Board of Directors

Matthew is a Creative and Product Executive with 20+ years of experience building internet startup businesses as a founder, developer, designer, product manager and business leader.  He currently works at Adobe as Sr. Product Director for the Creative Cloud.  He holds an MFA in studio art from JFK University’s Art & Consciousness department, exhibited his paintings professionally and taught UX design at Bay Area Colleges.  He has been involved in the performing arts throughout his life as a writer, director, actor, designer, producer and now board member.  He was the co-founder of the immersive theatre group Odyssey Works and has a BA in theatre from Northwestern University.  He lives in Mill Valley with his wife Liz and their 2 children, for whom he performs a puppet show almost every morning.

Josh Rafner is an investment banker and venture investor with more than 30 years of experience advising and financing high-growth technology companies in the U.S. and Europe. He is the founder and CEO of Ridgecrest Capital Partners, a boutique advisory firm providing merger and acquisition and fundraising advisory services for technology and other growth companies globally.  Prior to founding Ridgecrest, Mr. Rafner was a Senior Managing Director at Bear Stearns with primary responsibility for that firm’s global mobile internet and wireless software banking effort. Josh also spent nine years at Hambrecht & Quist, where he was head of International Investment Banking. While at H & Q, Mr. Rafner opened that firm’s London office, founded a Paris-based investment bank known as Hambrecht & Quist Euromarkets and served as its CEO, and co-founded the firm’s Tel Aviv strategic alliance, Tamir Fishman. Mr. Rafner has advised on innumerable public and private M&A transactions and has managed dozens of IPOs and follow-on financings for technology companies, including offerings on the European markets. Mr. Rafner has been an investor in technology companies and venture funds, and has been a director or advisory board member of many companies. Mr. Rafner is also an attorney, and practiced for 7 years with the international firm of O’Melveny & Myers, where his work included mergers and acquisitions, securities law and restructurings. Mr. Rafner served as a law clerk to Chief U.S. District Judge Frank A. Kaufman in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mr. Rafner graduated from Princeton University, where he was awarded the Pyne Prize, Princeton’s highest undergraduate distinction, and earned his degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He is also a graduate of Stanford Law School, where he was an editor of the Stanford Law Review. In addition, Mr. Rafner pursued graduate studies at Stockholm University, Sweden as a Fulbright Scholar, and at Oxford University, England.

Among Mr. Rafner’s community and non-profit activities, he currently serves as a Trustee of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a Trustee of the Marin Symphony, and a board member of the Marin Cultural Association.  He is also the Founder and President of the Ralston White Retreat Foundation in Mill Valley, California, and is a co-founder and past board member of the Kentfield-Greenbrae Historical Society.   He is a past President of the Kent Woodlands Property Owners Association.  Mr. Rafner is also the current president of the Marin Rowing Association. 

Barbara Roberts was the majority owner and served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of Wright Engineered Plastics, a local manufacturing company.  Prior to purchasing Wright she was an investment banker, a Chief Financial Officer of a venture funded startup, and held various audit and tax positions at Deloitte.  She has been an active mentor for engineering and business students at both Cal and Stanford.  

Ms. Roberts served on the Boards of Directors for Motion Analysis Corporation and the Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary.  She has been Treasurer and Project Manager for Engineers without Borders, President of the Silicon Valley Engineering Council, President of the Society of Plastic Engineers, Chair of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and a trustee of Golden Gate University.

Ms. Roberts received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from UC Berkeley, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and a Masters in Taxation from Golden Gate University.

Wendy Feng is an attorney at Covington & Burling LLP in San Francisco, representing corporate policyholders in insurance coverage claims. She has lived in Mill Valley for more than two decades, and has been attending plays at the Marin Theatre Company for nearly as long.  Wendy is the past Co-President of the Board of Directors of FACES SF, a non-profit organization in San Francisco that provides early childhood development, workforce training, and family support services to low-income families in the City of San Francisco.  She is a graduate of Harvard-Radcliffe College and Harvard Law School.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, longtime resident of Mill Valley, graduate of Tamalpais High School. 

San Francisco State University, Bachelor of Arts – Theater Arts; San Jose State University – Master’s in Library and Information Science. San Francisco Public Librarian/Branch Manager. 

Co-Chair of the Mill Valley - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. City of Mill Valley, Managers’ Working Group (DEI). Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival – Board. Perspectives: Past Present Future _ Community Building Art Installation/Project – Mill Valley; Spread Love - events supporting artists and makers. 

Professionally and personally committed to celebrating cultural, ethnic and racial diversity, utilizing community engagement, implementing raw ideas, creative collaboration, open communication, and employing "space" as a vehicle to obtain access, create belonging and achieve equity for all.   

Kipp was a lawyer and lived in Hong Kong and Taiwan for 17 years. Most of that time was spent as Legal Counsel for Dupont China Limited, covering Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. When Kipp returned to the States in 1997, she continued to practice law for a few years and then obtained a secondary school teaching certificate in English, as well as a certificate in College Admissions Counseling.  She pursued this work for more than a decade.  Kipp joined the founders of 142 Throckmorton Theater, helping to establish the non-profit and serving as its President and on the Board of Directors until 2006. Kipp has also served on the Board of the Mill Valley Library and on various education and arts committees at The Branson School and San Francisco University High School.  Kipp has been a member of MTC's Board of Directors since 2009 and served as Vice-President and Secretary of the Company.  Kipp currently chairs MTC's Committee of Directors.

