BrewBird at Epoch Connect May 13 & 14 in San Francisco
It’s going to be an “Epic Epoch”with BrewBird as a sponsor for Epoch Connect this year: May 13 & 14 at San Francisco’s Pier 70.
Epoch Connect is a 2-day conference for top leaders and innovators to connect, learn, and share knowledge on employee engagement and experience for our new way of work.
BrewBird is rethinking how coffee shows up in the workplace, partnering with local and national roasters to deliver high-quality coffee through a program that’s simple to run and built to scale.
BrewBird is a team of builders using technology to create thoughtful, seamless coffee solutions that actually work in real-world environments.
☕ Partnerships with local and national roasters ⚙️ Simple, scalable coffee programs 🌱 A focus on quality and sustainability
A great chance to get a closer look at what BrewBird has to offer.
media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. David Perry | (415) 676-7007 | news@davidperry.com
San Francisco Maritime National Park Association to host inaugural Maritime Spring Fling Luncheon May 6 at the Presidio
Jack Lapidos & Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District Honored
Fundraiser Supports Education, Public Programming, the USS Pampanito, and San Francisco’s Maritime Legacy
Highlights from A Balcony on the World Documentary To Be Shown
28 April 2026 – San Francisco, CA: Nearly two centuries ago, sailor and author Richard Henry Dana Jr. looked at San Francisco Bay and predicted: “If California ever becomes a prosperous country, this bay will be the center of its prosperity.” On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association will give proof to Dana’s words and celebrate that legacy with its inaugural Maritime Spring Fling Luncheon, a lively and inspiring afternoon at the Golden Gate Club at the Presidio. Taking place from 11am to 1pm, the event will feature a silent auction, wine toss, special fund-a-need appeal, and recognition of two outstanding honorees whose contributions have made a lasting impact on San Francisco’s maritime community.
“San Francisco’s maritime history is not something locked away in the past — it is alive in our ships, our shoreline, our neighborhoods, and the people who continue to care for them,” said Darlene Plumtree, CEO of the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association. “The Maritime Spring Fling Luncheon is a celebration of that living legacy, and an opportunity to support the education programs, public events, historic vessels, and philanthropic initiatives that help keep San Francisco’s maritime story accessible to all.”
This year’s luncheon will support the Association’s education programs, public event programming, the USS Pampanito, and philanthropic initiatives benefiting the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
The event will also recognize two honorees: Jack Lapidos will receive the inaugural Salty Dog Award, recognizing his longstanding dedication and continued support of the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association. The Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District will receive the Maritime Community Award, honoring its leadership and ongoing efforts to revitalize and support Fisherman’s Wharf, home to the historic USS Pampanito.
“To be recognized with the inaugural Salty Dog Award is deeply meaningful,” said Jack Lapidos. “San Francisco’s maritime history has shaped this city in ways both grand and personal — from the ships and sailors who connected us to the world, to the parks, museums, and historic vessels that continue to educate and inspire. I am grateful to the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association for keeping that legacy alive, and honored to support its mission.”
“The Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District is honored to receive the Maritime Community Award and proud to support the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association’s work preserving the stories, vessels, and public spaces that make our waterfront so meaningful,” said Bri Maughan, Executive Director of the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District. “Fisherman’s Wharf is one of San Francisco’s most iconic neighborhoods, but it is also a living maritime community — home to working waterfront traditions, historic ships, small businesses, visitors from around the world, and generations of San Franciscans who see the Bay as part of who we are.”
Additionally, highlights from “A Balcony on the World,” the acclaimed documentary by San Francisco filmmaker John Rogers that is a great tribute to the period art and architecture of San Francisco during the 1930s, will also be shown during the Maritime Spring Fling Luncheon. The film explores the history, art, architecture, and civic meaning of the Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building — now home to the San Francisco Maritime Museum — illuminating its WPA-era origins, its extraordinary murals and design, and its enduring role as a public treasure on the waterfront.
The luncheon will include a silent auction, wine toss, and fund-a-need appeal. Individual tickets are $175, with sponsorship opportunities available for those seeking to further support the Association’s mission.
