I wrote The Art of Learning based on my journey through years of world-class competition- first in chess, and later in the martial arts. The Art of Learning articulates my belief that learners and performers thrive when their growth process is uniquely tailored to their own unique nuance of character. Teachers must listen first. Students should gain a keen introspective awareness of their natural strengths and weaknesses, and build a game, a career, a way of life around that awareness. In my careers in chess and the martial arts, and in my life as a teacher, I have seen too many learners—both adults and children—jammed into cookie cutter molds into which they just don’t fit. The result is a brittle, unsatisfying relationship to the growth process. After the book was published I was approached by numerous educational groups and who wanted to put the philosophy of The Art of Learning at the center of their organization. With this outpouring of interest, I founded The JW Foundation to aid that process. Currently, the JW Foundation works with public and private school systems, urban youth centers, “gifted” organizations, teacher and administrator groups, parent groups, educational organizations, and athletic teams and organizations. It is my ambition to support all children, teens, and young adults on their unique paths to excellence.

The JW Foundation Board of Directors

David Greenspan

David Greenspan is a Managing Director of Blue Ridge Capital, LLC. David joined Blue Ridge in 2000 upon graduation from Columbia Business School. Prior to attending Columbia, David became a CPA and worked with Price Waterhouse. David’s primary focus outside of work and family is on education initiatives. He is a member of the Columbia University Business School Board of Overseers and has also been a member of the school’s faculty as an adjunct Professor since 2002 where he teaches the Advanced Investment Research course. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the School’s Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing. David is a trustee of the Success Charter Network, one of the leading charter school programs in New York City.

W. Yen Liow

Mr. Liow, is a Managing Director and Sector Head (Communications and Media; Agricultural Commodities) of ZBI Equities, Ziff Brothers Investments’ public equity investment fund. Based in New York City, ZBI Equities is the primary investment vehicle of the Ziff family and related entities. Mr. Liow is responsible for the firm’s global investments in Telecommunications, Internet, Media and Agricultural Commodities. Additionally, Mr. Liow has been a regular guest lecturer on investment topics at Columbia Business School. From 1994 to 1999, he was a Senior Consultant with Bain & Co, where he served in Bain’s San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, and Beijing offices. Outside of the office, Mr. Liow serves as a Trustee of the Harlem Success Academy and the Success Charter Network, one of the leading charter school programs in New York. Other personal interests include travel, tennis, running, and international affairs. Mr. Liow received a Master in Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School with highest honors as a George F. Baker Scholar. He graduated from the University of Melbourne, Australia with a Bachelor of Laws (Honors) degree in Commercial and International Law and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) degree in Accounting and Finance. He was a Towers Perrin Actuarial Studies Scholar, and an All-Australian Inter-varsity full contact Tae Kwon Do champion. Mr. Liow and his wife, Eeling, are both Chinese Malaysians who grew up in Melbourne, Australia but now live in Manhattan, NY with their two children, Yasmin and Lucas, and West Highland White-Terrier dog, Q.

Rick Gerson

Rick Gerson is a Managing Director at Blue Ridge Capital, a NY based investment firm. Rick was a founding member of the firm, which was launched in 1996. Rick is the co-founder of Blue Ridge China, a China focused private equity fund. Blue Ridge China invests primarily in growth stage private companies in China and closed its second fund in January 2008. Rick is a board member of Orascom Housing Communities, an Egyptian based affordable housing developer. He is a trustee of PAVE, a new charter school in Brooklyn. Rick graduated from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce.