Dr. Michelle Chappel

May 17, 2015

Dr. Michelle Chappel (an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter-speaker and creativity thought leader with a Ph.D. in psychology from Princeton) will present ten creativity best practices for stimulating innovative thinking in teams based on techniques for producing great music. Learn how to establish highly effective harmonious business teams, as well as improve the creative dynamics of groups outside of work such as families, sports teams, and associations. Appropriate for non-musicians and musicians. (See www.michellechappel.com)

Humanist Community Forum (2015-05-17): How to Catalyze Collaborative Creativity Using Music Improvisation Techniques from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

 

Ron Garret

May 10, 2015

Ron Garret (a software engineer and entrepreneur) will discuss and show excerpts from his feature length documentary “Grace of God”, which follows the lives of four long-term homeless men as the filmmaker struggles to understand what put them on the street, what is keeping them there, and what he might be able to do about it.

Humanist Community Forum (2015-05-10): A Documentary Illuminating Homelessness (Ron Garret) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

 

Martin Squibbs

May 3, 2015

The evidence of neuroscience is revealing that most likely our conscious, thinking and feeling self, and our mind (which contains our past memories, knowledge and understanding, our future possibilities, and much more), are both in fact part of our remarkable, complex, living human brain. Humanist Community member and Board Vice-President Martin Squibbs will present a model of how he believes our mind, and our memories, function and form, and how such knowledge and awareness of ourselves might help human kind progress.
 

Arlette Vargas-Ali

April 26, 2015

Arlette Vargas-Ali (Director of Strategic Partnerships, International Justice Mission) will discuss IJM’s global efforts to protect the poor from violence throughout the developing world. IJM partners with local authorities to rescue victims of violence, bring criminals to justice, restore survivors and strengthen justice systems. The largest organization of its kind, IJM combats slavery, sex trafficking, rape, police brutality, property grabbing and other forms of violence in nearly 20 communities throughout Africa, Latin America, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

(See www.IJM.org, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRrWpmIaW6U, and www.ted.com/talks/gary_haugen_the_hidden_reason_for_poverty_the_world_needs_to_address_now)

Humanist Community Forum (2015-04-26): Changing the Conversation on Poverty (Arlette Vargas-Ali) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

 

Mahnani Clay

April 19, 2015

Mahnani Clay moved to San Francisco four years ago and has solidly planted herself in the communities she strives to serve. She started out volunteering in direct services supporting formerly incarcerated women. She now holds leadership roles with both the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and the San Francisco Black Leadership Forum. She is the Director & Founder of Project CHEER (Community Helping Everyone Encourage Restoration), a community engagement project dedicated to strengthening community connections and amplifying voices that cry out for social justice in support of children, families and communities impacted by incarceration and criminal justice involvement.

Humanist Community Forum (2015-04-19): Systemic Racism and the Black Lives Matter Movement (Mahnani Clay) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.