• Jackson Theater at Sonoma Country Day School
  • March 6, 2027
GET UPDATES

Big Thanks To Our
Sponsors & Supporters

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to those whose time and talent move TEDxSonomaCounty forward year after year.

Become a Sponsor
This Must Be the Place Podcast cover

DAVID & JOANIE JASPER

FLYNN O’BRIEN

TAM & CURT SMITH

Speaker Coaches

Marilyn Nagel

Rise Results

Ann Barlow

Abba Group

Benoit Cristou

Palmer E. I Strategic Communication Consultant

Kristin Link

Link Coaching

Rachel Rodriguez

Rachel Rodriguez Consulting

Reception Sponsors

A reception will follow immediately after the TEDxSonomaCounty program.

Enjoy an assortment of local wine, cheese, and coffee provided by the following generous sponsors!

Become a Sponsor

Sponsorships support the cost of organizing and orchestrating an event of this caliber and bringing it to our community at as low a price as possible so we can reach a broad audience. Your partnership is greatly appreciated and will make a difference!

THANK YOU!

Learn More

Marilyn Nagel

Marilyn Nagel is an award winning, global thought leader in culture and talent development, with over 30 years of corporate experience. Prior to co-founding her consulting firm, Rise Results, Marilyn was CEO of Watermark, launching their widely acclaimed California Conference for Women and creating breakthrough programs for over 48 corporations. Marilyn was also Chief Diversity Officer at Cisco, where she was recognized for shifting the company’s focus to inclusion, launching the first Inclusion Index, and creating flexible work practices that became industry standard. Marilyn is an internationally sought-after speaker, blogger and contributor to Forbes, Inc. Fast Company and Harvard Business Review. She is also executive producer of TEDx. Sonoma County. 

Hillary Wicht

Hillary Wicht is an executive coach building the skill sets required for the modern leader. She specializes in the areas of communication, confidence, psychology, and leadership. She has been sought by the Stanford Entrepreneurial Program for her work in the psychology of pitching for profit, tapped by the Wall Street Journal for her work on the impact of gender communication styles in the corporate realm, and featured as a thought leader on the TEDx stage.

She combines her academic background in behavioral psychology, sport psychology, and high-performance with an expertise in communication and influence – to create a multi-dimensional program for leadership transformation. Hillary takes an integrative approach to multiplying ROI across various skill sets and leadership qualities required for exponential growth. Her robust offerings make her the “go-to” on the human skills needed, outside of technical expertise, for leaders to rise to success. hillarywicht.com

Benoit Cristou

Benoit Cristou is a Strategic Communication Coach and executive advisor specializing in high-stakes presentations, persuasion, and leadership presence. With over 15 years at the intersection of strategy and storytelling, he works with C-suite leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs across Europe, North America, and Asia — helping them command the room when it matters most.

His clients include global organizations such as Sony, Ubisoft, Coca-Cola, and Sanofi, as well as high-growth startups navigating pivotal moments. Benoit’s recent TED coaching gained international recognition when John Mills’ talk, “How We Built Watch Duty, the Lifesaving Wildfire Alert App,” was named one of TED’s Top 10 Essential Talks of 2025.

A Hakomi-certified practitioner, Benoit integrates neuroscience, persuasion psychology, and negotiation strategy into his coaching. He believes exceptional speakers aren’t born — they are built through structured methodology, deep self-awareness, and relentless iteration.

Based in Virginia, Benoit applies that same evidence-based approach to the TEDx stage, guiding speakers to transform their ideas into talks that resonate far beyond the room.

palmer-e.com

Kristin Link

Kristin Link enables people to share stories that create meaningful change. Kristin’s clients appreciate that she’s an introvert with an extroverted skillset. Her deep knowledge of storytelling and robust listening skills help her gather stories from her clients. By providing organization and accountability for her clients, she helps them make a remarkable impact with their voice.

Prior to being a public speaking coach, Kristin spent years in tech. Many of her varied roles provided a foundation of storytelling and simplifying information which she shares with her clients today.

Kristin coaches business leaders at global organizations such as Amazon, eBay, Intuit, Palo Alto Networks, The Hershey Company, VMware and Zoom. With her coaching, her clients excel at TED talks, keynote presentations, conference talks, board meetings, panels, etc.

She can often be found deeply listening to her clients. Honored to hear their stories. Helping them create meaningful change. kristinlinkcoaching.com

Rachel Rodriguez

Rachel Rodriguez is an executive communication coach with over 20 years of experience helping keynote speakers, leaders, and teams to present with purpose, clarity, and impact. Blending cutting-edge research with practical coaching, she empowers clients to convey confident authority and shine on stage.

Rachel has partnered with leaders at top brands such as Salesforce, LinkedIn, Genentech, Gilead, Lucasfilms, MasterClass, Patagonia, the Bill Gates Foundation, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. She’s coached NYT bestselling authors, CEOs presenting at The White House, and high achievers preparing for major events like OracleWorld, Dreamforce, CiscoLive!, SXSW, and TEDx. Her portfolio also includes media professionals, such as a TV news host at KQED San Francisco, and numerous global Fortune 500 teams. Rachel’s coaching has helped clients land promotions, secure funding, and achieve audacious goals.

Based in San Francisco, Rachel recharges with podcasts and bike rides through Golden Gate Park to the sea. rachelvrodriguez.com