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Our Story

Hi I'm Jordan

When I was 15 years old I was diagnosed with brain cancer. I had a mediport implanted to make getting my treatments easier. My mom found me T-shirts specially made for mediport access so I’d be more comfortable. The nurses, other parents and kids really liked them but my mom and I realized they were not available for kids…

That’s why I started JZIPS. I asked all my friends and family to donate new T-shirts and my family members added the zippers. We give these mediport shirts to kids who are also going through treatments.

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We’ve quickly grown from an idea in the hospital, to an officially recognized Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization that has delivered hundreds of JZips shirts to kids in need. And we’ve assembled an impressive and  talented board to further our mission: To provide children and young adults undergoing cancer treatment with normality, comfort, and dignity.

MEET OUR BOARD

Jordan Harouche Founder/CEO

Jodi Harouche

Dr. Theodore Nicolaides

Ellen Hoeffel

Jeff Harouche

 

Ravit Kraus

Judith Harouche

Bonni Matza

Deborah Lempert

 

 

ADVISORY BOARD

Jen Weinberg

Jenifer Weinberg Esq.

Dave casual headshot

David Harouche

Holly Harouche

 

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Jordan Harouche

Founder/CEO

In November of 2019, Jordan Harouche founded JZips with the support of his mom Jodi and Grandmother Judith. At 15 years old, Jordan was diagnosed with non-germinoma germ cell tumor in the pituitary and frontal lobe of his brain. During his extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments he learned the importance of comfort and normalcy. Jordan founded JZips to provide t-shirts with zippers at no cost for children and clinics. 

Jordan is a college sophmore attending Hofstra University. He’s a public speaker and hosted the 800 person Make-A-Wish annual gala in 2022, followed by a marketing internship at the New York Metro office over the summer.

Jordan is currently overseeing all JZips social media, packaging and shipping of shirts, inventory and supply management.

Jodi Harouche

Jodi Harouche is President/Chief Creative Office for Multimedia Plus a technology company specializing in communications and training for leading global brands.  Jodi guides and supports Jordan in his vision and execution of JZips.  As a parent living through Jordan’s battle against cancer, she has a genuine perspective of the value of JZips.

Dr. Theodore Nicolaides

Dr. Theodore Nicolaides is Director, Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. Dr. Nicolaides received his medical degree from NYU School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency in pediatrics. He completed a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at UCSF and was recruited to the faculty there, where he also received a National Institutes of Health K award. 

As we continue to grow our outreach and fundraising, we will partner with Dr. Nicolaides to best understand the most promising research and developments in the battle against pediatric cancers.  

Ellen Hoeffel

Ellen Hoeffel is a seasoned operations and  human resources professional who spent almost 30 years in the fashion industry.  She held senior management positions at Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers and Saks Fifth Avenue.  Her areas of expertise include employee relations, labor relations, training, development and recruitment.  She has also been on the board of several non-profit organizations, including the Community Foundation for Nantucket where she helps oversee fund distribution through the scholarship and grants committees. 

Ellen brings with her talents in fundraising, resource management, fund allocation and event planning.  She is currently retired and dedicating her time to raising two teenage sons and volunteering locally

Jeff Harouche

Jeff Harouche is the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Planning for W Promote, the largest independent digital agency in the US. Jeff graduated from New York University’s Stern School of Business before moving on to the world of digital marketing. Prior to W promote Jeff directed strategy for, and held digital marketing roles with, brands like LG Electronics, American Express, Sports Illustrated and CNN, accruing over twenty years of digital marketing experience.  

Jeff brings his experience in digital advertising, social media and promotional expertise to help us grow our exposure and promote awareness of our impact. 

Ravit Kraus

Ravit Kraus is the Executive Vice President of TAA Apparel Inc. TAA is a privately owned international wholesaling company with over 50 million dollars in annual revenue. TAA Apparel manufactures under both private and proprietary labels, producing inspirational items for men, women, children, as well as home.  

Ravit brings her knowledge of product development, sourcing and production to help our organization as we look to manufacture and expand production to keep up with demands.  

Judith Harouche

Judith Harouche is a retired teacher from the New York City Board of Education. For over 25 years, Judith taught art and worked with special education students at Elmhurst Hospital and at Long Island Jewish Hospital. She earned a BA from New York University and an MA from Queens College. She is proud to call herself Jordan’s grandmother. 

Judith brings firsthand knowledge of how JZips positively affects children and young adults undergoing cancer treatments. Working side by side with Jordan, Judith sewed the first several hundred JZips and continues to stitch them today.

Bonni Matza

Bonni Matza is a Strategic Operations Leader, focused on logistics, strategy, operations efficiency, inventory management and negotiations. Bonni has worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years, currently with Amazon Fashion, The Drop. Previously, Bonni has global logistic experience working with fashion companies Marc Jacobs and Rebecca Minkoff. Bonni lives in Great Neck, NY with her husband, and their 2 children. 

Bonni brings knowledge and experience as a collaborator with suppliers, logistics partners, and a strong understanding of the fashion business to help advance JZips mission. 

 

Deborah Lempert

Deborah Lempert is the founder and principal designer of Deborah Lempert Interiors, a boutique interior design firm located in Great Neck. She specializes in creating high end residential interiors throughout Long Island, Manhattan and Westchester. Her firm offers personalized and approachable design services to create comfortable and practical luxury interiors. She is a life long resident of Great Neck, living here for over 45 years, with deep roots in the community. This includes her involvement in the local Hadassah chapter, various Village of Lake Success committees, and many other local charitable endevors. She has served on the advisory board at Emory University in Atlanta, and currently sits on the advisory board at both Cohens Childrens Medical Centee and at the University of Delaware. Deborah and her husband Stuart have 2 children, Jordan 23 and Haylie who is 21 years old.

Jenifer Weinberg, Esq.

Jenifer Weinberg is the founding member of Weinberg Law PLLC, a Great Neck, New York-based law firm. She concentrates her practice on the areas of corporate and securities law. She has extensive experience representing public and private companies on a wide range of legal issues, including formation, organization, corporate governance, trademarks, regulatory compliance with federal and state laws and rules promulgated by self-regulatory organizations and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. She also advises on various types of transactions, contracts, leases, as well as shareholder, employment, stock option and confidentiality agreements.  

Jenifer received her Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School in 1996. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in Economics, from Brandeis University in 1993. Jenifer is admitted to the New York State Bar.

David Harouche

Dave is proud to be Jordan’s dad and the founder, CEO and CTO of Multimedia Plus, a training and communications technology company. Dave assists with technical and operational support for JZips.