The SBYF Team

Matthew Ross Smith

is SBYF’s Founder and Director. The project began with a story he wrote in 2009 called The Spaces Between Your Fingers. You can read a sample of his memory writing here, and an excerpt from his travel journal here. In 2011, he released an EP, Postcards, inspired by the project. He teaches writing at Drexel University and Temple University in Philadelphia.

Phillip Le

is SBYF’s Secretary. When he isn’t developing SBYF’s initiatives, he’s dabbling in other creative pursuits as a social designer.

Robert Tontaro

is SBYF’s Treasurer. He directs our budgeting and financial planning.

Georgia Castellano

is SBYF’s Lead Designer. She’s been instrumental in developing the project’s branding and guiding its overall direction.

Dan Waldron

is SBYF’s Illustrator. You see his work anytime you read our storybook or get a visit from Bruce the Mailman. He is also the co-creator of two amazing children. Email him at danwaldronart at gmail and check out more of his work here.

Andrew Christiano

Drew was a founding board member of SBYF. He provided crucial guidance regarding strategic and logistical operations, and traveled cross-country on the SBYF Tour 2010.

Jason Finau

Jason helped develop SBYF’s volunteer programs. He is a current board member with a special focus on events.

Bruce the Mailman

Bruce is SBYF’s mailman.

We also wish to thank The Free Library of Philadelphia, VIUS (the creator of this website), Arvil Prewitt, Steve Schaller, Paperweight Studios, Leslie Nichols, Tim Leska, John Paul Mantey, Andy Kahan, Emily Murray, Michael Mack, Bob Marino, Claire Day, Karen Francis, and all others who have generously helped us along the way…including the many thousands (thousands upon thousands) of kind-hearted Americans we’ve met since 2009, complete strangers who stopped whatever they were doing and listened to us for a few seconds or minutes or hours, who joked with us, who made us think, who gave us directions, who inspired us, who challenged us, who let us crash on their couch or futon or floor, and/or who fed us delicious warm cranberry bread on paper towels.

Love,
SBYF