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 the founder of UPVentures LLC, a real estate development firm based in NYC and Brooklyn. Tony partnered with Kyle and Katina to develop SingleThread and manage the large cast of designers, artisans, and unique collaborators who have brought the Connaughtons' vision of SingleThread to life.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 Evan. He strives to foster innovation daily and renew and maintain an excitement for the bounty of the beautiful Sonoma countryside.

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. 

Jordan grew up in California and graduated with a degree in Economics from UC Berkeley. He spent the first decade of his career at Centerview Partners, a specialized M&A and advisory Investment Bank. With stints in San Francisco, London and New York, he brings a wealth of experience advising management teams and investors on a diverse array of financial and operational questions and works to bring a balanced and long-term view to our day-to-day operations.

Ayuchi oversees the overall design and creative aspects of our brand initiatives. She joined SingleThread in 2015 and was a part of the original opeaning team. Originally from Sendai, Japan, she relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2010 after working as a graphic designer in Tokyo for 10 years. Ayuchi has a wide array of unique experiences, from working for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to serving as an interpreter for food businesses throughout Japan and the United States. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from San Francisco State University.

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.

Maggie joined SingleThread with a long history in Hospitality and Travel, having spent many years heading up all aspects of Marketing for brands like Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, CIVANA Spa & Wellness Resort, SENTRAL and United Airlines. With a Restauranteur mother, Maggie grew up in the industry and has a life long passion for food systems, sustainability and creating authentic guest experience - which drew her to Chef Kyle, Katina and Tony's mission of genuine Omotenashi. Maggie received her education studying International Business in her native Sweden, but spent much of her young life growing up all over the world - developing a deep appreciation for culture, hospitality and tradition.