Dispatches from Boston’s Swankiest Parties
Celebrating 10 years of Vanessa Kerry's Seed Global Health. Plus, Horsing Around at the Mandarin and Boston's very own Taste.
Beacon Hill beauty Biz Morris with Queen of the ‘Quin House Courtney Forrester, former radio star Sue Brady Hartigan, socialite Julie Gordon, and force of nature/Globe CEO Linda Pizzuti Henry at Seed Global Health’s 10-year anniversary party. / Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Seed Global Health
10-Year Anniversary Celebration
InterContinental Boston
November 7, 2022
“Teach a man to fish…” might as well be the tagline of Seed Global Health, which celebrated its 10th anniversary with a gala at the InterContinental, attracting a gorgeous, gorgeously dressed throng. The organization embeds certified medical professionals in Africa to teach their local counterparts the skills needed to treat persistent public health problems, with the especially nifty plus that doctors and nurses who participate have their medical/nursing school debt forgiven through the federal government.
That prompted one guest to wonder whether they might not do the same for his Harvard MBA, to which his wife responded, “I don’t think Malawi needs any finance bros.”
Front and center were Seed founder Vanessa Kerry and her husband, brilliant brain surgeon Brian Nahed, as well as éminence grise John Kerry (Vanessa’s father), who lent gravitas to the center table and was surrounded by his adorable grandchildren. The auctioneer, Harry Santa-Olalla, jumped around, encouraging bids and raising oodles of money, and the evening was a roaring success, with one minor exception: One precocious 11-year-old pointed out, “The DJ has disastrous taste in music. This is an acoustic version of a good song, and they’re butchering it.”
Also overheard among the guests: “She looks absolutely great!”
“That’s because that’s not her.”
WCVB anchor Erika Tarantal poses with interior design phenom Erin Gates. / Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Seed founder Vanessa Kerry with World Education Services CEO and executive director Esther Benjamin. / Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Auctioneer Harry Santa-Olalla working the room. / Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images
The Consul-General of South Africa in New York, Motumisi Tawana (right), accepts an award on behalf of the president of South Africa from Bonaventure Ahaisibwe, Seed Global Health’s regional director for innovation and strategy. / Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Horsing Around at the Mandarin
Mandarin Oriental, Boston
November 5, 2022
After a two-year hiatus, the black-tie gala made a triumphant return, raising money for inclusive and adaptive riding and other therapeutic programs at the nonprofit Bina Farm Center in Lexington.
Cheesing for the camera with trader Patrick Burek, entrepreneur Taylor Meyer, Boston lifestyle editor Tonya Mezrich, luxury-travel expert Tiffany Dowd, and her handsome other half JB. / Photo by Pierce Harman
Bestseller machine Ben Mezrich with car czar Ernie Boch Jr., who bid $25,000 to have dinner with the author during the auction. / Photo by Pierce Harman
Baseball exec Larry Lucchino with Coryn and Babak Bina. / Photo by Pierce Harman
A six-way tie for most beautiful at Horsing Around at the Mandarin: Interiors Boston publisher Shannon Pastuszak, Bina Farm Center cofounder Coryn Bina, Boston Casting founder Angela Peri, clinical therapist Emma Pickard, management consultant Adriana Mendes-Sheldon, and interior designer Lisa Davis. / Photo by Pierce Harman
Taste
November 1, 2022
SoWa Power Station
Boston magazine (yes, that’s us) celebrated the launch of the Top 50 Restaurants issue with its annual Taste event, which brought together more than 20 local eateries and more than 1,300 guests to raise money for the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare.
Grill 23 & Bar’s executive chef Ryan Marcoux proves that handsome and talented are not mutually exclusive traits. / Photo by Melissa Ostrow
Boston’s very own goddess of all things food-related, Rachel Leah Blumenthal. / Photo by Melissa Ostrow
Tyger Productions tricked out the SoWa Power Station in epic style for the annual event. / Photo by Melissa Ostrow
Boston super-fans Lynne and Gary Smith never fail to bring the fun. / Photo by Melissa Ostrow
Stop screaming already—insanely gifted chef Douglass Williams has your ice cream! / Photo by Melissa Ostrow
First published in the print edition of the January 2023 issue, with the headline “Out of the Mouths of Babes.”
