The Founding Team

Elaine Tajima Johnston is the Founder of The Origin Stories Project and Saffron Communities, an organization committed to fostering community initiatives through arts and culture. Throughout her life, Elaine has been driven by the power of human connection. Her design firm, Tajima Creative, began in her Bay Area living room and grew to an award-winning business, thanks to her ability to recruit exceptional talent and to serve clients who valued her big ideas. As the creative force in the company, she enjoyed successes with clients like Levi Strauss & Co., Airbnb, and Oakley.
Elaine has championed numerous nonprofits and schools, including World of Children, Alliance Ted K. Tajima High School, Global Healing and Women Beyond Borders, with a goal to give back to the community, both locally and globally.

Elaine Tajima

John g Martin is driven by a relentless passion for innovation and is renowned for his ability to push the boundaries of traditional interior design. With a progressive spirit, he challenges convention and brings fresh perspective to everything he does. John has continuously honed his skills as both a painter and sculptor, creating organic artworks that seamlessly integrate with residential interiors. His artistry graces the homes of numerous clients, adding layers of depth and interest to their living spaces. He reminds us that beauty is not simply a luxury, but woven into the very spirit of who we are, and has the power to uplift spirits, foster connections, and enrich the human experience.

John g Martin

Brad Hennig is a communications consultant, screenwriter and independent film producer who prides himself on being a storyteller. He has helped numerous nonprofit, academic, and for-profit organizations shape their communications strategies, including Guide Dogs for the Blind, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Beyond Differences, Stanford University, and Visa.
Before starting his own consulting business in 2001, Hennig worked at Visa International for 10 years with positions including VP of Corporate Public Relations. While at Visa, he won the Public Relations Society of America’s Silver Anvil Award and seven other national PR awards, for his work on the Visa Olympics of the Imagination, a global philanthropic art competition for children.
He also loves to write his own stories. He wrote and produced the 2013 feature film The Hot Flashes, starring Brooke Shields, Wanda Sykes, and Virginia Madsen, and the 2020 feature film Stage Mother, starring Lucy Liu and Jacki Weaver, which he is adapting into a stage musical.
Hennig has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from the University of Texas at Austin.

Brad Hennig

Evelyn’s rich and varied career truly reflects her deep commitment to community, environment, and culture. Her transition from retail merchandising with prominent brands like Nordstrom and Macy’s to leading a non-profit environmental water association illustrates her ability to adapt and lead across different sectors. Her tenure as President of the Board at Sight and Insight, now the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, underscores her passion for the arts and her significant role in supporting cultural initiatives.
Over the past 18 years, Evelyn and her partner have managed a heritage apple ranch in the Sierra Nevada, using their resources to make a substantial impact by donating their produce to local food banks and senior centers. As a volunteer for the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, she helped raise funds for the first community of homes built in Tuolumne County. This effort highlights her dedication to community service and sustainable practices.

Evelyn Rosefield

Marsha Hopkins is an educator, historian, writer, and artist. She holds a BFA in Fine Arts and an MFA in Creative Writing. She served as a faculty member at Otis College of Art and Design from 2002-2023 as well as being the Academic Advisor for undergraduate students.
Hopkins has been a volunteer in community outreach programs since 2008 when she became a member of The History Council and served as chair for six years. (formally the Volunteer History Council at CAAM), she is one of the founding members of BHM Collective, a group dedicated to raising the awareness of Black Otis Alumni in the art community, she moderated and archived several interviews with notable artists, historians and Civil Rights activists.
Marsha Hopkins moderated panel discussions on civil rights issues, artist activist, Black Entrepreneurs, scientists, and inventors. She is an ongoing contributor to raising awareness of the contributions of Black Americans in the United States.

Marsha Hopkins

Jamela S. Macer, Ph.D is a clinical psychologist and author of the memoir Between two Worlds: An Armenian-American Woman’s Journey Home. She hails from Southern California and has been a lifelong learner and seeker, particularly in the areas of culture and spirituality. She taught Cross-Cultural Psychology at Antioch University in Los Angeles, and English as a Second Language and Cross-Cultural Communication at the University of Southern California.
She has lectured and consulted widely in the areas of cross-cultural communication and diversity and is thrilled to be a member of the Origin Stories Project

Jamela S. Macer, Ph.D

George Talbott Martin is a Creative Director in every sense. Armed with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California he has expanded his title to encompass various disciplines. These include interior design, set design, fashion show production, fundraising, product design, event planning, visual merchandising, branding, and stylists.
The son of an American father and a Honduran mother he spent his early childhood in Latin America and advance studies in Los Angeles and London. This upbringing made up for being a bilingual and multicultural citizen of the world.
After holding positions in companies such as Willian Bluerock and Associates, May Company California, Robinsons California and Greneker International, Martin became founder in 1987 of Patina-V a visual merchandising design company with showrooms worldwide. I remained with the company as Vice President Design and Presentation until my retirement in 2011 after the company was sold.

