Rotary Club of Santa Monica

10/20/2026

🎬 From Hollywood to the World: The Business Behind the Movies! 🌎

Why does a movie become a blockbuster in one country but struggle in another? And what does it take to bring Hollywood films to audiences around the globe?

Join the Rotary Club of Santa Monica this Friday, October 23, as we welcome Katie Powell, Senior Vice President of International Distribution at Universal Pictures!

With more than 20 years of experience in the global film industry, Katie will take us behind the scenes to explore:

🎥 How Hollywood markets movies to different cultures

🌍 Why audiences around the world respond differently to the same films

🍿 How moviegoing experiences vary from country to country

🎞️ The challenges of bringing Hollywood hits to the global stage

Whether you're a movie buff or just curious about the business behind the big screen, this should be a fascinating conversation!

📅 Friday, October 23

📍 Hilton Santa Monica

🕛 12:00 PM Lunch | 12:30 PM Program

Lights, camera, Rotary! We hope to see you there!

10/07/2026

The Rotary Club of Santa Monica is accepting applications for our Community Grants Program, supporting nonprofit organizations making a difference in Santa Monica and the surrounding community.

If your organization has a project or program that could benefit from Rotary support, don’t miss the deadline.

Applications are due Friday, October 9.

Learn more about our funding criteria and apply here:
https://www.rotaryclubofsantamonica.org/grants/

Please share this with local nonprofits and community organizations that may be a good fit.

Grant Opportunities Nonprofit organizations serving Santa Monica residents may apply for Community Grants or Santa Monica Rotary Foundation Grants.Organizations and Rotary Clubs seeking support for projects outside the United States that align with one or more of Rotary International’s seven areas...

10/06/2026

Join us this Friday for Rotary Lunch as we explore one of the most important topics in education today: Artificial Intelligence in Schools.

Moderated by Amanda Sasso, this timely panel features:
Kellie Mowll – Associate Dean of Parents, Alpha School
Maggie Thompson – Associate Director of Teaching and Learning, Harvard-Westlake School
Sharon Lee – Social and Emotional Learning Specialist, Carlthorp School

We’ll discuss how AI is changing the classroom, the skills students will need for the future, and how technology may shape both learning and social-emotional development.

We hope you’ll join us for this engaging conversation.

09/16/2026

Join us this Friday for a special Rotary Club of Santa Monica program featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Pepperdine professor Dr. Edward Larson.

Dr. Larson will speak on his newest book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters, exploring the ideas, events, and lasting significance of one of the most important years in American history.

With the 250th anniversary of American independence, it’s an especially timely opportunity to hear from one of the country’s leading scholars of American history, law, and science.

And to make the afternoon a little more festive, wear your red, white and blue.

📅 Friday, September 18
🕛 Noon–1:30 PM
📍 Hilton Santa Monica, 1707 4th Street

Guests are welcome. Come enjoy lunch, meet members of the Rotary Club of Santa Monica, and hear what should be a fascinating program.

09/08/2026

This Friday at the Rotary Club of Santa Monica, we welcome Professor Angela Zhang of USC’s School of Law for a timely discussion on China, Big Tech, and Artificial Intelligence.

Professor Zhang is a leading authority on how China’s technology sector is shaped by the Chinese government and Communist Party. Drawing on her acclaimed book, High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy, she’ll discuss China’s push into generative AI, how its leading technology companies are competing, and whether China is gaining ground on the U.S. and Europe in this rapidly evolving field.

Join us Friday, September 11, for what should be a fascinating look at one of the most consequential technology and geopolitical issues of our time.

08/25/2026

This week, we celebrate some of the people who make Santa Monica such a special community.

Join us for our Annual Public Service Recognition Luncheon, where the Rotary Club of Santa Monica will honor outstanding members of the Santa Monica Police Department, Santa Monica Fire Department, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, and Big Blue Bus.

This is always one of our favorite programs of the year—a chance to recognize the local heroes who serve our community every day and thank them for the work they do.

We hope you’ll join us for this special Rotary tradition!

08/13/2026

🔎 Inside the World of Cold Case Investigations

If you’re fascinated by cold case TV shows or real-life investigations, you won’t want to miss this Friday’s Rotary meeting.

Cold case investigator Michael Stark will take us behind the scenes of cases that have gone cold and share what it takes to bring long-unsolved investigations back to life. Thanks to Tom Loo for arranging what promises to be a fascinating look at the persistence, attention to detail, and investigative work involved.

We’ll also hold a special ceremony recognizing 15 of our members who have recently become Paul Harris Fellows. This recognition from The Rotary Foundation honors $1,000 in contributions supporting humanitarian and educational programs in our community and around the world.

Join us for an interesting program, good fellowship, and a chance to recognize the generosity of our fellow Rotarians.

📍 Santa Monica Hilton, 1707 4th Street
📅 Friday, August 14 | 12:00–1:30 PM
🍽️ Lunch: $78
🚗 Parking: Public parking across the street

08/04/2026

Join us this Friday at the Hilton for a special Rotary Club of Santa Monica celebration.

We’ll begin with a Ch*****ne Reception at 11:45 a.m. honoring our Quarter Century Club—Rotarians who have served our club for 25 years or more. Their dedication, fellowship, and service have made a lasting impact on our club and community.

Our program will also include Craft Talks from two of our newest members. It will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate longtime members, welcome new faces, and learn more about our club and the people who make it special.

Guests are welcome (but need to pay for their own lunch)

07/14/2026

**This Friday: Rebuilding the Palisades**

Join the Rotary Club of Santa Monica on Friday, July 17, for a deeply personal and timely program with **Dr. Robert J. Lempert**, principal researcher at RAND and Director Emeritus of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy.

Dr. Lempert is a longtime Pacific Palisades resident who lost his home of 31 years in the January 2025 fire. As a policy analyst who studies climate risk and disaster recovery, his personal and professional lives collided in a way he never expected.

He will discuss both the human and policy sides of rebuilding, including the Palisades Recovery Coalition’s “community recovery labs”—an effort to help residents envision a thriving future for the Palisades and create a model other communities may be able to follow.

📍 Hilton Santa Monica
🕛 Lunch begins at noon; program begins at 12:30 p.m.

We hope you will join us for this important conversation about recovery, resilience, and rebuilding community.

07/07/2026

⚾ This Friday at Rotary Club of Santa Monica ⚾

What kind of impact can one athlete have on an entire city?

Join us this Friday for a fascinating program exploring the economic impact of Shohei Ohtani on Los Angeles.

Our featured speakers are David Ikegami, who will discuss how Ohtani has influenced tourism, local businesses, international attention, and the regional economy, and Yusuke Fukuda of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, who will provide additional insights from within the Dodgers organization.

Whether you're a Dodgers fan, a baseball enthusiast, or simply interested in the business of sports, this promises to be an engaging and timely discussion.

📅 Friday, July 10
🕛 Fellowship & Lunch: Noon
🎤 Program: 12:30 PM
📍 Hilton Santa Monica

Guests are always welcome! Join us for great fellowship, lunch, and an outstanding program.