Act 2 at Alisal

Award-winning journalist Deborah Vankin pivoted from covering art and culture to pursuing her own well-being for the L.A. Times. She writes about about fitness in midlife, cutting edge spa and self-care experiences, longevity, anxiety, intergenerational friendships and other issues. Expect to hear what works – and what doesn’t – in the pursuit of health and happiness.

Dr. Manuela Maria Vazquez-Whitledge is an OB/GYN and the founder of LaMaria, a luxury skin-care line for women going through hormonal changes. “There’s been such taboo and shame around aging. Thankfully, the beauty industry is shifting,” she says of the surge in products formulated for women of all ages. Her plant-based feminine moisturizer and facial hydrating cream, made with estrogen-based plant nutrients, have been featured in Vogue and The Wall Street Journal. Dr. Vazquez-Whitledge join us to talk about how to have better sex.

Dr. Jessica Wu is a renowned L.A.-based cosmetic & clinical dermatologist in independent practice who makes house calls to Hollywood movie sets. She’s also the founder and CEO of Residen, a health technology company that uses AI and automation to make medical visits easier for physicians and patients. Dr. Wu, a Harvard grad, joins us to talk about smart skincare and bio-rejuvenation or harnessing our body’s own regenerative powers to heal, revive and possibly even rewind.

Trisha Cole loves to bring people together. For the last 20 years or so, she has worked with hospitality clients (think food, hotels, travel destinations) to help them garner media coverage, develop partnerships, and create unique guest experiences. Before that, she was in the editorial department at Bon Appétit magazine. Trisha has recently written a book that’s a bit of a memoir, and more than anything a guidebook to good living entitled Life at the Dumpling. Trisha lives with her husband and two daughters in a dumpling of a house on a hill in East Los Angeles.