MEET THE FARMERS

  • Photographer at Laura Doss Photography,

    Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer of Skysource,

    Board Vice President of The Bay Foundation

  • Founder and Principal Architect at David Hertz Architects,

    Co-Founder and President of Skysource,

    Co-Founder and General Partner of Resilience Fund

Laura and David are both native Californians. Laura grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, spending most of her childhood outdoors at the beach and sailing. Laura's lifelong passion for photography is the product of her traveling adventures around the world, discovering the visual beauty and intrigue of foreign lands, and which later ignited into a full-fledged career specializing in lifestyle and advertising photography. Laura is the Board Vice President of The Bay Foundation, a nonprofit organization that is restoring, enhancing & protecting Santa Monica Bay through actions and partnerships that improve water quality and conserve and rehabilitate natural resources.

David grew up in Venice and Malibu, and his passion for surfing attuned him to environmental issues. David continued to focus on ecological design during his education at The Southern California Institute of Architecture and led the push for green architecture. After graduating, David launched his architectural practice, and each project has been guided by the principle of designing buildings that give back more than they take. David is a board member of Heal The Bay, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to making coastal watersheds healthy.

The Hertz’s are the co-founders of Skysource, a social impact enterprise that won the Water Abundance XPRIZE and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s National Design Award for Climate Action. Together, Laura and David founded The Resilience Foundation, a nonprofit that funds innovative products and solutions combatting the world’s greatest challenges using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a guiding framework.

In 2017, Laura and David felt the draw of Malibu's untamed allure, finding sanctuary amidst the splendor and magic of the Santa Monica Mountains. From this rugged embrace blossomed Xanabu Farms, a living testament to their unwavering dedication to preservation. As stewards of the land, Laura and David are deeply dedicated to sustainable practices that ensure this land remains verdant and regenerative for generations to come.

In 2023 Xanabu Farms partnered with Smog City Brewing Company to create a limited edition Passion Fruit Beer - Xanabru.