"I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act"

Barbara Sayed has had a rich and successful career as both a professional level executive and a visionary for important children’s causes.

In her professional career, Barbara has held senior level account positions in sales and customer service, working directly with some of America’s best known brands including Yahoo, Microsoft, Visa and Google.. Today she holds a manager position at Verizon Media (formally Yahoo) in Sunnyvale, CA.

Barbara personally funded the first Balloons for Luv program for Oakland Children's Hospital.

Ben Merritt is a seasoned communications professional, and over his career has worked as both a marketing expert and as a journalist. He is the founder and former CEO of the Merritt Group, a nationally recognized public relations firm with offices in San Francisco and Washington DC.

For much his career Ben has helped to promote and raise awareness for companies and organizations of all sizes, including public, private and nonprofit entities.

Ben is a graduate of the University of Florida where he holds degrees in journalism and history.

Sharon Sutton has served as the Director of Communications, Marketing and Public Relations for numerous non-profit and private corporations in the Washington D.C. area.

Her career has spanned more than 25 years, serving as strategic communications and marketing for variety of industries such as software, education, computer graphics, energy, military, and most recently in the fleet field. An avid writer, reader, and mother of three, Sharon has a passion for children’s concerns,

Sharon holds a BA in communications and English from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University.