May means reunion and another excuse to get together for drinks with alumni friends. Whether your graduation year ends in a "4" or a "9" as an extra milestone or you are just an alum hoping for a mini-reunion in San Francisco, come on by! Great happy hour specials and food options.
Join us for a fun night of local theater on Potrero Hill: A Thousand Natural Shocks by Jacob Marx Rice. We will enjoy an after performance discussion with the theater company's co-founder, Jim Kleinmann '87. A pre-performance dinner option at a neighborhood restaurant is also available at 6pm prior to the show.
A Thousand Natural Shocks follows Kennedy, who is doing okay! Her depression is under control, she’s got a stable job, and her wife adores her. But when the couple decides to make a baby, they must navigate the chaos of IVF, the inevitability of pain, and the Tik-Tok teen crashing on their couch. Taking its title from Hamlet’s famous monologue, the play takes us on a journey through the increasingly fraught trials and tribulations of modern love and life.
Jacob Marx Rice has written plays that have been produced and developed at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, The Finborough Theatre in London, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Flea Theater, The New Ohio, Atlantic Theatre Stage 2, and others.
Pay What You Can - $10-50 Donation Requested
It was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives. But just as Stela and Tuomas toast their marriage, a devastating secret reemerges that threatens to drive the couple apart—and expose the guilt Tuomas bears in an unconscionable crime.
Join Brown and other Ivy League alumni for this highly-anticipated American premiere in San Francisco. There will be a preshow reception with a featured speaker from the production. Reception begins at 6:30 pm and the show will be seated at 7:15 pm.
Register and purchase seat tickets ($50 - $229) through the link below.
What better way to welcome spring than with an early morning on the trail with fellow alumni?
Join us for a walk along the scenic Bay Trail, followed by breakfast at Equator Coffees in Burlingame. Recommended walk is a flat, paved, approx. 3 mile roundtrip between Equator and Coyote Point Recreation Area, with options to reduce or extend as the athlete in you desires!
We’ll meet in front of Equator Coffees at 8:00. Family welcome (pets included). Rain or shine. Free parking available. Breakfast food and beverage available for purchase (see menu).
Join us for a walk through the Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds in San Rafael to see how many different bird species we can identify throughout a variety of habitats! Afterwards, optionally join us a few miles further north to check out Novato’s Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop.
The Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District is one of the densest birding hotspots in Marin County. The area is home not only to the eponymous wastewater treatment ponds (don’t worry, it doesn’t smell!), but also a patchwork of tidal mudflats, salt marsh, and agricultural fields that form a diverse habitat for local and migratory birds. We are likely to see a wide variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds, and, if we’re lucky, we might also spot a river otter and jackrabbit or two.
The easy 2-mile trail around the ponds is flat but exposed with limited shade, so be sure to wear sunscreen and consider bringing a hat/sunglasses.
We will meet at the picnic table under the gazebo just across the bridge from the parking lot at 9am. The parking lot is located at 300 Smith Ranch Road, San Rafael, CA 94903. See Eventbrite for detailed directions.
After our walk, we will caravan to check out Novato’s Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop at 104 Vintage Way, Novato, CA 94945, in the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center. WBU is a locally-owned shop dedicated to the appreciation of birds and nature in the Novato community. (No purchase necessary at all - our bird walk hosts are just excited to check the shop out and want to invite interested folks along!)
Birders and nature enthusiasts of all levels are welcome! The group will be led by amateur birders and we will do our best to help identify our local avian friends. Please bring water, sunscreen, and binoculars if you have them. If you are new to birding, a great app to download beforehand is the Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Come help distribute nourishment to food-insecure members of the Excelsior District in San Francisco. This well-organized food pantry runs every Saturday, rain or shine, as it is an outdoor event. Limit 8 volunteers.
