The Gather for Good
Since its inception in 2020, The Gather for Good speaker series has been more than a fundraiser; it is where we identify the challenges facing our children’s future, educate ourselves on how we can have the greatest impact, and contribute meaningfully to actions that build a healthier, more sustainable world.
Over the past four years, we have welcomed performers, thought leaders, and cultural icons whose partnership has enabled us to give back to the community and demonstrate our mission and values in action.
2025
We're excited for the Gather 2025! Plans are in the works. Please contact Shree Starkman with questions!
2024
The Future is Here:
Insights from Disrupters
In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and digital interconnectedness, nurturing our children into compassionate and intelligent humans capable of harnessing the power of artificial and augmented intelligence presents a unique challenge. The questions, fears, and aspirations are endless, and we, as a community of parents and educators, are leaning into learning and leading through change with courage, wisdom, and hope.
Meeting the challenge of our time.
Over 100 years ago, Dr. Maria Montessori responded to the challenges of passivity and authoritarianism by introducing a revolutionary philosophy that disrupted education. She courageously questioned the prevailing view of children as empty vessels. Instead, she recognized children as the leaders of their education, driven by an innately human desire and capacity to learn.
Today, AI poses a similar threat and opportunity.
The dawn of AI provokes weighty questions. Will AI lead to greater passivity and the dulling of the human mind? Or will it lead to unparalleled creativity and growth? While the future feels more opaque than ever, we at Marin Montessori School know the core values and attributes children need to live thoughtful, vibrant lives of purpose, empowered by compassion and agency.
Meet the Disruptors
Learn More
- Why We Gather
- Marin Montessori School Endowment Founders' Pledge
- Gather Party Details | May 3, 2024
- Community Partner
- FAQs
Why We Gather
The Marin Montessori School Endowment: An Unshakable Foundation
Since its inception in 2020, The Gather for Good speaker series has been more than a fundraiser; it is a platform where we delve into the challenges our children will face in the future, educate ourselves on how we can have the greatest impact, and actively contribute to initiatives that foster a healthier and more sustainable world.
Over the past three years, we’ve had the privilege of hosting thought leaders and cultural icons as part of this series. Their partnership has enabled us to give back to the community and demonstrate our mission and values in action.
This year, we are embarking on a bold new campaign to secure, enhance, strengthen, and empower MMS for the next 60 years to ensure our community and mission thrive in perpetuity: The Marin Montessori School Endowment.
Marin Montessori School has a long history of planning for the future.
Starting 60 years ago with the bold vision of a small group of Marin families seeking to provide the best possible education for their children, our one-room schoolhouse in San Rafael has transformed. Now housed on two pristine campuses offering world-renowned, high-fidelity Montessori education, MMS is one of only two fully accredited AMI (Association Montessori International) and CAIS (California Association of Independent Schools) independent schools in California.
As the founding families looked to the future, we are once again taking bold action to secure Marin Montessori School for generations to come. To be here for the next 60 years and beyond, our school must safeguard the financial flexibility that goes beyond annual tuition and fundraising goals by establishing a permanent endowment to support innovation, access, and excellence for all our constituents.
The time to prepare for the future is now.
Marin Montessori School Endowment Founders' Pledge
Gather Party Details | May 3, 2024
More information about the party coming soon!
Date: May 3, 2024
Time: 5:00-10:00 pm
Location: The Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Hosted in the iconic I.M. Pei-designed hilltop campus, The Buck Institute offers the perfect backdrop to explore the future of education and how to raise humans equipped to thrive for life.
The Gather for Good: The Future is Here is also a celebration of our 60 years in Marin. We hope to welcome back alumni, alumni parents, grandparents, retired guides and staff, and former trustees to reconnect, reminisce, and relish the memories and connections that so many MMS families have treasured.
Community Partner
We are honored to partner with The Buck Institute, a leader in scientific research, education, and community well-being.
