Rana DiOrio
Founder & Chief Executive Pickle
I am an investor, investment banker, lawyer, and now Founder and CEO of Little Pickle Press. You can read more about my professional credentials at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ranadiorio.
One thing I am proud of:
Being the mommy of three happy little pickles
Two of my heroes:
1. Nelson Mandela
2. Oprah Winfrey
Three things I am really good at:
1. Multitasking
2. Listening (while not multitasking)
3. Giving
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Return to South Africa with my children to take them on safari
2. Travel to Australia and New Zealand with my family
3. Write a novel
4. Establish a private foundation and give away what I've earned in this lifetime
Five ways I am present include when:
1. I have one-on-one conversations with my children about stuff that matters
2. I practice yoga (most of the time!)
3. I am at the beach
4. I am holding someone I love
5. I write
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
2. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
3. Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
4. One by Kathryn Otoshi
5. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
6. That Rabbit Belongs To Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell
Rick DeGolia
Chairman of the Board
I am a serial entrepreneur, venture investor, Silicon Valley-based business attorney, fabulous friend, husband and father, wine-maker and organic gardener. I co-manage the DeGolia-Kamb Wine Partnerships, and am on the Boards of Little Pickle Press, Cimbal, ColorPower, Lextron, Retrofit America, Mercado Global, The Cleantech Open, and the Clean Coalition. I am a partner at Exigen Capital, and an ex-partner of The Angels’ Forum and Wilson, Sonsini. I love skiing, hiking, fly fishing, spending time with my kids and friends, and doing anything with my wife. You can read more about my professional activities at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=224241&trk=tab_pro.
One thing I am proud of:
Teaching my kids the importance of good judgment
Two of my heroes:
1. Thomas Jefferson
2. Mahatma Gandhi
Three things I am really good at:
1. Counting anything, as I love numbers
2. Problem Solving and Mentoring
3. Thinking through strategic implications
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Visit the Amalfi Coast with my wife and Alaska with my kids
2. Visit Australia with my mother to see my grandmother’s family’s origins
3. Materially help LPP make a huge impact in the children’s book world
4. Build a house that is extremely energy efficient
Five ways I am Global, Green, Present and Safe:
1. I work hard to listen and to understand what someone is trying to say, no matter how they might be saying it.
2. I am a religious composter.
3. II drive a Volt, the best car that I’ve owned. I’m sure its parts are global.
4. I am deeply involved with building cleantech companies through The Cleantech Open and growing clean, local, renewable energy generation with the Clean Coalition.
5. I am an active member of Environmental Entrepreneurs.
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsberg
2. The Little Engine that Could by Mabel Bragg and Watty Piper
3. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
4. The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward
5. Minn of the Mississippi by Holling Clancy Holling
6. Timothy Turtle by Alice Vaught Davis
Cameron Crane
Marketing Associate
I specialize in marketing, professional and creative writing, and communications. I enjoy meeting new people and exploring the opportunities around me. When I am not working, I love to go on adventures, spend time with friends, hike, exercise, paint, and write short stories. I hope to never stop learning. You can read about my professional credentials at: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/cameron-crane/1a/4b5/818.
One thing I am proud of:
My resilience
Two of my heroes:
1. Gandhi
2. My Grandpa Clint
Three things I am really good at:
1. Poetry
2. Seeing the glass half-full
3. Being intuitive
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Conquering my fear of heights (By skydiving?)
2. Writing a book
3. Traveling the world
4. Making an impact
Five ways I am Global, Green, Present, and Safe:
1. I keep an open-mind to all ideas, perspectives, cultures and values. (Global)
2. I go on hikes and linger for the view. (Present)
3. I take time to enjoy nature. (Green)
4. I trust my intuition. (Safe)
5. I take the extra time to smile and engage with the people I come into contact with in day-to-day life. (Present)
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon
2. Disney’s Elegant Book of Manners by Vincent Jefferds
3. Say Hello to Zorro! by Carter Goodrich
4. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
5. Oh! The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Suess
6. Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood
Dani Greer
Special Projects Coordinator
I escaped from the first part of my life (pursuing a business degree and CPA license) by returning to school to get my art degree. Whew! I soon married a professional liturgical artist and we still own Greer Studios after twenty years of partnership. Over the last two decades I've also owned and operated two art galleries. Through it all, I've been a writer, editor, and compulsive reader with a special interest in children's literature. I'm also a passionate environmentalist who organizes blog book tours for authors, including those at Little Pickle Press.
