wayne westerman
DONOR
Wayne Westerman grinding cacao for chocolate on a traditional Mayan metate while on a trip to visit SHI’s programs in the Toledo district of Belize in 2008.
You don't have to be a genius to see the value of SHI's work, but it doesn't hurt. A degree in technology led Wayne Westerman to start a company to develop touch-screen technology, which paved the way for iPods, iPhones and all the smart technology that has come after.
When a Google search for environmental organizations landed him on SHI's webpage, other life experiences made us a good fit for his philanthropy. Growing up, Wayne had spent every summer working shoulder-to-shoulder with his father, a high school chemistry and physics teacher, on their family farm in Missouri.
A real renaissance man with many talents from playing the piano to investing in new technologies with the potential to better our world, Wayne first donated to SHI in 2006 and has donated every year since, getting matching donations from his employer, Apple, most of those years.
Wayne participating in a reforestation activity in Belize in 2008.
In 2008, Wayne decided to see the impact of his donations firsthand and took a trip to Belize with SHI. He still fondly remembers the wildlife and his efforts in helping to build raised garden beds.
“The practicality of SHI spoke to me,” Wayne recalls. “SHI is structured as more of a teaching organization. SHI teaches people how to be good stewards of the land, and this knowledge improves their living standard.”
Wayne looks forward to seeing how SHI grows in the future and partners strategically to scale up.
Wayne’s message to potential donors is this:
“SHI is a very cost-effective, well-leveraged way to help people and their families simultaneously, and the environment all at once. It’s a win-win.”