Join us for our next installment of the 1 Bear | 1 Book Alumni Wide Book Club with a discussion led by the Brown Alumni Pride Association (BAPA). We will enjoy a lively discussion of Sarah Schulman's Let The Record Show, A Political History of ACT UP, New York, 1987-1993. Based on two decades of interviews with members of the pioneering activist group, Schulman's award-winning book demonstrates how ACT UP revolutionized medical treatment and transformed the lives of people with AIDS.
Our discussion will incorporate a Q&A session with Brown and RISD alumni who participated in ACT UP's New York and Rhode Island chapters, moderated by Patrick Snee '91 from the Brown Alumni Pride Association.
Join us on Zoom or for a Bay Area in person discussion by emailing info@brownclubgsf.com
Do you like to plan fun and meaningful events? Do you want to have a positive impact on San Francisco, East Bay, and North Bay Brown alumni? Are you craving new friends and connections? You should consider applying to join our board! We are recruiting new board members and would love to have you join us in planning excellent events. We meet virtually the first Monday evening of every month.
We are hosting a Q&A Session for joining the Board on Zoom on Monday, April 1st at 6 PM. If you are interested you can apply at the link below and we’ll send the info session information!
Come join your fellow Brunonians for a GCB-West at The Standby in South San Francisco! The Standby is a neigbhorhood go-to spot with good (and well-priced) drinks, popcorn, and outdoor space!
For those of you driving, The Standby is right off highways 101 and 380. There is plenty of parking around the bar. Additionally, the South San Francisco Caltrain station is close by.
Please RSVP to let us know if you can make it. We hope to see you there!
Join us in conversation with Yanely Espinal '11 for the latest 1 Bear | 1 Book Alumni Wide book club session. We will be hosting an in person book discussion as well as offering a Zoom option for the book discussion with the author speaking from Miami.
About the Book Let’s be real: most books about money are boring! Our brains crave stories, not seminars. Mind Your Money delivers all the personal finance basics through insightful stories with a splash of sass. Yanely Espinal knows how to make things easy to understand, which has earned her millions of views on YouTube as MissBeHelpful. Whether you’re frustrated with your budget, dealing with debt, or struggling to raise that credit score, this book will motivate and inspire you to finally reach your #MoneyGoals.
About the Author Yanely was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and is one of the first in her family to graduate college. After two decades of school, she still can't believe that she never had a class about making smart money decisions! Now, she's on a mission to help young people learn about personal finance in a fun and engaging way!
After completing Teach For America, Yanely paired her love for teaching with her passion for financial literacy, creating a unique YouTube channel for people to engage with topics like budgeting, managing credit, saving and investing for retirement and more!
Yanely serves as the Director of Educational Outreach at Next Gen Personal Finance and is a member of CNBC's Financial Wellness Advisory Council.
Join us for this Table for Six in celebration of Brown educated chefs: an alumni dinner at one of San Francisco's longstanding neighborhood favorites: Firefly Restaurant in Noe Valley, co-owned by chef Brad Levy '81.
If we're lucky we may get Brad or his co-owner, Chef Haley Sausner to swap stories with us tableside (Haley is a Johnson & Wales alum---it all comes back to PVD).
Check out this menu for details on the yummy fare. In order to avoid cancellations, we are asking for a small deposit to secure your seat. Thank You!
It's a leap year! Join fellow alumni, friends, and family for a happy hour gathering at Arthur Mac’s Tap & Snack in Oakland. Look for us at our table in the patio area which is covered and heated. Local beer, wine, and food is available for purchase. Arthur Mac’s is located next to the MacArthur BART station and street parking is available. Venue is kid and dog friendly and also features a small arcade.
Join us in exploration of the Rosie the Riveter National Park complex and Richmond waterfront in recognition of Women's History Month & the Japanese American Day of Remembrance.
We will explore the museum, share a meal/glass of wine at "Assemble Kitchen" and hear presentations from both the "Rosies" and Topaz Survivors, Japanese Americans incarcerated at Topaz Incarceration Camp in the early 1940s. During World War II six million women entered the workforce. "Rosie the Riveter" and her "We Can Do It" motto came to symbolize all women Home Front workers. Learn how the Richmond area transformed during this time. Join us at the museum or if you are coming from San Francisco join us on the ferry!
