On December 10th, 2008, newZonia, with great excitement, emerged from stealth mode to host a charity “Sneak Peek” event in Mill Valley. The theatrical event, in essence, demonstrated our model of creative collaboration which engages the community and benefits non-profits. All of the performers were newZonia ambassadors, and the attendees included new sponsors, supporters, investors and ambassadors.

Through the event, not only did newZonia shower our audience with an exciting mix of entertainment, but also we gave our supporters a peek at the interface and elements on newZonia’s platform, while raising money for the Black Rock Arts Foundation and Mill Valley’s 142 Throckmorton Theatre, our host venue. newZonia’s launch party was an illustration of our own model - empowering philanthropy through the collaboration of our creative community.

The evening began with a special screening of Laurent Le Gall’s film, Voyage in Utopia, a film about the spirit of the Burning Man Arts Festival. In the lobby, guests were greeted by our fabulous costumed models who embodied newZonia’s creative planets; upstairs they viewed an exhibit of art by three of our ambassadors – the haunting art of JennyBird Alcantara, the outsider art of Shrine, and the provocative imagery of Javier Lemus. A silent auction featured works donated by these artists as well as ambassadors David Best, Camp Montage, and Miranda Caroligne.

After the film, our show began with an introduction and special musical performance by newZonia’s co-founder, Michael “Maxx Mango” Owen, a surprise Broadway veteran, who told the story of newZonia’s founding and growth through special lyrics to Stephen Sondheim’s classic “State of the Art” with nZ ambassador, Josef Powell aka Jazari Singh on keyboards, followed by performances by other newZonia ambassadors, including:

- A fashion collection of wearable sculptures from salvaged textiles by Miranda Caroligne

- An enchanting physical expression piece from performance artist Bad Unkl Sista

- An exciting glass juggling performance by Templeton Variety

- A thought provoking slam poetry clip from Obie award winner Daniel Beaty

- A soulful performance by acclaimed singer/songwriter Mark Growden, playing the accordion and bicycle handlebars

- The finale that introduced a house-rocking mix of the Ngoni with funk and African beats by Yacouba Diarra and his slammin’ band

This event, an expression of the convergence of creativity and philanthropy, made our mission much clearer to the select private bay area audience of several hundred, many of which are ambassadors themselves.

newZonia would like to extend their gratitude to all our performers who dedicated their time and creativity to the event. We would also like to thank our sponsors who donated items to the event. Thank you to Sandrine De Rienzo from Tinder Records, TCHO, Qi Spirits, and Fabrique Délices. Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to our silent auction donators Jennybird Alcantara, Shrine, David Best, Camp Montage, and Miranda Caroligne, and to our delightful board member Todd Koons whose generosity made the evening more than possible.

The after party at the home of Joel & Diane Schatz was equally unique and featured the magnificent song stylings of Portuguese Songstress Ramana Vieira.

Click Invitation to Buy Tickets.