Dick Costolo, Xochi Birch, Leila Janah, Michael Birch
Four billion people worldwide live on less than $3 a day and have no access to formal work. That disturbing fact has weighed heavily on the minds of Samasource’s founder and supporters since the organization was founded in 2008 to provide free, specialized technology training and work opportunities throughout the world.
At the recent Samasource fundraiser in San Francisco, influential business leaders, tech entrepreneurs, and philanthropists joined to raise $700,000 to help the organization reach its goal of providing life-changing work to over 4,000 women and youth globally this year.
Chris Cox and DJ Atish Mehta – Darren Bechtel, Samantha Duvall
“The core idea behind Samasource,” according to Leila Janah, the charismatic young founder and CEO, is “that poor people want the same things that everyone does — a decent job that pays a living wage and offers some stability. Giving people work instead of, or as a complement to, aid is appealing to pretty much everyone.”
So far, Samasource has connected women and youth across 9 countries to over $2.3 million in living wages. generally the participants are able to earn a living wage within two weeks of entering the program.
Rafael Davis, Orkut Buyukkokten, Derek Holbrook – Charlie Cheever, Nicole Lundblad
There is a tremendous amount of support for Samasource in San Francisco, as evidenced by the gala’s host committee made up of prominent figures such as Mark Pincus and Alison Pincus, Darren Bechtel, Matthew Mullenweg, and Emmanuel Perrin, and guests including Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, Path co-founder & CEO Dave Morin and Brit Morin, John Battelle, Michael Birch and Xochi Birch, Facebook’s Chris Cox, Quora co-founder Charlie Cheever, Minted founder Mariam Naficy, Eventbrite founder’s Julia Hartz and Kevin Hartz, Michael Stoppelman, and others.
Minal Jethmal, Afsaneh Akhtari, Joel Goodrich, Samantha Duvall, Tanya Powell
John Battelle, Bill Unger – Sarah Somberg, Brad Somberg
Michael Horowitz, Cameron Phleger, Cathryn Lyman, David Lyman – Baratunde Thurston
Anna Yuan, Herbert Wei, Sue Wei – Silvia Console Battilana, Robin Farmanfarmaian
This year’s event was emceed by Baratunde Thurston, author of “How To Be Black,” and the former director of digital at The Onion. Grammy Award winner Estelle provided an outstanding musical performance. Gala Partners for the evening included Cartier, Google, Robert W. Baird & Co., among others.
And there were some exciting auction packages donated, including trips to Kenya, Maui and Paris, and local experiences such as a private tour of Trevor Traina’s photography collection, a Lake Tahoe ski excursion, a SF 49ers game day package, and a day on the Bay during the America’s Cup 2013.
Laura Pincus Hartman, Alison Pincus, Allison Speer
Mark Pincus, Alison Pincus – Dave Morin, Brit Morin, Ormont Jordan, Leila Janah, Alison Pincus, Mark Pincus
Dave Morin, Leila Janah, Katie Zacarian, Brit Morin
Leila Janah, Darren Bechtel, Samantha Duvall – Brit Morin, Dave Morin
Mariam Naficy, Julia Hartz, Kevin Hartz, Leila Janah
Ligaya Tichy, Michael Stoppelman, Leila Janah
Tags: Afsaneh Akhtari, Ali Pincus, Alison Pincus, Allison Speer, Anna Yuan, Atish Mehta, Baratunde Thurston, Bill Unger, Brad Somberg, Brit Morin, Cameron Phleger, Cartier, Cathryn Lyman, Charles Cheever, Charlie Cheever, Chris Cox, Darren Bechtel, Dave Morin, David Lyman, Derek Holbrook, Dick Costolo, Emmanuel Perrin, Estelle, google, Herbert Wei, Joel Goodrich, John Battelle, Julia Hartz, Katie Zacarian, Kevin Hartz, Laura Pincus Hartman, Leila Janah, Ligaya Tichy, Mariam Naficy, Mark Pincus, Matthew Mullenweg, Michael Birch, Michael Horowitz, Michael Stoppelman, Minal Jethmal, Nicole Lundblad, Orkut Buyukkokten, Ormont Jordan, Rafael Davis, Samantha DuVall, Samasource, Sarah Somberg, Sue Wei, Tanya Powell, Trevor Traina, Xochi Birch
We’re delighted to see that the Alex Chases Salon, run by the renowned hairstylist Alex Chases, has recently moved into a larger space at Rosewood Sand Hill’s Sense spa.
Designer Cedric Charlier recently visited San Francisco from Paris, to present his Spring 2013 collection at Barneys.
With Sloan and Roger Barnett, Sabrina Buell and Yves Behar, Jean-Pierre Conte, and Alison and Mark Pincus, Gucci recently hosted a private cocktail party at the San Francisco store to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the loafer, and the new 1953 collection for men and women.
Catherine Kwong’s living room, inspired by Mick Jagger and Bianca Jagger, is one of the highlights of the 2013 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, taking place at 2800 Pacific Avenue.
