The Dandelion Chandelier Luminary Café is the place to find a series of personal interviews with fascinating people who are stellar achievers in their chosen field of endeavor. Our Luminaries are sharing their origin stories, life philosophies, secret songs, guilty pleasures and hidden talents. It’s guaranteed to be illuminating.
Our 2017 Luminaries are incredible people, and as part of our holiday gifting series, we wanted to give them a big shout-out. If you’re looking for brilliant presents, look no further than this list of experiences, art, food, drink and amazing reads created by this stellar group. In addition, our Luminaries are sharing charitable organizations or causes about which they care deeply that would benefit greatly from your generosity and help radiate more light in the world. For a luminous holiday, you’ve come to right place.
Wynton Marsalis serves as Managing and Artistic Director for Jazz at Lincoln Center (JACL). Tickets to a concert at JACL would be a swanky holiday gift; making a contribution would support the organization’s ongoing efforts to share this iconic American musical genre with more people of all ages. Need a stocking-stuffer? A jazz CD would fit perfectly. And one of his books would be the perfect note upon which to celebrate the holiday this year.
Lauren Lovette is a Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet (NYCB). Tickets to one of the company’s performances at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center would make for a marvelous night out. Lauren is also a passionate supporter of the International Rescue Committee; a contribution in the name of your loved one would be a lovely gift; Lauren notes that the organization’s “work with refugees is really important right now!”
Anna Deavere Smith is a playwright, actress, professor and journalist. Her books are wonderful and thought-provoking meditations on life as an artist, and on some of the seminal events in American life in the past two decades. She’s a vital contributor to the cause of criminal justice reform; her Pipeline Project is bringing the power of artistic expression into that conversation. And her latest work, Notes from the Field, will be an HBO Special Production airing in February 2018.
Sharon Khazzam is an artist and jewelry designer whose whimsical bespoke creations make gorgeous gifts. Like snowflakes, no two are alike. You can find them on her website, or at Barneys New York.
Dr. Laura Nash is the founder and CEO of Piper Cove Asset Management, which manages a hedge fund based in Cambridge, MA. She has been an educator and writer in business ethics and management for many years, and is the co-author of Just Enough: Tools for Creating Success in Your Work and Life, an incredible and much-loved guide to living life well. It’s a perfect gift book for almost anyone on your list. Laura’s nonprofit passions center on public gardens and conservation, especially in her role on the board of directors of Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Lynn Savarese is an award-winning photographer whose work has appeared in numerous galleries, art fairs, and publications throughout the world. Her photographs make wonderful gifts (for you or for someone on your list). In addition to her photo series The New Abolitionists, which showcases the survivors of human trafficking and their allies and advocates, the charities Lynn passionately supports include Planned Parenthood, The Nature Conservancy, and the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW). CATW’s mission is to end human trafficking in our life time; the organization has helped influence anti-trafficking legislation in the Philippines, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Japan, Sweden and the United States.
Silda Wall Spitzer is leading an effort, New York Makers Marketplace and Magazine, that celebrates and showcases the wide variety of products made in New York State. The site has wonderful gifts crafted by local Makers in a wide range of categories and price points.
Lawrence Otis Graham is an attorney, journalist and author of 14 non-fiction books, including Our Kind of People: An Inside Look at the Black Upper Class. His books, including The Senator and the Socialite, about the first black man elected to the U.S. Senate, make smart gifts for holiday reading. In addition, Lawrence is a strong supporter of the Sigma Pi Phi Boule Foundation, founded in 1927. This organization, established by black male leaders, supports ongoing mentorships and the creation of opportunities for young people in the community.
Trent Preszler is the CEO of Bedell Cellars and also the Founder and CEO of the Preszler Woodshop. You could gift a hand-crafted canoe; a bottle of their exceptional wine; a jar of the most delicious honey we’ve ever tasted, or a VIP tour of the winery on the North Fork of Long Island. Satisfaction guaranteed, and we strongly urge you to buy two of everything, ’cause you’re definitely going to want to keep one for yourself.
Jessica McCormack designs exceptional high jewelry, handcrafted in her dedicated London atelier in Mayfair. You can work with her to develop a bespoke item for your loved one. Or visit her website to see her collection of fabulous jewelry that’s perfect for party season now and into the new year.
Jennifer Clifford Danner is a New York-based artist who creates narrative figurative painting and portraiture, and works based on her study and interpretation of the ocean and its organic life forms. She works in several media, including oils, watercolors, ceramics and handmade paper pieces. A wonderful holiday present would be to commission Jennifer to paint an individual or group portrait for your gift recipient. Or you could gift one of her luminous and beautiful paintings or works on paper featuring images of the sea and its inhabitants. In terms of philanthropy, Jennifer supports Amanda Plus James, an arts non-profit co-founded by her son to help support and produce the work of young artists. She also describes the Dieu Donné Papermill, the studio where she works to craft handmade paper pieces, as “a truly wonderful place” in need of financial support to continue its open accessibility to artists of all income levels.
