A gathering for founders—among old oaks, open views, and the kind of time that asks nothing of you.
Why this exists
Company-building requires constant motion: decisions, fundraising, hiring, problem-solving, and the expectation of certainty—even when certainty does not exist.
As artificial intelligence makes analysis and production increasingly abundant, our human capacities matter even more: intuition, embodied judgment, connection to nature, and genuine connection with others.
Sonoma Table offers a pause from the pace—a place to set down the immediate demands of the company and return to your own wisdom.
Not a strategy session.
Not a conventional wellness retreat.
The afternoon
Tea, simple provisions, and time to settle in.
Time among the oaks, with lightly guided contemplative practices and space for silence.
Walk, write, draw, paint, make music, or simply sit. There is nothing to produce—only space to notice what emerges.
The conviviality of shared food and conversation.
The setting
The retreat takes place on a private 2.3-acre property surrounded by oak trees, gardens, and open views across the valley. Close enough to San Francisco for an afternoon away; far enough to create a genuine change of pace.
The circle
This property has welcomed people whose work has produced consequential change—including recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation and the Blue Planet Prize—alongside younger founders, many from Y Combinator, building the next generation of science and technology companies.
They come from different disciplines and stages of life, but share intellectual curiosity, a commitment to real-world impact, and a willingness to engage beyond professional credentials.
Your co-hosts
Helen is a scientist, biotech founder, company builder, artist, and musician. Alongside more than fifteen years of building science-driven companies, she has spent over twenty years exploring personal development through contemplative practice, somatic work, expressive arts, and experiential group process.
Her practices include integrative psychology work, Vipassana meditation, other Eastern and Native American traditional teachings, intuitive painting, sound work, and modalities working with the body, emotion, and patterns.
Tom is an economist, author, and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sustainability Science and Policy at UC Davis, where he founded the Food Systems Lab and served as founding director of the Agricultural Sustainability Institute.
His work has taken him across Africa, Asia, and South America, advising governments and international organizations on food systems, sustainability, economic development, and the practical work of turning science into policy. Raised on a multigenerational family farm in Northern California, he brings both global perspective and a lifelong connection to land, food, and conviviality.
By invitation or inquiry
Sonoma Table is for founders and company builders navigating intensity, transition, uncertainty, or change.
You do not need to be burned out or facing a crisis. Sometimes the best time to step back is before circumstances force you to.
Request an invitation