Kyle Connaughton began his culinary career in L.A. with an apprenticeship at one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in the city and continued training in both pastry and savory at Spago Beverly Hills, The Dining Room at Ritz Carlton, Lucques, Hama Sushi, and A.O.C. This was followed by several years cooking in Japan for the famed chef Michel Bras and in numerous traditional Japanese cuisine restaurants. In 2006, Kyle joined Heston Blumenthal to become the Head Chef of Research and Development for the Fat Duck Experimental Kitchen. He is a contributor to the "Modernist Cuisine" series, a co-developer of the Culinary Science Bachelors Degree program for the CIA, and co-author of the book Donabe - Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking. In 2014 Kyle co-founded the culinary development firm Pilot R+D with Dan Felder, Dr. Ali Bouzari, & Dana Peck.

California native Katina Connaughton and husband Kyle have been together since they met at 15. Katina began her first foray into farming while living in a rural agricultural community in Hokkaido, Japan. She continued culinary gardening on a Victorian estate property in England before moving to Sonoma to complete her coursework in Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture. Katina was greenhouse manager for the Ag Program and Santa Rosa Junior College and has farmed at Davis Family Winery and The Barlow. Katina heads up SingleThread Farm at Dry Creek 24 acre property, greenhouses, heirloom orchards and bee hives well as the foraging program and floral design department.

Tony Greenberg is Co-owner of SingleThread and CEO of Vertice Hospitality Management. An accomplished real estate hospitality developer and entrepreneur, Tony oversees acquisitions, development, and finance for Vertice and leads the executive leadership, operations, and finance teams at SingleThread. Previously, Tony led 4W Venture Partners, a Manhattan-based real estate development and investment firm focused on specialty hospitality and before that was VP of Finance and Development for the Hudson Yards Development Corporation in NYC.

Marley Brown grew up on a farm in southern Illinois where food and farming were always a part of life. She started working in restaurants when she was 16 and she fell in love with the restaurant lifestyle. She graduated from C.I.A. Hyde Park in 2012. Marley started her career working for Sean Brock at McCrady's in Charleston, South Carolina. She then moved to Maine to work for Melissa Kelly, a Chef who has a 5-acre farm and a restaurant. There, Marley cemented her passion for cooking and farming together. Marley has been with SingleThread since 2017.

Chef Alex was born and raised in Southern CA and initially went to University of Texas in Austin to become an Architect. While there he discovered his love for cooking, and pivoted to study at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa, where he received his degree in Culinary Arts. He has studied under multiple talented Chefs, including at Animal in Los Angeles and SPQR in San Francisco. He joined SingleThread in 2017 and while here also earned a grant to the Ment'or Program where he studied sustainability in several Michelin starred restaurants for three months in Europe, including at Bilbao, Paris and Amass in Copenhagen.

Chef Alex has great passion for zero food waste, and is also heavily involved with our Research and Development efforts. He is a wonderful ambassador for SingleThread's culture and our mission.

Growing up in Hawaii was an early influence on Emma’s interest in hospitality and farming- she saw firsthand how conscientious agriculture and cultural education provided a sense of stewardship to the community. Learning that relationship between food and tradition led Emma to later pursue a career in restaurants across California while earning a degree in languages and communications. During years of working, Emma committed to attend the CIA at Greystone and graduated the baking & pastry program. After moving to New Orleans to work under Nina Compton at Compère Lapin, Emma returned to Northern California and started with SingleThread Farms in 2017. She now works to combine the Connaughton’s mindful ethos and her passion for food science within the pastry department. 

Chef Johnny Gnall grew up outside Washington, D.C. and earned a bachelor's degree in English at Colgate University, before leaving the world of academia to pursue his passion for the culinary arts. After attending the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, he spent nearly a decade living in the city and gaining experience in fine dining, catering, corporate catering, and events.

In 2013, he and his wife, Julia, who is also a chef, moved to Sonoma County to help open Healdsburg's SHED and grow their family. They started their own catering company, J Squared Catering, before Johnny went on to hold Executive Chef roles at Michel Schlumberger winery in Dry Creek Valley, and then Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville. Coming full circle, he helped open Little Saint in the former SHED space, leading the kitchen as Executive Sous Chef. As Chef of Events at SingleThread, Johnny is thrilled to be bringing his passion and experience to such an exceptional team, and to deliver the magic of SingleThread to exceptional venues near and far.

Growing up on a ranch in the high plains of Colorado instilled in John an awe for the natural world. John learned the hospitality business at an early age and translated these lessons to a fascination with food and service. In 2009, upon graduating from culinary school in Hyde Park, John found himself at Alinea restaurant in Chicago. He had nearly a decade to grow with the Alinea group as a sommelier, wine director, general manager, and assistant director of operations.

Missing the blue skies of his youth, John and his partner Carin, along with their food fascinated dog Yuki, began looking for a place that felt like home. They found exactly that in the amazing community that Katina, Kyle, and Tony foster so earnestly in Healdsburg. John’s role allows him to leverage his extensive experience in service and operations over the years, as well as his time overseeing development for some of SingleThread's new projects since joining the group in 2020.