Billy Peele is the General Manager of Eleven Madison Park. We don’t know any foodie who would not love the gift of a meal at the newly-redesigned restaurant — named the Best in the World this year — or at its bar. If that’s out of your budget range, the latest book from the EMP team, Eleven Madison Park: The Next Chapter, is a terrific gift that makes for a delicious read on a cold winter’s night.
Leo Robitschek is the is the Bar Director for Make It Nice, the group that owns and operates Eleven Madison Park, The NoMad, and Made Nice in New York City. The foodie in your life would surely love a visit to any one of these three establishments. And if you’re on the West Coast, fear not. In mid-January, you or visiting friends can be among the first guests at the new NoMad Los Angeles. Leo is the co-author of The NoMad Cookbook – the perfect read to bring out the inner mixologist of your gift recipient.
Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten are the co-founders of COOL HUNTING, an online publication informing the global creative community about creativity and innovation in culture, people, places and things, often through the lens of design. Next summer, you’ll have another chance to sign up for their exclusive Omakase gifting service. In the meantime, check out their Holiday Gift Guides for seriously cool ideas.
James Truman is the proprietor and co-creator, along with Chef John Fraser, of Nix – the only Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant in the U.S. Lunch or dinner there with your gift recipient would be a healthy and delicious way to celebrate your bond.
Pamela Ryckman is a producer, screenwriter, consultant, and author of Stiletto Network: Inside the Women’s Power Circles That Are Changing the Face of Business. It’s a fantastic read about the ways in which communities and networks of women can help each other succeed, and it would be the perfect gift for any businessperson (or aspiring leader) on your gift list. Pamela is also on the board of a theater company supporting early-career playwrights. Founded by graduates of the Yale School of Drama, Page 73 Productions provides a springboard for talented young people, all of whom have gone on to have significant careers in stage and screen. Among its alumni are Pulitzer Prize-winner Quiara Allegria Hudes and MacArthur Genius Award winner Sam Hunter. A donation would be an excellent way to support the future of the arts.
Dr. Helene Gayle is the CEO of The Chicago Community Trust. Prior to that she had a long career in public health and global development, working with the McKinsey Social Initiative, the Centers for Disease Control, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and CARE. As a holiday gift this year, Helene urges us to consider a donation to CARE, a global organization fighting poverty and hunger in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the world (through the end of the year, the organization is matching all contributions 2:1).
Dr. Vivienne Ming, one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 10 Women to Watch in Tech, is a theoretical neuroscientist, technologist, and entrepreneur whose guiding mission is to maximize human potential, from neurons to toddlers to whole economies. Vivienne has co-founded several companies. The most recent, Socos, combines machine learning and cognitive neuroscience to improve children’s life outcomes. Vivienne researches, writes, and speaks extensively on issues of AI, the future of work, diversity, health technology, innovation, and education. She has two books coming out in 2018, and they promise to be terrifically smart reads.
Amy Nauiokas is the is the Founder and President of Anthemis, a company that cultivates change in financial services; the Founder and Chair of Archer Gray, a media production, finance and investment company; and Founder of Bubble, a New York City-based nonprofit that serves kids and families in under-served communities in New York City with education, meals and resources for healthy living, nutrition, fitness and wellness. Amy notes: “To date, Bubble has worked with 19 public and charter schools and over 15,000 kids to provide cooking classes, family meals, gardens and physical fitness activities.” The gift of a contribution to the organization will cast a glow of human caring into the local community well into the new year.
David Roberts is an executive in the investment management industry, and a strong supporter of educational initiatives for kids in grades Pre-K to 12. He has written a novel set in Wall Street during the recent financial crisis, centered on the corruptions and moral corrosion of wealth envy. This season, he’s urging all of us to be active participants in our democracy by contributing time and money to political candidates who demonstrate serious commitment to the values and policies that we personally hold most dear.
Jon Cropper is the Founder of Futurlogic, an innovation think tank, business development and branding studio committed to exploring the intersection of luxury marketing, advanced storytelling, and the future of media. His luxury acumen is unquestionable, and for a great gift he highly recommends an item from the Amalgam Collection, the best large scale maker of model cars in the world. He reports: “the company works with most of the world’s best supercar manufacturers (such as Ferrari, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche etc, and all of the F1 racing teams), to create museum-grade, hand-crafted miniature models with extreme detail. In recent years, Amalgam has also collaborated with Ralph Lauren to create the most amazing models of the cars in his collection, available exclusively through his flagship stores worldwide. It continues to strive to reach new levels of craftsmanship, and to create masterpieces of the model-makers art with enduring value.”
There you have it! Over 25 Luminary-approved gift ideas. Happy Holidays from all of us here at Dandelion Chandelier.
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