In between a working carrier Martin had has served as President of the Board of Directors of the Copan Maya Foundation, on the board of ASC Pasadena, in addition consulting associations with Aids Project Los Angeles, The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Pasadena Playhouse and Art Center School of Design.

George Martin

Dr. Babin is a licensed psychologist and certified couples and sex therapist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with couples, individual adults and teens, with an emphasis on LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy. She received her masters degree in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Ryokan College in Venice, CA, with internships at The Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills, CA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA as a supervisor for Teen Line, a program that provides crisis intervention and prevention, peer counseling, and referrals specifically for adolescents ages 12 to 19. In 2014, Dr. Babin earned her Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies (LAISPS). She is a certified couples and sex therapist with the American Association of Couples and Sex Therapists (AACAST).

Formerly, Dr. Babin spent over 15 years working in the television industry, earning two Emmy Awards for her work in broadcast design. She now provides psychological consultation to entertainment organizations and have served on various non-profit boards and committees. She currently serves as Continuing Education Coordinator for The Affirmative Couch, an organization that provides LGBTQIA+ affirmative training courses for clinicians and affirmative organization development consulting.

DrAnnieBabin.com

Annie Babin, PsyD

Jorge ‘Thriller’ Gómez is a brand designer and graffiti writer born in Guadalajara, Mexico and raised in Inglewood, CA.
At the age of 10 Mr. Gómez was introduced to graffiti when he noticed a sketch on his classmate’s folder. The graffiti sketch was done by his classmate’s uncle, Fuzz from the CSM crew. That sparked a curiosity that would stretch into a 24-year career in the sub-culture. In high school Mr. Gómez took to the streets to illegally express his art form. Eventually ending up in the judicial system and having his record tainted.
Upon graduating high school, Mr. Gómez began a four-year graphic design program where he would receive his bachelors. A trade that would introduce him to various disciplines within the design industry. Including branding, advertising, interior design, marketing, social media, copywriting, video production, mural production, project management, sign painting, sign printing, and silk-screening
In 2020 Mr. Gómez opened The Money Studio, where they build brands for businesses owned by People of Color. They encourage companies to convey their stories and preserve their cultures, while building customer trust and loyalty.

Mr. Gómez is on the forefront of the city of Inglewood’s Artists Initiative, connecting local creatives with paid opportunities. He’s also a board member for the non-profit, Inglewood Open Studios, where he seeks to change the narrative for young creatives of color in Inglewood. Demonstrating what is possible should you choose art or design as a career.

Jorge Gomez

Margaret Donohue Barr spent her career as an executive in retail merchandising for Bloomingdales, Federated, and Carter Hawley Hale Stores, as well as in the catalogue business for J. Crew and Athleta, now owned by Gap. She has served on several non-profit boards including SFArtsED, the Hydrocephalus Association and the UCSF Gordon Murray Caregiver Program, Family Advisory Council. She is a long-time artist working in botanical illustration and watercolor, and a print maker, showing her work throughout the Bay Area. She has lived and worked globally and is interested in the intersection of science, art and world cultures.

Margaret Donohue Barr

Kelly is native to Southern California and began her career in the design industry but shortly after transitioned to the food and wine industry. She partnered with retailers and wholesalers to promote and execute events for consumers and the trade for 25 years.
Saffron Communities provides a space to explore one’s interests and expand one’s world. Kelly enjoys the emphasis on community and loves collaborating on projects and meeting new people.
Kelly now has a great passion for connecting and bringing people together through food, wine, lifestyle and art because of Saffron Communities!

Kelly Hokyo

Nancy Neal Davis has had a long career in profit and nonprofit management focused in and around Southern California. Her clients include various business, cultural and educational institutions such as the Joffrey Ballet, Carnegie Observatories, the Independent Colleges of Southern California, the Pasadena Symphony and the Pasadena City College Foundation. Nancy has earned a wealth of experience and is passionate about helping nonprofit institutions succeed which in turn helps to build vibrant neighborhoods and communities.

