District216 "Athletes, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) & Psychedelics" Marquee Event

🌈 District216 Presents: Athletes, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) & Psychedelics

✨ A Marquee Evening of Healing, Exploration, and Connection ✨
🗓️ Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 5–10PM | LoDo Studios, Santa Barbara, CA

🔥 A ONE-OF-A-KIND NIGHT AWAITS 🔥 

Join us for an unforgettable experience at District216’s next Marquee Event—an exclusive gathering at the crossroads of Athletes, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Psychedelic Exploration.

🌟🌟 Explore, Expand, and Elevate — whether you're a seasoned psychonaut, a wellness seeker, or simply curious — this evening is designed to inspire, educate, and ignite.
🧠✨ All experience levels welcome — from curious first-timers to seasoned psychonauts.
💜🚫 Sober community welcome — we welcome those who abstain. And this is an alcohol-free event.

💃🕺 Dress Code — come vibrantly, come festive! We love bold colors, playful 'fits, and expressive style. 🌙 Evenings can get cool, so bring a cozy layer for the outdoor music vibes.

🚀🚀 Space is limited — purchase tickets today and step into the future of connection and healing!

🎟️ ALL-INCLUSIVE TICKETS 🎟️

🌟 Expect an Immersive Journey Featuring: 🌟

• 🎤 Fireside Chats & 🎤 Discussion Panels with visionary leaders

• 🎵 Live Music and 📽️ Visual Performances

• 🌀 Interactive Workshops and 🧗‍♀️ Experiential Activations

• 🛋️ Rooftop Terpene Lounge & ✨ Curated Vendor Marketplace

• 🥘 Dinner by TBD & 🍹 Functional Elixirs

🎟️ RUN OF SHOW + EXPERIENCES 🎟️

🎤 OPENING (6:00PM):

• Kat Walsh — MC Introduction

• Jacob Tell — Chief Dreamer, District216

🔥 FIRESIDE CHAT: "Healing the Fighter's Brain: The Promise of an Athlete's Journey Home"

• Ian McCall — Founder & CEO, Athletes Journey Home

• Gene Brewer — Professor, University of California, Riverside + Athletes Journey Home

🔥 FIRESIDE CHAT: "The Longest Fight: From Combat to Parkinson's Healing"

• Mike Guymon — Owner/CEO, The Shepherd 360

• Mark Irwin — Former BKB World Champion / COO, Athletes Journey Home

🗣️ DISCUSSION PANEL: "Athletes, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) & Psychedelics"

• Meghan Afonkin — United States Ballroom Dance Champion and Founder of Movement as Medicine Integration Program™

• Cain Velasquez — Advocate of Learning from Self, Ascension Breath

• Dante Liberato— Movement Coach and Somatic Therapy, CouchMilk

• Robert Gallery — President & Co-Founder, Athletes For Care

• Kat Walsh — Founder, Trip On This (Moderator)

🎵 LIVE MUSIC (8:00PM): 

• TBD

• Kat's Meow

• Visuals by Michael Strauss

• Fire & Silks by Elemental Arts

꩜ WORKSHOPS (8:00PM):

• TBD

• TBD

🥘 DINNER: TBD (5:15PM)

🧉 ELIXIRS: Functional, Non-Alcoholic Elixirs & Enlightening Beverages

🛋️ TERPENE LOUNGE: Enjoy Top Shelf products in our Rooftop Terpene Lounge

🏷️ VENDORS: Health, Wellness, Healing & Conscious Products & Services 

🌀 IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES:

• TBD

• TBD

• Lily Sky Face Painting

• Shiftwave Chairs

🌈 VISUAL EXPERIENCES: 

• TBD

• TBD

• Visuals by Michael Strauss 

• Experience Curation by Decelorator Lightsmith Visual

• Visual Alchemy by Altarbeast

• Fire & Silks by Elemental Arts

💥 COST + WHEN + WHERE 💥

🌟🌟🌟 MARQUEE MEMBERS: Free Admission! (Become A Member Today)

🌟🌟 TDH + ONLINE MEMBERS: Discounted Tickets (discount codes are available in our online platform)

🎟️ GUESTS WELCOME: We welcome guests to purchase tickets!

