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ABOUT US

BeLove.org has been serving people on the streets of Los Angeles for over five years — bringing love, dignity and compassion to people experiencing homelessness.

Angelenos want to be part of the solution and they’re seeking meaningful and powerful ways to take action. Our programs engage thousands of volunteers who, working side-by-side with their unhoused neighbors, will help bring an end to homelessness.

We believe homelessness can be solved.

We believe it’s up to all of us to make it happen.

THE TEAM

JUSTIN BALDONI

Founder & Chairman, Board of Directors

 

In 2020, he directed and produced Clouds, which became Disney’s first-ever narrative acquisition for its global platform, Disney+. He made his feature film directorial debut in 2019 with Five Feet Apart. He also created and directs The CW’s documentary series, My Last Days, and played “Rafael” on the network’s award-winning show Jane the Virgin. Inspired by his personal journey, Baldoni created Man Enough, a conversation series that explores the messages of masculinity while reimagining what it means to be a man in the world today. Baldoni has followed up his wildly popular viral TED Talk with a book he wrote boldly and transparently about his own journey, Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity published by Harper Collins as a part of a three book deal available April 27th, 2021.

STEVE SAROWITZ

Co-founder & Co-Chairman
He is also an international philanthropist with an interest in promoting unity by and promoting universal education and advocating for the elimination of racism, sexism, nationalism and religious prejudice. He also serves on the board of NCAT, an organization that builds state-of-the art training centers in urban areas. Steve was active in promoting the documentaries He Named Me Malala and Rosenwald. He serves as Executive Producer for the award-winning documentary Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise and The Gate: Dawn of the Bahai Faith, a groundbreaking documentary about the founding of the Baha’i Faith. Steve is an avid runner who has been inducted into the Chicago Area Runners Association Hall of Fame and is a 3-time winner of the MSE Division in the Chicago Chase Corporate Challenge. Steve is married with 2 children and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Illinois.

SARAH POLITIS

Vice Chair, Board of Directors

 

 They are also the four words that have sparked her desire to have a positive impact and bring the world closer together.

Growing up in a small town outside Detroit, Sarah’s parents taught her to dream big and to help others to do the same. When she was in high school, she created an online talk show centered on interviews with positive role models to share their stories of triumphs and failures in hopes of encouraging listeners to follow their own dreams and to pursue their own passions.

This interest in communication led her to the University of Southern California, where she earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Cinema Production before moving to New York to work at SMAC Entertainment, a talent management and production company.

Sarah has previously held positions at Facebook and Wayfarer Entertainment.

She believes the key to success is kindness, hard work, and dry shampoo.

AHMED MUSIOL

Secretary, Board of Directors

Ahmed finds joy in the crafting of compelling narratives that address social issues and causes, his commitment is to offer a unique perspective for clients by drawing from his diverse background.

Mostly recently, Ahmed directed and executive produced several episodes of Wayfarer’s flagship series, My Last Days. He received a Television Academy Honors Award, Webby and Clio for his work on the series. Ahmed also directed and executive produced season one of Man Enough, for which he received a Telly and Adweek Arc Award.

Ahmed is a board member of the Be Love Organization and actively supports a number of nonprofit organizations across the country.

STEFAN SONNENFELD

Board Member

Founded in 1997, he built Company 3 into a national powerhouse, with an unrivaled reputation for excellence in color grading and other post-production services.

Sonnenfeld grew up in Los Angeles and studied business at Boston University. A summer job delivering dailies for the TV series Miami Vice sparked his interest in post-production. In the 1990s, he was among the most sought after colorists of commercials and music videos, forging close relationships with the industry’s top directors and cinematographers.

“Having grown up in Los Angeles, I feel a deep connection to our communities. I joined the Wayfarer Foundation to become part of a meaningful approach and solution to helping those experiencing homelessness. We can uplift our communities with our personal efforts.”

JEFFREY ZUROFSKY

Board Member

He is also the co-founder and former president and CEO of ’wichcraft, Riverpark, and Riverpark Farm, a partnership with chef Tom Colicchio. Jeffrey is an inaugural Council Member of the Tuft’s School of Nutrition, the Executive Culinary Director at Newport Academy, served on the board of NYC’s GrowNYC, an advisor to Summit Series, and formerly a co-host on BravoTV’s Best New Restaurant.

Jeffrey has also been a key advisor and contributor to Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Chef and the newly released The Kefir Cookbook: An Ancient Healing Superfood for Modern Life, Recipes from My Family Table and Around the World by Julie Smolyansky.

Early in his career, Jeffrey was trained at the French Culinary Institute and worked in some of Manhattan’s most prestigious kitchens, including Lespinasse, Savoy, and Union Square Cafe.

