Our Team

The passionate people behind Share Your Wish 

 

Buck Schleifer – Co-Founder, Managing Member

                 Buck is one half of the founding team of Share Your Wish, which also includes his wife, Rebecca.  He is a dedicated father to his two beautiful children, “A” (born Jan., 2008) and “E” (born Oct., 2009).  Buck currently has a full-time career as a proprietary trader for a hedge fund in Westchester, NY, but spends a lot of his free time pursuing his passion, which is Share Your Wish.

                Buck comes from humble beginnings, growing up in Bronx, NY.  His father was a struggling musician who worked very hard to give him everything that he could.  While he may not have had everything, he had enough to be happy.  And that mostly had to do with the love that was shared in his family.  He worked very hard to excel in school, beginning with acceptance and attendance at the prestigious Bronx High School of Science.  Next, he attended Pace University on a 4-year Dean’s scholarship.  Finally, he went on to receive his MBA from NYU Stern Business School.  The job he currently holds is the same job he has had since he was in college, 15 years earlier.  So he has been fortunate to achieve success in his career, which ultimately means more financial freedom.

                When asked what he is grateful for in his life, the thing that tops the list is that he and his wife are able to provide for their kids.  He is extremely thankful that they don’t want for food, clothing or shelter.  Not only that, but he is able to support their interests, take family vacations, and put away some money for their college education.  These are mostly things his parents weren’t able to provide for him.  But, not being the wiser, he never missed any of them. 

                This personal understanding that “things” do not create happiness is what drives Buck to fight the impulse to give his kids everything they want, and was the main catalyst for creating Share Your Wish.  He and his wife grew increasingly frustrated with the excessive gift giving at their childrens’ birthday parties over the years.  It had become too much; their children had more toys than they could ever need, and they started to become concerned that the real importance of the day – the celebration – was being overshadowed by the material aspect.  They were afraid of what lesson that would teach their children.  There had to be a way to turn that excess and “waste” into something good.  And there was!  Share Your Wish was born.

 

 

Rebecca Schleifer – Co-founder, President

                 Rebecca makes up the other half of the founding team of Share Your Wish.  Rebecca was a Special Education teacher for ten years.  She left her position in 2008 to take on the most important role of all, motherhood.  Raising two young children has been life changing, a little bit messy, and full of surprises.  It has also been quite inspirational, as it was Rebecca's two young children that inspired the idea of Share Your Wish.

                Rebecca attended University of Hartford where she received a degree in Special Education, and later earned a Masters Degree from Hunter College.  Clearly she has a passion for education.  Rebecca hopes to utilize her experience with young children and how to teach them effectively, by offering parents ways in which to teach their youngsters the virtues of being charitable. 

                Share Your Wish was a concept that came to life while Rebecca was planning her daughter’s fourth birthday party last year.  With a growing guest list, she and her husband started to become concerned about all of the unnecessary gifts their daughter was going to receive.  They asked all guests to spend less on the birthday gifts and to use the remainder of the money to purchase rattles for a local charity that collects items for children who are in the hospital.  The idea was met by so many guests with open arms that they knew she were onto something special. 

                Rebecca and her husband created Share Your Wish in hopes that families will begin teaching their young children about what is truly important in life.  She believes that people must always come before things.  She hopes to inspire families to celebrate their children’s birthdays with presents that have special meaning, and create a way to make their child’s day even more special by sharing with others.  Rebecca’s goal is to continue to “teach, share, and inspire” others.

 

 

Eric R. Putter - Partner, VP Technology & Operations

                Eric is a prior startup founder and Fortune-level executive. He has been building Internet businesses and crafting websites since the dawn of the dot-com era, helping some of the biggest names in diverse industries to establish their online presence, marketing and ecommerce assets. He is currently Founder and President of Very Inventive llc, a provider of business and technology services to startups and entrepreneurs, whose primary mission is to support the development of new ideas into full-fledged ventures, from concept to launch.

                Now living outside of NYC in Sleepy Hollow, Eric was introduced to the Schleifers’ concept for ShareYourWish and immediately recognized an opportunity to work together and build something special. ShareYourWish was developed from concept to launch by leveraging Very Inventive's lean and agile methodology, which relies heavily on outsourced teams and an emphasis on proven, repeatable processes. He is responsible for the site's architecture, design, development and user experience, and has provided strategic and hands-on guidance of the business from inception to date.

                A firm believer in the SYW mission, as well as the Schleifers and their values, Eric later joined the team as an equity partner in early 2013. Eric and Very Inventive will continue to support ShareYourWish through its upcoming fast-growth phase, and are very proud to be a part of this excellent social enterprise.