Eric Verdin, MD | President and CEO
The Buck was a pioneer in research on aging, and now we're a global leader in the field. We opened our doors in 1999, becoming the world’s only research institution singularly focused on the biology of aging, yielding insights into age-related diseases before they start. We hire scientists from a variety of disciplines to attack the problem from all sides because the answers we’re after won’t come from a single field. To enhance our process, we worked with world-renowned architect I.M. Pei to create a campus that literally would not allow our researchers to work in silos.
FAQs
Founding Families
Thank you to all who have contributed to the Marin Montessori School Endowment. To see a complete list of our Founding Families, click here.
Our Sponsors
A heartfelt thank you to our generous event underwriters. Your invaluable partnership ensures that all funds raised at The Gather for Good will contribute to the greatest good—supporting The Marin Montessori School Endowment.
BUSINESS PARTNERS
2023
Get ready for...
The Gather for Good: The Creative Mind.
It is not a coincidence that our generation's most influential innovators emerged from Montessori schools.
On April 15, 2023, join Dr. Ed Catmull, Pixar founder, Disney executive, winner of five academy awards, and former MMS parent, for an inspiring conversation about his experience redefining visual and creative arts, storytelling, and leadership.
Hosted in the iconic Letterman Digital Arts Center, home to Industrial Light & Magic, LucasArts, and Lucasfilm's Headquarters and private theater, The Gather for Good: The Creative Mind explores the importance of fostering creativity from our youngest to oldest minds.
Gather 2023
Our Sponsors
Thank you to our generous sponsors. Your partnership makes it possible for our entire community to participate in The Gather for Good. It also plays an essential role in our campaign to raise more than $250,000 to enhance Marin Montessori School's offerings for creative expression, curiosity, and physical exploration across all our levels through the PLAY-LEARN-CREATE Initiative.
Family Sponsors
INTEGRATED ARTS SPONSOR
Lisa & Colin le Duc
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Anonymous
Francesca & Brian Pokorny
GATHER GIVING CIRCLE
Anonymous
Amy Soper
GATHER SOCIETY
Christy & Darel Baer
Jackie & Michael Crown
Pia DeLeon & William Chuang
Erin & Patrick Flynn
Nicole Hollis & Lewis Heathcote
Taylor & Sean Kramer
Kelly & Martin Lauber
Kristin & Rob Maguire
Frannie Pope-Hohman & Robert
Hohman
Theresa & Tom Preston-Werner
The Schear Family
Dorlon & Dylan Simonds
Courtney & Gregory Smith
April Underwood & Matt Herrero
COMMUNITY UNDERWRITER
Anonymous
Susan & Doug Aley
Robyn & Robert Baer
Erica & Joseph Bernstein
Talia & Nick Carter
Anonymous
Susan & Doug Aley
Robyn & Robert Baer
Erica & Joseph Bernstein
Talia & Nick Carter
Kate & Philippe Cayanni
Michelle & Tom Durgy
Christa and Alex Gurevich
Kate & Erik Larson
Mika Street & Dan Gluck
Julie & Tim Van Voris
Michelle & Tom Durgy
Christa and Alex Gurevich
Kate & Erik Larson
Mika Street & Dan Gluck
Julie & Tim Van Voris
Theater Sponsorship
Lynwen & Patrick Brennan & Lucasfilm
FRIENDS OF THE GATHER
Anonymous
Verity Chegar & Andrew Mastropietro
Alice Nguyen & Alistair Roberts
WINE DONATION
Anonymous
Corporate Partners
Volunteer Honor Roll
Robyn & Robb Baer
Charlie Barraclough-Byron
Kim & Marcus Berry
Amy Brees
Damien Carney
Talia and Nick Carter
Jackie Crown
Pia DeLeon
Ryan Donnelly
Erin Flynn
Kelli and Chase Fontaine
Ashley Harris Fougner & Jon Fougner
Nimisha Gandhi
Christa Gurevich
Lily Harrington
Jillian Hochstetler
Ashley Johnson
Kate Larson
Kristin Maguire
Aurore Martinez
Sara Modir
Patricia Morales
Alice Nguyen
Sydney Overlie
Laura Pak
Dilrukshi Perera
Kristine Pinner
Francesca Pokorny
Heidi Robinson
Jeannette Schar
Amy Soper
Thea Thompson
Julia Toebben
Kaitlin and Danny Van Acker
Jamie Whittington
Syl Yip
2022
What a night.
