Roots of Winterland

Every movement begins with people willing to believe in something before the rest of the world can see it.

These are the roots beneath the work.


And because of them, Winterland continues to grow.

Before the stages were built.
Before the films rolled.
Before the music echoed through mountain towns and meaningful conversations filled the room…

There were people.

Artists. Producers. Volunteers. Filmmakers. Musicians. Dreamers. Builders. Friends.

This page honors the remarkable humans who have helped shape Project Winterland across the years. The ones who showed up with open hearts, wild ideas, steady hands, and a shared belief that creativity, community, and purpose can change what’s possible.

Meet the people who helped this movement take root

Some planted seeds. Some built stages. Some sparked conversations that still ripple outward today. All of them became part of the story.

  • Larry was born on the Spokane Indian Reservation of North Eastern Washington, and is of the Chippewa, Fox Sioux, and Okanagan Tribes.

    He is a practicing attorney whose life's work has been to represent Indian Tribal Governments, Tribal Businesses and Individual Tribal Members. A significant portion of his representation requires extensive historical research into the unique history of the Tribes represented by him.

    His first novel, entitled Black Hands in Red Lands, won a novel writing contest judged by Tony Hillerman. Larry was encouraged by an agent at William Morris, to adapt that novel for the screen. Many years later, between practicing law and running one of the largest Bison Cooperatives in North America, he did write that screenplay, and went on to write five more screenplays that have won a total of twelve screenwriting awards since 2018. Larry's primary material involves Native Americans in historical settings but has two contemporary scripts ready for production as well. Larry's best-told stories demonstrate the unexpected consequences achieved by people who overcome adversity.

  • Chance Thompson is an American sustainability professional and advocate based in Utah, known for his leadership in sustainable event management and community engagement. He has played a key role in integrating environmental responsibility into the operations of large public venues and the broader events industry.

    Thompson began working at the Salt Lake Convention Center in 2016, initially managing guest relations, social media, and event donations. He later advanced to oversee sustainability and public relations, helping to launch initiatives that reduced waste and promoted environmentally conscious operations within the convention industry. His work positioned the venue as a model for green event hosting and local environmental leadership.

    As co-founder of Viridescent BLLC, Thompson (who also goes by “The Designer 🐺”) extends his mission to mentoring and creative storytelling around sustainability. Through workshops and talks—such as his 2022 presentation “Become a Sustainability Super Champion and Save the World!” at Weber State University—he inspires others to integrate ecological values into their professional and personal lives.

  • Chief Success Architect, Cultural Strategist, American Idol Coach, Producer, Celebrity Vocal Coach

  • Ryan is a proud Taoseña from the Land of Enchantment. Healing is in her DNA, as all of the women in her immediate family are Medical Practitioners, including many of her ancestors who are considered the original “Curanderos” of Northern New Mexico. Ryann became adamant about living an alternative lifestyle that revolves around integrating healthy food, herbalism, adventure and physical challenge into her daily walk. In order to honor her dharmic path wholeheartedly, she decided to make a career shift that is centered around helping others achieve and maintain homeostasis.

  • Christi is a creative and marketing professional, currently serving as the Marketing Director for Outriders Present.

    She is a utility player with talent for web development, social media management and marketing. Past positions include her role as the Marketing Manager for Jesco Marine and as an independent artist and freelance contractor.

  • Zachary Green is an entertainment based producer through zgreen entertainment, producing feature films, scripted and unscripted television content, as well as commercials and music videos.

    Zachary began his career at the prestigious William Morris Talent Agency in their infamous mailroom and has since had a successful career in brand storytelling, ranging from social media/marketing companies to traditional promotional marketing firms to game-changing startups.

    In 2012 he made the switch to follow his life long dream of producing. In 2018, Green co-founded and ran the day-to-day of The LAUNCH: Million Dollar Screenplay Competition, the only screenplay competition of it’s kind, awarding the grand prize of having the winning screenplay produced as feature film, with a One Million Dollar budget. He not only also runs The LAUNCH Productions and produces the winning films, but Green has a slate of feature film and television projects in various stages of development and production, with major studios and production companies in the industry.

  • Kirpa is a climate reality leader committed to sustainability innovation. She brings a diverse background of experience as a climate scientist, environmentalist, humanitarian, systems thinker, and thought leader. Kirpa is a master at sustainable partnership development. In addition, she has volunteered her time on the Board of Women in Cleantech & Sustainability. She has a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz and a Masters in MSc in Hydrology and Water Security.

