who we are
Do Good Events works exclusively with non-profits, foundations, and social innovators. We are headquartered in the Bay Area, with clients based in San Francisco, Oakland, Silicon Valley and New York. We have produced events in New Orleans, Oslo, New York, Berlin, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and everywhere in between.
Here we are.
Feel free to say hello.
At Do Good Events, we are not event planners who happen to care about social issues. We are advocates and activists who happen to be really good at planning events. Like you, we all believe in a healthy and just society. Let's work together to make it a reality.
Do Gooders
The DGE Team
Kate Taffel
CEO
Kate was raised in Sonoma County, lived abroad for several years, and has been back living in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2003. She has always been a creative woman starting in childhood as a dancer through University studying Cinematography and in her career as an event producer. Kate got started in the hotel industry in 2000 as a front desk agent; she loved getting to interact with a wide range of guests and having a different set of “clients'' each day. In 2005, Kate moved into a catering management role in a luxury hotel, working with a wide range of clients from brides to non-profit directors. After working several years as an in-house event producer for a political lobbying group and in the tech corporate space, Kate found her passion in event planning was in the nonprofit world. Creating the right environment for people to get together, collaborate, achieve results, and support important causes is what motivates Kate in her life and work. In her free time, you can find her on the yoga mat, spending time with friends and family and taking full advantage of the nature surrounding the Bay Area.
© Reny Photography 2014
Marika Holmgren
Founder
When Marika was a little girl, she planned tea parties in her room, for which she would handwrite invitations that she slipped under her parents’ and brother’s doors. She required RSVPs for these events. At the same time, she was highly motivated by social change, and as a teenager, built a shanty in her high school courtyard with two schoolmates to protest Apartheid. Imagine her delight when she found a way to combine two passions: saving the world and planning exceptional parties! When she’s not producing events, she can be found hurtling down a hill – purposefully – on her mountain bike, trying desperately - though not always successfully - to stay out of the ER. Marika also works on chemical policy reform. Because chemicals suck and are bad for all of us. Her dog, Jake, oversees most of her work and is very pleased that DOG is in the name of her company.
Chantal Anderson
Director of Operations
Chantal joined Do Good Events in 2018, passionate about making a difference in the world. She started performing Ballet at age 3 and spent over 20 years in the Performing Arts. In addition to being on stage, she wanted to experience everything backstage - directing, costume design, choreography, lighting & sound direction - fascinated with the production aspects of putting on a show. She spent 10 years in Hospitality, organizing up to 100 exhibitors at a time and coordinating sales events, weddings, fundraisers, and international C-Level attendee conferences. Over the years, she volunteered for non-profits and helped produce successful fundraising galas. With Do Good Events, she has found an opportunity to work with an amazing group of individuals and contribute to organizations making a substantial contribution to the world. Chantal also became a certified COVID-19 Compliance Officer at the start of the Pandemic, so as to better prepare for our return to live events.
Stephanie Alston
Lead Event Producer
Stephanie is a sixth-generation Texan who grew up organizing her neighborhood into science clubs, bike clubs, creek clean-up crews, and canvassers for Jerry's Kids and Sally Struthers. With her Texas-sized bleeding heart & determination, Stephanie moved to the Bay Area to be with kindred spirits, where she spent over 10 years working on environmental campaigns. After a 4-year stint running a successful international campaign to help protect forests in West Africa, Stephanie found the secret to happiness is in throwing a great party for a good cause. Stephanie has now been part of our team for over 17 years and specializes in motivating high-profile businesses, entertainment, and VIPs to partner with our clients. A favorite moment was working with Archbishop Desmond Tutu who said about Stephanie, “This woman does not rest! Her smile energizes us all."
