Wide Open Walls Staff

David Sobon – Founder and Producer

David Sobon is the owner of DSA events – a live auction, full service event planning and fundraising consulting firm specializing in working with nonprofits. He has a lifelong interest and love for the arts, serves on the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, and has juried numerous art competitions.

The idea of bringing a Mural Festival to the capital city of California came to David while he was biking an alley in midtown Sacramento, and thought it could benefit from art activation and increased community engagement. This eventually led to the Sacramento Mural Festival (SMF) which David founded and which was produced in conjunction with the Friends of The Arts Commission in 2016. In 2017, with an even more ambitious vision, David formed Wide Open Walls, and hired Warren Brand from Branded Arts as a collaborator and experienced and respected curator.

David is a tireless advocate for the arts and for the city of Sacramento. He is known as a high-energy connector of people, and someone who can make things happen. However, his true driving motivation is his desire to showcase the diverse, innovative and rapidly evolving cultural landscape of Sacramento, while promoting the excitement and accessibility of street art, both locally and worldwide.

Warren Brand – Curator

Warren is founder of the multi-platform arts organization Branded Arts, which hosts a series of unique events merging art, music and entertainment. These events also host a variety of charitable associations, including The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, and Vista Del Mar Child & Family Services. Branded Arts’ social reach is massive, drawing trendsetters and cultural tastemakers that bridge several communities, including the art, music, and philanthropic worlds.

Over the last 6 years, Branded Arts has produced over 200 public and private mural projects around the world. Branded Arts recently completed a group of murals at THE RESERVE LA, a new 20-acre creative campus in Playa Vista, housing Microsoft, Sony PlayStation and TMZ. The Reserve won the 2014 Best Office Project Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal. Other major projects include IO Playa Vista, The Sunset Media Center, The Continental Grand Plaza, and The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. With cutbacks in public school budgets significantly impacting art programs around the country, the company’s philanthropic arm steps into that void by commissioning famous artists to paint murals at local properties, developments, youth centers and schools. Their goal is to inspire with art, to give people a creative outlet, and to always display positive imagery. Now a staple of the urban contemporary art scene, Warren Brand has established himself as a major art collector, curator, and tastemaker. He and his team have an overall vision built upon a substantial roster of contributing artists and multiple artistic platforms that will take their projects to even greater heights.

Anna Sobon - Executive Director

Anna Sobon has a BS from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in Business/Marketing. She is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and has spent many years as a human resources director and consultant for Sacramento corporations and non-profits. She is a blogger and copywriter and is currently working on both a novel and non-fiction project in addition to her work with Wide Open Walls. She developed a love for street art while travelling internationally, and visiting U.S. cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Austin that showcase a vibrant street art culture. She has planned corporate events, fundraisers, and weddings, and is thrilled to be producing the Wall Ball, overseeing web copy, and managing artists’ hospitality for Wide Open Walls.

Patrick Harbison – Public Relations and Social Media Strategies

Patrick Harbison is the owner of Patrick Harbison Public Relations (PHPR), a full-service public relations firm in Sacramento.

With more than 15 years of experience as a publicist, media consultant, publicity professional and media booker, Patrick leverages his extensive contacts within broadcast and print media to yield coverage for his firm’s diverse client base which includes marquee city-wide events, politically-minded organizations and daytime television actors.

Patrick is a three-time Hermes award winner, has been voted “Best of Sacramento” in various categories by both the Sacramento News and Review and the KCRA A-List and was selected as one of the Sacramento Business Journal’s top “40 Under 40” professionals in 2014. In 2015, the Sacramento Public Relations Association named him the Public Relations Professional of the Year and in 2016 Patrick was named Influencer of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America. Comstock’s Magazine named him one of 2017’s Emerging Leaders.

Patrick is a dedicated advocate for Sacramento non-profits and regularly donates his time and PR expertise to area organizations including WEAVE, the Make a Wish Foundation and the Sacramento Children’s Home.

A lifelong Sacramento resident, Patrick lives in midtown with his dog Guinness.

Deepak Sharma – IT and Logistics

Deepak is an Entrepreneur and Technnology Consultant with over 35 years of experience in IT and Management Consulting. He has been working with various social endeavors in Sacramento, providing tech. as well as management consulting.

A long-term Sacramento resident, Deepak has now joined the Wide Open Walls team and continues to collaborate with the rest of the team members on making this artistic endeavor a success. He contributes his tech. capabilities to enable the event with cutting-edge IT support. He also manages the event's presence in the cyberspace, besides providing logistical support.

Roger Klein –

Courtney Tyler – Event manager