Benefit Event Celebrates Science with Ohlone Flavors & Engaging Talks

On November 6, hundreds of guests gathered for Champagne Supernova: A Benefit for The Lawrence Hall of Science with Ignite Talks, an evening designed to bring adults into the same joyful experience of learning that animates the science center every day.

Visitors were welcomed with the first-ever public tasting from the upcoming ‘ammatka Cafe, introduced by Cafe Ohlone co-founders and ‘ottoy Initiative leaders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino. As guests sampled Ohlone-inspired dishes, Medina described what it meant to debut the cafe in this setting.

“We see this beautiful view of the Golden Gate and the fog pouring in this evening,” he told the crowd. “The sun sets. We know that when the sun rises tomorrow, every day, we see more and more restoration, more and more repair happening around us when young people who come here are able to learn about our culture in Ohlone-led ways.”

Trevino added that The Lawrence’s commitment to integrating Ohlone culture is something worth honoring. 

“The Lawrence has stood steadfast to include Ohlone culture in this place,” he said, “never flinching, but in fact, working to add more. This right here is something to celebrate.”

Guests then moved into the theater for a lively program of “lightning talks,” each precisely five minutes long with slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds. The Lawrence collaborated with Ignite San Francisco to create a “science variety show” that matched the breadth of scientific inquiry with the diversity of The Lawrence’s science center offerings.

From The Lawrence’s own Head of Sponsored Projects Tim Ereneta sharing his science origin story to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researcher Tanny Chavez discussing her work in artificial intelligence, each speaker used their time to spark curiosity and offer a window into cutting-edge science while highlighting  the important work happening at The Lawrence. Talks featured the science behind fire in California, neuroscience and genetics, biotechnology, and particle physics.

One of the most memorable moments came from high school scientist Vinan Adhikesavan, a participant in The Lawrence’s East Bay Academy for Young Scientists (EBAYS). Speaking on the dangers of lead contamination, he opened with a striking reminder: 

“Humans have been using lead for almost 8,000 years, and we’ve known it’s been dangerous for about 3,000 of them. So why have we kept using it despite knowing the dangers, and how has this recklessness impacted us and our communities today?”

Vinan went on to describe how he and fellow EBAYS researchers collected soil samples in West Oakland and Piedmont as part of the Community Lead Research Lab, finding that estimated lead exposure for infants was 800% higher in areas with low grass coverage compared to areas with high coverage. His findings demonstrated not just the severity of environmental injustices in local communities, but also the extraordinary impact youth scientists can make when given support, mentorship, and the opportunity to pursue meaningful research.

Another highlight of the evening came from Director Rena Dorph, who offered an inspiring look at The Lawrence’s reach and mission in her talk, “The Lawrence – By the Numbers.”

“Our work happens in many different places, here at our UC Berkeley science center, out in schools, communities, parks, and more across the U.S. and around the globe,” she told the audience. “We want every kid to be a scientific thinker. Our impact, how our work transforms kids and communities, is a story not only told by individuals but also by the numbers of people we reach.”

Dorph shared that The Lawrence will have welcomed 150,000 visitors by year’s end, including 30,000 who attended free of charge, as part of the museum’s commitment to ensuring children have access to high-quality science learning. More than 20,000 Bay Area students learn with The Lawrence through field trips annually, over 1,000 teens participate in research programs, Lawrence On-the-Go vans reached more than 66,000 people last year, and Lawrence-designed curricula are used by more than 7 million students nationwide — one in five public schoolchildren in the United States. Since its founding, The Lawrence’s programs and curricula have reached more than 250 million people around the world. 

“If that many people formed a nation,” Dorph said, “it would be the fifth largest in the world.”

Throughout the evening, guests also watched video interviews with summer campers and teen research participants who shared stories of discovery, experimentation, and the moments at The Lawrence that made them feel curious, capable, and inspired. Their voices offered a glimpse into what young visitors experience every day: that science is not distant or abstract, but alive, welcoming, and something they can do with confidence.

As the night drew to a close, the community rallied together around a  fundraising call-to-action, raising over $300,000 to support The Lawrence’s programs. The incredible generosity of sponsors, patrons, and donors uplifts The Lawrence’s work to make science learning joyful and empowering for all.

By the time the final guests drifted out into the cool Berkeley night, Champagne Supernova had delivered exactly what it set out to do: celebrate science, celebrate community, and celebrate the bright future being built through curiosity, creativity, and collective support at The Lawrence.