This year we completed updating our contribution page – a project designed to share, celebrate and champion those who have championed us.  We loved showcasing some of our ardent supporters who believe in ReImagine Science.  A couple of them have been with us since our inception in 2008!  Lynne McWilliams is one of those, and is someone we are proud to know. Lynne broke trail in her life and career, yet remains as humble and cheerful as anyone you will ever meet.

Lynne ran lines with PG&E as part of a small cadre of women who were at the frontlines of crossing gender barriers.  To the right is a favorite photo Lynne shared with us, working on a line in California.  The other two photos are of some of her other romances with life, which include hiking, gardening, and flying, as well as being a champion of her mother’s art.  Her mom was an amazing woman in her own right – a painter, visionary, and a true charm.

Alicia Harmia, who assists with many of ReImagine Science’s projects, took on the work of exploring with some of our contributors just what made them interested in the work of transforming science.

Jeff Parrett, who first met Kennan, our Executive Director, at TEDxLivermore in 2013, has been interested in the evolution of humankind in all manner of ways.  He was the representative of one of the sponsors, Workday, where he was an early employee.  His enthusiasm for the energy, inspiration, and format of TED and TEDx talks is itself inspirational.  He became an early contributor, whose support allowed us to continue to dream big.

Amanda Avarsano spent two years bringing new insights and the passion of conviction to the core team of ReImagine Science, in addition to her duties as treasurer. She taught us what it was like to be passionate about one domain of exploration (physics), and to then be facile when that discipline was found to be wanting, as it undergoes its own challenges and losses.

You can also read about how Izja Lederhendler found us through a colleague at the National Institutes of Health; his attendance at our 2012 Science UnSummit at the beautiful (now gone) Artisphere in Arlington Virginia baffled him at first, I think it’s safe to say, as we host new approaches to exploring what people are thinking and what they already know, using tools such as Open Space Technology to tap into the wisdom of the group.

Rich Stafford, as co-founder of ReImagine Science, brings invaluable experience from having worked many years in both established and start-up companies that range from consumer products to malaria vaccines to cancer treatments.  His creativity is matched by the grand-ness of his vision, of what’s possible in science if we allow everyone’s creativity to flourish and be nurtured.

And Bill Fenwick, one of the original founders of the renowned law firm Fenwick & West, brings deep knowledge about new realms – seeing them before others do (his award winning thesis in Law School was about the need for Intellectual Property protections in the burgeoning industry of computer programming), finding a way to establish new industries, and bringing that vision to successful fruition.

All of these relationships are personal.  Our project to share how we get our funding, and to also celebrate those who have stood behind us in steady support, allowed us to ask our sponsors about what they wanted to be known for (even if only in a particular area) – which was very rewarding for us.