Join us for the second event in the Women Empowering Women series: The Art of Transformation, an evening focused on navigating career shifts, balancing work and family, battling imposter syndrome, and taking bold steps toward meaningful change.

You’ll hear from a dynamic panel of women leaders—Debbie Chinn, Vera Maslova, Debra Reabock, and Sawyer Rose—each of whom has forged a unique path through personal and professional transformation. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Anne W. Smith, Member-Led Forums chair at Commonwealth Club World Affairs. Following the panel, each speaker will host a roundtable discussion, giving you the chance to dive deeper into the topics that matter most to you. 

Topics include: 

• Building networks that open doors
• Navigating work and family at every stage
• Overcoming imposter syndrome
• Designing your next chapter

A light reception will follow the discussions.

About the Speakers

Debbie Chinn has a distinguished 30-year career as an arts activist, a nonprofit consultant, and CEO or programmer for Peninsula Lively Arts, Opera Parallèle, California Shakespeare Theatre, Carmel Bach Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Anna Deavere Smith's Pipeline Girls project. Chinn was board president at San Francisco Community Music Center, Theatre Bay Area, and the Association of California Symphony Orchestras. She is the author of Dancing in their Light (published in 2022), which chronicles coming-of-age in a 1970's Long Island Polynesian nightclub—and which is currently in development as a film series adaptation. Other works include Year of the Dragon: A Colorable Graphic Memoir ( 2024) and Polynesian Nights, scheduled for publication in 2025.

Vera Maslova is a partnership and fundraising specialist based in San Francisco. She offers partnership and investor relations services to businesses and cultural organizations at various stages of their fundraising journeys. In 2024 alone, she successfully raised more than $9 million. Maslova also serves as a board member of the Letterform Archive. She received “Women Changing the World Awards 2024,” achieving recognition in multiple categories: Making a Difference, Leader of the Year, and Diversity and Inclusion Impact. Maslova is developer of widely disseminated online courses, and has organized more than 300 events in the past decade.

Sawyer Rose is a sculptor, installation and social practice artist who uses her artwork to shine a spotlight on contemporary social issues. Her work on The Carrying Stones Project has been featured in The New York Times, Ms., and Bust magazines. She has been awarded grants from The Ruth and Harold Chenven Foundation, The Puffin Foundation, and The Creative Capacity Fund. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, and past president of Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art.

Debra Reabock, is a San Francisco-based abstract photographer, outreach chair for the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art, and a photo philanthropist. Her distinctive architectural photography is about transformation, presenting an artist’s view of modern architecture.

Having started at age 16, our moderator Dr. Anne W. Smith is chair of the Commonwealth Club World Affairs Member-led Forums and an elder in the field of arts management and arts educator. She is currently adjunct professor at Shenandoah University Conservatory, Golden Gate University and a board member of San Francisco Chanticleer, and Medical Clown Project. She is a former professor at Golden Gate University, American University, Showa University of Music, and others. She is past president of the board of directors of Theatre Bay Area, Fountain Project Foundation, Book Club of California, and St. Paul’s Residents Association. She has served as executive director of the San Francisco Center for the Book, Book Club of California, ODC Performance Gallery, Touring Program, California Arts Council, San Francisco Arts Commission Arts Festival, Arts Education Program, and many others.