Richard Maize On The Joy of Mentoring

Richard Maize On The Joy of Mentoring

"There is more satisfaction in helping others, than in receiving help."

Los Angeles ---- April 21, 2010 ......This is the mantra Richard Maize, a Los Angeles real estate entrepreneur, has adopted since he made the decision to share his wealth of business knowledge, experience and expertise with young entrepreneurs as part of a mentoring program for young leaders in his local community.

About 10 years ago, Richard Maize - a founder of the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation - after a decade of running a highly successful real estate business, decided he wanted to share his knowledge and experience with those who were starting out, or who were struggling to make their businesses successful.

“I decided that after I retired, which I had hoped would be relatively soon, I would share my knowledge either with friends who were struggling in business, or those who were just starting out, “Richard Maize said.

“About four years ago a new division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, called YLDI (Young Leadership Development Initiative) asked me to mentor some young adults who were relatively new in the business world – more specifically, in the real estate industry in which I had made my mark."

Richard Maize added: “One of their projects was to recruit established Jewish businessmen or women to mentor the eager mentees who joined this group. It was not without a price – each mentor was asked to contribute $4,500 per year, but I joined in willingly.

“I have now been fortunate enough to be a mentor for the past four years and I’m pleased to say that I have met and enjoyed working with at least three great young men with tremendous futures as businessmen and community leaders," Richard Maize said.

“I love to give especially when I have something to give. It wasn't for the money as it costs the mentor to join to join the program.”

As an example, Richard Maize related how he was able to teach and guide one of the mentors and his business partner toward a successful purchase of mobile home parks.

“As a show of good faith and confidence in their plan, I became one of their investors: the offering showed enough promise to sell out of all the equity required,” Richard Maize added.

“Another mentee was starting a real estate commercial brokerage business and we discussed the possibility of his becoming a ‘niche’ brokerage to give him a unique positioning. This has been very successful.”

Richard Maize concluded: “This is so satisfying for me and it enables me to give something back to the community which is more than regular financial donations.

“There is a wise old Chinese proverb: ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day – teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ This is exactly what I wanted to do in my senior years – teaching people ‘how to fish’.”

Richard Maize, a native of sunny California, is a philanthropist and supporter of the poor and hungry throughout the world, as well as in his hometown of Los Angeles.

Richard Maize actively promotes ecologically sound practices in his own home and provides useful information on "going green". He avidly supports the nation of Israel and is one of the first to be on the spot to lend a helping hand when disaster occurs around the world.

Richard Maize is dedicated to supporting worthwhile non-profit organizations in the US and Israel that give people “the chance to live healthier and happier lives,” according to Richard Maize.

Richard Maize generously contributes time and financial resources to community organizations that cover health, welfare, young leadership, the environment, art and culture. These include the Los Angeles Police Foundation, American Cancer Society, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Camp Harmony, Greystone Mansion and many others.

Richard Maize, through his foundation, Richard Maize Foundation, also provides support for a major benefit for the Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles.

Richard Maize, who was responsible for the largest mortgage banking company in the US, also talks about his involvement with Israel. "The US and Israel have so many good, solid democratic and family values in common. It was great to contribute to the Maccabiah Games and sports competition between the Jews of Israel and the US. I can only imagine how well the Israel Defense Forces and the US military cooperate when they get together in fighting terrorism in this region."

As a young and ambitious graduate from California State University, Northridge, Richard Maize began his business career investing in Southern California real estate. In 1988, he co-founded a mortgage banking company that has grown into one of the largest and most respected mortgage brokerage firms in the US. With an entrepreneurial spirit and tireless effort, Richard Maize expanded his business and became known as an industry expert, regularly appearing as a commentator for KCAL-TV news sharing his insights about real estate trends, marketing and finance.

An engaged and involved member of his local community in the US, Richard Maize continues to be involved professionally and personally in relevant causes. Through the foundation, Richard Maize contributions focus on working with various non-profit organizations, charitable endeavors and finding ways that will have the greatest ability to positively impact the lives of others.

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Richard Maize, Ally Maize - A Tree Grows on Ventura Boulevard

Richard Maize, Ally Maize - A Tree Grows on Ventura Boulevard

April 2010 ..... As part of their action to add to the buzz around the recent Fabulous Eco Fashion Show, the Green Youth Movement, headed by Ally Maize, daughter of Los Angeles Real Estate entrepreneur Richard Maize, supported the Million Trees LA initiative in a community tree planting event in Woodland Hills, CA.

In addition to being an act of community responsibility it was a confirmation of the growth and importance of this young (in all senses of the word) movement, making a difference and drawing the community’s attention to vital environmental issues.

And so it was that Ally Maize’s Green Youth Movement collaborated with the Tarzana Chamber of Commerce initiative in launching a Million Trees LA event in Woodland Hills. (See Video at: http://tinyurl.com/yc9fuh3)

Million Trees LA is a cooperative effort between the City of Los Angeles, community groups, businesses, and individuals working together to plant and care for 1,000,000 trees planted where they’re needed most.

Richard Maize participated in the project together with other organizations and groups. These included the LA Conservation Corps, the US Forest Service, the Fire Department, the Department of Public Works, politicians, professional environmentalists, private gardeners, high school volunteers and teachers.

Richard Maize's keen interest in the environment, motivated by his daughter’s initiative with Green Youth Movement, resulted in his family donating 650 trees for planting after Halloween – one tree for every “Trick or Treater” who called on them.

Reporting on the planting on Ventura Boulevard, Richard Maize said the groups were supplied with traffic cones, shovels, picks and a water truck and given a “fast track” roadside education course in forestry:

“We learned that no tree can thrive if it is planted too low or too deep or too high,” Richard Maize said. “It was a wonderful experience,” he added. “...a truly cooperative effort to give something back to the community with everyone participating at their own level in their own way.”