One thing I am proud of:
Having the dedication to follow my own path, even against the tide, which lately includes living a simpler and smaller existence
Two of my heroes:
1. Thomas Jefferson
2. My German grandmother
Three things I am really good at:
1. Brainstorming
2. Teaching
3. Drawing
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Live in a 500 s.f. straw-bale house
2. Write a mystery novel
3. Publish one book a year as long as I live
4. Learn to make shoes
Five ways I am Green:
1. Using cloth rags instead of paper towels (I don't buy them)
2. Buying local when possible to reduce food miles and buying foods like bananas and tuna only as holiday treats
3. Buying in bulk or growing our own to reduce packaging
4. Composting
5. Wearing things out instead of upgrading including cars, gadgets, and clothing
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and Michael Hague
2. What Do You Say Dear? By Sesyle Joslin
3. Good Griselle by JaneYolen
4. Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett
5. The Giant Hug by Sandra Horning
6. What Does It Mean To Be Present? by Rana DiOrio
Emily Bates
Inside Sales Professional
I am an inside sales associate specializing in customer relations. I graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a bachelor’s degree in English emphasizing poetry and 16th century British literature. I spent a year of my life attending an immersion program at the University of Cordoba in Spain where I became fluent in the Spanish language, and was severely bitten by the travel bug. I spend my free time filling my journals with poetry, running, listening to music, and playing with my Bengal cats Kiro and Mila.
One thing I am proud of:
My strength
Two of my heroes:
1. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. Queen Elizabeth I
Three things I am really good at:
1. Writing
2. Soccer
3. Problem Solving
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Publishing a book of poetry
2. Teaching English abroad
3. Backpacking South America
4. Getting my masters degree in business administration
Five ways I am Global, Green, Present, and Safe:
1. I stay in tune with the political, economical, and societal happenings around the world
2. I buy and promote green products
3. I write
4. I lived with a host family who solely spoke Spanish
5. I trust myself
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
2. Corduroy by Don Freeman
3. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
4. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
5. The Story of Babar by Jean De Brunhoff
6. The Jester Has Lost His Jingle by David Saltzman
Khadijah Lacina
Inside Sales Professional
I have a Bachelor's Degree in English and Theatre Arts, which I use daily in my role as homeschooling mother of eight. Since marrying my Bedouin husband, I’ve lived many places including in Yemen where I studied Islam and Arabic and learned to live very simply and mindfully. I am a writer, certified herbalist, translator, student, teacher, and most importantly, mom.
One thing I am proud of:
Being always willing to grow and change with whatever comes my way
Two of my heroes:
1. Prophet Muhammad
2. Vandana Shiva
Three things I am really good at:
1. Writing
2. Mothering
3. Teaching
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Go back to my mountain village in Yemen someday, even just to visit my eldest son
2. Finish writing the book about my Yemeni Journey
3. Move with my family to a homestead and become as self-sufficient as possible
4. Figure out all the technology that will enable me to teach online
Five ways I am present include when:
1. My family is global. My father-in-law is from Benin, my mother-in-law is African-American, and I'm Irish and Bohemian!
2. I lived for ten years in Yemen, not as an American in Yemen, but as a Yemeni as much as possible.
3. We lived without electricity, phone, and running water for years, and we strive to hold onto the lessons we learned there, while living here.
4. I'm here for my children all day, every day, with the goal of raising them to be kind, responsible, global human beings.
5. We grow as much of our own food as we are able, and hope to expand on this every year.
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. The Lion Boy trilogy by Zizou Corder
2. The Anna Hibiscus series by Atinuke
3. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
4. What Does It Mean To Be Global? by Rana DiOrio
5. Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery by Jamie Lee Curtis
6. Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis
Laurie Carvajal
Controller
I am an investor, investment banker, consultant, and now the Controller of Little Pickle Press. You may read more about my professional credentials at: www.linkedin.com/pub/laurie-carvajal/7/b14/.
One thing I am proud of:
1. Investing myself in my children
Two of my heroes:
1. Robert Kennedy
2. Nelson Mandela
Three things I am really good at:
1. Managing time
2. Solving problems
3. Teaching soccer to my children
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Travel to New Zealand
2. Take my family to the World Cup
3. Fix my knee so that I may play soccer again
4. Spend an entire day at a lovely spa
Five ways I am Present include when:
1. I wake up wanting to make the most of the gift that is this day
2. I coach my kids when they are on the field (even when the coach doesn’t appreciate my efforts)
3. I encourage my children to try their best at everything they do
4. I appreciate the simple things
5. I am enjoying a good margarita
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. Stone Soup by Jon J. Muth
2. Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth
3. The Happy Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
4. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events by Brad Silberling
5. Red, Red, Red by Valeri Gorbachev
6. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Meredith Moran
Lesson Plan Developer
I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Stanford University School of Education, where I study early literacy acquisition and curriculum development. My dissertation research will explore how emergent readers build oral vocabulary and conceptual knowledge through discussions of text read aloud. Prior to my graduate work, I was an elementary school teacher for nine years, eight of which were spent teaching kindergarten. Upon completion of graduate school, I hope to translate my passion for early literacy into a dream career combining instruction and research with young readers.
One thing I am proud of:
Being in the dissertation phase of my Ph.D. in Education
Two of my heroes:
1. My maternal grandparents
2. My paternal grandparents (I guess that's four.)
Three things I am really good at:
1. Making cookies
2. Being a good friend
3. Teaching children how to read
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Having a family
2. Traveling to the South Pacific
3. Attending the San Francisco Black and White Ball
4. Developing fluency in multiple languages
Five Ways I am present:
1. Hugging a puppy
2. Working with children
3. Spending time near the ocean
4. Listening to others
5. Exercising
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
2. Liplaps's Wish by Jonathan London
3. Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
4. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
5. Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh
6. Corduroy by Don Freeman
Sarah Seward
Graphic Designer
I am a book aficionado, child at heart, and graphic designer at Little Pickle Press. You can see more of my work at http://www.sweetsarahstudio.com.
