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Lift Me Up

Israel Zyskind is a Pediatrician in private practice in New York City. He has long been an advocate for patients who are stuck in the struggle of finding a path to recovery, be it physical illness or mental health. Dr. Zyskind went to Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and graduated from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. He completed his pediatric residency at North Shore-LIJ Health System. Dr. Zyskind hopes that Elevatr will provide the ability for those struggling with mental health issues to support one another and help each other conquer the struggle. Dr. Zyskind acts as an advisor to several health start-ups and has published in the field of Pediatrics. He currently serves as a clinical instructor at the New York University School of Medicine.

Aaron Rozzi is a graduate of Purdue University in Indiana and holds a Masters in Business from New York University's Stern School of Business. He is on the Advisory Board for Rentah, a Brooklyn based tech startup in the sharing economy. In a previous life Aaron was an engineer in defense and aerospace, but his inventive nature pulled him into entrepreneurship as an MBA student and eventually as a startup founder, advisor, and consultant to growing ventures. He is excited to serve as the COO and to build something that truly helps people.

Efrem "Ef" Epstein is excited to be an inaugural member of the Elevatr team and serves as the company's Senior Advisor. Over the last two decades Ef has worked for several national public relations firms and has served as Director of Public Relations for startups in the technology, advertising, telecommunications and B2B spaces. Ef is also the founder of Elijah's Journey, a 501c3 focused on Suicide Awareness & Prevention and serves on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention's Faith Communities Task Force. Ef is widely sought out as a speaker and his writings have appeared in several publications including the New York Post, Entrepreneur, and Actuary of The Future. Ef holds a BA in Sociology from The Johns Hopkins University and proudly serves as a Mentor for A-Level Capital, one of the first student-run venture capital funds in the nation.

Elizabeth Galbut is the Founding Partner of two start-up venture capital firms, SoGal Ventures and A-Level Capital, which collectively have invested in over 15 startups this year. During Elizabeth's graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University she consulted with hundreds of start-ups and identified the lack of pre-seed funding as the major issue preventing these startups from succeeding. To solve this, she created A-Level Capital, the student-led venture capital firm powered by Johns Hopkins students. Elizabeth is the founder of SoGal Ventures, the first female-led millennial venture capital firm, with an investment focus on exceptional, diverse founding teams that have plans for global domination through tackling major consumer or healthcare problems in the U.S. and Asia. Elizabeth is a proud alumnus of Georgetown University, London School of Economics, Johns Hopkins University, and Maryland Institute College of Art.

Dr. Jeffrey Kranzler is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and holds an MSW and Ph.D. from Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who treats children , adolescents and adults and specializes in treating Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Depression, ADHD, and Behavioral Disorders. Dr. Kranzler also provides clinical treatment for those struggling with weight and weight loss issues. He regularly gives parenting skills trainings, guest lectures at Lynn University and has provided clinical trainings for staff members of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Kranzler is the founder of The Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness.

Elana Premack Sandler, LCSW, MPH, approaches health issues from a social perspective, viewing elements of the social environment as crucial factors in promoting individual health and well-being. Since 2009, Elana has been blogging at PsychologyToday.com on suicide and suicide prevention, especially the intersection of mental health and social media. Elana worked with the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center, providing consultation to organizations on using evidence-based interventions and best practices for developing suicide prevention programs. Elana earned a Master of Social Work and a Master of Public Health at Boston University.

Josh Rivedal is the founder of The i'Mpossible Project. He is also an author, actor, playwright, and international public speaker. He has spoken about suicide prevention, mental health awareness, and diversity in more than one hundred locations throughout the world. In January, 2016 his most recent book The i’Mpossible Project, Reengaging With Life, Creating a New You, debuted at #1 in the suicide category on Amazon. His memoir The Gospel According to Josh: A 28-Year Gentile Bar Mitzvah is on The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s recommended reading list. He writes for the Huffington Post. Recent book releases: How to Live Mentally Well and Crush it in College, and How to Live Mentally Well and Crush it in High School.

Jonathan B. Singer, Ph.D., LCSW is an associate professor of social work at Loyola University Chicago and the founder and host of the award winning Social Work Podcast. Jonathan has 45 publications, including the 2015 book, Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner's Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention. Jonathan has given over 100 presentations to youth, parents, and professionals on issues of culture, community, suicide, and mental health. Jonathan served on the American Association of Suicidology task forces that developed the Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk training and School Suicide Prevention Accreditation Program, and is a consultant for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools. Jonathan is a graduate of Earlham College, University of Texas - Austin, and the University of Pittsburgh. He is the proud father of three mostly adorable kids.