Maria Manetti Shrem

Born in Florence, Italy, Maria Manetti Shrem relocated to San Francisco in 1972, where she played a pivotal role in the internationalization of iconic fashion brands such as Gucci and Fendi.

Together with her husband, Jan Shrem, Maria has supported over 55 charitable programs across the US, Italy, France, Mexico, Africa, and the UK, contributing to more than 35 foundations. Their philanthropy spans education, music, art, and medicine, creating meaningful social impact worldwide.

In the US, the Manetti Shrems have supported institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, UC Davis, the San Francisco Opera, Festival Napa Valley, UC Berkeley – Cal Performances, KQED, Francisco Park, the San Francisco Symphony, SF Film, SF MoMA, ArtSmart, KDFC, and hospitals like UCSF and Sutter Health–CPMC.

In Europe, Maria has been a principal benefactor for organizations including the King’s Foundation, the Royal Drawing School, Palazzo Strozzi Foundation, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Friends of the Louvre, Friends of Versailles, the Venetian Heritage, the Italian National Trust, Museo 900, and the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, with which she helped construct four new schools, including one at the Meyer Children’s Hospital.

Additionally, the Manetti Shrems are founders and lifetime members of the Cabo Jewish Center. Maria also funded a scholarship in Africa through the Global Sojourns Giving Circle, empowering the next generation of women leaders.

Maria and Jan co-founded the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis, which opened in 2016, fulfilling a 60-year legacy in the arts. The museum’s collection features celebrated California artists such as Wayne Thiebaud, William T. Wiley, Robert Arneson, Roy De Forest, and Manuel Neri. Its architectural design has been recognized by ARTnews as “One of the World’s 25 Best Museum Buildings of the Past 100 Years.”

Maria has been honored as a cultural ambassador and philanthropist. In 2019, Italian President Sergio Mattarella awarded her the Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy. In 2022, the Mayor of Florence presented her with the Keys of the City for her exemplary patronage, following in the spirit of the Medici legacy. The City and County of San Francisco also declared June 22 as “Manetti Shrem Day for Philanthropy.”

Maria’s accolades include the inaugural Angels of the Arts Award from Festival Napa Valley, the Spirit of the Opera Award from San Francisco Opera, and the lighting of San Francisco City Hall in the Italian flag colors during “Maria—50 Years in America,” a celebration of her legacy. She also received the 2023 UC Davis Medal, the highest honor from the University of California system, in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the arts. In 2024, UC Berkeley recognized Maria and Jan as “Builders of Berkeley.”

In Spring 2024, Maria made history by endowing the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis with its largest gift ever, establishing eight endowments to protect the arts and humanities in perpetuity. Her visionary donation integrates arts, humanities, science, and technology, creating a Renaissance Zeitgeist through the establishment of a dedicated Art District, inaugurated in January 2025. In recognition of her global philanthropy, Maria received the 2024 Premio StellaRe from Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Torino, Italy.

Maria Manetti Shrem continues to lead with vision and generosity, shaping cultural landscapes and enriching lives across the globe.

Elizabeth Segerstrom

Elizabeth Segerstrom is Co-Managing Director of C.J. Segerstrom & Sons and South Coast Plaza, the renowned international shopping and dining destination in Orange County, California, and serves on the Board of Directors of Segerstrom Center for the Arts. She is an accomplished entrepreneur and published author.

Born in Olsztyn, Poland, Elizabeth’s father was an accomplished painter and journalist, and her mother was a journalist. When Elizabeth was 15, her family moved to Warsaw and then to St. Petersburg, where her father served as cultural attaché. After earning degrees in psychology from Warsaw University and the University of Geneva, Elizabeth went on to study at Yale University and New York University, where she earned her doctoral degree in psychology. Following graduation, she opened a practice in New York, which was the first clinic in New York City to serve the mental health needs of Eastern European immigrants in their native languages.

In 2000, Elizabeth met Henry Segerstrom, and they married that same year.

After moving to Orange County, she joined Henry in the finalizing the design of the 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa on the campus of Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Designed by César Pelli, the concert hall opened in 2006 and is home to the Pacific Symphony, Pacific Chorale, and Philharmonic Society of Orange County. Elizabeth chaired the six-week opening celebration of the new concert hall as well as the opening of the intimate Samueli Theater located within the new venue. She and her husband not only helped to create the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, but also to bring incredible artists to its stage. The year it opened, the two were instrumental in bringing a three-week Mariinsky Festival that featured the first Southern California presentation of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, and the year following they launched the new Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom Select Series with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, which continues to bring the highest quality of internationally acclaimed performances to Segerstrom Center for the Arts. In 2007, Elizabeth Segerstrom was honored for her contributions to the region by the Guilds of the Center, a support group for Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and in 2011 she received the Golden Baton Award from the Philharmonic Society for her extraordinary dedication to the arts in Southern California.

Following Henry’s passing in 2015, Elizabeth has continued the couple’s philanthropic endeavors. In addition to supporting Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, she is an active supporter of many other organizations, including American Ballet Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances, The Getty’s PST ART, LA Opera, Turnaround Arts: California, American Friends of the Louvre, and the American Friends of Versailles, among others.

In 2022, Elizabeth underwrote and co-presented Reunited in Dance at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, which brough together leading ballet stars displaced by Russian’s invasion of Ukraine. The following year, she presented the United Ukrainian Ballet’s production of Alexei Ratmansky’s Giselle.