2021 Speakers
Alice Waters
School-Supported Agriculture
Alice will define school supported agriculture and share with viewers why they should care about and advocate for it. She will speak to the role public schools and public policy have in the food system, the power of procurement and why it's imperative for schools to procure directly from farmers, and how and why school supported agriculture impacts the future of climate change, public health and social inequality. Describing the work she has done for school supported agriculture, Alice will introduce Chez Panisse, The Edible Schoolyard Project, and news of The Alice Waters Institute, in partnership with the University of California.
Alice will define school supported agriculture and share with viewers why they should care about and advocate for it. She will speak to the role public schools and public policy have in the food system, the power of procurement and why it's imperative for schools to procure directly from farmers, and how and why school supported agriculture impacts the future of climate change, public health and social inequality. Describing the work she has done for school supported agriculture, Alice will introduce Chez Panisse, The Edible Schoolyard Project, and news of The Alice Waters Institute, in partnership with the University of California.
Dan Roam
The Back of the Napkin: how visual storytelling works
Dan Roam is the author of five international bestselling books on visual storytelling which have been translated into 31 languages. "The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems with Pictures" was named by Fast Company, The London Times, and BusinessWeek as 'Creativity Book of the Year.' Dan has helped leaders at Google, Microsoft, Boeing, Gap, IBM, the US Navy, and the White House solve complex problems with simple pictures. Dan and his whiteboard have been guests on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NPR. Dan lives in San Francisco.
"In this rapid-fire and highly interactive conversation, Dan Roam shares the secret formula he has used to draw simple pictures that help leaders at Google, Allbirds, the US Navy, and President Obama's White House Communication Team clarify complex problems."
Hetal Vasavada
Chasing My Creativity: Taking a Left Turn of a Pathway to Science
Hetal Vasavada was a contestant on Season 6 of MasterChef and is the founder of the blog Milk & Cardamom. Her recipes have been featured in Huffington Post, TASTE and The Times of India. She also consults on recipe development and content creation for culinary businesses. She lives in San Francisco, California.
Hetal will talk about transcending boundaries as an Indian-American, and pursuing a career outside of the typical doctor, engineer, lawyer or business tracks that most desis follow due to pressure. She will share how she managed to leave behind her degrees in Biochemistry and Sciences and the work and effort it took to convince not only her parents but also herself that she belonged in the food industry, and that she could be successful.
Aaron Tran
A Foreboding of Horoscopes: Truth, Trust, and Fear in the Pandemic
Aaron Tran is a senior at the Harker School. As an officer of the Research Club and head of the Journal Club, he is interested both in the cutting edge of bioinformatics and big data as well as the philosophical and ethical underpinnings of science. Currently, he is writing for Horizon, Harker’s science journal, exploring the civic responsibilities held by scientists in the face of the problems posed by misinformation and the climate crisis. In his spare time, Aaron is a fan of jazz music and an avid learner of medieval history.
The flourishing of misinformation during the pandemic is a stark warning for our failure to understand not only the facts but each other. So, what can post-truth teach us about healing society’s fractures?