One thing I am proud of:
My unfailing commitment to my crazy, amazing family
Two of my heroes:
1. My Pops
2. Tibor Kalman
Three things I am really good at:
1. Visual problem solving
2. Finding the silver lining
3. Adapting
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Paint a wall mural
2. Visit all 7 continents
3. Run a marathon
4. Win a pie-eating contest
Five ways I am present:
1. Listening to my instincts
2. Designing in terms of sustainability for the bigger picture
3. Appreciating everyday wonders of the natural world
4. Engaging with others in a meaningful exchange of ideas
5. Pushing my limits on the track
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. One Fish Two Fish by Dr Suess
2. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
3. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
4. What Does it Mean to be Present by Rana DiOrio
5. Snutt the Ift by Helen Ward
6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Robbie Vann-Adibé
Advisory Board Member
I am a manager and entrepreneur, as well as a technologist and designer of processes and systems, and now the Chairman of the Board of Little Pickle Press. I like asking the question, "What if we threw conventional wisdom out the window and started completely from scratch?" You can read more about my business history here http://www.linkedin.com/in/rvannadibe.
One thing I am proud of:
My family
Two of my heroes:
1. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. Leonardo da Vinci
Three things I really enjoy doing:
1. Yoga
2. Snowboarding
3. Playing soccer with my children
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Trekking in the Himalayas
2. Travel in the Amazon Basin
3. Safari in Africa
4. Urdhva Padmasana in Shirshasana
Five ways I am Global, Green, and Present:
1. My wife and I have 4 nationalities between us (Global)
2. My children attend a bi-lingual immersion Mandarin/English school (Global)
3. I bought farmland and planted a 100-tree orchard that is completely organic using no chemicals whatsoever (Green)
4. My kids yell at me when I put paper in the wrong dustbin (Green)
5. I practice yoga (Present)
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
2. Slinky Malinki by Lynley Dodd
3. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
4. The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
5. Stone Soup by various authors
6. The Lion Who Wanted To Love by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz
Suzanne Passalacqua
Advisory Board Member
I am a Founder and partner of Tamalpais Ventures, a seeker of the winding and not-so-travelled path up the mountain, and a wonderer. At Tam Ventures, we buy companies and work with a team to optimize their potential. On the winding path up the mountain, I find out that when I think I know the way, there's always a turn I hadn't anticipated, so I practice being nimble. When I wonder, I see what is possible. Leading to Here has been bachelors' degrees in economics and Italian, a law degree and criminal defense practice, investment banking, and executive and advisory positions at portfolio companies: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/suzanne-passalacqua/1/41b/2b0.
One thing I am proud of:
Keeping life's precariousness always within reach
Two of my heroes:
1. Mary Oliver
2. Diva Piastri
Three things I am really good at:
1. Not taking anything too seriously
2. Taking everything very seriously
3. Sometimes knowing the difference
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Playing the stand-up bass
2. Learning tolerance with myself and those I love
3. Running Ultra Mongolia and finishing in the top 3
4. Traveling with a car and basic necessities, without destination, in a country whose language I do not understand, for long enough to forget where I am "from"
Five ways I am Global, Green, and/or Present is when:
1. I have a long-distance calling plan and Skype (Global)
2. I like Mexican food (Global)
3. I flush the toilet sparingly (Green)
4. I eat only wild game killed in a humane and compassionate way or accidentally hit by a car (Green)
5. See number 1 thing I am really good at, above (Present)
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell
2. Sneetches Are Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
3. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
4. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
5. Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
6. Old Turtle and the Broken Truth by Douglas Wood
Kelly Wickham
Social Media Director
I am an assistant principal of a technology magnet middle school in Springfield, IL and the editor of Mocha Momma, a lifestyle blog dedicated to education and race that also serves as a personal journal. You can see my professional biography at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kellywickham.
One thing I am proud of:
Not being the teen pregnancy statistic everyone thought I would be.
Two of my heroes:
1. Desmond Tutu
2. Maya Angelou
Three things I am really good at:
1. Problem-solving (trouble-shooting)
2. Relating to the mind of a middle schooler (it's questionable whether or not this is a good thing)
3. Forgiveness
Four things on my Bucket List:
1. Finish the memoir that I've been working on for years
2. Travel with my entire family to Ethiopia
3. Write a novel
4. Establish the Eva Carroll Monroe Foundation and re-open her orphanage for black children in Springfield, IL as a museum
Five ways I am Present include when:
1. I sit across from a person in need of help
2. I work with families and their children
3. I am sitting at the dinner table with my family
4. I am taking a walk with a friend
5. I write in my journal
Six of my favorite children's books:
1. Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
2. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
3. Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base
4. Flotsam by David Weisner
5. No, David! by David Shannon
6. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes