes a degree in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and two Master’s degrees: one in Horticulture (Viticulture) and one in Food Science (Enology), from the University of California at Davis. Karl balances his strong academic background with the traditional hands-on approach of previous generations of Wente family winemakers. Karl grew up working at the winery, and expanded his experience with work at the Peter Michael Winery in Sonoma, and Brown Brothers winery in northern Victoria, Australia.
When Karl is not making wine or out in the vineyard, you can catch him playing music with his local band, practicing yoga, or reading / listening to audiobooks.
Oncology Chaplain
Ken Wolter is a co-founder and President of esperas4cancer Foundation Inc to provide emotional and spiritual support to oncology patients, their families and loved ones. Ken is currently working with Stanford Healthcare Valley Medical Oncology Consultants in Pleasanton, to provide a comprehensive chaplaincy that would serve as a model for other oncology centers. Ken is an ordained Calvary Chapel Pastor, who is also licensed by Cornerstone fellowship. He is a certified law enforcement chaplain, working with Sheriff’s Deptartment. He has worked as a hospital, palliative care, and oncology chaplain, having completed his CPE residency program at John Muir Hospital. He initiated a full time chaplaincy program at ValleyCare Hospital He has served as a palliative care, and oncology chaplain at Maui Memorial Hospital in Hawaii and as a Care Pastor for Cornerstone fellowship.
Entrepreneur
Suzanne Henricksen is the founder of The Crafty Cask, a media company focused on celebrating craft alcohol producers, telling their stories and educating enthusiasts along the way. By trade she’s a market researcher and storyteller, having spent over 11 years as a senior level marketer at The Clorox Company in Oakland, CA. Most core to her soul, however, she is a taste-of-place, cultural explorer. Henricksen has an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. When not eating and drinking her way around the world, she resides in San Francisco, CA with her spoiled cat, Cali Sushi.