OUR BOARD
Our board is made up of family and dear friends of josh and the markowitz family.
Jessica Markowitz
Sister, best friend, and mentor are just a few words to explain my relationship with my dearest brother Josh.
Since birth we were laughing, playing, and loving every moment with each other. Many thought of us as the “ideal” sibling relationship - learning from each other, understanding each other, and being there for each other. Josh was my everything and I miss him every moment.
Currently, I am working at Humanitix - a nonprofit ticketing platform donating 100% of their profits to charity. A concept my brother would have loved as it is disrupting the industry and making change through the social enterprise concept.
In honor of my brother my life motto is to be real and live life like it’s short because it is.
Lori Markowitz
Lori is the proud mom of her amazing son Josh and beautiful daughter Jessica.
The best son any mom could ask for, Josh is Lori's hero and inspiration. Josh was incredibly humble, kind and thoughtful always concerned with humanity. He was an agent of change and Lori cherishes every day she shared with Josh.
Lori earned her B.A. in International Business Administration from the American University of Paris and is a graduate of the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs where she earned her MPA. Lori was the recipient of the 2005 Daniel J. Evans Leadership Award given to a graduating student who has had a record of innovative leadership and public service during their time at the Evans School and selected as the 2015 “Compassion Champion” for Parent Map Magazine Superheroes, Champions for Washington State.
Lori founded the Youth Ambassador program in 2008 during the Seattle Seeds of Compassion conference with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She has been engaged locally and globally with NGOs for over twenty years. Through the inspiration of His Holiness the Dalia Lama the Youth Ambassador program has touched the lives of many youth throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Lori is additionally working on a women economic empowerment project in Rwanda providing educational and entrepreneurship opportunities for women and girls.
Stephen Markowitz
Stephen is the very sad father of Josh, our beautiful first born child. I miss him everyday.
I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa and was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to study medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand.
In 1985 I emigrated to the US and completed further studies and my residency training in anesthesia in Boston where Lori and I met. Following my training I worked for short periods all over the United States before deciding to settle in Seattle. We have lived in the Leschi neighborhood since 1992.
I became the Medical Director of the Seattle Surgery Center and remained at its helm for nearly 30 years.
It is our hope that in his honor the Josh Fund will help to add a little light and some magic sound to our world.
Andrea Kalin
I’m Josh’s elder Auntie. He was my buddha baby. Big, squishy, with gorgeous round eyes, rubber tire wrists and lots of Zen. As he grew, he kept us honest and real, and earned the respect of being our family’s guardian and an old soul, ever alert, grounded and fearless in sharing observations and insights far more mature than his years.
Josh and I were passionate about the superpowers of art and we shared creative energies and interests. Because of Josh my musical taste was expanded, and my appreciation enriched for different styles and types of music and sound.
In addition to my coveted role as “Auntie Mommy”, I am an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker known for crafting character-driven and visually rich documentaries. I’m also the Creative Director and the founder of Spark Media, a Washington, DC-based company dedicated to producing programs with a social conscience. I view the medium of cinema as an empathy machine; a vehicle to showcase stories and people we ought to see, and voices we need to hear. Collaboration is always at the center of my work, and similarly it was the core beat of Josh’s efforts.
Grateful to have had the opportunity to coordinate Josh’s first gigs in the music industry; as an intern at an audio post house and as an apprentice to a seasoned film composer. Honored to be a Board member of The Josh Fund and to play a part in continuing Josh’s commitment to uplifting artists, creating new outlets for talent and fostering spaces for fellow musicians to create from a place of purpose.
DALIA Franco Shmuel
I am Josh’s cousin, and it is an honor to serve on the Board of The Josh Fund and help carry forward his legacy. Josh’s creativity, generosity, and love for music left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him, and this organization is a meaningful way for me to stay connected to him and what he stood for.
Music has always been part of my life, and I have spent the last 20 years working in the music industry, specializing in music clearance and licensing for film, television, and trailers. Today, I collaborate closely with music supervisors, studios, and production companies at Universal Music Publishing Group.
I hold a B.A. in Communication and Music Industry from the University of Southern California and live in Los Angeles with my husband and two children. Josh and I shared many meaningful connections — including our ties to USC, our careers in the music industry, and a genuine love of electronic dance music — making my involvement with The Josh Fund both deeply personal and profoundly meaningful.
