February 27 2020 – Richard Weissman, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of The Learning Experience, has been selected to lead the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida. He will work with the board and Make-A-Wish team to fulfill the nonprofit’s mission of granting life-changing wishes to critically-ill children. His new role as board chair was effective January 2020 and will initially run through the organization’s 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Weissman, a Boca Raton resident, is a longtime board member of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. He has led many fundraising events both personally and through The Learning Experience, which have collectively raised more than $2 million for Make-A-Wish. Additionally, he has been instrumental in the creation of The Learning Experience’s first-of-its-kind proprietary preschool curriculum in partnership with Make-A-Wish which focuses on teaching philanthropy to children 3 to 5 years of age. 
“It is both humbling and a great honor to be named Chairman of the Make-A-Wish Southern Florida Board of Directors,” said Weissman. “I look forward to helping lead this purpose-driven group in furthering the goal of granting wishes to create experiences of a lifetime for children and their families as well as delivering an iconic ‘Wish House’ in Florida.”
Founded in 1983, Make-A-Wish Southern Florida will soon grant its 13,000th wish. The volunteer board of directors is comprised of more than 30 business leaders, medical professionals, and philanthropists. It concentrates on fundraising, governance, and strategic leadership of one of the region’s most impactful charitable organizations, which grants wishes in 22 counties in the state.
“Richard Weissman and his family have been integral during some of our chapter’s most transformational and impactful years,” said Norman Wedderburn, Make-A-Wish Southern Florida President and CEO. “His unique servant leadership qualities and ability to mobilize and inspire ideally fit the mold for Chairman as we continue to build and grow.”
Weissman co-founded The Learning Experience with his parents Michael and Linda in 2002. The early education academy and franchise has become one of the country’s fastest-growing preschool companies with over 400 locations open or under development in the U.S. and additional openings slated for 2020 in Europe. Its philanthropy curriculum is dedicated to continuously teaching the youngest of learners the value and application of kindness and generosity in class, at home, and in their communities. The curriculum is a direct reflection of Weissman’s charitable values and an essential component of The Learning Experience’s company culture.
Make-A-Wish Southern Florida is currently building a Wish House in Miami to house its operations and host wish families. Currently headquartered in Davie, the nonprofit has regional offices in Bonita Springs, Sarasota, Tampa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The critically-ill children Make-A-Wish serves most often ‘wish to be’ (something), ‘wish to meet’ (someone), ‘wish to go’ (somewhere), ‘wish to have’ (something), or ‘wish to give’ (to a cause). The organization makes this happen for the child and his/her entire family at no cost or obligation.
