THE FUTURE COLLECTIVE
An event series designed to cultivate Sonoma Valley’s new generation of community leaders, sponsored by Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund.
ABOUT
What is The Future Collective?
A Catalyst Fund-sponsored series of events designed to cultivate Sonoma Valley’s new generation of community leaders. Led by Kim Jones, The Future Collective is curating opportunities to learn, build relationships, and generate ideas to help people determine how to better act on their commitment to the future of Sonoma Valley.
Why is it important to Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund?
Catalyst Fund's mission is to mobilize philanthropic support and innovative approaches to address urgent, emergent, and chronic challenges no Sonoma Valley donor or organization can solve alone. Catalyst is expanding its impact beyond traditional grantmaking through The Future Collective by investing in a new generation of influential community members and encouraging them to determine the direction and outcomes of this effort.
UPCOMING EVENTS
LET’S GET DEEP is an event series designed to cultivate Sonoma Valley’s new generation of community leaders—opportunities to learn, build relationships, and generate ideas to determine how to better act on our commitment to the future of Sonoma Valley. These topics are evolving, with more dates and invitations to come.
LET’S REIMAGINE: THE FUTURE OF SONOMA VALLEY
Haus of Hommeboys Showroom
July 23, 2025
5:30-7:30 PM
A gathering in the inspired Haus of Hommeboys showroom to develop a shared vision for the future of Sonoma Valley through the lens of design and connectivity.
THE FUTURE COLLECTIVE x DOS' BAR / LET’S GET DEEP: COMMUNITY
Dos’ Bar
521 Broadway
August 6, 2025
6:00 PM / 5:30 Doors
A DISCUSSION SERIES: Food Production, Viticulture, Labor, Food Security, and Housing Affordability in Sonoma Valley.
In collaboration with Dos’ Bar, this four-part will explore the intersection of local food and wine production, employers and farmworkers, housing affordability, and food security. By opening a dialog between people in these interrelated industries and inviting the public to listen and participate, our goal is to bring a lens of sustainable agriculture to a community-wide conversation about the future of Sonoma Valley.
Elaine Chukan Brown: Author, Moderator
Elise Gonzalez: Catalyst Food Security Initiative
Lucy O’Dea: FEED Sonoma
Maria Membrila: Napa Farmworker Housing Assessment, Sonoma Valley Collaborative
Christopher Renfro: 280 Project
LET’S GET DEEP: THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
September 2025
Sonoma
Findings of the Catalyst-funded study, Sonoma Valley Housing Affordability Roadmap, to be published in early 2024, on how to produce and preserve affordable housing, and protect people at risk of homelessness in Sonoma Valley, co-hosted by Sonoma Valley Collaborative.
THE FUTURE COLLECTIVE x DOS' BAR / WHAT’S POSSIBLE: THE LIFE’S WORK OF ZEKE GUZMAN
Dos’ Bar
521 Broadway
August 13, 2025
6:00 PM / 5:30 Doors
A DISCUSSION SERIES: Food Production, Viticulture, Labor, Food Security, and Housing Affordability in Sonoma Valley.
In collaboration with Dos’ Bar, this four-part has explored the intersection of local food and wine production, employers and farmworkers, housing affordability, and food security, ending with a one-on-one discussion between the series moderator and author Elaine Chukan Brown with farmworker advocate and Zeke Guzman, founder of “Jardin del Pueblo –Community Farm”, a farmworker-led initiative addressing food insecurity and economic hardship is Sonoma County.
LET’S STEP UP: ACTS OF LEADERSHIP
October, 2025
Sonoma
How can The Future Collective can shape what's next for Sonoma Valley, and what happens when elders resource the ideas of younger generations?
PAST EVENTS
The June 25 The Future Collective x Dos’ Bar panel discussion, LET’S GET DEEP: LABOR, was the second in what is now a four part series on local food and wine production, employers and farmworkers, housing affordability and food security, with moderator, Elaine Chuckan Brown author of The Wines of California and panelists Cody Cirtus of Paul’s Produce, David Rothschild of Las Vivas Wines, Los Paisanos Vineyard Management, Emma Lipp of Valley Bar & Bottle, Valley Swim Club, and Daniel Chavez of Daylight Vineyard Management Services. Once again, food recovered by the Catalyst Fund Food Security Initiative was served alongside produce from Oakhill Farm and Pauls Produce. → EVENT PHOTOS by Kayla Schmach
The Future Collective x Dos’ Bar LET’S GET DEEP: LAND on April 24 launched a three-part panel discussion series exploring the intersection of local food and wine production, employers and farmworkers, and housing affordability and food security.
This panel discussion brought together distinct perspectives on Sonoma Valley’s land: Melissa Bucklin of Oak Hill Farm on the inherently extractive and exclusive nature of local food production; Saskia Tingey of Hamel Wines on land ownership and decision making around viticultural practices; Christian Cain of Perennial Grazing, whose sheep grazing practice is rooted in mutualism between animals and plants; Charlie Toledo (Towa) of Suscol Intertribal Council, who has led the creation of land-based projects to preserve Native American culture and human rights, and Elaine Chukan Brown (Inupiaq and Unangan-Sugpiaq), whose work as an author and global educator is at the forefront of using wine as an entry point to self-determination that leads to social justice. → FULL AUDIO RECORDING. EVENT PHOTOS by Kayla Schmah
The Future Collective at UpValley event, LET’S GET DEEP: VALUES-DRIVEN LOCAL BUSINESSES, was ticketed a dinner and panel discussion between young, values-driven local business owners Sam Coturri, Winery Sixteen600, Erinn Benziger-Weiswasser, Glen Ellen Star, and Lauren Feldman, Valley Bar + Bottle, moderated by Elaine Chukan Brown on community-minded business practices that promote resilience and how, together, we can shape a rejuvenated and regenerative Sonoma economy. The event featured a dinner and wine pairings that showcased the principled sourcing that aims to close the loop on our local regenerative economic system and retain the value of purchased goods within the loop of our community utilizing local farmers that prioritize the land and the humans to the same level that we do. → FULL AUDIO RECORDING by James Joiner. EVENT PHOTOS by Marielle V Chua.
The second event, GET TO KNOW CATALYST, in December 2024, gave The Future Collective the opportunity to cosy up around a fire at Westerbeke Ranch for a panel discussion on how Catalyst Fund works, what issues it is focused on, and how to get involved. → EVENT PHOTOS by Kayla Schmah.
The launch of The Future Collective in October 2024, MEET CATALYST, brought together over 100 of Sonoma Valley's new generation of thinkers, donors, and influential community members for a high-level introduction to Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund. The event was held in the home of founding Catalyst donors Gayle Olsen and John Boich and invited attendees to gain a deeper understanding of Sonoma Valley through the lens of a new type of philanthropy. → EVENT PHOTOS by Kayla Schmah.
Get involved.
COLLABORATORS & PARTNERS
The Future Collective does not solicit donations from local businesses. This effort aims to support local staff and business owners while fostering community partnerships. These businesses have generously offered discounts, in-kind donations, venues, and collaboration for The Future Collective events.
