Smart, visionary and gutsy are three words that begin to describe the innovative chairman of Tall Tales & Storytellers, Inc. This bold entrepreneur has helped to create companies, inspire allegiance, and create wealth. A special breed, if there is a DNA code for entrepreneurs, he’s got it.
With wit and wisdom he charms you into being your best. And he challenges dreamers who are –or who want to be- to take a chance on themselves. Nick Alston is an original thinker; he is also a:
Cancer survivor,
Writer,
Inventor,
Sweet talker,
And Believer!
Nick knows how to hit a home run, yet he never forgets the importance of focused teamwork. Look into his shining eyes and you feel confident. You understand why corporate giants including IBM and Prudential Financial, competed for his talents. But, for the last 25 years Nick has been dedicated to a discipline that was not even defined 20 years ago, social entrepreneurism.
His first language was Spanish, then English, and then German. Tested in Frankfurt and Munich; San Juan and Ponce; Harlem and Humacao; he’s got skills. He fits as smoothly into a corporate boardroom as a catfish shack.
Nick, has created and defined three new words: clearvoyance, boundtrack, and quotography. He has with the help of other resourceful individuals brought those fledgling ideas into full reality. Now a cancer survivor himself, he is committed to help others to not only survive, but to thrive!
Amy’s Girl, envisioned on a cancer ward, was written to inspire
Hope. In her words, “Imagine a world…”
Amy Jaffe Barzach knows both tragedy and triumph. When faced with the death of her son Jonathan, she found a way to channel her grief into a living memorial. Inspired by a little girl in a wheelchair who was unable to join the other children on a playground, Barzach decided to build a place where everyone could play. She marshaled an army of volunteers to create one of the first universally accessible playgrounds in the country, Jonathan’s Dream. She is now executive director/co-founder of Boundless Playgrounds. Founded in 1997, the organization is the first national nonprofit dedicated to helping communities create extraordinary playgrounds where children, with and without disabilities, can develop essential skills for life as they learn together through play. There are now more than 100 Boundless™ playgrounds in over 20 states and Canada with dozens more in development throughout the U.S.
Barzach's dedication to Boundless Playgrounds has been recognized both within her home state of Connecticut and nationally. In 2007, she was profiled in USA Weekend and in Recognizing Outstanding Innovators, published by Ashoka. In 2005, she received a Local Hero Award from Bank of America as part of its Neighborhood Excellence Initiative. In 2004 she was recognized with the Woman of Character Award honoring valiant and courageous women, sponsored by The Hartford Courant and Hoffman Auto Group. In 2003, she was honored with the Woman’s Day magazine award celebrating women whose contributions help better life in America. In 2002, she was elected an Ashoka Fellow. Ashoka: Innovators for the Public is a global organization that identifies and invests in social entrepreneurs – extraordinary individuals with unprecedented ideas for change in their communities.
In 2000, Barzach received a "Women at Their Best Award" from Saturn Corporation and Glamour magazine, which recognized three women judged to be dedicated individuals in their community, career and personal accomplishments, as well as being an inspiration to others. In 1999 she received the "Parenting Leaders" Award from Parenting magazine as one of eight outstanding Americans who have made a difference in children's lives. In 1997, the National Recreation & Park Association honored Barzach with the ROSE Award for "outstanding efforts in advancing parks and recreation."
Barzach is a writer, workshop leader, inspirational speaker and also the co-author of Accidental Courage, Boundless Dreams (Aurora Publishing, 2001), a book about the inspiration and growth of Boundless Playgrounds.
Barzach has a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Albany. She completed an MBA with a concentration in marketing in 1988 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Prior to establishing Boundless Playgrounds, she was vice president of marketing for The Hutensky Group (formerly Bronson & Hutensky), where she implemented community relations programs and orchestrated trade shows and special events. Previously she served as marketing manager for the Rouse Company. Her community relations expertise, combined with the experience of mobilizing and managing an army of volunteers in the creation of Jonathan's Dream, the inspiration for Boundless Playgrounds, make her both a valuable resource and an inspired leader.
Barzach resides in West Hartford, Connecticut, with her husband, Peter, and their three children, Daniel, Alyssa and Michael. Her son Jonathan would have been thirteen on April 1, 2008.