Menachem Schmidt, Executive Director of Jewish Heritage Programs
Menachem co-founded Jewish Heritage Programs in 1993 and has guided its activities and expansion to several regional college campuses. Under his direction, Jewish Heritage Programs became an umbrella group for the Jewish Business Network (JBN), Young Professionals Network (YPN), Old City Jewish Art Center (OCJAC), and the JHP Mentoring program while continuing its programming on the university level.

Menachem was also instrumental in founding Philadelphia’s Jewish Relief Agency, which distributes food to more than a thousand impoverished families each month as well as the Chabad on Campus International Foundation, where he currently serves as President. Menachem gained his Rabbinic Ordination from Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch in Montreal in 1980, the same year he and his wife, Chava, founded Lubavitch House at Penn, where Menachem also serves as Executive Director.

Harris Gubin, Lead Ambassador, Account Executive at First Contact HR
Harris believes in the “givers gain” philosophy. Simply put, one must give in order to gain. He understands and professes that you must always think about the other person first, and how you can make the right introduction for that individual.
Harris is an account executive with First Contact HR (www.firstcontacthr.com), a leader in background screening and human resource solutions. First Contact HR is based in Fort Washington, PA and provides employers nationwide with timely and accurate intelligence, which enables them to make informed hiring decisions and reduce employment risk.

Prior to joining First Contact HR, Harris supported his family’s event planning business, Creative Parties and Promotions. Through his efforts, the business realized enormous growth. He leveraged his networking and relationship skills to acquire some of the largest companies in the Greater Philadelphia market. Harris also serves as Lead Ambassador and coordinator of the Jewish Business Network of Philadelphia (JBN), a high profile networking group that exclusively invites CEOs of major Philadelphia companies to speak to the membership. In addition to the JBN, Harris is actively involved in the Jewish Heritage Programs and their mentoring initiative. Harris supports local charities and his door is always open to sharing his networking skills with like-minded professionals.