Meet our team of accomplished individuals who work tirelessly to make social media safe for everyone:
Marc Berkman
CEOmarc@ofsms.orgMarc serves as the CEO of the Organization for Social Media Safety which he has grown into a prominent national consumer protection organization that has taught social media safety skills to thousands of students, parents, and educators across the country and developed essential social media safety legislation like Jordan’s Law, the nation’s first law to deter social media-motivated violence.
Previously, Marc served for over a decade as a senior advisor to members of Congress and the California State Assembly. During his time as a legislative aide, he developed and helped pass into law numerous legislative initiatives to protect vulnerable children and families.
Marc received his JD from Columbia Law School and his BA from UC Berkeley. He lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles, CA.
Ed Peisner
National Education Director & Foundered@ofsms.orgAfter a long career in business, Ed Peisner founded the Organization for Social Media Safety in 2017 after his teenage son Jordan was viciously assaulted in West Hills, CA. The attack was filmed and uploaded to social media by an associate of the attacker. Jordan was left with serious and life-long injuries from the assault. Ed decided to dedicate himself to the goal of ensuring that no other family had to endure such a terrible ordeal.
Ed now proudly travels the country, teaching students, parents, and educators essential social media safety skills. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, 5 kids, two dogs, and bearded dragon.
Dr. Sarah Krongard
Vice President of Programssarah@ofsms.orgSarah Krongard is an educator, researcher, and learning designer, endlessly fascinated by the ways in which people learn with and from new media. In her past work, Sarah worked in academic institutions and education organizations to support mindful integration of media and technology to foster social, emotional, and cognitive development. As the Associate Director of Program Development within Professional Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Sarah created, developed, and facilitated programming for educators across the globe related to media and technology in education. She served as the Executive Director and on the Board of Advisors for the Massachusetts Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, connecting educators statewide with the resources necessary to thrive. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Representation in Sports and Media.
Sarah earned a B.A. with honors from Wellesley College, an Ed.M in Technology, Innovation, and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. in Emerging Media Studies from the College of Communication at Boston University.
Julie Macht
Vice President of Developmentjulie@ofsms.orgJulie Macht serves as the Vice President of Development at the Organization for Social Media Safety, where she brings more than ten years of experience within the public sector, building successful and sustainable fundraising programs for large and small non-profit organizations that work with vulnerable communities.
Julie joins OFSMS from a national non-profit, where, as their inaugural Development Director, she built a fundraising team that helped the organization quadruple in size, raise over $40 million in individual and corporate gifts, and execute on more than $30 million in private foundation grants.
Julie graduated from Cardozo Law School and her early experiences as an Assistant District Attorney, shaped the way she approached her career over the next 30 years, always balancing big picture policy work with on-the- ground people work. She has helped raise monies for a wide variety of non-profits, including organizations working in mental health, education, criminal justice, leadership training, and policing. She is excited to apply her skills and experience to OFSMS to help make social media safe for everyone.
Julie received her bachelor’s degree from University of California, Berkeley. She lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband, a physician/scientist and her four children.
Bryan Weissman
Chief Financial Officerbryan@ofsms.orgBryan serves as the CFO of the Organization for Social Media Safety, having spent most of the last 23 years in finance and sales in various capacities, he brings 14+ years of experience as a CFO in the private sector to aide in the growth and financial sustainability to OFSMS. In addition to his private sector work, Bryan has also served on the boards of multiple charities in the Los Angeles area.
Bryan earned his dual B.S. in Accounting and Managerial Law from Syracuse University and his MBA with a focus in Entrepreneurship from Pepperdine University. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
Carys McCloskey
Logistics and Administrative Coordinatorcarys@ofsms.orgCarys McCloskey brings her fervent dedication to the role of Logistics and Administrative Coordinator at the Organization for Social Media Safety, driven by a profound commitment to empowering both youth and adults with a nuanced understanding of the digital landscape. With a background spanning the non-profit and private sectors, Carys demonstrates a keen ability to streamline operations and enhance organizational effectiveness through innovative solutions.
At the Temple University Youth Dialogue Institute, Carys played a pivotal role in guiding students from diverse high schools across Philadelphia in facilitating structured dialogues on pressing societal issues. A graduate of Temple University, Carys holds a B.A. in Communication & Social Influence, complemented by a Minor in Political Science. With a forward-looking perspective, Carys aspires to contribute significantly to shaping policy and fostering public discourse concerning the pivotal role of online platforms in mediating real-world challenges.