About EH Active

Charlie Bresler is an aspiring effective hedonist and co-founder of the nonprofit The Life You Can Save. Since becoming Volunteer Executive Director in 2013, he has helped founder Peter Singer grow the organization through his leadership and financial support.

Charlie holds a BA in History from NYU, a Master’s in Social Studies and Education from Harvard, and a PhD in Social and Clinical Psychology from Clark University. He previously served as Director of Behavioral Medicine at the California School of Professional Psychology and later became President of The Men’s Wearhouse, stepping down in 2008 to focus on social and economic issues.

As a psychologist, Charlie champions aligning personal joy with doing good, promoting a fulfilling, values-driven life over self-sacrifice. His work has been featured in TIME, Fast Company, WSJ, and Forbes. He advocates for finding happiness in contributing to the greater good.

Charlie lives in Sequim, Washington, with his wife Diana, a family physician. He enjoys long-distance walking, spending time with his four grandchildren, and supporting nonprofits in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. He also serves on the Board of Directors for The Life You Can Save.

Jordanne Pallesen, APR, is a seasoned PR and communications professional with over 17 years of experience in agency and in-house roles. In 2022, she earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), underscoring her commitment to industry excellence.

As a nurturing mother of two young boys, Jordanne takes a similar approach with her clients – always leading with honesty and transparency. She specializes in delivering creative, tailored solutions to meet her clients’ unique needs.

Before founding Julep Publicity, Jordanne held leadership roles, including Director of Arizona at Olive Creative Strategies, Chief Marketing Officer at My Amelia James, and Marketing Manager at JLab Audio. She has also served as a PR consultant for some of the nation’s leading PR firms, such as CIVIC Entertainment Group and The Abbi Agency.

Jordanne has spearheaded successful digital and traditional marketing campaigns, elevated brand visibility, and developed compelling messaging strategies. Her media relations expertise has resulted in hundreds of top-tier placements, including features in TODAY, Forbes, Vice, CNBC, Cheddar, NBC News, InStyle, and Men’s Health.

Stacey studied Digital Design and gained extensive experience in website design/development, marketing, project management, and event planning with organizations such as Sanlam, XO Africa, and Future Media Group. Her unwavering passion for aiding those in need has always driven her and her roles at nonprofits have seamlessly aligned with her dedication to both marketing and media, as well as her deep commitment to serving others.

Since 2023 Stacey stepped in as volunteer Executive Director for Double Up Drive. Stacey is rooted in Cape Town, South Africa, and is enthusiastic about her contribution to making the world a better place.

Amy Schwimmer is a nonprofit worker and board member and a former educator. She specializes in operations and communications. Amy enjoys indoor and outdoor activities around the San Francisco Bay Area where she lives, as well as while traveling, including hiking, swimming, biking, and jogging.

Patricia has been an educator since 1991, holding a degree in Education Studies and English Language Teaching from the JVG Institute in Buenos Aires. As the founder of the Canterbury School of English in Buenos Aires and Creating Connections in Montalcino, she has dedicated her life to pedagogy and teaching, making them both her personal and professional mission.

Over the years, she has developed workshops and innovative learning programs, including the Bilingualism Project, a pioneering approach to language learning that integrates socio-emotional development and oracy skills for children. With more than 30 years of experience as both a teacher and a mother, she has recently specialized in family engagement in education, completing a professional development course at Harvard University. This experience inspired the creation of the School for Parents, a dynamic space offering debates, workshops, and conferences led by educators from across Italy. Patricia passionately believes in the critical partnership between schools, families, and communities in shaping children’s education. Building on her extensive experience teaching young children, she is now pursuing further specialization in Early Years Education through a new professional development programme.

Diana Schott is a retired family physician and has been married to Charlie Bresler for 51 years. She received a BA from Harvard University and her MD from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She worked as a teacher and practitioner in the University of San Francisco Medical School’s family practice residency in Fresno, California for 7 years and then in a private practice in the Bay Area for 20 years. After a move to Washington state, she worked in a community health center. Currently, she volunteers in a free clinic in Sequim, Washington and spends a considerable amount of time caring for her four grandchildren. She is an avid walker and financial supporter of several nonprofits in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Matias is passionate about ways in which public policy and international development can become more equitable and effective by using evidence and amplifying the voices of those impacted. After studying education and international development at the University of Cambridge, Matias a led Shaping Horizons, an incubator for social enterprises across Latin America. He has worked as a researcher and project manager on initiatives and with organizations in the UK, Tunisia, Italy, and Argentina. He currently works as Senior Research Associate at The Life You Can Save, where he oversees nonprofit evaluation and research.

Walter Cohen is emeritus professor of Comparative Literature at Cornell University and emeritus professor of English at the University of Michigan. He is the author of Drama of a Nation: Public Theater in Renaissance England and Spain and A History of European Literature: The West and the World from Antiquity to the Present. He is also an editor of The Norton Shakespeare. His current interests include the histories of African and of Jewish literature, as well as the literature of ecological catastrophe. At Cornell, he served as Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost of the University, among other administrative positions. Nationally, he was president of the Association of Graduate Schools, a consortium of leading research universities.