When Culture Kitchen co-founder Abby Sturges explained that “cooking is a form of love and sharing,” I realized what I’ll be (belatedly) gifting friends for the day ‘o love. Between shipping packages of ingredients and recipes, she explained how the SF-based startup is looking to spread culture and cooking skills through food. Sturges and fellow designer Jennifer Lopez initially set out to offer in-person cooking classes between master cooks looking to support their families and customers eager to make their own tasty ethnic meals. To more widely translate the class experience of making, say, Green Gourd Stir Fry (Bí Xào Với Trứng), the pair now sells “culinary explorer packages” to a customer base beyond the seven by seven. If you’ve ever been frustrated by the run around required to get the necessary ingredients for a new dish (or shied away completely, as I have), the monthly subscription box could be just what the appetite ordered.

This year our d.school Design Garage team “The Presence Project” will be focusing on this issue exactly, and I couldn’t be more excited about the work. If you’re also interested in mindfulness and multitasking, the New York Times and Slate have run thoughtful pieces this week and there’s lots of dialogue at #calmingtech.

“[Our society] tells girls that they can be intelligent, but shouldn’t make others feel intimidated by their smarts,” Simmons said. “Yes, you can be active, but you better be sexy and skinny while you do it.” These messages don’t just impact girls social lives–they affect assertion and earnings in the workplace later in life.

Simmons stresses the importance of women helping girls strengthen their “inner resumes,” and Claire’s eloquence after participating in the teen leadership work is captivating. You can see their great collaborative talk in its entirety here. And while you’re at it, don’t dare miss V-Girl Busisiwe Mkhumbuzi’s reflections on raising girl consciousness and activism in South Africa.

V-Day, the international non-profit that works to end violence against women and girls, released its annual interactive program update today, and the news is nothing if not inspiring. Between projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and work with community activists ranging from teen girls to adult men, you can’t leave the experience and not feel activated about the contributions (and your own).

W2: You’ve just set up shop in San Francisco with 11 very active in-house startups. Why health?
HT: Working at Apple’s App Store and covering health and medical apps confirmed for me that the medical space could use some of the creativity found in other technology segments. I sat next to the woman covering games and realized how motivated the developers were by the chance to build products they love. I wanted to see those same talented developers working on ideas to improve health.

When I went back to graduate school, I started working to understand why the health tech ecosystem is different from other fields. We learned that hospitals wanted access to technology and tech leaders but didn’t have the infrastructure to vet the ideas and founders coming at them. We learned that investors were optimistic about the space. And we found that entrepreneurs new to health wanted access to both hospitals and investors. We decided to start Rock Health to bring these groups together.

The 11 local startups and 20 member startups (which get access to Rock Health resources, but don’t work full-time from the office) have access to the hospital partners for product feedback, trials and evaluations. The hospitals, including Mayo, love it because they get to work with a vetted and high-caliber group of startups. Our VC partners that are more tech focused, like Accel, see health as a vertical for technology to disrupt. And our life-science focused VC partners like Aberdare, see it as a way to expand their portfolio into IT. And in the process I’ve created the best job for myself as managing director.

Healthcare isn’t often seen as the most inviting. What excites you about it, and how did you convey that to get startups and prospective partners interested?
Healthcare can feel stuffy and formal, and we wanted to present ourselves in the Valley with a voice that’s more inspirational (hence taglines like “Do something useful”). Health has a longer feedback loop—especially if a founder needs to test for efficacy—which makes it different from getting instant feedback from friends about a game you’re building.

But this is a quickly moving space and we offer a learning and investment opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to get involved in healthcare. It’s exciting to see the collaboration between top healthcare systems and Silicon Valley technologists, who want to be in the thick of solving problems—that’s the next wave of innovation.

Interested health tech startups can apply for placement in the next Rock Health class this October. Halle is pictured with team Skimble.

“Have a good time saving the world. Otherwise, you’re just going to depress yourself.”

The Brower Center’s call for artist responses to founder David Brower’s inspiration yielded 500 submissions recently, and select works are soon to be gracing the gallery walls. Thursday will see the Berkeley-based opening of hello tomorrow: Bay Area Artists Envision the Future and art that ranges from installations, avant-garde and paintings. Mari Andrews, Claire Brandt and Noah Breuer are among those whose contributions are worth experiencing.

Poster by Wendy MacNaughton.