Brett M. Kalikow, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors:
Brett M. Kalikow founded Homerun Hopefuls at the age of 15 in 2003 and served as the President of Homerun Hopefuls until 2013. While in high school, Brett played on a baseball travel team called the New York Gothams. On the Gothams, Brett had a Dominican coach and many Dominican teammates who conveyed the passion for baseball that exists in the Dominican Republic and the desperate need for equipment that many children and communities face. Brett graduated from Riverdale Country School in 2005, before going on to Harvard College (2009) and Harvard Law School (2014).
Rosemary Kalikow:
Rosemary Kalikow is Brett Kalikow’s proud mother and has been a dedicated participant in Homerun Hopefuls since its inception, chaperoning eleven trips to the Dominican Republic. Rosemary is involved in many charitable efforts related to youth development, including serving as a mentor for participants in the afterschool arts program, Rosie’s Theater Kids.
Luis Ernesto Ducasse:
Luis Ernesto Ducasse has been part of the Homerun Hopefuls family since its inception. At the time, Luis was the Director of Sports at the Dominican Consulate in New York and he assisted Homerun Hopefuls in identifying communities and baseball leagues that had the greatest need and which we could be confident would put our donations to good use. Since leaving the Consulate at the end of 2004, Luis has remained active in Homerun Hopefuls as the coordinator of our efforts in the Dominican Republic.
Matt Neibart:
Matt Neibart joined Homerun Hopefuls in 2005 as a volunteer when he was 13 years old as part of his bar-mitzvah project. Matt and his sister, Jessie, have run collections in their home town of Annandale, NJ every year since, and Matt served as President of the Homerun Hopefuls Student Leadership Board in 2014. Matt attended Wake Forest University and is currently working for PepsiCo.
Stephen Brand:
Stephen Brand began volunteering for Homerun Hopefuls in 2009 as a sixth-grade student at Riverdale Country School. Stephen has worked closely with volunteers as President throughout the past several years, helping to coordinate their drives and the annual trip to the Dominican Republic. Stephen graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.
Eric Brand:
Eric Brand joined his older brother and the Homerun Hopefuls team in 2013 as a volunteer when he was a sixth-grade student at Riverdale Country School. Eric has worked closely with his brother, Stephen, to coordinate drives and the annual trip to the D.R. Eric graduated from the University of Michigan.