On May 14, 2022, the MMS community gathered on Angel Island to celebrate The Power of Story while raising critical funds for our Tuition Assistance Program.
Volunteer Honor Roll
Gather Co-Chairs
Lily Harrington
Kelly Lauber
Gather Volunteers
Talia & Nick Carter
Michelle & Kelly Coffey
Kim Berry
Aliyya Mattos
Kelsey & Matt Robinson
Joanna & Parker Hobson
Ashley Harris & Jon Fougner
Heidi Robinson & Tyler Rosengren
Allen Lott & Laura Pak
Felicia Ferguson
Travis Deuel
Kelly Mekonenn
Darrin Lim & Jim Wayand
Ina Von Wunsch & Dotto Ngongoseke
Chelsea Lindman
Jillian Hochstetler
Charlie Barraclough-Byron
Damien Carney
NJ Han
Nikki Tufts
Ian Chriss & Abigail Warwas
Amy & Jeff Gossett
Bill Solari
Marco Innocenti
Steve Hobson
Amy Brees
Kathryn Menge
Angela Webster
Holly Tate
Mika Street
Julia Toebben
Janet Barnes
Minnie Wales
Anahad O'Connor
Kate Cayanni
Dorlon & Dylan Simonds
Aurore Martinez & Mikael Audry
Sydney Overlie
Whitney Littman
Erin Flynn
Kate Larson
Nimisha Gandhi
Susie Park
Sara Modir
Jeannette Schar
Pia DeLeon
Heidi Newell
Kaitlin Van Acker
Greer Rivera
Trevor Woolf
Jackie Crown
Amy Soper
Robb Baer
Whitney Bardwick
Lissa Stephens
Our Sponsors
Thank you to our generous sponsors. Your partnership makes it possible for our entire community to participate in The Gather for Good and in the meaningful conversations about our shared humanity. It also plays an essential role in our quest to raise more than $250,000 for our Tuition Assistance Program.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER UNDERWRITER
TIBURON-ANGEL ISLAND FERRY SPONSOR
DOCKSIDE COCKTAIL RECEPTION SPONSOR
LOBSTER BOIL SPONSOR
SPONSOR'S RECEPTION UNDERWRITER
PADDLE RAISE HONOR ROLL
Dorlon & Dylan Simonds
Pia DeLeon & William Chuang
Nicole Hollis and Lewis Heathcote
Theresa & Tom Preston-Werner
Amy Soper
Gita & Nick Stiritz
Aarti Jesrani & Deap Ubhi
Kelly & Martin Lauber
Sarah Labieniec & Ryan Meis
Susan & Doug Aley
Courtney & Greg Smith
Angela Webster
Lisa & Colin le Duc
Legare & Todd Speece
Allison & Bobby Bassman
Charlie Barraclough & Jack Byron
Karolin & Mark Phillips
Erin & Patrick Flynn
Allyson Peracca & Michael Strohl
Talia & Nick Carter
Mika Street & Dan Gluck
Madison & Andre DeRussy
Kelli & Chase Fontaine
Joanna & Parker Hobson
Kim & Marcus Berry
Christa & Alex Gurevich
Heidi Robinson & Tyler Rosengren
Kelsey & Matthew Robinson
Meggan Crum & Scott Schneider
Kate & Alexander Schmitz
Brooke & David Rusenko
Ketut & Sam Shapiro
Michelle Hobson
Corinne & Justin Boggs
Jillian & Matt Hochstetler
Ashley Harris & Jon Fougner
Haley & Eric Nusbaum
NJ Han & Dedalus Hyde
Andrea & Scott Cullerton
Colleen McAree & Brendan Egan
Ingrid Guivar & Ken Shunk
Kendra Bolt and Karl Reichstetter
Bora Chae & John Kim
Sommer Schafer and Felix AuYeung
Melissa & Omar Lari
Sarah & Jason Wilson
Travis Deuel
