It is with a profound sense of gratitude for her important contributions, shared pride in her accomplishments, and deep appreciation of her unique role in helping to define the community and the vision that have become Ripple Effects, that we announce the departure from the company of co-founder, Sarah Berg, to pursue new directions, effective the end of November, 2009.
It was Sarah who initiated the founding of Ripple Effects in 1996. It was Sarah who presided over production of the groundbreaking, flagship product, Relate for Teens, and all the complex expansions, revisions and additions to our award winning product line over the past dozen years. Besides being Producer in Chief, over the years she has very effectively served other important roles as well. She planned and managed all the logistics that go into not only product creation, but financial oversight and the day-to-day running of a company that serves hundreds of school districts spread across the US and beyond. Her work coordinating Ripple Effects participation in several multi-site, research studies has been the single biggest factor in our being able to assemble the data that has led to inclusion of Ripple Effects on the Model Programs List of the National Drop Out Prevention Center, as well as our eligibility for inclusion on several other national model program lists. Her work directing marketing and sales efforts in the early years of the Company (1998-2001), led to positive recognition in the press, including the Wall Street Journal, MSNBC and Newsweek.com. Those efforts set a foundation for the expanded marketing and successful sales efforts that have followed.
The sheer list of these accomplishments is an impressive one, and Ripple Effects as a product line could not exist without them. However, neither individually, nor combined, do they represent the greatest contribution that Sarah Berg has made to Ripple Effects. She has been absolutely key to the creation of a social enterprise that is unequivocally committed both to social justice and to personal transformation and growth, while creating strong economic value in the process. She has been integral to the process of articulating Company values and crafting Company practices that are culturally inclusive and responsive, respect and empower workers, guarantee their rights, provide full health coverage to all employees and their children, and support life long learning. For all of this, she has fully earned and deeply deserves our fullest support to follow her own path toward further personal transformation and professional growth, wherever it may take her. What she has given us we cannot lose. It is embedded in who we are and how we do business. What she has yet to discover, create and accomplish is an unknown that we are confident will unfold with great beauty and power. We look forward to finding ways to share in and celebrate that great unfolding. A delante.
Alice Ray, Ripple Effects Co-Founder and CEO
Send your thoughts and wishes