For many years Nancy has been President of Chelsea Philanthropy, a business that helps organizations, individuals and families with nonprofit advisement. For the last ten years Nancy has been working closely with the Pasadena City College Foundation and their leadership team in directing advancement activity which includes two capital campaigns, two anniversary galas and the inception and production of the Hometown Legend Series.

Nancy grew up in Pasadena and is active as a community volunteer. She has served on the boards of the Tournament of Roses Foundation, Friends of the Levitt Pavilion and the USC Pacific Asia Museum. Currently she serves on the Board of Art Center 100, serves on the Development Committee for the Tournament of Roses Foundation, and is a Founder at the Music Center.

Nancy Davis

Elizabeth Cassanos, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and practices in Santa Rosa, CA. In addition to her practice, Dr. Cassanos conducts workshops and consults with organizations to facilitate personal and systemic transformation. Dr. Cassanos was a contributor to Unlikely Allies in the Academy: Women of Color and White Women in Conversation. She has served as a faculty member at Meridian University, including acting as the psychology program chairperson.

Prior to entering the field of psychology, Dr. Cassanos spent 20-plus years in the business world as a communications consultant, executive and entrepreneur. Her work focused on corporate and brand positioning, transition and crisis management, and community outreach. Dr. Cassanos earned her bachelor's degree in history from The University of Chicago, her master’s degree in psychology from the Institute of Imaginal Studies, and her doctorate from Meridian University. Her dissertation examined the confluence of numinous experience, trauma, and victim identity.

Elizabeth Cassanos, Ph.D.

Joan Takayama-Ogawa is an American ceramic artist and educator. She is sansei (third generation) Japanese American, and a professor at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California. Takayama-Ogawa's heritage since the 15th century of Japanese ceramic art influences her work, that usually explores beauty, decoration, ornamentation and narrative while also introducing a dialogue that rejects the traditional role of women in Japanese culture. Her most recent work addresses issues like climate change.

Since the 15th century, Joan Takayama-Ogawa’s family has been creating ceramics in the ancient kiln city of Tokoname, Japan. Her father studied ceramics with Glenn Lukens while enrolled in USC’s School of Architecture. She studied with Otis’ renowned artist, Ralph Bacerra. Despite her historically significant lineage, Takayama-Ogawa’s technically diverse ceramics blend unexpected methods to create contemporary environmental, social, and political commentary. She sees beauty held in check with playfulness and appreciation for the absurd. As a teacher, she pushes students beyond traditional boundaries by integrating clay with digital and rapid prototyping technologies. She was honored as Otis Teacher of the Year, Commencement Speaker, and Crossroads School “Teacher of the Year.” She served as a Pasadena Design Commissioner and on the Board of Directors for the American Museum of Ceramic Art.

Joan Takayama-Ogawa

Andrew Armstrong is an artist/designer, consultant, and master fabricator. He holds a BFA in sculpture and an MFA in fine arts. For over twenty years Andrew has worked with many high-profile artist, designers and major institutions across the country including Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Bloomberg Philanthropies out of New York, and the international toy design company, Spin Master. His work has appeared in numerous museums, galleries and art and design based publications. Andrew has served for over 2 decades as the Executive Director for Shops, Labs, and Studios at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles where he is also a professor in their Product Design Department.

Andrew Armstrong

Advisory

Paula Avazian
Costumer, Film and Television

Tony Canzoneri
Partner, Canzoneri Gottheim Real Estate and Government Law

Cindy Canzoneri
Patron of the Arts

Vernette Doty
Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement, UC Merced

Robert Floe
President, Floe Financial Services

Sharon Govern
Silvestri Senior Account Executive

Keller Grigsby
Partner, Tigcorp Real Estate Management

Maxine Harris
Retired, Bank of Montreal

Henrique Martins
Director Client Services, Floe Financial Partners

George Merrill
American Songwriter

Geoffrey Moore
Organizational Theorist, Management Consultant and Author

Kathy Prost
Partner, Turpan

Tom Sandonato
CEO/Founder, KitHAUS

Renee Tajima-Pena
Filmmaker, Professor of Asian American Studies, UCLA

Carol Tavris
Social Psychologist and Writer

Erin Zaruba
Nature lover and domestic Goddess

Jeff Zaruba
Fine Art Photographer

About

We have begun by reaching out to 100 eminent writers and artists to create a permanent art installation that will serve as a model.