“San Francisco’s waterfront has always been more than a postcard,” Plumtree summed up. “It is where Gold Rush dreamers arrived, ferryboats stitched the Bay together, fishermen built livelihoods, sailors came home, and generations of San Franciscans learned that the city’s story begins at the water’s edge. At SF Maritime, we’re proud to highlight those dreams and dreamers.”
About the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association: The San Francisco Maritime National Park Association supports education, public programming, historic preservation, and philanthropic initiatives benefiting the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Through programs, partnerships, and community engagement, the Association helps preserve and share the maritime stories, vessels, landmarks, and traditions that shaped San Francisco and continue to inspire visitors, students, and residents today.
Event Details What: Inaugural Maritime Spring Fling Luncheon When: Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 11am – 1pm Where: Golden Gate Club at the Presidio, 135 Fisher Loop, San Francisco, CA Tickets: Individual tickets are $175 per person Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities are available
media contact David Perry & Associates, Inc. / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com
First Graduate’s “Cap & Gown” 2026 Celebrates Student Achievement and Honors Jess Smith of the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday, May 28
Annual gala to unite San Francisco leaders, supporters, students, and alumni for an inspiring evening benefiting first-generation college success.
23 April 2026 – San Francisco, CA: Benjamin Franklin famously said that “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” For a quarter century, First Graduate has been following that patriot’s lead: helping San Francisco students become the first in their families to graduate from college and pursue meaningful careers. On Thursday, May 28 at their annual Cap & Gown benefit at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco, the esteemed nonprofit will bring together students, alumni, educators, civic leaders, and supporters for an evening dedicated to celebrating the achievements of first-generation students and raising critical funds to support their journey from middle school through college graduation. This year’s event will honor Jess Smith, President of the Golden State Valkyries, as the First in Family Honoree, recognizing her leadership and commitment to advancing opportunity, equity, and community impact.
Now marking 25 years of service, First Graduate continues its mission of inspiring young people in their educational pursuits, leading to integration in the workforce. The organization currently supports hundreds of students through its free, long-term continuum of academic coaching, mentoring, college counseling, career readiness, and family engagement.
“San Francisco has long been known as both a city of compassion and of innovation,” said First Graduate Chief Executive Officer Terri Forman. “No city understands more the importance of an inspired and educated workforce and the importance of investing in new leaders. That is the mission of First Graduate.”
The Cap & Gown gala is one of First Graduate’s most important fundraising events of the year, helping sustain the organization’s 12-year support model, which begins the summer after sixth grade and continues through college completion. First Graduate’s students graduate from college at rates significantly above the national average for first-generation students.
“I was the first in my family to go to college. I know what that journey feels like, and I know how much it matters to have people in your corner,” said Jess Smith, President of the Golden State Valkyries. “First Graduate is doing that work every single day, and I’m proud to support an organization that believes every student deserves that chance.”
The evening will celebrate the academic and personal achievements of First Graduate’s newest cohort of student graduates while reaffirming the organization’s vision that every San Francisco family can establish a college-going tradition.
Sponsors for the evening include: Allen Matkins, BlackRock, BSSP, Cerity Partners, Deloitte, Dodge & Cox, Golden State Warriors, Hamilton Zanze, KPMG, Maven Retail, Morgan Stanley, Orrick Tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the Cap & Gown 2026 Galamay be found online at https://firstgraduate.org/
About First Graduate: Founded in 2001, First Graduate helps San Francisco-based middle school, high school, and college students with academic coaching, tutoring, mentoring, college counseling, career exploration, and long-term support needed to become first-generation college graduates. The organization envisions a future in which all families in San Francisco and beyond can establish a college-going tradition, helping to break cycles of poverty and build a stronger workforce and civic community.
The Strength of the River: Honoring the Women Who Pulled Bilbao Forward
As we walk along the waterfront below the famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, we encounter a moving piece of art dedicated to women laborers.
These women were the sirgueras of the Bilbao estuary. In the late 19th century, they performed astonishing physical labor: pulling barges and boats upstream with ropes from the river mouth into the heart of the city. Once pulled by oxen, these boats instead relied on human muscle—often women’s—to haul goods into Bilbao’s docks.
The sirgueras formed a labor guild, often working both on the ropes and loading cargo. Harnessed to thick lines, they pulled vessels as if they were draft animals. Despite the importance of their work to Bilbao’s economy, it was seen as low-status labor, often looked down upon.
