September 17: Amit G. Oren of Yale School of Medicine – “Permission to Flourish”

A clinical psychologist, Dr. Oren earned her Ph.D. at The New School for Social Research and has treated patients in private practice for over 30 years. She has been an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine for more than 25 years. Dr. Oren is the Lead Psychologist for the Mountain Seed Foundation (MSF), a nonprofit founded by American veterans that provides healing to families from war-torn countries. In collaboration with MSF, she helped develop and implement “Permission to Flourish™,” a unique psychotherapy program based in nature and founded on the principles of positive psychology. This program was the subject of Camp Courage, a 2023 documentary film currently streaming on Netflix that focuses on the inspiring story of two camp participants from Ukraine. In addition to her cameo in the film, she was featured in a 60 Minutes segment titled “Rise,” which also highlighted MSF’s impact on Ukranian victims of war. She is deeply committed to applying the concepts and research findings of Positive Psychology to the practice of psychotherapy.

September 10: Michael Friedman & Donna Vita – “The Lost Rock & Roll Negatives Project”

Between 1969 and 1973, with a Pentax Camera and Tri-X film, Friedman photographed some of the most notable musicians of the time, on and off stage. But before he printed most of the photos, he lost track of the negatives and eventually considered them lost. Then, in 2017, after 45 years, Michael’s wife Donna Vita discovered the long lost negatives in an old box of business records in the attic.  She and Michael began the project of restoring the photographs, which is still a work in progress, with many images yet to be shared.

Friedman was an avid photographer while working in the music business in the 1960s and 1970s as a manager and producer. During that time, he had the opportunity to befriend, work with, and photograph, legendary musical artists including Janis Joplin, The Band, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Todd Rundgren, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, James Cotton, and the Rolling Stones.

September 3: Sara Deren, Founder and CEO at Experience Camps on “The Power of Grief”

Deren is the founder and CEO of Westport-based Experience Camps, a national organization that provides a free week of sleep-away camp to over 1,500 grieving children across the United States who have lost a parent or sibling. Under Sara’s leadership, Experience Camps has conducted original research on the state of grief and launched a network of programs and platforms to support these children. She blends her background in finance and buisness with her passion for the mission, making a significant impact in the lives of greiving kids and teens.

Experience Camps, founded in 2009, is a national, no-cost program for grieving children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. Its one-week, overnight summer grief camps, year-round programs, and content help to reframe the experience of grief, and empower kids with the necessary coping skills to move forward with their lives. Through compassion, connection, and play, Experience Camps allows grieving children to embody a life full of hope and possibility.

August 20: Jay Norris, Co-Founder Westport 10 on “Diversity and Innovation” 

Jay is an innovative leader and lifetime entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in lifestyle, real estate, technology, and experiential concepts. He uses his creativity and imagination to uncover opportunities across multiple industries. Jay is the CEO & Founder of Guest Software – a Creative Leasing Platform; CMO and Co-Founder of Blacklight Extension – The World’s 1st Search Engine for Black-owned Businesses; Co-Founder and CEO of Lifestyle Equities – a Boutique Management Consulting Company; and host of Visionary’s Podcast – a Series of Unique Stories Inspiring Entrepreneurs.

August 13 Speaker: Lyla Steenbergen, Westport Rotary on “International Rotary Projects”

Steenbergen – who has been a Rotarian for 18 years, and who served as Westport Rotary Club President in 2021-2022 – will share news of Westport Rotary’s recent international charitable efforts. Steenbergen’s extensive international travel, including conducting anthropology research in the remote Amazon Basin, ignited her interest in serving as Westport Rotary International Chair since 2015. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College with an MBA from NYU’s Stern Graduate School of Business, she previously worked as a marketing executive at Hertz and later became involved in nonprofit development for the Westport Country Playhouse, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, and as a Gift Advancement Officer at Yale New Haven Health/Bridgeport Hospital for 9 years until her retirement last year. Since 2010, she has been a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), an international credential that attests to the skill, knowledge, ethics, and achievements as a fundraising professional based on valid practice-based standards. Steenbergen’s talk will include what makes Westport Rotary Club’s International work unique; the International Budget for 2022/2023; and a review of 24 projects completed or committed to this past year in 15 countries.

August 11 Event: Amistad Opera, Opus For Peace at the Westport Library  

This performance, an abridged and narrated performance of Anthony Davis’s powerful opera Amistad, will take place at the Westport Library on August 11 at 2 p.m. It is the kickoff event of Opus for Peace, a Rotary District 7980 initiative designed to promote peace-building around the world, in our communities, and within ourselves through the Arts. The Amistad event is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Mystic, Westport, and Westport Sunrise. Learn more about Opus for Peace.

Register Here

August 6 Speaker: Maria Davis, Development and Donor Relations Manager at Open Doors on “The Cycle of Homelessness”

Maria Davis brings extensive experience to her current role in donor relations at Open Doors, drawing on over 40 years of dedicated service across various sectors. Her professional background includes significant roles in corporate social affairs, where she spearheaded numerous initiatives aligning volunteer efforts with community needs. Maria’s career is marked by strategic leadership, community engagement, and a deep passion for supporting and empowering homeless mothers, a focus she continues to champion through her work in donor relations at a housing and homeless service organization. She strives to enhance the well-being of individuals and drive community progress through her ongoing efforts.