Rugged Elegance Presents… a soulful speaker series called DISCOVERY, featuring changemaking leaders who have been given the ‘Day to Breathe Accelerator’.
DISCOVERY: Flourishing & The Founder's Journey
On October 4, 2025, DISCOVERY: Flourishing & The Founder's Journey featured the following speakers and organizations:
Dr. Sará King, Founder/Healer & CEO, MindHeart AI
Brad Baum, Co-founder of Stealth and Founder, Mental Health Pledge
Anna Gudmundson, Co-Founder & CEO, Sensate
Sean Wheelock, Co-Founder & CEO, Inner Peak
Jessica King Fredel, Co-Founder & CEO, Continuum
Dr. Richard J. Davidson, Founder & Director, Center for Healthy Minds
JD Schramm, Ed.D., Keynote Speaker, Communication Consultant and Trainer, JD Schramm Communications, LLC
BROUGHT TO YOU BY…
Jennifer Carolyn King - President, Rugged Elegance Foundation | CEO, RE...the soulful network | Chair, The Butterfly Effect Fund
Timothy Fredel - Board Member & CTO, Rugged Elegance Foundation | Fund Manager, The Butterfly Effect Fund
Allison Berardi - Lead Coach Curator, “Day to Breathe” at The Reatreat: SF | Marketing & Social Media, Rugged Elegance
JD Schramm, Ed.D. - Founder, JD Schramm Communications |Keynote Speaker, Author & Educator
DISCOVERY: Celebrating the Rise of Africa
On May 31, 2025, DISCOVERY: Celebrating the Rise of Africa featured the following speakers and organizations:
Dr. Christine Ngaruiya, SEMI Director & DEM Associate Professor, Stanford University
Kwami Williams & Emily Cunningham, Founders, True Moringa
Cedric Nwafor, Founder, ROOTS Africa
Brendah Njiru, Founder, Homy Robotics
Feven & Helena Yohannes, Founders, 2•4•1 Cosmetics
We also celebrate our soulful musical collaborators, Gabriel Harris' Rhythm Village — Daniel Berkman, Mandjou Kone, and Naby Bangoura.
DISCOVERY: Reveling in the Rise of Women
On March 16, 2025, DISCOVERY: Reveling in the Rise of Women featured the following speakers and organizations:
Ashlie Bryant, Co-Founder, President & CEO, 3Strands Global Foundation
Holly Ruxin, Founder & CEO, Montcalm
Jessica P. Hansen, CEO/Executive Director, Alliance for Smiles
Julie Gordon White, Founder & CEO, Menowell
Zubaida Bai, CEO, Grameen Foundation
DISCOVERY: Revealing The Power of The Pause
On September 20, 2024, DISCOVERY: Revealing The Power of The Pause featured the following speakers and organizations:
Barb Bylenga, Founder & COO, SHE-CAN
Haider Nazar, Co-Founder & CEO, MAHA Global
Jill Osur, Founder & CEO, Teneral Cellars
Rev. Ken Daigle, Senior Minister, Unity San Francisco
Saumya Gupta and Colton Heward-Mills, Co-Founders, Build IRL
DISCOVERY: Answering The Call to Authenticity
On June 20, 2024, Rugged Elegance Foundation presented the initial DISCOVERY series event entitled, “DISCOVERY: Answering The Call to Authenticity. Click the button below to check out the speaker videos from this event.
David Monticalvo, Minister-in-training, COO, Unity San Francisco
Gabe Wieder, Mental Health Advocate, Innovator, and Founding Member of Somethings
Mwangi Mukami, Catalyst for Possibility and Change, Founder of MLIFE
Noah Maier, Investor, Fundraiser, and Philanthropy Advisor.
Sarah Shourd, Journalist, Playwright, Anti-prison Activist and Somatic Coach
Vee Vargas, Founder, Creator, and Community Builder, Be Here With Vee