• $89 Early Bird Ticket (Til Sept 15)

• $109 Mid Bird Ticket (Sept 16 - Oct 16)

• $139 Day Of Ticket (Oct 17)

🗓️ WHEN: Saturday, October 17 | 5:00pm–10:00pm

🕰️ EVENT TIMELINE:

• Doors: 5:00pm

• Dinner & Vendors: 5:15pm

• Speakers: 6:00pm

• Music: 8:00pm

• Workshops: 8:00pm

• Wind Down: 10:00pm

📍 WHERE: LoDo Studios — 216 E. Gutierrez St, Santa Barbara, CA

🚗 PARKING: Available across the street (OfficeMax Parking Only, NO Smart & Final Parking)

🎤 OPENING 🎤

Jacob Tell — Chief Dreamer, District216

Jacob Tell is the founder and Chief Dreamer of District216, a membership-driven psychedelic social club built on the belief that healing, community, and consciousness exploration belong in the mainstream conversation. A Santa Barbara-based entrepreneur and creative strategist, Jacob has spent over two decades building brands, movements, and spaces where people feel permission to show up fully — founding Oniracom, a creative agency, in 2001 and developing LoDo Studios into an active indoor/outdoor creative venue. His path into the psychedelic space is both personal and purposeful: shaped by transformative experiences, deep curiosity, and a conviction that the stigma around these tools has kept too many people from the healing they deserve. Through District216, Jacob curates events, community, and dialogue that bridge the visionary and the practical — bringing together clinicians, facilitators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and everyday seekers under one roof. His work is guided by a simple philosophy: YES...AND — an open-armed embrace of possibility, complexity, and the messy, beautiful work of becoming.

🔥 SPEAKER BIOS - FIRESIDE CHAT #1 🔥

Ian McCall — Founder & CEO, Athletes Journey Home

Ian McCall is a former UFC fighter and the founder of Athletes Journey Home, an organization dedicated to helping athletes heal from the trauma competition leaves behind. Drawing on his own journey through injury and recovery, he now supports fighters and athletes navigating the physical and psychological aftermath of their careers. He joins our fireside chat, "Healing the Fighter's Brain: The Promise of an Athlete's Journey Home."

Gene Brewer — Professor, University of California, Riverside + Athletes Journey Home

Dr. Gene Brewer is a professor at the University of California, Riverside, and a member of the Athletes Journey Home team, where his research explores the neuroscience of trauma, recovery, and the emerging role of psychedelics in athlete healing. He joins Ian McCall for our fireside chat, "Healing the Fighter's Brain: The Promise of an Athlete's Journey Home," bringing a research-backed perspective to the conversation.

🔥 SPEAKER BIOS - FIRESIDE CHAT #2 🔥

Mike Guymon — Owner/CEO, The Shepherd 360

Michael Guymon is the Owner and CEO of The Shepherd 360. He joins our fireside chat, "The Longest Fight: From the Cage to Healing," to share his journey through repeated brain trauma from professional fighting, Parkinson's-like symptoms, and his experience with psychedelic-assisted healing. His story sits at the intersection of service, resilience, and the emerging science of psychedelic recovery.

Mark Irwin — Former BKB World Champion / COO, Athletes Journey Home

Mark "The Shark" Irwin is a former Bare Knuckle Boxing World Champion and current COO of Athletes Journey Home. He joins Michael Guymon for our fireside chat, "The Longest Fight: From Combat to Parkinson's Healing," sharing what it has taken to heal after a career built on impact, and how he now helps other athletes do the same.

🗣️ SPEAKER BIOS - DISCUSSION PANEL 🗣️

Meghan Afonkin — United States Ballroom Dance Champion and Founder of Movement as Medicine Integration Program™

Meghan Afonkin is a United States Ballroom Dance Champion and the founder of the Movement as Medicine Integration Program™. She brings a somatic, movement-based approach to healing and psychedelic integration, and joins our panel discussion, "Athletes, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) & Psychedelics," to explore the body's role in recovery.