  • José is leading a RE:RE, a center for Regeneration and Resiliency for change~makers. He's also a past Founder @ Re:ganic, where they pioneered a solution to end needless plastic from the world. They developed a Chitosan-based biodegradable composite that acts as a suitable replacement for plastic films. He has a B.S. in Naval Science @ Chilean Naval Academy and B.A. in Business and Administration from Universidad Austral de Chile.

  • Winterland Event Producer

  • Yarrow is the Founder of HATCH and The Hero Network, Co-Founder of Montana Festival, is an Aspen Institute Fellow, RSA Fellow, a member of Catalyst 2030, and named 2015 top 100 creatives in the U.S. by Origins. In 2004, Yarrow founded HATCH, connecting global influencers to accelerate solutions for the UN’s SDGs. HATCH Summits and HATCH Studios have led to thousands of impactful collaborations, including many that have led to systems change and policy shift. He's a pioneer of social networking and has been building communities for over twenty years. In 1999, Yarrow created an online network – The Hero Network, which grew to 1.5 Million users and was acquired by FOX. In 2016, Yarrow founded H360.ai, a machine learning impact collaboration platform to connect people to resources, powering a “Network of Networks.” Yarrow is featured in the book Talent for Humanity, was honored with the Audfest Impact Award in 2019, and has led think tanks with Intel, Hasbro, Ernst & Young, NASA, spoken at TEDx, Volcanoe Summit, Vivatech, EarthX, Day One, Business Innovation Factory Summit (BIF), Burning Man, and many other venues.

  • HEAD OF LUMINARY PARTNERSHIPS + EXPERIENCES

    Clif is an entertainment and concert industry production veteran who has worked on tours for artists such as, Tina Turner, Madonna, U2, Guns & Roses, Metallica, and Sting.

    Clif parlayed his experience in music event production across other industries including fashion, hospitality, and lifestyle experiences including high profile installations at Art Basel, SXSW, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Clif’s events and experiences have drawn more than 100 million attendees both in-person and online and delivered in excess of $300M+ in revenues. Clif is also a Humanitarian, currently working with Global Empowerment Mission [GEM] in the Ukraine, Lahaina, anywhere disaster strikes and GEM can be on the scene with humanitarian aid.

  • Tom believes work should help you thrive as a human being while making the world a better place. He helps people live a meaningful life as a regenerative coach and is a speaker/climate activist for Extinction Rebellion. He also worked as a strategy & innovation consultant at Deloitte, while setting up a non-profit called Extraordinary Life that makes personal development accessible for students. He is a recipient of the Rotterdam School of Management Distinguished Alumnus award for his impact.

  • Co-Founder, Regeneration Pollination

    Lauren has been engaged in community building and sustainability programming for many years and works to connect, inspire and engage people in sustainability and regenerative living. Since 2020, she has been running Regeneration Pollination which hosts online networking events connecting people around the world engaged in regeneration and allied movements. She is also the Community Development Director of CommnityFinders, an online support network for those committed to living in intentional communities. Lauren has co-organized several Northern California Permaculture Convergences and Building Resilient Communities Convergences, and also co-founded a sustainable living and education center in Oakland called PLACE for Sustainable Living. Lauren is a BioLeadership Fellow and an RSA Fellow.

  • Beyond her professional endeavors, Emmanuella is deeply passionate about women and youth empowerment in her home country, Nigeria. She actively engages in initiatives that aim to uplift and support communities and minority groups, believing in the power of education and mentorship to drive positive change. Emmanuella combines her business acumen with a heartfelt commitment to making a difference, embodying both professionalism and compassion in her work.

  • CEO Planet Home

    For over twenty years, he has managed complex, high-stakes operations. As Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Planet Home, Antony uses that experience to build the infrastructure the environmental movement needs. By uniting scientists, investors, and cultural leaders, he helps communities scale the breakthrough technologies that will solve our planet's biggest challenges.

  • COO | HATCH Studios

    Jared works to educate, accelerate, and invest in entrepreneurs who are creating solutions to social and environmental problems. Jared’s role involves developing and implementing strategies to collaborate with individuals, corporations and foundations to scale the impact of HATCH globally. Also an Instructor at Prescott College, Jared teaches courses in Ecopsychology. As a researcher for the Gwydion Fund, Jared works to connect people with the natural world.

