BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEETING AT THE INTERSECTION OF HUMANITY AND SERVICE
MICHAEL TIEDEMANN
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Mike is the CEO of AlTi Tiedemann Global. Prior to leading the merger that created AlTi, he was a Founding Partner and CEO at Tiedemann Advisors, as well as CEO at Tiedemann Investment Group (TIG).
Early in his career, Mike lived and worked in Brazil as part of the equity research group at Banco Garantia and, after that firm was acquired by Credit Suisse, ran the equity sales and trading operations for Latin America.
Mike serves on the board of multiple organizations and has been recognized numerous times for his contributions to charitable causes. He both established and is the Chairman of the Board of RIVER FUND, a nonprofit organization that provides food, education and support services to help families in New York City break the cycle of poverty.
R. SPENCER POTTS
CAPITAL CHAIR
Spencer Potts is CEO of Madhive, an enterprise software that powers modern media, and a Managing Partner of Maximalist Ventures which centers on Tech and E-Commerce businesses. Previously, Potts has served as Global Head of Institutional Sales & Marketing for Investment Managers including Silver Creek Capital, CIFC Asset Management, and most recently MidOcean Partners. In addition to advertising, he carries domain expertise across alternative asset classes including venture capital, hedge funds and private equity. Potts serves as the Capital Chair for New York City’s largest poverty frontline center, RIVER FUND, and holds a B.A. in History from the University of New Hampshire.
RICCARDO BENEDETTI
Riccardo is a senior partner at Perella Weinberg Partners, an independent financial advisory services firm. He has worked in investment banking for more than 30 years in London and New York. Riccardo lives with his wife and three daughters in New York.
DANIELLE BERNSTEIN
Danielle Bernstein is a native New Yorker and Fashion Blogger turned business mogul. Bernstein has a dedicated fan base of over 3.2 million followers and counting across her social media platforms. Bernstein started her internationally recognized blog, WeWoreWhat.com, and Instagram, @WeWoreWhat, in 2010 as a daily dose of outfit inspiration for women everywhere, before growing the platform into an aspirational yet relatable home for all things coveted. Danielle has since launched her brand, Shop WeWoreWhat along with her namesake line, Danielle Bernstein. Danielle was quickly recognized by Forbes’ coveted “30 Under 30” list at just 24 years old in 2017 and became a New York Times best selling author for her book, This Is Not A Fashion Story that was published in May 2020. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Danielle created the philanthropic arm of her business as a way to give back using her massive platform, WeGaveWhat, which has since been able to raise and donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to all different organizations and causes in need.
PATRICK DALY
Patrick Daly is a founding Partner of PJT Park Hill’s directs placement practice and launched the hedge fund/credit business in 2006. Mr. Daly has over 30 years of experience in the alternative asset and financial services industry. Prior to joining Park Hill in 2006, Mr. Daly was a Director in Credit Suisse First Boston’s Private Fund Group. Previously, Mr. Daly was a Managing Director at Norfolk Markets and a senior derivative trader on the mortgage desks of Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse First Boston. Mr. Daly received a BBA from James Madison University and is a CAIA Charterholder.
PATRICK DALY
Patrick Daly is a founding Partner of PJT Park Hill’s directs placement practice and launched the hedge fund/credit business in 2006. Mr. Daly has over 30 years of experience in the alternative asset and financial services industry. Prior to joining Park Hill in 2006, Mr. Daly was a Director in Credit Suisse First Boston’s Private Fund Group. Previously, Mr. Daly was a Managing Director at Norfolk Markets and a senior derivative trader on the mortgage desks of Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse First Boston. Mr. Daly received a BBA from James Madison University and is a CAIA Charterholder.
ADAM G. DONEGER
Adam Doneger serves as Newmark’s Executive Vice Chairman of U.S. Capital Markets. He joined the firm in February 2023 after spending more than six years at Cushman & Wakefield. Adam has worked on over $150 billion of transactions across all asset classes, including multifamily, office, retail, industrial, self-storage and hotel.
Prior to Cushman & Wakefield, Adam worked at Eastdil Secured where he served as Managing Director, and Brookfield Asset Management in their Real Estate Debt Fund. Adam began his career at Morgan Stanley in the real estate group.