This artwork along the waterfront reminds us of the endurance and grit of these women. Once overlooked, they are now recognized as a symbol of Bilbao’s working-class strength and history.
media contact: David Perry / David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com
Tom LeNoble’s Best-Selling Memoir Earns National Recognition as Readers Turn to Stories That Help Make Sense of Life’s Most Complex Moments
“My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels” receives multiple major awards while resonating with readers navigating change, identity, and the deeper meaning of success
21 April 2026 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA: At a time when success is being questioned more than ever and many high performers are quietly asking what it has all been for, Tom LeNoble’s best-selling memoir, My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels: In Control, Being Controlled, Out of Control! is earning national recognition while resonating with readers who are navigating not just achievement, but identity, uncertainty, and what it means to truly live a meaningful life.
LeNoble, a former Silicon Valley executive who now serves as a trusted advisor to leaders and organizations, does not present a traditional success narrative, but instead offers a deeply human and reflective account of what it looks like to live, lead, and rebuild when the structures we rely on no longer hold in the same way.
Spanning his journey from a modest childhood in Florida to leadership roles at companies including MCI, Palm, Walmart.com, and Facebook, and high growth startups, the memoir moves beyond professional milestones and into a more layered exploration of the internal forces that shape our decisions, relationships, and sense of identity over time.
Recent Honors and Recognition
• Amazon International Bestseller and Number One New Release
• PenCraft Book Awards Spring 2026 Gold Winner in Nonfiction Memoir
• Nonfiction Book Awards Silver Award
• Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite in Inspiration
• Feathered Quill Book Awards 2026 Finalist in Memoir and Biography
• Literary Global Book Awards Finalist in Non Fiction Inspirational
The memoir was also selected for inclusion in Lee Woodruff’s Winter End 2025 Book Marks reading list, where she described it as “a memoir about resilience, love and taking risks” and “a reminder for all of us to make bold choices.”
“This season of recognition has been deeply humbling, and while the awards themselves carry meaning, what has stayed with me most are the conversations with readers who have shared that they recognized parts of their own lives in these pages, not only in the moments of strength but in the uncertainty, the questioning, and the rebuilding that so often define us,” said LeNoble.“This memoir was written from a place of truth and reflection, and if it offers someone language or perspective for their own experience, then it has served its purpose.”
LeNoble’s story includes surviving the AIDS crisis, navigating a later prostate cancer diagnosis, leading within organizations during periods of rapid growth and pressure, and continually returning to the work of understanding identity and self acceptance, yet what distinguishes his voice is not simply what he has experienced but the way he invites others to examine their own lives with greater honesty and awareness.
Rather than positioning himself as a conventional coach offering answers or prescribed solutions, LeNoble’s work reflects a more nuanced approach that centers on helping individuals and leaders pause long enough to consider the deeper drivers behind their choices, especially in moments when outward success no longer feels aligned with internal truth, a philosophy that is reflected throughout his work and writings at www.openingpathwayscollective.com, his platform dedicated to exploring leadership, identity, and meaningful change.
His perspective is informed not only by decades spent inside high performance corporate environments, but also by the lived experience of navigating loss, reinvention, and meaning in ways that are rarely linear and often deeply personal.
The book is available through Amazon, independent bookstores, and through his official website.
About Tom LeNoble: Tom LeNoble is a San Francisco based author, speaker, and advisor to founders, executives, and organizations who are navigating meaningful leadership moments and life transitions. His career includes leadership roles at MCI, Palm, Walmart.com, and Facebook, and his current work focuses on helping individuals explore the underlying forces that shape how they lead, make decisions, and move through the world.
His approach sits at the intersection of resilience, identity, and reflection, and is designed for those who have achieved a level of success yet find themselves seeking greater clarity, alignment, and a more honest understanding of what comes next. Learn more at www.openingpathwayscollective.com and www.tomlenoble.com.
About the Book: My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels is a memoir that explores what happens when the external structures we depend on begin to shift, and how individuals can begin to make sense of their lives in real time while learning to rebuild with intention, awareness, and authenticity.
For interviews, speaking opportunities, or media inquiries, please contact David Perry and Associates, Inc.