Cain Velasquez — Advocate of Learning from Self, Ascension Breath

Cain Velasquez is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and an advocate for self-inquiry and breathwork through Ascension Breath. He joins our panel discussion, "Athletes, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) & Psychedelics," offering a firsthand perspective on healing after a career at the top of combat sports.

Dante Liberato— Movement Coach and Somatic Therapy, CouchMilk

Dante Liberato is a movement coach and somatic therapy practitioner with CouchMilk. His work focuses on body-based practices that support recovery from trauma and injury, on and off the field. He joins our panel discussion, "Athletes, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) & Psychedelics," bringing a somatic lens to the conversation on healing.

Robert Gallery — President & Co-Founder, Athletes For Care

Robert Gallery is a former NFL offensive lineman and the President and Co-Founder of Athletes For Care, an organization building support systems for athletes navigating pain, injury, and recovery. He joins our panel discussion, "Athletes, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) & Psychedelics," to share what real advocacy for athlete health looks like.

Kat Walsh — Founder, Trip On This (Moderator)

Kat Walsh is a host, DJ and storyteller who creates at the intersection of psychedelics, music and transformation. Her work weaves personal discovery with fun and play, advocating for joy as fuel for inspired living. Whether through her digital media platforms, hosting events or playing dynamic DJ sets as Kat’s Meow, Kat reminds us that joy, connection and wonder aren’t just luxuries, they’re essentials for the future we’re building.

May we all have the audacity to live our wildest dreams.

🎨 ARTIST BIOS - PERFORMANCES 🎨

Michael Strauss — Visual Performer & Digital Artist

Michael Strauss is a visionary VJ, digital artist, and event producer from Los Angeles whose psychedelic audiovisual experiences and immersive environments have been transforming reality — and blowing minds — for nearly two decades. His work is renowned for its ability to open hearts, lift spirits, and dissolve the boundary between art and experience. Over the course of his career, Michael has collaborated with a diverse array of top electronic music producers, DJs, and live bands, including The Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold, DJ Z-Trip, Infected Mushroom, and Dirtwire, with his visuals gracing the stages of Burning Man, Lightning in a Bottle, and Symbiosis, as well as iconic venues like the Orpheum Theater, House of Blues, and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. A collaborator of psychedelic legends Alex Grey and Shpongle, Michael was chosen as the official VJ for the Bicycle Day 75th Anniversary Tour in 2018 — remixing Alex Grey's iconic art live — and curated the Augmented Visions exhibition at Grey's Chapel of Sacred Mirrors museum in 2019.

TBD — TBD

TBD

Kat's Meow — DJ & Live Music Performer

Kat's Meow is obsessed with house music — and it shows. Equal parts groovy, soulful, and mischievous, her sets weave house, tech house, and disco into a pure joy transmission. No two are ever the same — she reads the crowd, the vibe, the room, and responds in real time. For Kat, this is never just music. It's shared joy — those moments that remind you just how good it is to be alive.

Elemental Arts — Aerial & Flow Arts Performance

Elemental Arts is Santa Barbara's home for aerial dance, flow arts, and the kind of movement that makes you forget gravity is a rule. Founded as an all-inclusive training space for silk, lyra, hammock, straps, fire, and flow props, Elemental has quietly built one of the most vibrant and supportive movement communities on the Central Coast. Their performers bring that same spirit to the stage — embodying the idea that aerial is more than an art form, it's a portal. A vehicle for self-expression, presence, and transcendence. Elemental Arts brings their breathtaking work to the District216 stage, where the boundary between audience and experience dissolves, and bodies in motion become living art.

🧿 FACILITATOR BIOS - WORKSHOP 🧿

Workshop: TBD

Facilitator: TBD

Workshop: TBD

Facilitator: TBD

🧠  BECOME A DISTRICT216 MEMBER TODAY 🧠

Find a Membership Plan that suits your needs: https://app.district216.com