COMMUNITY EVENTCREATIVE OFF-SITE
Civic Futures of Care
A portal into civic care in SF. Mindful clean-up of city spaces, creative contemplation, interactive art reflections, & guided meditation.
FULL-SERVICE CREATIVE EVENTS PARTNER
Experience Design for Connection & Belonging
200+ artful gatherings, activations, exhibits, launch experiences, workshops, celebrations, & more!
01 / For companies
From “we should do something” to holy sh*t, that was awesome.
We design gatherings that move people. From story-forward brand launches to one-of-a-kind team experiences and community activations, Tomatokind creates meaningful events that spark connection, shift perspectives, inspire action, and leave a lasting impression.
01 / Start with the why
Share the purpose of your gathering, who it’s for, and what you hope people walk away with.
02 / Build the experience
We design and iterate the concept, format, flow, and details of the entire experience, ensuring it reflects your intentions and feels distinctly yours.
03 / Make it happen
We coordinate every moving piece and help facilitate day-of so that you can focus on the people, not your production spreadsheet.
Browse our latest faves.
COMMUNITY EVENTBRAND ACTIVATIONTiny Lessons From Obits
A strangely joyful gathering about death: uncovering the tiny, unexpected ways people lived meaningful lives and letting those stories reflect us back to ourselves.
COMMUNITY EVENTBRAND ACTIVATIONRoller Babes
Vibrant skate social fueled by DJ sets, rollerblading, custom skate art, and communal mural-painting.
NETWORKING EXPERIENCECREATIVE OFF-SITENurturing Creative Vitality
An immersive outdoor workshop and adventure connecting creatives with each other and rediscovering a sense of possibility on Mount Tamalpais, CA.
NETWORKING EXPERIENCECOMMUNITY EVENTLunch with Creatives
A carefully curated lunch meetup for multi-disciplinary creatives to connect professionally while being inspired by diverse culinary artistry.
CUSTOM WORKSHOPBRAND ACTIVATIONPossibilities Club
A workshop guiding guests through a mix of playful prompts, light improv, and journaling to map their next chapter
CUSTOM WORKSHOPTEAM-BONDINGSummer Vision-boarding
A fun, crafty, summertime visualization practice for self-reflection and team-bonding.
NETWORKING EXPERIENCECOMMUNITY EVENTCreative Picnic
A relaxed picnic for multidisciplinary creatives to connect and inspire each other over fresh salads and grilled peaches.
“It was a truly fantastic event! Thank you Vanessa for all the work you put into curating a gathering that brought so many wonderful people together. My closing word was “inspired” because it left my cup feeling very full. Can’t wait for the next!”
Past clients + collaborators
Whose dreams we've brought to life.
“I don’t think I would’ve attempted this event without Tomatokind. Vanessa coordinated details seamlessly with vendors, provided insightful creative guidance every step of the way, and expertly facilitated the evening with grace and good humor. It’s not just butts in chairs. Tomatokind brings much more.”
Bring your vision to life.
02 / For creatives
Hello multi-passionate creatives!
Tomatokind is a community of artists, curious souls, entrepreneurs, storytellers, shopkeepers, & multi-disciplined creatives with dreams of launching passion projects from their notes app into the world, and doing so alongside other non-linear-life-path friends.
01 / Get inspired
Tomatokind Magazine
Interviews, live events, tiny experiments, workshops, and personal essays by and for creatives walking nonlinear paths that help you actually do the thing.
Read and subscribe02 / Work with me
Creativity Coaching Experience
A pilot 1:1 coaching program designed for individuals to overcome mental blocks, infuse imagination back into their life and career, and unlock their creative joy.
Book a free discovery call03 / Listen
The Possibilities Club Podcast
Oftentimes, it can be a challenge to feel seen in our multitudes. The Possibilities Club Podcast is a field-notes-styled audio docuseries featuring multi-passionate creatives around the world. Builders who sell out magic shows. Lawyers who teach mindfulness. Engineers who start preschools. It's a permission slip to pursue joy through your own creative journey.
Coming soon - stay tuned!“Vanessa does an incredible job bringing together like-minded people and facilitating substantive, transformative events that leave you inspired and waiting to attend the next one.”
Join Tomatokind's newsletter!
03 / About us
Vanessa Li / founder
Vanessa Li
Vanessa Li (she/her) is a Bay Area-based storyteller, events producer, & coach who designs intentional experiences to make you feel seen, inspired, and connected.
Her background in public health and design research helps her understand and support diverse communities to thrive through artful gatherings. Above all, she has a fierce curiosity for the real, unfiltered stories that never make it to LinkedIn (but connect us all).
Fun facts
My favorite ice-breaker question: If your entire job/ role/ industry ceased to exist tomorrow, what would you do?
My favorite project: Writing a biography of my dad (which is still in progress). Not to be dramatic, but it’s changing my life.
I’m surprisingly bad at …cooking rice. And yes, I know I should stop using a pot and start using a rice cooker. And no, the finger method is not fool-proof. Or, I’m a fool.
Most frequently received compliment: Talking to you always motivates and inspires me to live life more fully.
What I’m afraid of: my parents dying.
If you walked into my world right now… you’d be greeted with Broadway showtunes on full-blast and my 100-lb Great Pyrenees (and his snowstorm of fur) by my side.
Serious facts
Where my events production career began: when I was 5. I was that only child who had a very serious list of activities, games, and facilitated conversations planned for when my cousins visited for the holidays. A full programming schedule that was probably wildly over-engineered.
Latest roles before launching a creative business: Epidemiologist and Service Designer shaping federal policies and programs serving people experiencing homelessness, at-risk youth, individuals with disabilities, first responders, patients and caregivers, & under-resourced minority groups.
Graduated from: University of Southern California with a BS in Public Policy + minors in Business Economics & Global Health; University of Washington with a Masters in Public Health.
Languages I speak: Native speaker of English/ Cantonese/ Mandarin, and learner of Spanish and Malayalam.
“There’s no words to describe just how much I appreciate Vanessa’s amazing communication and organization. She coordinates every little detail that makes an event special. Working with Tomatokind was such a seamless process from start to finish, and an absolute delight!”
04 / Get in touch
Talk to a Tomatokind Experience Designer
We design gatherings that move people. Let's bring your vision to life!