Theme: Constellate

“A world so big yet so seemingly small at my feet,
are now a far way away from me.
The things that once seemed immaterial,
now bind my hands and feet until the
Roof above me, food before me, and people around me
form the limits of my dreams…
But even then…
My heart still weeps for something my head can’t remember:
It weeps for a world of child-like wonder.
But “Listen...to the head, not the heart...”
For in the luminance of the millions that surround,
Only a fool could believe they are anything but dull.”

As we grow up, we begin to apply a logic-heavy filter on our dreams. We begin to cap ourselves, sell ourselves short, and compare ourselves to others in exchange for stability, status, and more. Yet our hearts still yearn for more, but with this filtered-perspective, we are ultimately left feeling hopeless.

“Constellate” returns us to a world of child-like wonder, a time when the questions we asked were beyond ourselves–a time when we were so furiously curious of the immense space called the Unknown. We are reminded that we can only connect the dots as we go. When we embrace the fact that we each play a unique part in a bigger story, then one day, we will together be in awe and peace when we step back and see how our paths have gathered us together and intertwined to form an intricate constellation far more beautiful and magnificent than we could have ever imagined.

So what do you say? Are you ready to traverse through a world of child-like wonder with us?

Virtual
Virtual
San Diego, California, 92122
United States

Eric Sullivan

Youth Coach

Eric Sullivan has spent much of his life in and around San Jose’s Central YMCA; playing basketball, making connections, and learning life lessons. After graduating from Chico State, he came back home and took over the YMCA’s youth sports program, handling everything from logistics to refereeing games and coaching his own teams. Since taking over the program, Eric has made it his mission to cultivate a robust and diverse community centered around sports, transforming the Central YMCA’s youth basketball league into a nationally-recognized program in the process. Eric has witnessed firsthand the potential for sports to bring people together, and teach us all valuable lessons about ourselves and the world around us.

Jason Licker

Pastry Chef + Iron Chef Thailand

Jason’s passion for pastry, life and travel has taken him across the globe for a true culinary experience. His first internship was at Union Square Café in New York while training at the French Culinary Institute’s Pastry Arts Program. Jason then earned a pastry cook position in the world renown Jean Georges Restaurant, an experience which prepared him for his first Pastry Chef position at Metrazur for Charlie Palmer at the age of 23. Jason then opened the The Shore Club in Miami Beach where he was promoted to Executive Pastry Chef overseeing all Food and Beverage Outlets including Nobu Miami Beach, where Jason was first exposed to Asian Cuisine. Jason has held Executive Pastry Chef positions at the Peninsula New York, The Westin Bund in Shanghai, The Venetian Macau Hotel and Resort, The JW Marriott Hong Kong and formerly was the Corporate Pastry Chef for Cé La Vi Restaurants Worldwide. His win at Iron Chef Thailand is an affirmation of his elite Pastry status.

Katherine Gray

Glass-blowing Artist + Professor

Katherine Gray is a glass artist and art professor at California State University, San Bernardino. Gray creates functional art, including vases, chandeliers, candelabras, as well as works that "defy functionality." She makes use of transparency in her work and has based a lot of her work around the “polarities” in glass: both literally and metaphorically. She received her undergraduate degree at the Ontario College of Art and her Master of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design. Her works are in the renowned Corning Museum of Glass, the Museum of American Glass, and the Tacoma Museum of Glass. Her works have also been exhibited internationally. Gray recently appeared as a resident evaluator on the Netflix show, Blown Away.

Leon Logothesis

Global Adventurer + TV host

Before Leon Logothetis became a global adventurer, TV host, motivational speaker, and best-selling author, he was living an uninspired and disconnected life as a London broker. On the outside, it looked like he had it all. But inside, he was chronically depressed. He decided to do something radical about it – give it all up for a life on the road. He embarked on an adventure around the globe, fueled by the receiving and giving of kindness. On his journey, he found the essence of humanity and learned about the bonds that connect people worldwide. Through kindness, he discovered that when we start to compare ourselves by our similarities instead of our differences, we start to create a brighter future. He has traveled to over 100 countries and to every continent. He’s documented his experiences through his best-selling books and TV shows and has devoted his life to inspiring the world with his message of kindness and hope, best shown through his Netflix series “The Kindness Diaries.”

Mayuko Inoue

Content Creator + Software Engineer

Mayuko Inoue is a Content Creator and Software Engineer based in San Diego, CA. After graduating from UC San Diego with a degree in Computer Science and a career in iOS Development working in Silicon Valley, she’s amassed a following of over half a million people online primarily through her YouTube. She dedicates her content to helping people find their way through the tech industry by sharing her own experiences, and is passionate about discussions around mental health, cultural identity, and creating technology with empathy and compassion.

Neftali Camacho

Collections Manager of Herpetology

After receiving his B.S in Zoology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Neftali Camacho joined the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in 2002 as a curatorial assistant. In his early days, he worked with various collections which included marine invertebrates and later worked with the Ichthyology and herpetology collections. In 2010, he became Herpetology Collection Manager. From then on his true passion came through. He has always been fascinated with reptiles. From the Komodo dragon to the small California legless lizard, Neftali gets an immense sense of satisfaction knowing that the work he does will be useful for understanding such fascinating, but often a misunderstood group of animals.