January Chapter Event: Koorsoo: A Faint Glimmer of Hope, ft. Zaire Calvin and Recognizing the Anniversary of the January Wildfires
• – • 409 Woodbury The Event Space / The Altadena Coalition
About the speaker
Zaire Calvin—known throughout Altadena as the Voice of the Village. Zaire is a lifelong Altadena native, coach, and community organizer who has emerged as one of the leading voices guiding his hometown through recovery after the Eaton Fire. At a moment when many communities' fracture under loss, Zaire has done the opposite—bringing people together.
Through Xtreme Athletics and the Altadena Natives Rebuild movement, he unites families, elders, youth, churches, local businesses, and civic leaders—across race, class, and politics—to drive real recovery, influence policy, and build long-term community resilience. His leadership bridges grassroots organizing with government engagement, ensuring that the people most affected are centered in every decision.
As a coach and mentor, Zaire has trained and guided elite student-athletes while instilling values of discipline, service, and responsibility to community. As an organizer, he has transformed personal loss into collective leadership, advocating for protections, resources, and pathways that allow families not just to rebuild houses—but to return home with dignity.
Zaire Calvin stands for one simple truth: recovery is strongest when it is community-led. He is a coach, a builder, and a tireless advocate for Altadena and the greater Los Angeles community. #Voice of the Village
Local partners
409 Woodbury: The Event Space is a 6,000 sq ft event venue perfect for local meetings, celebrations, and creative gatherings, with indoor and outdoor spaces. This multi-purpose event space in Beautiful Altadena, specializes in parties, baby showers and photoshoots to creative workshops and off-site meetings. 409 Woodbury: The Event Space is all about fostering creativity, connections, and memorable moments.
Alejandro Palacios is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who works in responsive installations and interactive media design. Born and raised in Mexico, Alejandro had the privilege of experiencing and developing an appreciation for the diverse cultures within his country as his family relocated throughout Mexico during his upbringing. He uses video, photography, installation, and mixed media to explore the complexity of human experiences such as immigration and identity.
Alejandro’s work has graced international festivals in Iran, Canada, Germany, Ecuador, Mexico, Spain, and the United States.
In 2010, Alejandro established The Circumstances, a collaborative platform for artists from various media to unite and produce innovative and socially impactful creations. Since then, Palacios has dedicated himself to collaborating with organizations championing underserved communities and advocating for social justice.
Joanne Garcia is a Los Angeles–based creative director and coffee lover. She’s the Director of Business Affairs at Goldengate Media, where she works closely with singer/songwriters and producers in the music and entertainment space. Alongside that role, she runs her own creative studio, helping entrepreneurs and small businesses strengthen their visual branding and online presence. Blending creativity with strategy, Joanne loves working with people who care deeply about their craft and believes in helping creators build meaningful work and sustainable careers.
A globally respected drummer, motivational facilitator, and community leader, Dr. Petersen has spent nearly three decades using rhythm to inspire unity, mental wellness, and leadership across nations. Together with his wife Antoinette and children Danno and Robyn, he embodies strong family values and faith-driven service through the power of music and cultural engagement. He has performed and taught in South Africa, Ghana, Portugal, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, the UK, and the United States — impacting over 70,000 people through interactive drumming, wellness workshops, and educational programs that bridge cultures and generations.
Location
Hosted at
409 Woodbury The Event Space / The Altadena Coalition
409 E Woodbury Rd.
Altadena, California United States 91001
When
–
