Board of Directors

 

William J. Rouhana, Jr., Chairman, Co-Founder

William (Bill) J. Rouhana, Jr. has been the Chairman and CEO of Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC since 2008. Rouhana started his career practicing law with a focus on media industry financing. He became a merchant banker and in 1993, launched one of the earliest internet companies, Winstar Communications, Inc., which went on to become one of the fastest growing companies in history with annual sales exceeding $1 billion in less than seven years. From 2002 to 2008 Rouhana served as an advisor to various media and other companies on strategy, acquisition and financing issues. While pursuing his business career, Rouhana also served as a Board Member of the United Nations Association, Business Executives for National Security (BENS) and Colby College. In 1998, Rouhana co-founded the Humpty Dumpty Institute and became chairman in 2010. Mr. Rouhana also chairs the Global Creative Forum, an annual summit that engages Hollywood’s film and television industry in the U.N.’s important development work around the world. For a complete biography of Mr. Rouhana, visit www.chickensoup.com.

 

Walter Simon Arbib, Director

Walter Simon Arbib is the President, SkyLink Group of Companies and Founder & Director, SkyLink Aviation Inc. SkyLink Aviation has become a leader in fast global deployment of food, peacekeepers and international humanitarian aid during war, major disasters and pandemics within fifty countries for clients such as World Food Programme, USAID, IOM, the Red Cross, and other national governments and NGO’s. Walter is on the Board of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Friends of the Simon Weisenthal Centre, B’nai Brith Canada, and Counterpart International Inc.  Walter is one of the founders of the Libyan Jewish Museum in Or Yehuda, Israel, a member of the Israel Policy Forum in the United States and a member of the Magna Carta Foundation in Italy

 

Esther Coopersmith, Director

Esther Coopersmith is a long time political activist. Among her many public commitments to the United Nations system she has served as co-chair of Americans for UNESCO as well as a United States Public Delegate to the United Nations. An advisor to the Department of State for the Status of Women Commission of the United Nations and based in Washington D.C., she is an Advisory Board member of the Center for International development and Conflict Management. In 1982 she became the first woman since Eleanor Roosevelt to receive the United Nations Peace Prize.

 

Ralph L. Cwerman, President, Co-Founder

Mr. Cwerman is President and Co-Founder of the Humpty Dumpty Institute. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President of Muus Asset Management Inc, Senior Vice-President of the United Nations Association of the United States, and Director of Research at Israel's Permanent Mission to the United Nations and senior aide to Ambassador Benjamin Netanyahu. Ralph.Cwerman@theHDI.org

 

Amir Dossal, Director, Ex-officio

Amir Dossal is Founder and Chairman of the Global Partnerships Forum, an international platform working to address economic and social challenges, through the creation of innovative partnerships. He is also the Co-Initiator of the Pearl Initiative, a CEO-led program, promoting transparency and accountability in the Gulf Region. In addition, Mr. Dossal is Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union for Global Partnerships and serves as Commissioner of the Broadband Commission.

Prior to creating the Global Partnerships Forum and the Pearl Initiative, Amir was the U.N.’s Chief Liaison for Partnerships. As Executive Director of this Office, he forged strategic alliances with governments, corporations, foundations and philanthropists while uniting these partners to a common purpose: to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. In 1999, Amir was appointed to manage the $1 billion gift by media mogul Ted Turner to the United Nations.

As the primary interface for the UN Foundation, Amir successfully attracted new investments of over $560 million from various donors, which supported 450 international projects for women and children’s health, climate change and bio-diversity. He has developed numerous partnerships and secured sizable social investments from such major names as the American Red Cross, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coca-Cola, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Rotary International. Amir also oversaw management of the UN Democracy Fund, which he established in 2005 as an instrument to strengthen democratic institutions and enhance governance in new and restored democracies .

Mark Epstein, Director

In 1976, Mr. Epstein founded the Izmo Family of Companies, Inc., a silk screen printing company serving the advertising and fine arts communities. Over the next twenty-one years Izmo became one of the most versatile silk screening printing companies in New York. While running Izmo, Mr. Epstein formed off-shoot businesses such as cosmetics, graphics, and advertising. Mr. Epstein started heavily investing in commercial and residential real estate in 1990. He co-founded Ossa Properties Inc., a real estate management company in 1992, and managed properties owned by him and others. Mr. Epstein decided to semi-retire at age 39 to be able to devote more time to non-profit interests including Cooper Union, The New School Concert Series, the New York String Orchestra Seminar, Ballet Inc., the United Nations and the Humpty Dumpty Institute.

 

Benjamin A. Gilman, Director

During his thirty years in Congress (1973-2002), Congressman Gilman was highly respected on both sides of the aisle for his commitment advancing human rights and fighting world hunger. He served as Chairman of the House International Relations Committee (1995-2002) and provided a leading voice for vigorous U.S.-U.N. engagement. In September 2003, President Bush appointed Congressman Gilman as a Public Delegate to the 58th United Nations General Assembly.

