Edward Jones Investments

Having experienced the ultimate joy and power of Jazz Camp West annually since 2006, and participating in the offshoot Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir since 2007, I am thrilled to become a member of Living Jazz's Board of Trustees. 40 years ago, Stacey Hoffman created a truly transformative experience that brings together a glorious tribe of every layer of music makers - from teens to octogenarians, the Bay Area and around the world - and Lyz Luke is now guiding it brilliantly into it's next iteration. I can't imagine a better place to be, carrying the torch forward as Living Jazz continues expanding the light of transformation and community through music.

Director, Stanford Research Safety

“Living Jazz is a tremendous, continual source of inspiration for generations of musicians and music lovers. We are called to continue the LJ legacy for generations to come, bringing its message of hope, joy, and belonging to everyone.”

Owner and President, Piedmont Piano Company, Inc.

“I attended my first Living Jazz program, Jazz Camp West, in 2004. Upon arriving home I told anyone who would listen to me “I just did the best thing I’ve ever done in my life”. Since then I’ve attended Jazz Camp every summer and I still feel the same way. Each year the programs of Living Jazz continue to touch hearts and change lives. Over my ten plus years as a member of the board I’ve watched the organization grow and mature, expanding its reach and its programs, always with the simple yet profound goal: to expand the gift of music and the joy it brings to the world.”

Research Scientist, Google DeepMind

Jesse Engel is a guitarist, scientist, and longtime member of the Living Jazz community. Also known as “Tasty Chops” by his Jazz Camp West family, he hasn’t missed a year of camp since he started attending in 2002. For his day job, he is a leading researcher at the intersection of computers, music, and creativity. 

“Jazz Camp is home for me. The generosity, acceptance, and loving creativity that everyone brings to camp has brought me back year after year (since 2002), and the community of camp feels like an extended family. Much like other intentional communities, Jazz Camp (and Living Jazz) works because everyone contributes something unique of themselves as a gift to the community. I’ve tried to do that myself as a camper, and hope to continue that spirit in my additional role as a board member.”

Senior Director at Kaiser Permanente

Michael Gill is a Senior IT Director of Application Development at Kaiser-Permanente, supporting national health plan functions. His thirty year career has focused on IT and business operations, primarily in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. He holds a BA in Humanities from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Saint Mary’s College of California. Michael is also a pianist and composer, with a background in rock, jazz, progressive rock, and Jewish music. As a Fellow in the Max Helfman Institute for New Jewish Music, Michael was one of eighteen international composers who authored a new musical “David’s Quilt” based on a biblical libretto, its 2017 world premiere in Los Angeles featuring the UCLA orchestra and chorale. In 2022, Michael was one of fourteen composers commissioned for a Los Angeles production presenting new music in honor of the 50th anniversary of the death of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a key figure in 20th century Jewish philosophy and the fights for American and international social justice. Michael recently completed a two year certificate program in the Berklee School of Music’s (Boston) online program, studying digital orchestration techniques and soundtrack composition.

Michael is another in the long list of people associated with Living Jazz for whom Jazz Camp West touched his life deeply, providing education, confidence-building, and deep friendships.

Senior Accountant, Head-Royce School 

Music is my joy, and I’m excited to share it with the Living Jazz community! I’m delighted to blend my background in finance with my passion for making music education more accessible. I admire Living Jazz’s commitment to embrace artists of all skill levels by building a community rooted in collective care

Consultant to Organizations

“Living Jazz does two very important things that are often incompatible in today’s results-at-any-cost world. It fosters individual mastery while also building community and connectedness. In so doing it brings out the best in all of us and is really a very unique gift to the world.”

Gap Inc / Digital Product Creation SME

"I joined the Living Jazz board to bring diversity in thought and action, and to expand the opportunities to the community we serve.   Being a member of this board means so much as it allows me to help support music and arts access and help change lives in doing so."

Hardik is a passionate advocate for jazz, blues, and mindfulness. His musical journey began two decades ago through a cherished family connection and deepened through formal study at De Anza College in the form of a course on Jazz Appreciation. This educational experience proved transformative, revealing music's power as both an educational tool and a gateway to emotional awareness. His dedication to music has led them to explore numerous music festivals and concerts across the country, including the 2024 Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

As a Board Member of Mindful Life Project, he champions mindfulness and mental health initiatives for youth, particularly in underserved communities. The organization specializes in integrating mindfulness practices into elementary and middle school curricula through trained coaches who bring both the science and practice to young students.

With over 15 years of leadership experience in Silicon Valley, including key roles at Zynga and LinkedIn, he brings valuable expertise in organizational growth and development. His commitment to Living Jazz stems from a deep belief in the organization's mission to expand music education to future generations.

Global Product Manager, Leadership Development; Great Place To Work Institute

“Living Jazz continues to prove music can transform lives and I am proud to support that mission.”

Alison Schmitt is a director at Jobs for the Future. In that role, she helps drive JFF’s place-based approach to inclusive regional economic development, with a particular focus on California. Her portfolio of work includes worker-led approaches to improving job quality, inclusive cluster development, and supporting the inclusion of community-based organizations in regional workforce and economic development initiatives.

Before joining JFF, Alison served as the director of financial analysis at ReNEW Schools, a nonprofit charter school network in New Orleans. While at ReNEW, she also served as a college and career counselor for seniors at an alternative high school for over-age, under-credited students. Earlier in her career, Alison worked at a boutique strategy and management consulting firm and was an inaugural member of Venture for America, a fellowship that matches recent graduates with startup companies in post-industrial U.S. cities. 

Alison has a Master of Public Policy degree from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School. Alison is a member of SPUR, the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association and sings in the University of California Alumni Chorus.

"Living Jazz does indeed transform lives: ever since I went to my first Jazz Camp in 1995 it's been transforming mine. I'm part of the board to pay that forward to as many people as possible."