Shayna Lawson
Lead Event Producer
Shayna is a Bay Area native who loves to call San Francisco home. At the start of her career, assisting in event production for a local philanthropist, she discovered that parties could be filled with purpose and a lot of fundraising. This experience ignited her passion for philanthropic work through events. Nearly two decades later, after working in both corporate and agency sides of business, she’s thrilled to be working with the GOOD team. Her joy, enthusiasm, and grit are well matched for meeting the goals of the clients and attendees alike. When she’s not hard at work, you can find her riding the hills of SF on her e-bike with her three children, cooking up delicious meals from her garden with her husband, and trekking around in nature.
Mairi Yunits
Lead Event Producer
Mairi (pronounced Mary) is a seasoned events producer adept at packaging all facets of events into organized systems. She began her career in events nearly fourteen years ago with a small undiscovered gathering - the Super Bowl, while completing her communications degree at the University of Tampa. Immediately she fell in love with the energy of live events and the good that can come when people come together. Mairi has since worked six Super Bowls, multiple NBA Finals, and NFL Drafts, and spent four years traveling around the country weekly for Monday Night Football with ESPN. She can almost tell you what a first down is. During her time in the Bay Area Mairi served as the lead producer for San Francisco Design Week, a week-long city-wide festival, and got her first taste of the nonprofit world which led her to Do Good Events. At Do Good Events she found her place working towards a shared goal for the common good and has since planned many national and international conferences, galas, and hybrid events. Her goal is to find efficient ways to make the event process smooth and expand the growth of each non-profit she has the chance to work with. Mairi is a certified Ayurveda Practitioner, Yoga Instructor, and Integrated Health Coach and you can often find her doing a quick journal session before arriving on-site.
Erika Helstrom
Event Producer
Erika originally hails from Colorado Springs and has found herself drawn to the Bay Area. She has a natural talent for organization and developing systems that allow people and projects to come together with ease and grace. Getting her start at a non-profit food drive in 2003, Erika has now organized more than 100 events for nonprofits, fairs, and festivals. When not working on events, Erika spends her time finding any and all opportunities to dance, watching sunrises, rock climb, she is a huge fan of improv and stand-up shows, and walking along the amazing beaches the Bay Area has to offer.
Melanie Newell
Event Producer
For as long as she can remember, Melanie has been the planner among her friends and family. Never one to crave the spotlight for herself, she is happiest when hosting, planning, and coordinating from behind the scenes. Melanie truly loves the energy of events work and takes pride in being able to see both the big picture and all the small details that make up a successful event. She has planned dozens of events on both coasts - including high-profile galas, multi-day conferences, charity luncheons, and intimate dinner parties. When she’s not dreaming up tablescapes, negotiating with vendors, and managing guest lists, Melanie can be found exploring her Brooklyn neighborhood with her family, picnicking in Prospect Park, and tackling elaborate baking projects.
Heather Rice
Event Producer
Heather is a Bay Area native who grew up in Marin County and attended San Francisco University High School. She started her design career in New York City working for Diane Von Furstenberg before switching over to event production. After leaving the world of fashion, Heather worked in-house for both The Box and The Bowery Hotel, planning and producing high-end celebrity events. After 10 successful years, missing her community and the sunshine, Heather returned to San Francisco in 2012 to helm the Delfina Restaurant Group where she was the Director of Events for all five restaurants, overseeing more than 120 events annually, including the opening of the Burlingame and Palo Alto locations. Always wanting to continue to learn and grow professionally, Heather then accepted an Event Manager position with the illustrious Paula LeDuc Fine Catering, where she collaborated with some of the world's top event planners and Fortune 500 tech companies to produce events throughout the Bay Area. With Heather’s strong design and culinary background, you truly have an amazing partner to plan your event with.
Erika Pringsheim - Moore
Event Producer
Erika’s event planning career began by staging Celebrity Waiter luncheons in Northern California, after graduating from Cal. Since that time, she has worked with many incredible nonprofits on signature event creation, strategic planning, promotional partnership formation, sponsorship, and fundraising. She has always been passionate about creating top-notch hospitality experiences, which she honed over the years producing events at her family’s restaurant - Metro Lafayette. In her free time, Erika can be found hiking the hills with her two rescue dogs, organic gardening, traveling the world and chasing Michelin stars.