I’m from the Washington, D.C., area. I’ve been in Atlanta since 1985. In 1993, a couple of other guys and I started the first bank on the Internet -- a company called s1 that supplies software to institutions all over the world. In 1999, after going public, I spent a couple of years doing some investing, spending time with family and trying to figure out what to do next. I’ve been going to art school at Georgia State University. I also started an organization called The Mythic Imagination Institute which tries to understand religious conflicts. The idea is to show people how their stories [of their religion and culture] don’t have to be viewed as literal history. If people understand the metaphors, they can see similarities between their and other people’s stories. By creating empathy we can reduce violent conflict.

Q:  How did you get involved with the Endowment Department?

Every year we give away 10 percent of our money. It’s the right thing to do and it allows a generous tax write-off. So far, the biggest beneficiary has been the Mythic Imagination Institute.  We also made a major gift to The Atlanta Scholars Kollel capital campaign, and the Link Counseling Center capital campaign.  Through the foundation. [we also give to] Zoo Atlanta, the Center for Puppetry Arts, Hebrew Academy – there are about 25 organizations on the list. We recently gave a grant to the tsunami relief effort.

Q:  What drives you philanthropically?

Inspiration and empathy. If I can give to something that will create more creativity and inspiration, that’s powerful!  People are so wrapped up in their own world, they have no clue how to relate to another human being or culture. That’s what creates terrorism and unjust war. We need to raise the level of empathy in the world.

Q: What advice do you have for people uncertain how to start an endowment?

Call Federation. You can set up a foundation or a philanthropic fund. Organizations need money today, but they also need “insurance” for the future. Building an endowment takes the pressure off future generations. If you start putting funds in a philanthropic fund or endowment, you’ll see it grow.