Richard Maize Inspires Mentoring of Young Jewish Leaders in Los Angeles

Richard Maize Inspires Mentoring of Young Jewish Leaders in Los Angeles

By Larry Butchins
Israel News Agency

Los Angeles ---- March 23, 2010 …. . Inspiring young Jewish entrepreneurs and helping them make a success of their business and personal lives is a goal Los Angeles businessman Richard Maize.

Richard Maize has just renewed his volunteering commitment for 2010 with the Young Leadership Development Initiative (YLDI) for the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

As a volunteer mentor for the Real Estate and Construction Division of the Young Leadership program, Richard Maize, an established real estate and mortgage banking professional and co-founder of the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, says he is "proud to again be among such a distinguished group of seasoned real estate professionals committed to educating and empowering young leaders."

"The Mentor / Mentee program calls on each mentor to make a sizable financial donation which enables young leaders to participate in monthly training sessions, a weekend retreat and a week-long mission to Israel," says Maize.

"Each mentee is assigned to a mentor for a full year. During that time, experienced and successful mentors give freely of their time and expertise in guiding their young charges through the minefield of business. They are given high level leadership training, networking opportunities, mentoring and Jewish Federation education."

As a part of the program, YLDI participants are responsible for initiating activities with their mentors. They meet each other several times yearly and have one scheduled joint speaking engagement at YLDI session meetings, which are held monthly. The program concludes with a graduation and mentor appreciation ceremony, where graduates make special presentations to thank the mentor group.

To date, Richard Maize, who is also a founder of the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation, has had four mentees.

"Being a mentor is a fulfilling experience and offers the opportunity to contribute knowledge and insight to guide and influence a future leader in his or her professional development path," says Richard Maize.

"This is an absolute pleasure for me. It was always my hope, as I looked towards eventual retirement, that I would be able to help my close friends do a little better in their own businesses. Now helping young people achieve their goals is even better than I ever expected. You have their respect as a successful Jewish middle-aged businessman and you can really make a difference," says Maize.

"Even as my own business and personal life confronted many challenges, the mentees, through their continued admiration for me, were as much a source of support for me, as I was for them," says Richard Maize.

Richard Maize has now helped all four of his mentees create successful niches in their business lives. Richard Maize tells how he influenced his most recent mentee, who wanted to develop mobile home parks throughout the country, to change his business model. He felt the program was just not right for investors; the mentee listened, amended his approach and has now just closed his first two projects - with Richard Maize as his first limited partner investor!

Richard Maize tells how a previous mentee was having difficulty in his private life and had become lost in his business direction. After many hours of consultation and encouragement, Richard Maize was able to help his mentee find the best approach for his business in the changing economic climate in the realm of real estate. The mentee is now working in business investments.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to causes locally in the community and worldwide by supporting meaningful programs focusing on art, culture, family services and healthcare that work to help people live more fulfilling lives. The Foundation has generously supported organizations and causes including the American Cancer Society, Vista , Hurricane Katrina, Los Angeles Police Foundation, and Cedars Sinai Board of Governors, media coverage of Israel humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti after the earthquake in January and the Israel Maccabiah Sports Games.

Richard Maize was a frequent guest on KWHY-TV’s Mortgage Update segments, articulately discussing the volatilities of the real estate industry.

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 well-regarded mortgage brokerage firms in the country. 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 innovator always intent on finding solutions, Richard developed the "Power Pak" loan processing software which today is rated as one of the best technologies in the real estate and mortgage banking industry.

An engaged and involved member of his local community in the US, Richard Maize continues to be involved professionally and personally in relevant causes. Richard Maize uses Web 2.0, new media, social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to reach out to Jewish youth.

A leader, mentor and dedicated mortgage professional, Richard Maize resides in Beverly Hills along with his wife and Foundation co-founder, Rochelle Atlas Maize and their two daughters, Amanda and Ally.

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