David Weindling, Founder

Since leaving a 15 year career in private business, David Weindling has dedicated himself to education and philanthropy. David worked in marketing and development for Action for Children in Illinois, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to quality child care and early education for all children in Illinois. Just prior to founding Farther Foundation, he administered the college scholarship and educational enrichment grant programs at the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation.

Always active in the communities where he works and lives, David served as president of the Albany Park Chamber of Commerce and was a Director of the Community Chest and United Way of Oak Park and River Forest.

David first traveled abroad when he was ten years old on a month-long family adventure to Japan. He is now committed to enabling others to become inspired and go farther by experiencing the world, its wonders and their own potential.

Susan J. White

An independent writer with more than 20 years of experience in journalism, public relations and fundraising, Susan White provides creative communications for a variety of non-profit and other valuable organizations.

Before starting her own business, her career included serving as Senior Director of Philanthropy for Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and Editor of Publications for the Lincoln Park Zoo.

An active volunteer, she serves on the Board of Directors for The Auxiliary of NorthShore University HealthSystem and The Kindling Group, an organization dedicated to developing documentary films with an eye toward social change.

Susan is an ardent and adventurous traveler and counts summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, completing the Camino Santiago Pilgrimage in Spain and trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru among her personal accomplishments.

Griselda Garibay

Griselda Garibay is an MBA-level professional with 15 years of strong project and account management experience in a consulting environment in multiple industries ranging from insurance, software development and non-profit. Her passion is empowering youth to meet their potential as future global and culturally skilled leaders.

As a first generation college student, she has greatly benefited from travel throughout her academic experience to expand personal and professional horizons. She spent three semesters studying French as a Second Language in Quebec City, Quebec, paid through the President's Award Scholarship. Later, as part of her graduate degree in International Business, studied in France for a week, visiting and assessing multiple companies such as Moet & Chandon and a Venture Capitalist.

Jim Rolfes

Jim Rolfes is a Chicago based attorney with the international law firm of Reed Smith. Having attained a CPA certification and public accounting experience prior to law school, Jim throughout his legal career has addressed claims involving accountants and accounting issues. Jim received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree, magna cum laude from the University of Illinois.

Professional Affiliations

• Advisory Board Member, Holy Trinity High School
• Treasurer and Board Member, Public Interest Law Initiative
• Member, New York and Illinois State Bar Associations
• Taught courses in introductory business law at the University of Illinois
• Certified Public Accountant

Ruth Masters

Ruth Masters earned her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as associate editor of the University of Chicago Legal Forum, and received the award for outstanding student comment.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania.

Upon law school graduation, she clerked for the Honorable Charles Levin on the Michigan Supreme Court.  She then worked for several years as an associate in the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins.

In 1996, Masters joined the City of Chicago Corporation Counsel’s appeals division as an assistant corporation counsel where she briefed and argued a wide range of issues before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the Illinois appellate courts.  She also worked for the Torts Divisions writing and arguing dispositive motions on high exposure cases.  In 2001 she returned to private practice.  She started her own firm in 2007.

She is involved with the legal community as a member of the Appellate Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Chicago Bar Association, and as a volunteer for Chicago Volunteer Legal Services.  She has also worked as an arbitrator for the Cook County mandatory arbitration program and as a mediator for securities disputes.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and biking.  She has wandered to and through Argentina, Brazil, western Europe,  and several Mediterranean countries.  She especially enjoys visiting National Parks, with Yellowstone National Park next on her must-see list.

Laura Swartzbaugh

A teacher with 20 years of experience in education, Laura Swartzbaugh’s entire career has focused on increasing opportunities to young people through education. Laura began her career in higher education, teaching in several different disciplines at the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, and University of Illinois at Chicago. After moving to Chicago, Laura decided to focus on having a greater impact on adolescents by becoming a high school history and English teacher. As a founding faculty member of the Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy, Laura helped develop and manage an extensive research mentorship program that has partnered hundreds of underserved students with research mentors from institutions such as the University of Chicago Hospitals and Northwestern University’s School of Law. As her carer in education has developed, Laura has increasingly focused on the role of education and mentorship in increasing college access for underserved students.

Laura received her undergraduate degree from Carleton College, her Ph.D. from University of Minnesota, and her Master’s of Educational Leadership from Roosevelt
University. Laura is an avid runner, having completed two Chicago Marathons. She has always found travel transformative, from her first trip to Italy as a 13-year old girl through her experience as a chaperone on Oak Park River Forest High School’s trip to Spain in the summer of 2012.