MITRA AHOURAIAN

Counsel

With degrees from both UCLA and Loyola Law School, and a specialty from UCLA in Entertainment Studies with an emphasis in Business and Legal Affairs, Ahouraian has worked in legal affairs at MTV, has worked on the merger of 2 major record labels, and has been of-counsel to several high-profile breach of contract and copyright cases involving artists, major studios, and record companies. Her entertainment practice specializes in film and entertainment financing, negotiating and structuring artist and production deals, and all intellectual property and corporate matters, including rights clearance, licensing, copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Ahouraian has extensive experience in film, music, and books, and served as General Counsel to independent book and audio book publisher Phoenix Books, for whom she negotiated and drafted hundreds of book and audio book publishing agreements and other agreements pertaining to titles which include Larry King’s My Remarkable Journey, Carl Reiner’s most recent books, Robert Evan’s The Kid Stays in the Picture, Bill Maher’s audio books, and books by Governor Rod Blagojevich, CNN host Jim Moret, and Gene Simmons, to name just a few.

Ahouraian’s film experience includes finance and production legal for the film Girl Soldier, starring Uma Thurman, and production deals for Battlefield America. Her film practice specializes in intellectual property, film finance, corporate law, and production advising on all aspects of motion picture and television development, financing, production and distribution. She represents actors, writers, directors, producers, financiers and lenders. Ahouraian firm Goodloe Law, whose principal clients have included Paramount Pictures, New Line Cinema, Universal Pictures, Miramax Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, Endemol Group B.V., Fallbrook Credit Finance and an array of independent producers for whom they have advised the structuring and allocation of over 1 billion USD.

Ahouraian is also a founding member and general counsel to Crimson World, LLC, an independent artist development company co-founded by a recording artist in partnership with Universal Music Group, and backed by Grammy award-winning producers and songwriters. In this capacity, she established the corporate structure, put together investment packages, and negotiated and drafted investment agreements, along with recording and production agreements with artists and producers, such as complex360° artist agreements. With an in-depth understanding of the music industry, and foresight, creativity and keen business sense, Ahouraian helped Crimson World develop a comprehensive business model to monetize music within a changing landscape, using recording artists as the platform for developing assets in all media.

SAM BALDONI

Board Member

A marketing visionary, Baldoni has enjoyed a long and successful career in the entertainment industry. He is widely known as one of the founding fathers of the multi-billion dollar product placement business in the film and television industry. Baldoni launched Baldoni Entertainment while lending his advertising and product marketing expertise on Steven Spielberg’s Gremlins. The company quickly became the most profitable product placement company in the entertainment industry, and worked on nearly every major feature film with every major studio. Baldoni also successfully incorporated product placement into television and worked with all of the major networks, along with leading production companies such as Spelling Entertainment where he and Aaron Spelling ultimately founded AsSeenIn.com, a premiere digital platform that introduced consumers to click and buy technology enabling them to take a virtual tour of their favorite shows where they could click and instantly buy the products they desired directly from the website. Baldoni’s innovation and expertise also led him to invest in and build SJS Hippo Animation, the premiere and leading animation studio in China.

Baldoni began his professional career in government, serving as a legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator from Indiana. Always active in his community, he has served as chairman and board director for the Medford Schools Foundation in Medford, Oregon, member of the Medford School Board’s Budget Committee, and as a committee member of the Young President’s Group at City of Hope, one of the nation’s leading institutions for the treatment of cancer, AIDS, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

TAMI KUPETZ STAPF

Board Member

JFS honored Mr. and Mrs. Stapf for their extraordinary activism and efforts in 2012. In her role as Board Director for the Be Love Organization, Ms. Stapf will guide the organization’s fundraising efforts and help to create awareness and support from senior executive leadership in the entertainment industry.

ADDITIONAL TEAM MEMBERS

MICHAEL BROWN
Treasurer, Board of Directors
AMARA ONONIWU
Board Member

MEET OUR NEIGHBORS

Monique

Monique

I pray that somebody listens and learns. All people that…
Walter

Walter

I just try to treat other people the way I…
Antonio

Antonio

Telling my story holds me accountable to stay on the…

MEET OUR COLLABORATORS

We have engaged with community partners, sponsors and volunteers all working with us not only helping create a positive impact on the unhoused community but also supporting local businesses. The support we have received has included hygiene products, medical supplies, food for meals served, clothing, bedding, sleeping bags, backpacks, umbrellas, water hair cutting services and supplies, snacks, toys and menstrual products. These generous offerings benefit members of the Skid Row community and provide love dignity and hope to our unhoused friends.

We are also extremely grateful to the businesses that have been willing to donate their time and or services to help with events. Volunteers are a vital part of our work and help us have direct impact on the in unhoused community.

Business for good

A special thanks goes out to our biggest sponsor Business For Good

Since January 2021 we have collaborated with more than 20 community partners to carry out our belove give love program.
Please click on the links below to find out more about our partners.

"Where there is love nothing is too much trouble and there’s always time" - Abdul’baha