Itinerary from San Francisco: Meet at the Ferry Building Gate F2 for 11:15 a.m. departure to Richmond Ferry Terminal (purchase ferry tickets prior to boarding or on the boat). 11:50 arrival. 12:00 ish lunch at Assemble Kitchen. 1:00-3:00 p.m. Rosie Museum Explore + "Topaz Stories"' 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Explore waterfront and Red Oak Victory ship.. 5:15 p.m. Ferry return to San Francisco.
About Topaz Stories: Norm Hayashi, Michiko Takeshita Mukai, Joseph Nishimura, and Kazuko Oyamada Iwahashi will share their family’s experiences during and after the war and answer questions. February marks the 82nd anniversary of Executive Order 9066 authorizing the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WW2.
Join us for our next installment of the One Bear | One Book alumni book club series with a nomination from the Brown Club of Houston! Join us locally in San Francisco or by registering with us for the online conversation of The Brill Pill by Akemi Brodsky ‘08. The author will be in attendance so bring your Qs and As.
RSVP for Local Discussion Here
RSVP for Zoom Session Only Here
About the Book
In the not-so-distant future, organs can be re-grown from a handful of stem cells. For patients who can afford the treatment and hang on to life support for long enough, the prognosis is good. Even the most complex organ of all can be reproduced in the lab with nearly perfect accuracy. Nearly. Spurred by personal tragedy, research scientist William Dalal works feverishly to improve the lives of those he has had a hand in saving. For every success, however, there is a consequence, and eventually a question arises in his mind: Are they worth it? His desire to help fades as he comes to realize a shocking truth: the monsters he has created are taking over.
About Akemi Brodsky ‘08
Growing up in the Bay Area, Akemi C. Brodsky always loved unassigned reading and making creative and unnecessarily complicated school projects. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brown University with a bachelor of science, then moved to the UK to do a master’s in engineering at Imperial College London. She currently lives in the Bay Area and spends most of her spare time traveling, cooking, seeing family and friends, and watching TV.
Make a difference and help beautify San Francisco with this easy, hour-long trash pickup in the Mission. Following the pickup we will receive a special certificate for the day that offers a whole host of neighborhood discounts including a free hot chocolate at Dandelion Chocolate (Greg D'Alesandre '95 is a "chocolate sourcerer" there) where we can warm up and bask in being part of the urban solution with optional brunch in the area. Look for us in our Brown gear at the meeting spot.
We will meet at Manny's Cafe where all gear will be provided- pickers, bags, gloves.
Upon registration here you will receive a followup link to sign up with Manny’s. This is a necessary step for participation and discounts.
This event happens rain or shine.
Join us for our next installment of the 1 Bear | 1 Book Alumni Wide Book Club with a nomination from the Brown Club of Boston, Night Swim by Jessica Keener AM ’84.
The discussion will be led by Boston's Brown Club member William Brisk ‘60.
The 1 Bear | 1 Book program seeks to connect alums globally by selecting books to read and discuss at the same time. Each Club has nominated a book that captures the zeitgeist of their region, a title they would tell a fellow alum, You Gotta Read This.
Night Swim (2012) follows a dysfunctional Jewish family living in a suburb of Boston in 1970, and the coming of age of 16 year old Sarah Kunitz, who is looking back at a pivotal time when tragedy struck and upended her family.
From the outside, her parents' lifestyle appears enviable: a five-bedroom house, cocktail parties, a live-in maid to care for the four kids – but all is not well behind polished doors. In this enduring tale, Night Swim embraces the intimate complexities of love and grief, and reveals how a family, bound by heartache, learns to rise and overcome.
About Jessica Keener AM ‘84
Jessica Keener graduated from Brown's Graduate Writing program in Fiction in 1984 Keener has published more than 100 features and essays, which have appeared in national publications including The Boston Globe, Agni, O: Oprah Magazine, and WBUR’s Cognoscenti. She lives in Brookline, MA and is working on a new book.
