Thinker Thursday
Creative Rounds

Megan DiSabatino

The healing and visual arts have been central to Megan’s life and work. Raised in a family of yogis and artists, she grew up in an environment where creativity and consciousness were deeply valued. More than 25 years ago, Megan followed a calling that led her to Australia, where she immersed herself in the study of sound healing, yoga, and energy work. Sound is one of the oldest forms of healing across cultures, with traditions tracing back thousands of years, including the ancient tonal and rhythmic practices of Indigenous communities in Australia. Megan’s work is informed by this global lineage and her ongoing exploration of higher frequencies and the healing arts. Her journey has taken her across the world—from the spiritual landscapes of India to the sacred environments of Bali—before returning to the United States, where she has taught in San Francisco, New York City, and now in her hometown of Aspen.

Learn More

Sam Harvey

Sam Harvey is a ceramic artist in Aspen, CO. Sam received his MFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2001. His work is included in many public and private collections, including the American Museum of Ceramic Art in California and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. He is the owner and director of Harvey Preston Gallery in Aspen. He received the prestigious 2019 USA Fellowship Award, recognizing the most compelling artists working and living in the United States

Learn More

Lisa Kohlhepp

Lisa Kohlhepp is an end-of-life doula and educator based in Aspen, Colorado. She is certified through the International End-of-Life Doula Association and the Conscious Dying Collective. Lisa provides grounded, non-medical, holistic support to individuals and families navigating illness, caregiving, and the final stages of life. Through compassionate guidance, she creates space for honest, meaningful conversations about death and dying, helping people reflect on what matters most and approach life’s end with intention and clarity. By acknowledging life’s finitude, Lisa believes we are better able to live more fully and purposefully in the present.

Learn More

William Lanzillo

Studio Coordinator, Sculpture

William Lanzillo is the Studio Coordinator of Sculpture at Anderson Ranch. He is a sculptor whose work includes objects, performances, and interactive experiences. He recently earned an MFA in Sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Learn More

Alan Nelson

Dr. Alan A. Nelson is a psychiatrist based in Carbondale, Colorado, with more than 20 years of clinical experience. He earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and maintains a private practice serving patients in both Carbondale and Aspen. Dr. Nelson also serves as Medical Director of Behavioral Health Services at Aspen Valley Hospital. In this role, he provides staff education on psychiatric care, develops and implements treatment protocols to support timely and effective care, offers psychiatric consultation during crisis situations, and helps coordinate patient transfer and admission to appropriate treatment facilities.

Learn More

Greg Van Wagner

Greg Van Wagner grew up in central Pennsylvania racing road bikes. After a sponsorship took him to Boulder, Colorado—cycling’s U.S. hub—he landed a job with Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey at Frasca Food & Wine. It was there Greg’s passion for wine and great dining took shape. From that moment, he shifted his focus from pedal power to palate power. At Jimmy’s, an Aspen institution of 25 years, Greg had carte blanche to develop his skills and an award- winning wine program. From 2014 to 2021, he expanded the wine list to 1000 selections, receiving numerous local and national awards. In 2018, he passed the notoriously difficult Master Sommelier exam on his first attempt, earning the highest score and the prestigious Krug Cup. Most recently, he built the entire wine and beverage program for a new restaurant, Parc Aspen, from scratch. In its first year under his direction, the 1300-selection list won a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, and Greg was named Aspen’s Best Sommelier. Taking advantage of Aspen’s off-seasons, Greg has dedicated the last 12 years to spending two months annually traveling to the world’s premier wine and spirits regions. In 2020, Greg expanded into wine production by launching Ajax Cellars in partnership with winemakers in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and Colorado’s Western Slope. The inspiration for founding SommGeo came from a desire to better communicate the sense of place and style of any wine region worldwide and to understand it more intuitively than text alone can provide. By leveraging his expertise through SommGeo’s unique GIS mapping technology, Greg has become a key speaker at events like the Colorado Wine Fest and national series for Somm Journal and the “Beneath Beaujolais” campaign, using the platform to bring wine geography to life.

Learn More