  • Holly J. Truitt Consulting | Hatch Studios

    Holly Truitt is a designer and facilitator who helps organizations catalyze community-based change. With more than 20 years of experience guiding public and private organizations through uncharted transformations, Holly is a nationally respected author, researcher, and presenter.

  • Film Producer + Entrepreneur

    Following a distinguished career as a senior leader at ARCO and BP, Ivan transitioned to the entertainment industry in 2012 by co-founding Altar Identity Studios. At Altar Identity Studios, he served as an executive producer for several film projects, including the comedy fantasy film “Knights of Badassdom,” which starred Ryan Kwanten, Steve Zahn, Summer Glau, and Peter Dinklage. Additionally, he co-produced the romantic comedy film “Big Stone Gap,” which featured Ashley Judd, Whoopi Goldberg, and Patrick Wilson.

    Beyond films, Ivan co-produced the Broadway musical “First Date,” which featured Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez.

    Since then, Ivan has been involved in various projects, including executive producing the hit comedy web series “Be Here Nowish” Season 2, co-producing the SXSW thriller “M.F.A.,” which starred Francesca Eastwood and Clifton Collins Jr., helping finance the acclaimed documentary “This Changes Everything,” executive produced by Geena Davis, and executive producing the documentary “Creating Woodstock,” which featured never-before-seen interviews with key figures who played a pivotal role in the legendary 1969 music festival.

    Over the past few years, Ivan has made substantial contributions to the film industry. He released a New York City dramedy titled “Ramona at Midlife,” a Bermuda marine conservation short documentary titled “Heart of the Sea,” which received a well-received world premiere at Dubai’s UN COP28. He also released a German Academy Award-nominated period drama titled “Girl From Köln,” which narrates a female empowerment story centered around one of the most renowned jazz concerts in history. Additionally, he is currently executive producing a documentary titled “Coal Country,” which is collaborating with Coalfield Development to develop a pioneering approach to establishing an environmentally sustainable economy in West Virginia.

    In 2025, his film “Secret Mall Apartment,” which he executive produced with Jesse Eisenberg, became one of the highest-grossing documentary theatrical films in the past two years. In 2026, it was released on Netflix and reached its peak popularity as the fourth most popular film in the United States, eventually ranking tenth globally.

    Ivan, a distinguished veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserve, holds an MBA degree from the University of California, Irvine, and is a Dean’s Scholar. His extensive professional journey encompasses launching multiple startups, spearheading Project Winterland’s inaugural festival, and co-founding two ecologically-oriented, technology-enabled art nonprofits.

    Throughout his career, Ivan has actively participated in the Producers Guild of America and served as a distinguished member of the New York City-based Creative Coalition arts advocacy organization.

    Currently, Ivan is an adjunct professor at the University of California, Irvine, and serves on the advisory boards of several prominent firms. These include ScriptHop, a transformative tech-enabled Hollywood script presentation and review startup; reSpace, a proptech company that enables affordable home equity ownership; and Apples and Oranges Arts, a nonprofit Broadway theater development organization.

    Ivan’s expertise has been embraced by many film competitions. He has served as a juror on esteemed events such as the Global Entertainment Awards, Annapolis Film Festival, Burbank International Film Festival, Oscar-qualifying Santa Fe International Film Festival, and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

  • Founder Paige + Co. | AUDPOP

    Williams is a Forbes' Next1000, believes in the transformative power of storytelling. In 2013, she founded AudPop.com, a video entertainment platform connecting filmmakers with opportunities to make a positive impact. AudPop boasts a network of over 80,000 global filmmakers, featuring 14,000 short films, and has granted over $10 million to diverse filmmakers worldwide, reaching 35 million fans and followers. Williams' visionary company, AudPop, has gained recognition from prestigious publications like Entrepreneur, Forbes, and NY Times for its innovative role in bridging filmmakers and brands.

Larry Bear

Larry Bear

Chance Thompson

Nick Cooper

Ryann Dawn

Christi Esparza

Christi Esparza

Zachary Green

Kirpa Grewal

José Gutiérrez

Jill Johns

Yarrow Kraner

Clif Loftin

Tom Marshall

Lauren Minis

Ella Opigo

Antony Randall

Jared Silverman

Holly Truitt

Ivan Williams

Paige WIlliams