Adam is a former professional lacrosse player and played for the New Jersey Pride in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) from 2003 to 2007. He was named the Major League Lacrosse Rookie of the Year in 2003. Prior to joining the MLL, Adam played college lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University where he was named a two-time First Team All American and team captain during his junior and senior years. Adam was also appointed to the All Time JHU Lacrosse Team. In 2002, he played for the United States Men’s National Team that won a gold medal in Australia. In 2014, Adam was elected to the Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
In addition to serving on RIVER FUND Board of Directors, Adam serves as a Leadership Fellow at Johns Hopkins University and sits on the Johns Hopkins University Athletic Department Advisory Board. Adam holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University.
JUSTIN D. GOLDEN
Justin Golden is President of Stephen Gould, one of the largest privately held creative supply chain partners in the world, known for its innovative ability to help bring ideas to life. The company is headquartered in Whippany, NJ with over 40+ locations around the globe. Representing the 3rd generation of family ownership, Justin had driven the organization through its most dynamic transformational period, embracing growth and innovation while ensuring connectivity to its past principles, distinct culture and community focus. Justin graduated from The University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics in 2006. An avid soccer player and fan, he currently resides in Short Hills, NJ with his wife Jayme and their three children. In 2014, Justin was introduced to the RIVER FUND and, inspired by the work and commitment the organization delivers to its community, joined the Board shortly thereafter. Since then, Justin has been an active participant and fundraiser for the RIVER FUND. He is proud to partner with Stephen Gould to support many RIVER FUND initiatives, including Child Poverty Awareness (CPA) Day, Fund a Need, and sponsorship of the annual Mary C. Tiedemann Scholarship Fund, which provides economic opportunities for college-bound students.
MAIA JAMES
Maia James is the Founder and President of Gimme the Good Stuff, Inc., an online resource and
marketplace that gives busy parents peace of mind by helping them easily navigate the confusing world of “natural” products.
Maia has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The New York Times, New York
Magazine, The Dr. Oz Show, InStyle, goop.com, and many others.
Before she became an entrepreneur, Maia was the Communications Director at Philanthropy New York, a nonprofit organization empowering grantmaking institutions to build a more equitable world. She sits on the board of Families First, an independent nonprofit dedicated to supporting Brooklyn families.
Originally from Vermont, Maia received her B.A. from Colgate University and now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.
STEVEN PETERSEN
Steven Petersen is the Co-Founder of Stavtar Solutions, a financial technology company that creates software which improves financial and operational workflows of the most sophisticated asset managers in the world.
Prior to this, Mr. Petersen was the Chief Financial Officer of Hudson Bay Capital where he was responsible for managing their global accounting, finance, operations and tax reporting functions. He was also the Chairman of Hudson Bay's Operational Risk Working Group and Valuation Committee. Prior to joining Hudson Bay, he spent nine years at TPG-Axon as its Global Controller then Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining TPG-Axon, Mr. Petersen served as a Vice President and Global Operational Risk Manager for the Proprietary Positioning Business (PPB) at JP Morgan Chase. He started his career at Arthur Andersen LLP in 1994.
TIMOTHY REILLY
Mr. Reilly is President of Hilton Capital Management, a boutique asset manager located in Garden City, NY. Prior to joining Hilton Capital, Mr. Reilly spent 10 years as a Managing Director at Bank of America, where he oversaw their Global Convertible Sales and Trading business. Prior to Bank of America, Tim was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, where he managed their U.S. Convertible Trading business. Mr. Reilly graduated from Harvard University with a B.S. in Economics. A hockey, golf and swimming enthusiast, he currently resides in Manhasset, NY with his wife Patti Anne and their three children. Tim is very committed to his role as a Board Member of RIVER FUND and as a member of RIVER FUND Finance Committee. He and his family appreciate the opportunity to volunteer on the Saturday Food Distribution Program and spreading the mission statement of the FIVER FUND. Tim is especially proud to have Hilton Capital offer an internship each summer to a Mary C. Tiedemann Scholarship Recipient. Getting to know and support the RIVER FUND family has been a huge blessing.