Registration Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/87470905546
BCGSF proudly presents our 10th Annual Holidazzle, which promises to be the most fun yet! Join us Friday December 8th 7-10 PM!
Join your fellow Brunonians at the Verdi Club for fun and good cheer! We're thrilled to celebrate this year's Holidazzle again at the beautiful and historic Verdi Club in the Mission District of San Francisco.
Tickets include admission to the party, entry into the raffle, lite bites and apps, and an open bar for wine and beer from 7pm - 8pm. Cash bar will be available from 8pm - 10pm.
This year we will have live music, a photobooth, arts and crafts, and more to celebrate our 10th annual holiday party and 10 years of the Brown Club of Greater San Francisco! And, of course, your ticket includes automatic entry into our always popular raffle.
Learn more and get your Early Brunonian ticket on Eventbrite!
Ticket Details
For the first time in Holidazzle history, we are excited to introduce Young Alumni pricing!
Early Brunonian: $40 until 11/22, or until sold out
Regular Price: $50 until 12/7, or until sold out
Door Price: $60, or until sold out
Young Alumni (Class of 2014 or later): $35 until 12/7, or until sold out
Young Alumni (Class of 2014 or later): Door Price: $45, or until sold out
Capacity is limited, so get your tickets now! See you Friday the 8th!
For more than 30 years, The Blue Light has been a favorite place to gather on Union Street in San Francisco. Welcoming and warm, The Blue Light's atmosphere is inviting for both locals and visitors to historic Cow Hollow. Pull up a stool at the 45-foot Mahogany bar or grab a table and enjoy some of the best BBQ in town. If you're a sports fan, bring along your crew to cheer on your favorite team! With 19 HD flat screens, there's plenty of different ways to see that winning touchdown. The best part? Blue Light treats its customers like family, so whether old or new, you'll always have a seat at the table.
The Brown Club will have the entire back area reserved...with a drink special just for us, as well as Taco Tuesday food specials.
Purchase your ticket and socialize with partnered alumni groups to learn about SF Opera before the featured performance, Omar! Courtesy of SF Opera join partnered alumni groups in a curated night at the SF Opera!
Attendees will have the opportunity to reconnect with alumni and friends members at the Pre-Performance Social located indoors at the North Dress Circle!
**PLEASE NOTE: In order to attend the Pre-Performance Social, attendees must purchase a ticket to the evening's performance here (using code IVYLEAGUE30) and comply with COVID safety guidelines.
As the featured opera performance is Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels' Omar, guests will have the opportunity to socialize and learn more from SF Opera's featured speaker.
Special thanks to partnered alumni groups for co-hosting this event: Brown Club of Greater SF, Cornell Norcal, Dartmouth Alumni Club of Greater SF, Harvard Club of SF, Penn Club SF, Penn Club of Silicon Valley, Princeton Club of NorCal, and Yale of SF
Photo credit: Koret Foundation
We're co-hosting our second installment of the 1 Bear 1 Book alumni wide book club with a nomination from the Brown Club of Washington DC. Discussion will tackle questions of LGBTQ identity, travel writing, the impact that the author's D.C. childhood and time at Brown have on his writing, and more with Brown-alum Andrew Sean Greer '92 in the context of Less is Lost, his latest novel and the sequel to his Pulitzer Prize-winning Less.
Join us for an exciting day trip to Angel Island State Park, a Bay Area treasure hiding in plain sight. Rich with history from native inhabitants, a key outpost for the Union during the Civil War, and the site where Chinese immigrants were detained, it remains a beautiful oasis with sweeping views of the Bay Area.
We will meet at the San Francisco Ferry Building Gate C to catch the 10:15 am Golden Gate Ferry to Angel Island. Then enjoy the island at your own pace: picnic, hike, take the narrated tram tour that reveals the incredible history of the island, and visit the Immigration Station. Return SF ferry runs at 12:25 and 3:35 pm.