 

Peter Grossman, Director

Peter Grossman is an attorney who represents the principals of Ogden CAP Properties, LLC and the Seymour Milstein Family. He has served in this capacity for the Family since 2002. Prior to his representation of the Seymour Milstein Family, Peter spent ten years at the J.P. Morgan Chase Private Bank (and its predecessor institutions Chase Manhattan Bank and Chemical Bank), first as a Vice-President and then as a Managing Director. During his tenure at the bank, he worked with wealthy families on financial and tax planning issues and was responsible for the insurance services of the Private Bank. Peter Grossman has also practiced law in two New York City firms, specializing in the area of trust and estates. After graduating law school, he served as special counsel to New York State Transportation Committee for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Peter Grossman graduated with a B.A. from Columbia College in 1979;a J.D. (with distinction) from Hofstra University School of Law in 1981 and a LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law in 1988.

 

Constance Milstein, Chairman Emeritus, Co-Founder

Ms. Milstein is a Principal of Ogden CAP Properties, LLC, a New York City property management and development company. She is a board member of many non-profit organizations including Refugees International (RI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the New York City Opera and the City Parks Foundation. Ms. Milstein is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

 

Christopher R. Mitchell, Director
Christopher R. Mitchell is a Partner at TMG Partners, an NYC based firm focused on private equity and mezzanine investments in the consumer products sector. Prior to TMGP, Mitchell was a Principal and senior founding member of an investment group within the Principal Capital Group (PCG) at Banc of America Securities where he spent almost 5 years helping to build a proprietary investment fund focused on making direct private investments in mostly consumer product and media companies. Prior to PCG, Mitchell was a High Yield Investment Consultant for The Carlyle Group and spent 10 years at Banc of America Securities in Corporate Finance and Leveraged Finance, most recently as a Vice President in Leveraged Finance. Mitchell has completed financings totaling over $17 billion and worked with many management teams to provide support and guidance in matters relating to financing options, acquisitions, business development initiatives and business analytics. Mitchell is a Board Member of the American Institute of Wine & Food NYC Chapter and actively participated with Council on Foreign Relations while at Bank of America, as a corporate membership representative.

Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, Co-Chairman Emeritus, Co-Founder

Mr. Sonnenfeldt is Managing Member of MUUS and Company, a privately owned investment fund. He has had a long and successful career as a property developer. Mr. Sonnenfeldt is past Chairman of the Israel Policy Forum and is a board member of the Synergos Institute. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He holds a number of other non-profit board positions and has received an Honorary Doctorate from Ben Gurion University.

 

Richard Sneider, Director

Richard Sneider is the President of One World Apparel LLC and CEO of Unger Fabrik LLC. With manufacturing in 14 countries, One World and Unger are leaders in the apparel manufacturing arena, distributing fashion clothing to most of the USA retail world.

Richard Sneider is the true essence of a modern renaissance man. Born in Mexico City in 1960, Richard came to the USA to pursue his university education; he earned his degree in Philosophy and Psychoanalysis from New College in Sarasota Florida in 1981, attended graduate courses in Harvard Medical School of Psychiatry, Critical Thinking and Consciousness from University of Illinois, and obtained his PhD at Claremont Graduate School in Intellectual History in 1991. The main contribution of his doctoral dissertation was the question of objectivity between science and ideology and the role this dialectics play in politics and history.

Richard Sneider is an explorer at heart. His thirst to uncover the roots and essence of life, nature and human societies have prompted him to search for unchartered territories “where few dare to go”: Piranha collecting in the Amazon Jungles, Gorilla Research in Uganda, Archeology exploration in Cambodia, first contact expeditions in Papua, new species discoveries in bio-diversity surveys, land so forth.

His concern for rainforest and fresh water habitats, which he considers an urgent vital for the survival of the planet, have prompted him to join the Chairman’s Council of Conservation International, and the Board at the Los Angeles Zoo. On his own, and through these organizations, he participates in bio-diversity research expeditions and projects, analysis, funding and advocacy for environmental concerns.

Richard Sneider lives in Beverly Hills CA, is married to Jessica, and has three children, ages 19, 15 and 12.

Jay T. Snyder, Director

Jay T. Snyder is a principal of HBJ Investments, LLC, specializing in private equity investments. In 2007, he became the Non-Executive Chairman of Pelion Financial Group, a company that provides retirement wealth and plan management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. He was a principal of Ashfield Consulting Group from 2003 to 2005. In addition to his professional work, he had previous U.S. Government service as a U.S. Representative to the 55th United Nations General Assembly. Mr. Snyder is currently a member of the Presidential Commission on Public Diplomacy and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Beatrice Snyder Foundation, Phoenix House Foundation and Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy, all non-profit organizations, and is an active participant in many charitable organizations. In 2008, he joined the Advisory Board of the Brookings' Saban Center/ Council on Foreign Relations Middle East Project.