Chris McFall spent his formative years working in restaurants and studying wine in Austin, Texas. His passion for wine and hospitality was forged while working at a small family-owned restaurant in Austin, turning a one page wine program into a wine destination.  

In 2012, Chris was named ‘Best New Sommelier’ by Wine and Spirits Magazine, an industry peer-based poll.  Continuing his thirst for knowledge with a wanderlust spirit, Chris took an opportunity to join the wine team at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, a Grand Award winning program inHouston, Texas. 

Additionally, he managed and developed award winning programs at the 2 Michelin Starred Lazy Bear in San Francisco.  In Spring of 2020, Chris joined the Sommelier team at SingleThread, quickly taking on the role of Head Sommelier and in September 2022, Wine Director.

Julien found his passion for hospitality and beverage where he grew up in Vermont. Wine became the best medium to connect to people from all walks of life and he soon found himself on an adventure to the West Coast pursuing this passion. After a brief time working at a California-exclusive wine bar, he and his wife Natalie - who is also on our Floral Design team - found themselves packing their bags for a new adventure in Sonoma.

After working a harvest and vineyard surveying for North Coast Wine Co. in 2018 he worked a number of hospitality-fueled positions at Coursey Graves Winery, Arista, and Lambert Bridge before joining the SingleThread team in 2022. 

Chris grew up in Chicago and majored in Accounting at the University of Missouri. Upon his return to Chicago he pivoted and began his career in Food & Beverage where he discovered his passion for wine - initiating a move to Napa in 2012. During his time in Napa, he worked St. Helena harvests in the course of the next few years, while also furthering his career in Restaurants.

Chris became a Certified Sommelier in 2013, and worked at La Toque, The French Laundry, and landed in SingleThread in 2018. Chris has held multiple roles here - from being a Captain, Dining Room Manager, Sommelier and now Restaurant Manager. He married in Napa and spends as much time with his two kids and family as possible. 

As SingleThread's Director of Hospitality, Akeel is responsible for continuing to always refine our guest experience, leverage his long SingleThread tenure to train our team members and ensuring that our level of hospitality always continues to wow our guests. 

Akeel studied Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona and participated in several internship programs that initially took him to Yosemite’s renowned Awahnee. At the age of 21 Akeel became a Certified Sommelier through the prestigious Guild of Master Sommeliers. He went on to become Assistant Manager at Chef Michael Mina’s RN74 in San Francisco and helped the Mina Group develop multiple restaurant projects. He later became Senior Manager at Chef David Barzelay’s Michelin two-starred Lazy Bear where he would develop its entire service program. In 2016 Akeel moved to Healdsburg to be a part of the SingleThread opening team. His passion for service, hospitality and excellence has been a vital part of making SingleThread successful. 

Haley Callahan is a Healdsburg native. Her endless curiosity for adventure lends a hand to the curated concierge services offered to every inn and restaurant guest.

As Inn & Guest Experience Director, Haley and her team strive to create memorable experiences for our Inn guests. From coordinating in-room dining or a tour of Sonoma County wine regions, to relaxing on property with one of our house made snacks, Haley lends a hand to the invisible details that shine when your special moment appears.

Jacob grew up on Santa Barbara's beautiful coastline and as he traveled the world from a young age, cultivated an early appreciation for hospitality and all things culinary. He began his career with the Four Seasons group, at The Biltmore, Santa Barbara, before landing in wine country. After spending 3+ years leading front of house operations at Hotel Les Mars, part of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux, Jacob joined the SingleThread team in 2019 and currently oversees guest communications and reservations. 

Born on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, and having matured as an entrepreneur in Southern California, Molly now proudly call Sonoma County her home. For over two decades, she had the privilege of founding and operating her own company where she specialized as an animal behaviorist. In 2015, she made a significant life change by relocating to the beautiful valleys of Sonoma County. As a result of her pivot, she embarked on a fulfilling journey within the wine and hospitality industry.

Also a wine maker and connaisseur, Molly thrives when orchestrating impeccable experiences for our guests. She is a warm and approachable people-person with an unwavering passion for animals and an unbridled enthusiasm for wine.

As Director of Events and Strategic Partnerships Zach manages all SingleThread events. From curating and developing retreats and celebrations on property, to producing unique and out of the box dinners in incredible locations, Zach looks forward to creating your private dinner. Prior to joining SingleThread, Zach was the General Manager at Henry’s Fork Lodge, a luxury fly-fishing lodge in Idaho. Additionally his background includes producing incredible events for Paula LeDuc Fine Catering and dreaming up and managing guided expeditions throughout the world for adventure travel company Adventures Cross-Country.