Free Registration. Ferry Ticket Required.
In the heart of San Francisco's storied Fillmore District lies The Boom Boom Room. Once a beacon for soulful beats, it still drops the beat but these days you can stop by to hear local comedians drop the mic. Dive into an evening where the moody glow of 1950s Fillmore jazz clubs lights up for laughs. Why You Should Attend:
✨ Alum with a Punch(line): Ever wondered if a Brown degree comes with a sense of humor? Let Stephanie Block, EMBA '20, prove it does!
✨ Best Seats in the House: Tired of the elbow nudges and seat scrambles? Sit back and enjoy the show in our reserved section exclusively for Brown Alumni.
✨ Bruno's Liquid Courage: Why sip on just any cocktail when you can toast with a Brown-inspired blend? Cheers to school spirit in a glass!
✨ Comedy with a Cause: You come for the laughs, but your presence supports local comics, celebrates a legendary venue, and props up a one-of-a-kind non-profit. Laugh, clap, and pat yourself on the back
Entry: Free to attend, no drink minimum. For those 21 and over.
💌 RSVP to save your spot!
Welcome back to season two of the 1 Bear 1 Book Alumni Wide Book Club! Our first book conversation this season will be hosted by the Brown Club of Greater San Francisco and the featured book is Pulitzer Prize nominee There There by Tommy Orange.
Moderating the event will be Ashley McDonnell '12, Senior Editorial Manager at Scribd and member of the Native American Brown Alumni Executive Committee.
Join us in this conversation on the text itself, Native Identity at Brown, the impact of the Alcatraz Occupation Protest, and more. As one reader put it, "you can take the Native out of the rez, but can you take the rez out of the Native?"
Ashley McDonnell '12)is Senior Editorial Manager at Scribd, a San Francisco-based tech and publishing startup where she helps people discover their new favorite books. She's an enrolled member of the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe in Virginia and currently lives in the greater Philadelphia area with her husband (Rabbi Asher Sofman '12) and two cats (Mathis and Maxwell). When not lost in the (digital) stacks, she's nerding out about manga on the podcast Shojo & Tell, learning how to DJ, playing video games, or gardening.
We will also be hosting an in person meeting for each book event during the season. If you are interested in attending our in person event at an alum’s home in San Francisco please let us know here.
It’s time for fun, sun and BBQ! Join your fellow Bay Area Brunonians for a sumptuous barbecue with burgers, hot dogs, chicken, veggie burgers, salad, beverages, and other BBQ fixin's with Bay Area Brown Alums! The Brown Club of San Francisco is hosting our 9th Annual BBQ and what better time of year to enjoy the best the Bay Area has to offer!
Spend your Saturday helping to beautify SF with a neighborhood cleanup in the Bayview and free pizza lunch from All Good Pizza. Following the cleanup we will get a tour of the amazing Flora Grubb Gardens with co-owners Saul and Susie Nadler '99.
September will mark the 20th anniversary of Flora Grubb. Learn more about the Nadler's trajectory from Brown to small business owners to urban revivalists with various nursery locations throughout California.
Join us for some friendly competition with our fellow Ivies as we try to outnerd each other at the Mad Hatter Pub Quiz in San Rafael. Quiz starts at 8 but plan on coming a little early to socialize and help us secure seats as we can’t reserve them in advance. Flatiron offers hearty pub fare with beer, wine, cocktail, and non-alcoholic options, https://www.flatironsanrafael.com
Folktale Winery is thrilled to host the Second Annual Ivy Summer Vineyard Party within the oasis of Folktale Winery in beautiful Carmel. Come for the day or make a weekend around this special event with fellow Ivy League alumni. Hear the story of Folktale Winery and the art of winemaking from Greg Ahn, Winery Proprietor. Be ready to represent your school at the Ivy League Division I Outdoor Games Competition. Compete on a team or bring your school spirit to see what schools take the top prizes. Our mission is to spoil you rotten with a spread of culinary delights by Executive Chef, Justin Robarge, and the the award-winning wines of Folktale.