Heidi & James Newell
Kaitlin & Matthew Stratton
Elena & Bill Solari
Kate Stout
Kristina DePizzol
Jessica & Mookie Siegel
Anna Mitchell
Tabitha Gaffney & Matthew Coyne
Ed Tepporn
Fran & Geoff Link
Greer Rivera
Lori Friedman & Bill Sneed
Steve Hobson
Michelle Gogliucci
Edna Chinn
Kelly & Michelle Coffey
Marit Sivertson & Eric Krussman
Syl Yip & Will Hench
Jules Layman
GATHER GIVING CIRCLE
Charmaine Chow & Saúl Peña
Frannie Pope-Hohman & Robert Hohman
Amy Soper
Gita & Nick Stiritz
April Underwood & Matt Herrero
GATHER SOCIETY
Robyn & Robb Baer
Talia & Nick Carter
Talia & Nick Carter
Kate & Philippe Cayanni
Jackie & Michael Crown
Pia DeLeon & William Chuang
Teresa Federer & Peter Levinson
Erin & Patrick Flynn
Allison Funk & Michael Fleischman
Lily & John Harrington
Lily & John Harrington
Blythe & Mark Harris
Kate & Erik Larson
Kelly & Martin Lauber
Lisa & Colin le Duc
Francesca & Brian Pokorny
Theresa & Tom Preston-Werner
Theresa & Tom Preston-Werner
Maggie & Daniel Schear
Dorlon & Dylan Simonds
Courtney & Greg Smith
Sally & Jeff Snipes
Sally & Jeff Snipes
Legare & Todd Speece
Mika Street & Dan Gluck
Nerine & JC Torres
Gaby Zamudio & Keith Tom
COMMUNITY UNDERWRITER
Jenny Arden & Erik Peña
Janet Barnes & Thomas Weisel
Nimisha Gandhi & Satish Ambati
Allyson Peracca & Michael Strohl
Dilrukshi Perera & Lahiru Weeraratne
Brooke & David Rusenko
Jeannette & Reid Schar
Julie & Tim Van Voris
FRIENDS OF THE GATHER
Anonymous
Whitney & Peter Bardwick
Christa & Alex Gurevich
Alice Nguyen & Alistair Roberts
Kaitlin & Danny Van Acker
CREW TICKET SPONSOR
Sharon & Henri de Marcellus
OYSTER SPONSORS
Carla Rummo & Paul Williams
CHAMPAGNE SPONSOR
Angela Webster
Corporate Partners
2021
On June 5, 2021, we welcomed chef and food activist Alice Waters to our stage as our keynote speaker. Alice Waters founded the Edible Schoolyard Project in 1995 — combining her perspectives as a trained Montessori teacher, fervent political activist, gifted chef, and champion of sustainable agriculture. Her vision is grounded in the following key principle: children deserve to be nurtured in body and mind, treated with dignity, and shown that they are valued.
Together we fed our hearts and minds as we participated in an inspirational evening that enriched and delighted us.
2020
On February 26, 2020, we welcomed former Vice President Al Gore to our stage. His leadership and dedication to the study and education of others on the climate crisis epitomize our philosophy of challenging our children to engage in real work. Work that aligns with their values, strengths, and passions. Work that addresses the world’s greatest challenges. Work that provides deep meaning. Work that can change the world.
To learn more about this incredible event, explore the microsite we created.
The Gather for Good 2020 with Vice President Al Gore