Saks Fifth Avenue and San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary are presenting Zac Posen as this year’s guest designer at the 32nd San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary Fashion Show, benefiting San Francisco Ballet.
Michael S. Smith was recently honored at Hedge Gallery in San Francisco at a party hosted by Alison Pincus, Vanessa Getty and Allison Speer. His design work for a Palladian Villa in Malibu is being put up for auction at Christie’s in New York. Nicolas Berggruen, Princess Tatiana Galitzine, Dede Wilsey, and Sabrina Buell were among the guests.
Deepa Pakianathan and Phil Pemberton recently hosted a reception for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in anticipation of its upcoming Gala on April 20, 2013, which pays tribute to legendary opera baritone and Conservatory Advisory Board member Thomas Hampson.
Conservatory mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook directs and stars in a program featuring special performances by Hampson with Conservatory students, faculty and guest artists. Teresa Medearis and Barbara Walkowski co-chair the event, with catering by McCall’s Catering and Events and decor by Blueprint Studios.
Tickets for this very special occasion can be purchased at www.sfcm.edu
UCSF Partners in Care recently held its 2013 kick-off membership event at Reed & Greenough. Membership co-Chairs Schuyler Hudak and Libby Leffler hosted the launch party and kicked off the well-attended evening with brief remarks, followed by UCSF Partners in Care President Katie Budge, who spoke about the services that the auxiliary organization provides to the hospital.
UCSF Partners in Care works with UCSF hospital staff to fund programs that provide comfort and well-being to patients and their families while visiting the UCSF medical center.
Guests enjoyed spirited greyhounds nicknamed “Doctor’s Orders,” and a “Members Only” wine special while noshing on sweet treats from Kara’s Cupakes, and savory sliders and arancini from Cedar Hill Kitchen and Smokehouse.
Please visit www.ucsfpartnersincare.org for more information about this important organization.
Renowned European designer Ms. Madeline Pauw recently made an appearance at a delightful luncheon at Saks Fifth Avenue in San Francisco, where her Spring 2013 collection was presented.
The Pauw collection is designed by Madeleine Pauw, daughter of the original founders. Pauw is known for its luxurious fabrics and soft touches of femininity while integrating just a splash of masculine undertones, but always keeping the fit and style in mind for the female physique. The company has been in business for over 50 years, and originally was created in the Netherlands where it currently has 29 stores.
You can purchase pieces from Pauw at Saks Fifth Avenue at 384 Post Street, San Francisco, or online at Saks Fifth Avenue
ModeWalk recently unveiled its newest service for their clients, a first-of-its-kind, by-appointment showroom in San Francisco called Boudoir, located on the 7th Floor of 391 Sutter Street in Union Square.
Betty Lin, the chic Presidio Heights boutique, recently celebrated the launch of the new Maiyet collection with a party hosted by Alexis Traina, Alison Pincus, Nina Stanford, and Seth Miller.
The Mid Winter Gala for 2013 honored the exhibit, “Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis” with a chic winter wonderland that raised over $400k. Marissa Mayer, Jonathan Ive, Alison Pincus, Vanessa Getty, Dick Costolo, Stephan Jenkins, Connie Nielsen, Lori Levine, Evgenia Peretz, Jeremy Stoppelman, Trevor Traina, Allison Speer and Kathryn Lasater were among the 380 who attended.
Stephanie Phair, the managing director of Outnet.com, recently visited from London to host a luncheon previewing Oscar de la Renta’s new limited edition collection designed exclusively for The Outnet.
The Italian artist, Paolo Troilo, recently debuted his first U.S. exhibit at Coup d’Etat, the most exceptional designer space in San Francisco.
Sponsored by Testa Vineyards, the event brought together San Francisco tastemakers such as Jack Calhoun, Stephen Brady, Gary Friedman, Joy Bianchi, Anna Weinberg, Ken Fulk, and Jamie Finegold, among others.
The exhibit will run at Coup d’Etat until May 2013.
Visit Coup d’Etat at 111 Rhode Island, or online at coupdetatsf.com
The International Museum of Women (IMOW) hosted its annual Celebrating Change Benefit on March 6th, 2013, and the associated Vanguard Group hosted its Art Live Lounge benefit.
This year’s benefit featured IMOW’s second annual Innovator Award for Women in Technology, presented to Padmasree Warrior, Chief Technology and Strategy Officer of Cisco Systems.
The International Museum of Women is an innovative online museum that showcases art, stories and ideas to celebrate, inspire and advance the lives of women around the world. With the support of over 500 guests, IMOW raised over $200,000 to benefit its mission and exhibitions. Guests enjoyed a night of art and inspiration from the museum’s virtual collection, music, networking and dancing, while watching notable female artists create original artwork.
Learn more about the International Museum of Women at www.imow.org
Jay Jeffers recently designed three of the 23 penthouses of the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake Tahoe. The homes range from $1,250,000 to $4,500,000 in price.
Vaunte has selected five chic San Francisco women to feature on their site: Allison Speer, Sabrina Buell, Lauren Goodman, Jane Gruber, and Tienlyn Jacobson.