SARA SILVERSTEIN
Sara Silverstein was named CEO of The Arena Group (AREN) in April 2024 and quickly led the publicly-traded company to its first-ever profitable quarter. She had joined Arena Group in 2021 to manage TheStreet and became General Manager of the company’s Finance Arena. Under her leadership, TheStreet became one of the fastest-growing business news sites in the US. Sara has a degree in mathematics from the University of Colorado and started her career in the hedge fund industry. After receiving her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2010, she shifted her focus to financial news and worked at Bloomberg TV and Business Insider. Sara is committed to leveraging her expertise to support RIVER FUND’s mission of empowering individuals and families to move beyond the lines of poverty. She lives in NYC with her husband and three daughters.
MELISSA WOOD-TEPPERBERG
Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, Founder and CEO of MWH and host of the Move With Heart Podcast, is a motivational speaker, meditation teacher, certified yoga and pilates instructor, and certified health coach. She is beloved by the diverse community she’s cultivated through her unique approach to fitness and mindfulness over the years. An innate digital entrepreneur, Melissa began filming and sharing her workouts from her living room using only an iPhone and simple tripod in 2015. Her accessible approach and broad content offering inspires others to strengthen their mind and body by consistently committing to wellness. The first MWH app launched in 2019, and the MWH platform has a growing library of 750+ workouts, meditations and recipes, offering something for everyone at every point in their journey. A profound thought-leader, Melissa and MWH have been featured on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, GMA, The Today Show, Forbes, Fortune and more. In addition to expanding the platform and continuing to innovate in the fitness and wellness space, Melissa is a wife and mother to two beautiful children. She currently resides in New York City.
DOUGLAS WURTZ
Doug Wurtz is the Senior Portfolio Manager of 10b Capital Management, a Millennium Platform Company, which invests globally across the technology, media, and telecom ("TMT") industries. Prior to launching 10b, Doug was a Portfolio Manager at Hudson Bay Capital for 6 years, where he ran a similar global TMT strategy. Doug spent 10 years at Tiger Veda Management, a fund seeded by Julian Robertson, as a Senior Analyst and Partner, before joining Hudson Bay. Doug started his career as a research analyst at Goldman Sachs after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Political Science in 2000. An avid guitarist and surfer, he currently resides in Greenwich, CT with his wife Amanda, four children Jackson, CeCe, Byrdie, and Noa, and two dogs, Evie and ZouZou. Doug and his family enjoy RIVER FUND's relentless commitment to breaking the poverty cycle through increasingly more impactful food, social welfare, and education initiatives, and can be found working the Saturday lines alongside friends and fellow Board Members.
SWAMI DURGA DAS
FOUNDER AND CEO
Swami born and raised in Queens, New York.
RIVER FUND was established in response to the ravages of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic and continues some 30 years later responding to the devastation of those living on the lines of poverty. RIVER FUND remains purpose driven while bringing humanity, tolerance, and empathy to our neighbors in need.
“the best part of who we are is in the caring for each other however we choose to share and serve.”
HAROLD FORD, JR.
Currently, former 5-term Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. is a vice chairman and executive vice president of PNC Bank’s Corporate and Institutional Banking business.
In addition, he is chairman and CEO of Empowerment & Inclusion Capital I Corporation
(NYSE: “EPWR”) - a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) with the unique,
purpose-driven mission of acquiring a diverse led business or a business focused on promoting economic and societal inclusion.
Prior to joining PNC, Ford was most recently a director of Live Oak Acquisition
Corporation - a blank check company that successfully combined with Danimer Scientific, Inc
NYSE: DNMR) - and non-executive chair of Rx Saver, a patient directed prescription medication search engine platform. Before that, Ford spent 11 years in investment banking at both
Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley.
Ford is a graduate of both the University of Michigan Law School and the University of Pennsylvania.
And, he, his wife Emily and their 2 young kids - Georgia Walker and Harold III (HEF) - live in
New York City.
ELIZABETH M. STEEL
Elizabeth resides in New York and London.
After graduating from the American University of Paris, Elizabeth began her career planning events; ultimately joining the renowned design and production firm Van Wyck & Van Wyck in New York City. She is now working on her own, event consulting, for a wide range of private clients.
Elizabeth, a proud and committed Board Member of RIVER FUND, can be found volunteering at the Saturday Food Distribution Program. Bringing her family along whenever she can too!