discover Virtual Cafés

  Every September we remind ourselved that a Suicide Prevention Awareness Month needs to be talked about. In this Virtual Café we invited Mental Health First Aid Responder LaKenya Pitchford to talk about prevention and mental health practices available to everyone.   

 In this Virtual Café, we want to discuss navigating the tension and disconnection in family relationships with Kate Emerson, an experienced social worker and mental health practitioner. Conflict resolution skills can come in handy anytime you're dealing with trauma or abuse and these skills can help us to settle our relationship and bring understanding to our families.   

Don't miss this discussion with Maureen Misuraca. Maureen has over 20 years of experiential training and is also trained in Internal Family Systems - an evidence-based therapy that works well with eating disorders, complex trauma, anxiety, and depression. She has worked previously at the Betty Ford Center for over 12 years, so she has a deep understanding of addiction and its effects on a family. She also has training in child therapy and works with children and their families. 

 James B. Golden is a Los Angeles based Learning & Development Specialist with over 10 years of organizational development experience in training methodology, design, executive coaching, systems improvement, motivation, cultural competence, and inclusion. James is a Mental and Behavior Health specialist with a decade of experience in Substance abuse, Addiction, and Relationship counseling.  

 Dawn McCoy (McJoy), is a Founder & CEO of Red Shoe Project, Inc. A Mental and Emotional Health Services nonprofit in Redlands, CA.  Dawn will join us to talk about gratitude, the importance of finding happiness in our lives, and how to look at the bright side of life. Belief is very important part of her teaching, so understanding the connection between god and happiness is what drives her forward.   

 As the founder of the organization "Dat Yoga Dude," James Woods manages his organization with a focus on promoting mental health and wellness. He uses his expertise as a top wellness speaker and School Stress Strategist to create programs and resources aimed at improving the mental and physical health of individuals in the educational system.  

We were happy to welcome Esteban Ortiz, a Community Program Specialist, from the San Bernardino regional office of The State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD).

 In this Virtual Café, our main guest, Pepi Jackson - the CEO/President of the Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce talks about the importance of building a entrepreneurship mindset in black minority communities. 

In this Café we focused on the future of sustainable communities and how this can be achieved in the Greater Palm Springs. Our speaker, Lauren Bruggemans, the director of Sustainability and Community Engagement at Visit Greater Palm Springs is perfectly matched to bring knowledge and inspiration into how community partners can work together to build a better future. 

 Mihai Patru is the Executive Director of Caravanserai Project, a social impact venture working to support mission-driven organizations and an Entrepreneur in Residence on Social Entrepreneurship at the University of California in Riverside. Prior, he served as a Senior Fellow at the School of Public Policy, University of California in Riverside where he designed and launched the first social entrepreneurship pre-accelerator program. 

 Esri is a technological company, pioneering ArcGIS - the world's most powerful mapping and analytics software. Our guest, Kymberli Fieux, who is currently working as Senior Account Executive, introduced us to their work and to opprtunities within. 

In this Virtual Café we were joined by Felix Marhuenda-Donate, a professor in the Computer Science department at the College of the Desert. Together with his co-workers, Martin Flores, Mark Rizzo and Patrick Jacobs we discussed the future of STEM jobs, career pathways, and different specializations in the computer science field. 

 Our guest Edwin Ramoran, the co-founder Bayanihan Desert in the Coachella Valley, joined our café to participate in a talk about history and experiences of Filipino community in the Palm Springs area.  

 We invited guests from all over Coachella Valley and San Bernardino to share their traditions with us.  Juanita Garner told us more about their Mexican-American traditions, Zubair and Dr. Augustine Kposowa taught us about Kwanzaa and African traditions, and Lily Khanbegian helped us discover the magic of Armenian Christmas traditions.