Doug Frazier is a business executive with over 30 years of experience. He has significant  professional and practical experience in managing operational, financial and corporate strategic  issues, including overseeing marketing and product development, risk management, human  resources and compliance.  

Recently Doug was the Chairman and cofounder of Safehub Inc from 2016 to 2021. Safehub is a  technology focused company providing data and services to corporations generating a digital  history of buildings to measure the risk and damage to buildings before and after catastrophic  events. 

Prior to starting Safehub, Doug was cofounder, Chairman and CEO of EQE International, a global  company with 750 employees and 30 offices. EQE worked with insurance companies and  brokers, Fortune 1000 companies and governments around the world to manage catastrophic  risk. Over a period of 20 years, Doug transformed EQE from an engineering consulting business  to the leading internationally recognized catastrophic risk management and the third largest  independent risk management company in the US. 

In addition, he was cofounder, Chairman and CEO of EQECAT. EQECAT is a software company  providing catastrophic risk management services and software to major corporations,  governments and the insurance and financial industries worldwide. It is now owned by  CoreLogic. Doug also was Chairman and CEO of EQE Holdings, Inc., a specialty earthquake  insurance broker and reinsurance company, headquartered in California and Bermuda  respectively.  

He holds a B.A. degree in finance from the University of Miami. 

Denmo Ibrahim (she / her)

Denmo is an American actor, writer, and entrepreneur of Egyptian descent. In addition to performing at many regional theaters including local houses such as ACT, Berkeley Rep, The Old Globe, and MTC, she is also the CEO & Founder of Earthbody, an award winning organic day spa in San Francisco. She has lived in Mill Valley for ten years and currently resides in Brooklyn.

Jennifer is an Executive Producer specializing in corporate events for Fortune 100 companies throughout the United States and internationally.  

Jennifer is the Founder and President of Glasshouse Productions, a production and creative services Agency serving the Tech industry for live events and product launches.  Additionally, she is the Managing Director & Executive Producer of Byron Supper Club, a theatrical cabaret production company she co-founded in Byron Bay, Australia. 

Before moving to Marin a decade ago, Jennifer was a resident of New York City since the late 1990’s where she debuted her US theatre career on Broadway supporting the opening of “Annie Get your Gun” starring Bernadette Peters.  Prior to moving to New York City, Jennifer, an Australian was a member of the original company of Cameron Mackintosh’s production of “Phantom of the Opera” in Sydney Australia from 1994 – 1996. 

Throughout her 25+ years career, Jennifer has worked intimately in all matters of production for live events, concert production and theatre, touring the world as a Producer.   She holds a B. A. in Theatre Production from the University of New South Wales, Australia. 

Jennifer is a proud member of MTC and honored to serve her community by supporting the development and continued growth of exceptional regional theatre.

Vera has worked in concert touring, property management and construction management.  She has a business degree from San Francisco State University. Vera currently serves on the advisory board of the Mill Valley Library Foundation and was a board member 5 years, board chair 2 years, founded the fundraiser ~ Beyond The Book Bash ~ and chaired it for 3 years.  She is a founding member of How Women Give / How Women Lead.  Vera was also on the board of the Environmental Forum of Marin as the Director of Membership.  She has volunteered with a number of other organizations, as well as, the schools her 2 children attended growing up in Marin. Vera and her husband, Ken, have been subscribers and supporters of MTC for 24 years. Vera has been on the MTC board since 2018.

Stacy Scott is the owner of Stacy Scott Catering. 

Tara has experience in government, politics, and has been involved with philanthropic efforts in theater, education, and international affairs. She most recently owned the political consulting firm of T. Sullivan and Co. It specialized in providing public school districts with the essential tools to prepare for and successfully pass parcel tax and bond measures. She has also held positions with the United Nations Association, U.S. Small Business Administration, and as Director of Federal Relations for Columbia University. She has held leadership positions on the Belvedere-Tiburon Recreation Committee, several Tufts University Fundraising and Admissions Committees, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs Alumni Organization, and has served on the Boards of the Marin Theatre Company and the American Conservatory Theater MFA Program. 

Tara received her bachelors in Political Science from Tufts University and completed a master’s degree in Public Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She also studied at the London School of Economics.

A Marin realtor for 20 years, Penny currently lives in Mill Valley and has served in leadership positions across numerous non-profit boards throughout Marin County. Some of her most memorable volunteer opportunities include: Serving on the board of the National Charity League for 3 years, a community service-based organization for mothers and their daughters in grades 7-12 and was invited to join the board as a director for the Northern California chapter;  She was the Reed School PTA President and served on the Foundation for 2 terms focusing on getting the parcel tax passed; She was a board member for the Tiburon Peninsula Soccer League, Girl Scout leader, President of the Paradise Cay Homeowners Association where she successfully worked with Charles McGlashan and Gary Giacomini on the Environmental Impact Report for Paradise Cay; Penny also worked at Suicide Prevention, The Marin Food Bank, Mrs. Terwilliger's Nature Center as a nature guide and later, a fundraiser for her foundation. Penny found joy working on her kids’ school plays and assisting in their classrooms and on their field trips. Penny holds a business degree from the University of Connecticut, raised 4 children and is the proud grandmother of a 4 1/2-year-old and a 3-year-old. Penny’s experience and passion is in development.