After 15 years working in many facets of the industry, Jacquie joined SingleThread in 2022 and has brought a new level of passion and experience to our events. Her background ranges from managing chefs for industry-only culinary conferences, to recipe testing for multiple best selling cookbooks and opening three large national event progarms. Jacquie brings a holistic outlook to creating an event that's not only a one-of-a-lifetime experience for the guests, but her approach also allows our teams to think outside of the box and to what is possible. 

Throughout his 20 years in the world of biotechnology working with companies such as Genentech and Roche, Vince honed his skills in Supply Chain, Project Management, and Site Safety.  In 2015, he made the move from working with cells and antibodies to designing and building SingleThread's first farm alongside his sister, Katina. As an avid lover of science and nature, this move from the lab to the field was seamless.

While commuting from Southern California as one of the earliest hires, he was able to develop the first of the SingleThread farm properties, assist with the rooftop and garden designs, aid in the restaurant and inn build outs, and manage the first of our farm teams. In 2021, Vince finally made the move from Southern California to beautiful Sonoma County. Since then, he has taken on the role of Facilities Manager for SingleThread managing the facility needs for not only the SingleThread Farm, Restaurant, and Inn, but also our other local ventures.  Our guests' experiences, safety, and comfort have become his new passion.

Hezekiah is a Sonoma County native who acquired a love and respect for farming while growing up amidst orchards and coastal foraging areas. He has been with the team it's SingleThread's inception, and now co-manages the farm alongside Katina and Ariel. He strives to foster innovation daily and renew and maintain an excitement for the bounty of the beautiful Sonoma countryside.

A native to the San Francisco Bay Area, Ariel has farmed all over Northern California, landing in Sonoma County where she has grown deep roots. A natural storyteller, Ariel has spent years in Shakesperian acting troupes and is no stranger to the many hats and improvisation needed to weave through the complexities of farming.

Her agricultural experience ranges from low-till, hand scale vegetable production, tractor tilled production farming, intensive English-style flower gardens, and countless iterations in between. She finds profound fulfillment in nurturing the land and providing Good Food to her community. She feels great honor and gratitude in observing harmony in the ever changing ecosystem of the Dry Creek Valley, of which our team of talented farmers is no small part. Ariel believes our greatest crops are the lives of those who are touched by the work we do.

As the Director of Farm Programming, Adam balances his focus between assisting in the management of daily farm operations and the development of initiatives that contribute to the long term resilience of SingleThread Farm, including overseeing our farm's first apiaries, educational workshops and CSA programs. 

Prior to joining the team at SingleThread, Adam was Farm Manager at Heidrun Meadery, in Pt Reyes CA. Here he spent his time managing the farm’s perennial landscape and cut flower garden, as well as assisting in apiary and mead making operations.

Before the bees and blooms of California, Adam spent nearly a decade working with artisanal cheese as a cheesemonger, cheese maker and affineur. As Operations Manager and Chef de Cave for the Cellars at Jasper Hill, in Greensboro VT, Smith contributed to the establishment of one of the most dynamic and innovative centers of cheese maturation in the US. 

Originally from St Louis, MO, Adam now lives in Healdsburg with his wife Sissie, their daughter Sophia and their labrador Lucy, an enigmatic farm pup who will gladly jump into any stranger's car and loves turnips.

Lacy is a Sonoma County native and began her Human Resources journey in recruitment at Genentech, but has spent most of her career dedicated to the wine industry. She spent 13 years at La Crema Winery, where she eventually oversaw both California and Oregon wine production as General Manager. While working at La Crema, Lacy pursued her education at Dominican University at night, earning a B.A. in Strategic Management. After a 3-month sabbatical in Spain, she returned to Healdsburg where she found herself back in the wine industry, working at Bella Vineyards + Wine Caves, overseeing wine production, grower relations, and people. It was during the pandemic that Lacy sought out SingleThread, naturally gravitating towards the culture and ethos of stewardship. In 2020, Lacy joined our SingleThread team as Director of Human Resources.

Ayuchi is a talented designer with over 20 years of experience, playing a vital role on SingleThread's opening team and supporting its growth. As a native of Japan, her cultural background brings a perspective and deep understanding of diverse aesthetics, which she combines with her design expertise as Creative Director at SingleThread. Ayuchi's ability to navigate and comprehend the nuances of both cultures has created many of the wonderful designs that resonate with guests and capture the essence of SingleThread.  Her educational background in Environmental Science, unique experience, cultural fluency, and dedication to sustainability exemplifies not only our values but also commitment to "omotenashi".

Drawn to SingleThread’s devotion to ‘omotenashi’, or “wholehearted hospitality”, Lisa joined the SingleThread family as Director of Development to focus on helping Kyle, Katina, and Tony realize their vision of extending that ethos across a portfolio of projects.

Prior to SingleThread, after nearly a decade at Amazon, Lisa’s love of learning brought her to Harvard Business School where she studied restaurants, real estate development and managing service operations. From there, Lisa worked at Blackberry Farm, a luxury resort in the Great Smoky Mountains known for its cuisine and genuine hospitality. Lisa then returned home to California and joined SingleThread in 2022.