About Honoree, Eric Fingleson 
 
Eric's involvement in Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles (JBBBSLA) began in 2007 when he became a Big Brother to his Little, River, who was then 7 years old. River also attended Camp Bob Waldorf (CBW) for three summers and Eric saw how River thrived in the camp environment. Now, over 15 years later, Eric and River are still close and consider each other family. In June, River graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (thanks in part to his JBBBSLA Scholarship) and of course Eric was at the graduation to cheer him on!   

Over the course of their match, Eric and River played lots of basketball and chess and enjoyed experiencing everything the city of Los Angeles had to offer, from Dodgers games to theme parks and more.   

Originally from Calabasas, Eric was a competitive tennis player and really enjoyed growing up in the valley with a big, close family. His father came to the U.S. from South Africa and his mother was raised in Hollywood by his grandparents who immigrated from eastern Europe. His grandfather was a Holocaust survivor and played a huge role in influencing Eric's childhood. Reflecting on his youth, Eric believes that "we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and it is our responsibility to leave the world better than we found it."    

Eric has volunteered in various aspects of service such as teaching tennis for the Special Olympics and working as a personal care assistant while in college. Eric shares that "becoming a mentor to River and seeing him grow from a child to a young adult, to a man, really showcased the impact that mentoring can have on an individual, but also the impact it has had on [him] personally."  Eric's son Kingston is now 5 years old and those experiences with River have become more tangible as his son grows up. Eric also emphasized the impact that JBBBSLA has had on the community of Los Angeles, and it is why he believes so strongly in the power of Camp Bob Waldorf and its extended impact on the youth of this great city. As it turns out, Eric's Uncle Harry was a CBW camper over 65 years ago and still talks about how much he loved his camp experience! 

In 2014, Eric joined the JBBBSLA Board and has served on the Youth Mentoring Committee, Sunday Funday Committee, Finance Committee, and the NexGen Leaders Committee.   

Eric is a Financial Advisor at UBS Financial Services, Inc., focused on helping his clients craft financial plans to enjoy their lifestyle, protect their family and create a legacy for those they love or the charitable organizations they care about. Eric has worked at three major Wall Street firms since beginning his career in 2006. When he finds the time, he still enjoys tennis and paddle tennis, but also loves golf, snowboarding, and backpacking in the Eastern Sierras.  

He currently lives with his wife, Mariko, their son, Kingston, and their dog, Bandit, in Venice Beach. On the weekends you will typically find them on their bikes around the neighborhood.