Jayne Bentzen, President and Board Chair of the Bentzen Silverman Foundation, has a deeply held belief that literacy is a basic need, essential to the life of every child. Jayne was trained as an actress, working across television, stage, and film. She is best known for her role in the long-running television drama, Edge of Night. Over three decades ago, she and her husband, Benedict Silverman, became early champions of Reading Go! (then ‘Reading Rescue’), a high-impact tutoring intervention for readers in grades K–2.

Jayne’s insight into the need for effective reading instruction in public schools led her to establish the Bentzen Silverman Foundation with her husband. She now devotes herself to her work as a philanthropist. Under Jayne’s leadership, the Bentzen Silverman Foundation is focused on expanding individual evidence-based reading instruction in New York City public schools and across the nation.

Diane Archer is Founder and President of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub that covers health and financial issues facing baby boomers and their families. Diane serves on the Brown University School of Public Health Advisory Board and is the past chair of the Board of Consumer Reports.

Diane began her career in health advocacy in 1989 as Founder and President of the Medicare Rights Center, a national consumer service organization dedicated to ensuring that older and disabled Americans get the healthcare they need. She received her J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

Scott Harrison is the founder and CEO of charity:water, a global nonprofit organization on a mission to bring clean and safe water to communities in need. He is also the author of Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World, which was a New York Times bestseller in 2020.

Scott was recognized in Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40 list, the Forbes Magazine Impact 30 list, and ranked #10 in Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business.  He is currently a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Scott is a graduate of  New York University and has four children with his wife, Viktoria.

Allison Jaffin is the Chief Operating Officer of Bloomberg Philanthropies, which encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and corporate and personal giving. Allison oversees and provides strategic direction for the foundation’s initiatives and is responsible for all grants as well as monitoring and evaluating the success of each program. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion. 

Allison left her job at City Hall as Special Assistant to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and First Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris in 2010 to develop Mayor Bloomberg’s foundation, building out its operations and strategic initiatives. Allison began her career in the Corporate Communications department at Bloomberg L.P. She also served on Bloomberg’s first campaign for Mayor in 2001 and reelection efforts in 2005. Allison is a graduate of Columbia College.

Lucy Hunter is the Executive Director of the Bentzen Silverman Foundation, where she leads legacy planning to ensure program integrity and impact that will reflect the foundation’s values over the long term. Lucy earned a doctorate in the History of Art from Yale University and became the inaugural Executive Director of the Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA) in New York in 2021. There she led ISLAA’s transition from a private research foundation to a visible public institution, building partnerships across the academic and cultural sectors, including Dia Art Foundation, CCS Bard, and the New Museum.

Prior to her roles in nonprofit leadership, Lucy worked in Investor Relations at The Children’s Investment Fund. She serves on the board of Wendy’s Subway, a nonprofit publisher in Brooklyn, as well as the Washington Arts Council in Connecticut. Lucy holds a BA from Barnard University. Jayne Bentzen and Benedict Silverman are her grandparents.