Who We Are

President/Secretary: Zoe Engels
Zoe Engels has always desired to make a difference in the world. At a young age, she began volunteering at historical societies in and around her community. Her goal was to help preserve the education and ideas of the past. Additionally, she volunteered in Sicily, Italy, where she helped to clean up their local parks, helped to build a trail, and was introduced to a new lifestyle. By way of this trip, her fascination with international cultures only grew stronger. She became determined to make a difference and help people in communities worldwide.

Zoe’s Mission Statement:

“When I came up with the concept of Write the Future, we were determined to bring the idea to life. I am driven forward by my desire to make a change in the world and by my desire to spread the gifts of education and the written word with the children of the world. Write the Future is an organization that will make an important difference in the education and in the lives of children in need internationally. It is because of them and for them that I motivated to make sure that Write the Future can be successful. Please know that every donation can make a difference. With your support, Write the Future will succeed in helping the children of the world. Thank you for all your help in making this idea, this seed, grow into a flower of change. Together, we will help these children write the future.”

Vice President: Elana Greenberg 

Elana Greenberg is a very dedicated philanthropist. She has sat on the board of Voices, which is a Jewish philanthropy foundation through the Jewish United Fund (JUF). There, Elana has gained a plethora of knowledge as it pertains to dealing with the business aspect of charities and what it takes to run a non-profit organization. Similarly, Elana is a very dedicated businesswoman. Her love of both math and business has fuelled her success as a philanthropist. She aspires to help make education accessible to every child in the world.

Elana’s Mission Statement:

“I pledge that I will advocate to the world that an idea is just an idea. If you have an idea, take action. It is then that the idea becomes something of worth. No one is too young or too old to make a difference. Nothing is out of reach. I pledge that I will make a difference in this world. The change is not dictated by how large a dream is. Instead, it is dictated by how much time is spent to advocate for change. Taking the steps toward change can help create a better future for these children.”

Marketing Director: Dana Ward

Dana is from New York and is currently a student at Washington University in St. Louis, where she is studying International and Area Studies with a concentration in International Affairs. Dana also has a strong interest in promoting human rights worldwide. In her free time, she loves dancing and working with kids.

Accountant/Treasurer: David Malin 

David Malin is a successful accountant who has helped establish many non-profit organizations. He, therefore, understands what it takes to be a successful organization on paper as well as in reality.

Rotary Liaison: Sharon Weingarten

 Sharon Weingarten is a licensed social worker and teacher. She earned her MSW, summa cum laude, from Loyola University of Chicago, and studied education at the University of Illinois and National Louis University, where she later joined the faculty. Sharon is an active member of Rotary International and American Association of University Women. She is a consultant and advisor to a wide variety of youth and mental health organizations and is proud to have been the “founding mother” of a teen essay contest for a branch of Mental Health America. Sharon is a member of the Professional Advisory Board of Erika’s Lighthouse and is actively involved in Camp Kesem-Northwestern. She created What I Wish You Knew Conversations® to give all students a safe and professional forum in which to share their concerns and to encourage dialogue in families, schools, therapeutic settings and everywhere communication is important.

Learn about our organization or our history.