The groups were divided into teams, and under the supervision of a Forest Ranger planted 25, 36 inch boxed trees in 2 hours along a busy urban artery.

One Million New Trees in the City of Los Angeles will create an extraordinary environmental legacy that will serve as a watershed for other environmental changes.

“Los Angeles will be transformed to a green, sustainable city in this important community effort," Richard Maize added.

Many of the one million new trees will be planted by City departments on public property, such as the Ventura Boulevard project. Others will be planted throughout the City by individual volunteers, community groups, organizations like GYM and businesses.

Million Trees LA will take several years and build on other programs that plant and care for the urban forest. Trees that maximize sustainability – with a preference on native and drought tolerant species – are recommended.

In addition, the City of Los Angeles is working with the USDA Forest Service, PSW Research Station, and the Center for Urban Forest Research to prepare a science-based tree canopy analysis to identify priority areas using satellite imagery and to recommend the right kinds of trees that will give the greatest ecological and societal benefits. Special attention will be given to schools, under-served communities, and those areas along the Los Angeles River.

Richard Maize Daughter - Ally Maize - Green Youth Movement – Changing the World “One Kid at a Time”

Richard Maize Daughter - Ally Maize’s Green Youth Movement – Changing the World “One Kid at a Time”

From a basic desire to do something to help the planet, and being inspired by Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” to running a rapidly growing environmental non-profit organization that is grabbing the attention of opinion leaders and the media – including Al Gore himself – is the path young Ally Maize has taken over the past two years.

Now just 17-years-old, Ally – also known as Los Angeles’s “green teen”– is the driving force behind GYM – Green Youth Movement – set up to educate the younger generation about the meaning of “green” and how they can change the world “one kid at a time,” she says.

The story behind Ally Maize’s rapid climb to public recognition and acknowledgement by one of the world’s leading environmentalists – Al Gore – started at the Maize family dinner table in Los Angeles just two years ago.

Her father, Richard Maize, a Los Angeles Real Estate entrepreneur and community leader, said his daughter had always wanted to do something to help mankind.

“She would lend a hand helping the homeless and being active in community events, but she felt she had more to give, more to offer and wanted to do something that would make a real difference,” said Richard Maize, who helped Ally plan and set up the organization.

Ally says that Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” was “such an eye opener for me.”

She continues: “It made me think that I had to so something. He’s doing so much and opening so many eyes across the country, I felt I should do something too...”

She discussed the initial idea with her father, Richard Maize, and asked him how to go about setting up a non-profit organization. With his experience as a founder of the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, and his business acumen, Richard helped Ally outline what the organization would look like; what it’s goals and objectives should be; what obligations she would entail and generally how to run a non-profit organization. With help from business professionals, such as accountants, the GYM was brought to life.

The next phase of her mission saw Ally and her mom Rochelle, going out into the community to recruit kids and spread the GYM message around local schools.

Now with an exciting, highly informative web site (www.greenyouthmovement.org) and a dynamic program, the immediate goal is for kids to become aware of environmental issues.

She speaks regularly at elementary schools and youth groups throughout the area. “The aim is to get their wheels spinning in their heads about what they can do now and inform them of what’s going on,” said Ally.

And the message seems to be getting through. One parent told her how her daughter had written a four page paper about how Ally had inspired her to start changing her life (with regard to the environment) and said this is what she wanted to do.

Ally truly believes that living a green life is not that difficult, Ally says: “...the whole global warming issue is very big, but if you break it up into basics it’s not that overwhelming and if you just change one thing about your lifestyle, the impact is immense.”

Even Ally’s mom, Rochelle, ha been inspired b y her daughter’s work. As a residential real estate agent, Rochelle Maize has now been licensed as an “Eco Broker”– a licensed broker who advises clients how to turn their houses green and how to be more energy efficient.

Ally and GYM have a long list of additional achievements.

They have planted sustainable gardens at local schools and homes – including at the Maize home in Los Angeles. Super model Tyra Banks gave Ally and GYM special recognition on her show – together with a stunning makeover

Al Gore himself has acknowledged Ally’s work and was also the recipient of the Green Youth Movement Inspiration Award 2009 to thank the former vice president for inspiring the Green Youth Movement.

Ally and her organization also took Halloween to a new level last year with their “Hallo-Green” concept – everything about her family’s Halloween had an environmental "Eek-O Friendly" message, driving home the need to recycle and take care of the environment. Moreover, the Maize family has made a real contribution to the future:

"We had around 650 trick-or-treaters come by,” said Richard Maize, so our family committed to planting a tree for each and every trick-or-treater. We have thus planted 650 trees for the future," Richard Maize added.

Ally was also recently featured as a “Cool Kid” on ABC’s “Eyewitness News” television program.

In March 2010 she presented the Green Youth Movement 2010 Humanitarian Award to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, at LA Fashion Weekend’s official eco show “The Green Initiative”. In front of an audience of 400 people, Mayor Villaraigosa was honored for his unprecedented undertaking in making Los Angeles greener, cleaner, and healthier through the Million Trees LA Project. He also praised Ally’s work and pledged to take GYM to a national level. (See Video: http://vimeo.com/10387300 and http://vimeo.com/10393006 )

The event marks the beginning of a partnership between the Million Trees LA Project and GYM, the Green Youth Movement, to plant a brighter and healthier tomorrow for Los Angeles...a partnership which is guaranteed to take GYM to a leading position in young environmental activism and make young Ally Maize’s dream of doing something for mankind a dynamic reality.