Rich Weissman
Residences:
Palm Springs (Andreas Hill), California
San Francisco (Cathedral Hill), California
Black Butte Ranch (Cascade Mountains), Oregon
Current:
Rich sold his fintech company in 2014 and left the company in 2015 after transitioning the CEO role. He founded the company based on providing cutting-edge analytic methods to understand economic risk in financial services institutions (banks, credit unions, insurance, and other companies) through algorithms, machine learning, AI, and other analytic and research tools. He was also head of the company's think tank, finding novel industry solutions through sophisticated database analytics. Prior, Rich was Executive Director of Marketing at Bank of America, U.S. Bank, and National Westminster Bank USA.
Rich now dedicates his expertise, time, and resources to serving others through his charitable fund and managing political activities to promote human rights for LGBTQ people. Rich acts a volunteer consultant to many political candidates, officials, and organizations for strategy, database analytics, fundraising, and outreach, particularly offering his expertise as a data scientist. Rich is also involved in fighting anti-Semitism and supporting Israel, as well as promoting animal rights and rescue.
Rich recently formed a new organization, Ibis Group Institute, a think-tank/center of excellence to help Democratic LGBTQ+ candidates win elections by embracing a new paradigm for political campaigns that is strategy-focused and data-driven (www.ibisgroupinstitute.com). The Institute provides strategic guidance to candidates to connect them with experts from corporate, academic, and related backgrounds at no cost (all members of the Institute are volunteers). The Institute works as an arm of the Equality PAC and the U.S. Congressional Equality Caucus (the LGBTQ+ Congressional caucus in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate). The Institute works with a handful of vetted candidates running for Congressional office during the 2024 election cycle, expanding its capacity to support more candidates over time. Rich sits on the Ibis Group Institute Leadership Team.
Additionally, Rich had been working as a volunteer data scientist with The Center For New Data, an organization providing cutting-edge analytics to fight for democracy, including voter suppression on national and regional levels. Rich is also involved in entertainment, and sings locally.
Rich is a writer, and has written and contributed many articles to HuffPost and other publications, on political strategy and other issues. Rich is a member of NLGJA (National Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association) for LGBTQ journalists.
Rich's husband, J.D. Horn, is the internationally acclaimed and best-seller writer of fiction in Southern gothic and horror/fantasy genres. With eight books published, some of which in eight languages throughout the world, J.D. is a top selling author. He also created his own publishing company, Curious Blue Press, and has published four new works - anthologies of new short stories of witches and ghosts, including "Good Southern Witches" and "December Tales," and horror stories in the "Little Book of Horrors" anthology, originally written in French (translated by J.D.) from the mid 1800's through the 1930's which had not yet been introduced to English-speaking audiences. He brings together well-known contemporary short story writers, many new writers, and writers from previous centuries. J.D. is currently working in a new genre for him - psychological thriller murder mystery, under the name of Jack Douglas Horn (a new persona for J.D. in this new genre). J.D. is represented by agent Darlene Chan of the Linda Chester Literary Agency. Prior to becoming a writer, J.D. worked in International Mergers and Acquisitions, Finance and Accounting at large corporations, including Microsoft, and holds an MBA in International Finance and Accounting from Middlebury's International MBA Program. He also has race bibs from two full marathons and over thirty half marathons, writes music, and plays the flute and piccolo. J.D. recently wrote an full-length musical, including the book, lyrics, and music, and is currently working on its production.
Career:
Current:
The Richard Norris Weissman Charitable Fund - Director
Ibis Group Institute - Leadership Team, Founder
Recently:
The Center For New Data - Data Scientist
Prior:
DMA - President, CEO and Founder
Prior:
Bank of America/BAC - Senior Vice President, Executive Director of Marketing
U.S. Bank/U.S. Bancorp - Senior Vice President, Executive Director of Marketing
National Westminster Bank USA - Senior Vice President, Executive Director of Marketing
EMA Research - Research Project Manager
Hillside-LIJ Hospital - Graduate Intern in Psychiatric Division
Education:
Educational Focus: Data Science, Quantitative Analytics, Statistics, Behavioral Research in the Social Sciences
Stanford University, California - Marketing Management Program
NYU, New York - Ph.D. Program (ABD), 2 Master's Degrees, Undergraduate Degree
(Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Chi)
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel - First Year Undergraduate Studies - Israeli Social Sciences
Tel Aviv University, Israel - Mechina Preparatory Program - Hebrew and Jewish Studies
Wheatley High School, East Williston Public Schools, Long Island, New York
Family:
Rich is married to his spouse of many years, J.D. Horn. They are the parents of their two daughters (photos below in their law school graduation gowns, and their elder daughter with her husband, who is an ICU physician at a major Chicago hospital, having completed medical school at Northwestern, and Rich and J.D.'s
adopted (unofficially) son (photo below). Both daughters attended top-tier law schools (Northwestern Law and Kellogg MBA, and U.C. Hastings Law), both passed the California Bar, along with other states. One is now practicing in corporate law and a board member of ACLU Next Generation; one is now practicing in land/water use law. One of Rich and J.D.'s daughters recently gave birth to a beautiful girl, and Rich and J.D. are now proud grandparents. Their son recently completed his Masters in Public Policy at a top-tier school (American University in D.C.) in quantitative analytics for environmental policy. One of their daughters plays the oboe, and their son plays the cello (and played in the American University symphony), piano, guitar, and clarinet. Also pictured below are Rich and J.D.'s Chihuahua rescue dog (center) and their rescue grand-dogs belonging to each of their children. They are quite the sweet collection of doggies for a family that loves animals. Rich's sister and her two children, son-in-law, and grandson live in Portland, Oregon.
Rich and J.D.'s home at Black Butte Ranch in the Oregon Cascade Mountains with wild elk,
horses, cattle, wild deer, wild geese, wild turkeys, and other wildlife and vegetation/plant life
(note: no mistreatment or hunting/killing of animals, birds or fish - or logging - on the ranch)
J.D. (left) and Rich (right)
RW