Jacob Weissman is the Program Director at Young Planet Leaders, where he designs programs, builds community, and forges partnerships that support young leaders from around the globe working to create a better planet. He is the architect of YPL’s mentorship and scholarship programs, YPL Academy, and its international clubs initiative.

Jacob holds a degree in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is currently completing a joint master’s degree in Global Studies at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) in Buenos Aires. His academic work spans political ecology, post-development theory, and social philosophy.

A writer, musician, and former organizer with the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts, Jacob’s work has appeared in The Progressive, Global Voices, Earth.org, and elsewhere. He is passionate about building a more just and sustainable planet by supporting youth to realize their full potential as changemakers.

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A Major in Psychology, a Master’s in Business Administration, and Several Certifications in Athletics allowed Ayenza to establish global business relationships. She represented her native country of Panama in sports until 2021 and now represents Team USA. Ayenza studied at the University of Champions and the High Altitude Centre in Iten- Kenya, the City of Champions. She was selected as one of the Hispanic Women of Distinction for 2022 and was awarded Congressional Recognition by the US Congress for outstanding and invaluable service to the community.  

Ayenza has been doing volunteer work and helping the community since the 1980s. Her first volunteering job was for the Department of Defense as a teacher’s aide. During the Panama invasion, she worked at the refugee camps. Her involvement in sports came from the American Cancer Society’s research on a cure for cancer. Since then, sports have been her passion, and she has become the Ambassador for Running with the Panama Runners Association. Her life story has been featured in ESPN-Run.

She created the Nasieku With Love Program, which brings help to the most vulnerable throughout Africa. She has been an Ambassador for Special Olympics Panama and is currently part of the Psychology Team for Apadadi – the Panamanian Sports Association of Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities. Ayenza represents Panama in running and throwing competitions.

Passionate about helping those reach their maximum potential, Ayenza encourages everyone to dream big and follow their dreams.

Ayenza’s motto is “Never Give Up.“

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Kenneth Fisher, founder and chair of Young Planet Leaders, is a born entrepreneur. At 17​, he​ ​purchased his first business, a Carvel-type ice cream store. Ken always had a love for​ ​real estate since he was a young boy, and at 19, he purchased his first four residential properties. His interest in business continued to soar, expanding across multiple industries including retail and telecommunications. His two telecommunications companies were twice featured in Inc. Magazine’s list of Top 500 Fastest-Growing Companies.

Ken’s success led him to make a conscious choice to give back. He became what he refers to as a philanthropreneur, supporting the fundraising efforts of many charities over the past 30 years, including City of Hope, Joint Distribution Committee, Kids in Distress, JAFCO, HANDY, and Jack & Jill Children’s Center, to name a few. Ken also sits on numerous non-profit boards locally and globally. Yet, Ken felt there was more he could do.

As a successful businessman, Ken understands the power of commerce. How we spend our money and what we choose to consume have a direct effect on our planet. Making conscious choices on what we do or buy today has a direct impact on the planet’s sustainability, the health and well-being of all its inhabitants, and what we will leave for future generations. Ken is an unstoppable force who lives this vision every day. He is a two-time Ironman, having competed in New Zealand and Brazil. He is committed​ ​to pursuing personal growth and living an eco-conscious lifestyle. Still, he knew he​ ​could do more.

That’s when the magic happened. Ken enrolled in a two-year Master’s Program in Spiritual Psychology, founded and taught by Dr. H. Ronald Hulnick and Dr. Mary R.​ ​Hulnick, world-renowned pioneers and innovators in this field, at the University of Santa​ ​Monica. After 25 years in the making, Ken finally realized his dream and launched Heal The Planet and Young Planet Leaders, both 501(c)3 non-profit organizations dedicated to improving life on the planet through educating, inspiring, and empowering the next generation of children.

Like Aristotle and many other philosophers, Ken believes in the concept of entelechy. It is the idea that everything in the universe has an innate ‘possibility’ held within, like a seed, and that potential needs only a supportive environment to be fully expressed. Ken’s entelechy is to leverage his natural enthusiasm, business acumen, and​ ​love of people to enhance and uplift the quality of life for others. The joy that comes​ ​from supporting others has become the fuel that gets Ken out of bed every morning​ ​with a smile and a desire to ​Heal ​The ​Planet.

“There is no greater feeling than to utilize my life experience and innate gifts to inspire others and co-create a more loving, compassionate, and sustainable planet.”    

Charles Brutten is a lawyer who is passionate about his work, family and other pursuits.  Charles enjoys traveling abroad and always has a list of future destinations that he would like to explore.  He also enjoys domestic travel, hiking, kayaking, going to concerts and shows, and spending time with his family and friends. One of the global causes that is most important to him is providing wells for fresh water so that more people have access to an ample supply of clean water. He believes that nobody should be relegated to spending the majority of each day of their lives trying to obtain a sufficient quantity of water in order to live to see the next day.

He believes that there is so much potential on the planet if the technologies and information known to and possessed by the first world are shared.  He looks forward to maintaining the direction in which Young Planet Leaders has been led by its founder and providing his support in advancing its scope and reach.

Avi Weintraub is the manager and owner of various real estate-related ventures under the Weintraub Companies’ umbrella.

He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Building Construction from the University of Florida where he also studied architectural design. He is a Certified General Contractor and real estate broker.  Mr. Weintraub has successfully taken and built on that knowledge to create a multi-faceted full-service company engaged in real estate development, construction and residential property acquisitions, holdings and management.

Mr. Weintraub has been active in the South Florida business community for more than 25 years and his experience encompasses commercial and residential development as well as the construction of scores of projects with over 2,000,000 square feet throughout South Florida, including office complexes, retail centers, schools, warehouses, apartments, condominiums and attached/detached single family homes.

His companies have received many accolades from various municipalities for design and construction as well as achieving the INC 500 list of Fastest Growing Companies in 2007 and 2008 for Weintraub Construction Company.

Mr. Weintraub is highly involved with, and has volunteered on the boards of several charitable organizations, including the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and as a board member of the Young Entrepreneur’s Organization.

He is an avid boater and skier and currently resides in Aventura with his wife Maria and their two son’s Sami and Daniel.