Our people

A shared belief.

No staff, no office. Volunteers who believe one grant a year, done right, is worth the work.

Gina Regruto

Board Chair & Development Director

Shawn's mother. Gina has spent a lifetime in New York's creative community and is the driving force behind SRCF's fundraising and outreach. She is the reason the foundation did not stay an idea.

Ivan Bess

Co-President & Treasurer

Line producer. Ivan has worked for years as a freelance line producer and production manager in film and television. He is the line producer on Breaking the Deadlock, the Emmy-nominated PBS series filmed before a live audience in New York. He and Shawn were childhood friends. He serves as the foundation’s co-president and treasurer. New York City.

Lisa Ebersole

Co-President & Co-Secretary

Writer, actor, director, educator. Lisa joined Shawn's writers' group and never left. She brings years of work in storytelling and supporting other writers to the foundation's grant review and filmmaker communications.

Trent Jaklitsch

Co-President & Co-Secretary

Director. Trent directs commercials for brands including Disney, Subaru, Citi, and Craftsman. His short film Supersymmetry won first prize at the Cannes Young Director Awards. He and Shawn met at the School of Visual Arts and were friends and collaborators from then on. He serves as the foundation’s co-president and co-secretary. Brooklyn.

Founding recognition

Recognizing our beginnings

Beanie Barnes

Founding Member

KaLena "Beanie" Barnes, screenwriter, director, producer. Beanie helped build the foundation from nothing. She wrote the business plan, filed the federal and state paperwork, set up the first grant cycle, shaped the mission, and handled filmmaker communications through the first year of operations. She stepped down from the board in June 2025.

Matt Lenski

Founding Member & First President

Director. Matt has directed commercials, music videos, and films. His video for Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" won the MTV VMA for Best Video, and his short film Meaning of Robots screened at Sundance in 2012. He and Shawn were best friends since they were kids. He served as the foundation's first president. New York City.

Alex Burns

Founding Member & First Vice-President

Actor, model, producer. Alex has appeared in Garden State, Van Wilder, and 13 Conversations About One Thing. He runs The Society, a modeling management company. He and Shawn were friends since high school. He served as the foundation's first vice-president. New York City.

JJ Lask

Founding Member & First Treasurer

Director, screenwriter, novelist, editor. JJ published his debut novel On the Road with Judas in 2002 and premiered a film at Sundance in 2007. He is a partner at P.S. 260. He served as the foundation's first treasurer. Venice, California.

Dan Navetta

Founding Member & First Secretary

Director, executive producer. Dan has directed for Nike, Spotify, Vampire Weekend, and Netflix. His documentary screened at Tribeca in 2018 and was shortlisted by the International Documentary Association. He owns Bryght Young Things and co-created the podcast Business of Hype. He and Shawn were friends for twenty years. Ojai, California.

Jacob Perlin