Tickets include feasting, fun, and your first glass of wine. Additional glasses or bottles can be purchased at the event.
We are going Into the Brightness and celebrating 50 years of Hip Hop culture in Oakland at the Oakland Museum! Revel in the wonderous worlds of artists with disabilities at Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth, and NIAD. Plus, for the month of August, all four Friday Nights at OMCA honor, celebrate, and explore the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop culture. Join 55 Bay Area Hip Hop artists, activists, and educators from the Hip Hop community as they are inducted into the Bay Area Hip Hop Archives in a public ceremony celebrating this historic moment.
In addition to this special, celebratory programming, there will be plenty of signature Friday Nights features, including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science and more!
Join us for some friendly competition with our fellow Ivies as we try to outnerd each other at the Geeks Who Drink Pub Quiz while enjoying some East Bay brews.
Located in the heart of Jack London Square, Dokkaebier, an Asian inspired craft brewery, has recently added two up-cycled shipping containers and an outdoor beer garden for outdoor fresh air seating. Quiz starts at 7 but plan on coming close to six to help as we can’t reserve tables. Wear some school swag so we can find each other.
The brewery encourages you to bring food from neighboring take out such as Everett and Jones BBQ.
SOLD OUT! Thank You!
The Brown Club of Greater SF is back at the ballpark! Join fellow alumni for a matchup against the Boston Red Sox. Did you know that the Oakland Coliseum is the fifth oldest stadium in the league? Fenway is the oldest. Come experience a fun night of baseball with friends and classmates, and enjoy the Coliseum's variety of local beers and classic ballpark treats.
We have reserved a block of plaza level seats behind home plate. These may be the best seats in the stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm.
Ticket Price: $39
The Brown Club of Greater SF is returning to the ballpark! Join fellow alumni for the best fireworks show in the East Bay and watch the Oakland A's take on the Chicago White Sox. The Oakland Coliseum is possibly the only stadium in Major League Baseball where you can watch the postgame fireworks from the outfield grass or from the comfort of your seats. The Coliseum is also lovingly referred to as the last dive bar in the majors with a great selection of beers and food throughout the ballpark.
We have reserved a block of field level seats on the first base side. You can arrive as early as 4:30 pm to watch batting practice from the Treehouse bar above the left field bleachers which will feature drink specials and music. You can also arrive later for the first pitch scheduled for 6:40 pm and join us at our seats. Alumni, friends, and family are all welcomed to join.
Tickets: $49.99
Join us for some friendly competition with our fellow Ivies as we try to outnerd each other at the Geeks Who Drink Pub Quiz while enjoying some East Bay brews and Joyride Detroit Style Pizza.
Gilman Brewing Company is housed in a former automotive shop, set with industrial textures, rustic wood furniture, with a rotating list of 13 different Gilman brews to choose from. They're known for their award-winning farmhouse style saisons, bold and refreshing IPAs, and a range of other classic and experimental styles. Quiz starts at 7:30 but come early to help us secure a space as we are not able to reserve tables. Please plan on supporting the host bar if you plan to attend.
Join us for a walk along Point Pinole Regional Shoreline to see how many different bird species we can identify throughout a variety of habitats!
Point Pinole in Richmond is part of the East Bay Regional Park District and is also a designated state historic landmark. The park boasts a myriad of different habitats, from the sandy shores of San Pablo Pay to marshland, meadows, and eucalyptus groves. Over 100 different bird species call Point Pinole home.
We will meet at the Giant Gunpowder Company landmark plaque at one end of the Giant Highway parking lot. Please note that Point Pinole charges a parking fee per car ($3). Birders and nature enthusiasts of all levels are welcome!
[Image of Western Bluebird at Point Pinole © Becky Matsubara]
Brown Club of San Francisco
