Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is a collection of influential community members from the NYC area who have come together to develop PresenTense in NYC.
Ages 22-35 with a minimum of 3-5 years work experience, Steering Committee members volunteer four hours a month because of their belief that Fellows will launch new initiatives that will transform the Jewish community and the world by engaging, leveraging and inspiring the Jewish People.
The Executive Committee is a group of individuals that provides guidance to the larger Steering Committee and connects its efforts to the larger goals of the community. The Executive Committee determines the types of ventures sought by the CEP program, determines metrics of success, and oversees the Admissions, Networking and Venture Development workstreams.
The Admissions Team is responsible for recruiting, screening and admitting social entrepreneurs from the local community into the Fellowship program.
The Networking team identifies partners with overlapping areas of interest with the strategic priorities of the fellowship. The networking team knows their way around the Jewish communal ecosystem, finding those with an interest in the success and creativity of our fellows.
The Venture Development team leverages their networks to find the best coaches, mentors and subject matter experts that will guide and accelerate the development of fellows' ventures.
If you are excited to be part of the Jewish innovation and startup community, with skills and connections that can help bring the the next big ideas to life, join our Steering Committee for the 2012 CEP.
Ages 22-35 with a minimum of 3-5 years work experience, Steering Committee members volunteer four hours a month because of their belief that Fellows will launch new initiatives that will transform the Jewish community and the world by engaging, leveraging and inspiring the Jewish People.
The Executive Committee is a group of individuals that provides guidance to the larger Steering Committee and connects its efforts to the larger goals of the community. The Executive Committee determines the types of ventures sought by the CEP program, determines metrics of success, and oversees the Admissions, Networking and Venture Development workstreams.
The Admissions Team is responsible for recruiting, screening and admitting social entrepreneurs from the local community into the Fellowship program.
The Networking team identifies partners with overlapping areas of interest with the strategic priorities of the fellowship. The networking team knows their way around the Jewish communal ecosystem, finding those with an interest in the success and creativity of our fellows.
The Venture Development team leverages their networks to find the best coaches, mentors and subject matter experts that will guide and accelerate the development of fellows' ventures.
If you are excited to be part of the Jewish innovation and startup community, with skills and connections that can help bring the the next big ideas to life, join our Steering Committee for the 2012 CEP.
2011 Steering Committee Bios
Executive Committee Members
Mamie Kanfer Stewart
| Mamie Kanfer Stewart currently serves as Product Developer of the WOW Operating System, an initiative of the Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation. Previously, she has served as PRoject Manger of the Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation and Director of Strategy and Development for AVODAarts. She is Board Chair of InterfaithFamily.com, a Board Member of Moishe House, and a Funding Partner and Advisory Board member of Slingshot. Mamie graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute, specializing in Ceramics and Art HIstory. She is certified in Appreciative Inquiry -- a strength-based, high-engagement organization change methodology used extensively across the for-profit, nonprofit and public sectors -- from the Weatherhead School of management, Case Western Reserve University. She is also currently pursuing an MBA at NYU's Stern School of Business. |
Rabbi Jennifer Gertman
| Rabbi Jennifer S. Gertman, a native of Cleveland, OH, was ordained at Hebrew Union College in May. During her time in rabbinical school she served as the rabbinic intern at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City and Kol Ami in White Plains, NY. Currently, she is pursuing her Master of Religious Education at Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion. She works as the Upper School coordinator and adult educator for the family education program at Temple Shaarey Tefila on the Upper East Side. |
Jonah Halper | Jonah Halper is a professional nonprofit fundraiser and marketer with academic degrees in Organizational Communications and a Masters in Public Administration. After nearly a decade-long career in Jewish not for profits, he launched ALTRUICITY, Inc., a fundraising and marketing consulting firm based in New york City. He is also co-founder of NextGen: Charity, a national conference on non-profit innovation (www.nextgencharity.com). He lives in Wesley Hills, NY married with three children and a German Shepard. You can follow him at twitter.com/jonahhalper |
Justin Kadis
| Justin Kadis is a strategic consulting and events manager at Team Epic, a lifestyle and sponsorship marketing agency. Concurrently, Justin runs a local business digital consultancy servicing restaurants and food stores. Justin graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing from Boston University. Previously, he served as co-chair of the High School Division of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland's Campaign for Jewish Needs. |
Admissions Team
Jonathan Horowitz
 | Jonathan Horowitz is a program officer in the philanthropic services group at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, managing grantmaking programs for foundations working across a diverse range of funding areas. Before J.P. Morgan, he worked as a Program Manager for the Jewish Funders Network, where he facilitated networking and funding collaborations among philanthropists with shared interests. Jonathan previously worked as the Meyerhoff Fellow for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, where he created and implemented new educational programming for the organization. He serves on the board of Hillel at Brandeis University and is a steering committee member of Limmud NY. |
Tammy Hepps
| Tammy Hepps is currently the Chief Technology Officer for iVillage Properties, the network of women's web sites owned and operated by NBC Universal. She was the founding Vice President of Technology for Dow Jones/IAC Online Ventures' personal finance startup, and prior to that, the Director of Software Development for NYTimes.com, where she oversaw a team of 60+ people in building and maintaining one of the Internet's most highly trafficked web sites. Her earliest online experience took place at SparkNotes.com, which she joined as a software developer in the company's first year and subsequently became Director of Technology after its acquisition by Barnes & Noble, Inc. and scaled the web site during its years of biggest growth. Tammy received her AB in Computer Science from Harvard University. |
David Hertog
 | David Hertog has spent the last ten years exploring the intersection between technology and marketing. He's currently Director of Marketing at AdMeld, an advertising technology company based in NYC. Previously he was Director of Marketing at KickApps, a social media startup. He's also held various positions in marketing and business development for The New Republic Magazine, The William Morris Agency, AGENCY.COM, and Merrill Lynch. He has an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, and a BA from Tufts University. |
Shira Berenson | Shira Berenson was raised in LA, and moved to NYC to attend Columbia University. She majored in Political Science, but spent most of her time involved in on-campus groups, from her sorority (SDT) to the Columbia/Barnard Hillel to political organizations. After graduating in 2008, Shira spent a year studying in Israel at Pardes. While there, she co-founded the Jerusalem branch of JCorps. Upon returning to NYC in May 2009, Shira learned at Yeshivat Hadar for the summer before embarking on a career as a "Professional Jew" at Jewish National Fund. |
Jenny Kibrit Smith | Jenny Kibrit Smith is the program associate at Joshua Venture Group, a capacity-building organization that supports social entrepreneurs in the Jewish Community. She has conducted research for UJA-Federation of New York on strategies to engage young Jewish families, and has managed a variety of projects for two highly innovative and dynamic Boston-based organizations: Mayyim Hayyim and Brandeis University's Office of High School Programs. Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Jenny holds an MBA in Social Policy and Management and an MA in Jewish Professional Leadership from Brandeis University, as well as a BA in International Studies and Spanish Language from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. |
Marketing Team
Elke Reva Sudin
 | Elke Reva Sudin, Founder and Executive Director of SUDINmagazine, is an illustrator redefining art for the 21st century Jewish community. Mrs. Sudin, who created the “Hipsters and Hassids” painting series, was recently named the Art Director of PresenTense magazine. Her work has been collected at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York, and has been featured in publications including the New York Press, Jewish Week, ZEEK, and Tablet Magazine. Sudin received a BFA in Illustration from Pratt Institute in New York, and is a past president of the Pratt Institute Jewish Student Union. She currently serves on the board of the Jewish Art Salon in New York, and the board of the Jewish Alumni Association of Pratt Institute. |
