​Tina Weiss, Executive Director/Founder

​ As far back as she can remember, Tina Weiss has found her happiness in helping others.  Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish family in New York, her family was very engaged in the local community, and made the needs of others a priority. As a young child she learned of the horrors of the holocaust, and became very sensitive to other cultures, races, and religions who also suffered persecution. Music, dance, and art became her way of forgetting the tragedies and sometimes sad reality of life, and helped her overcome the challenges of growing up in a changing world. Tina played piano as a child and her Dad sang, making their time together one of joy and happiness. But that sensitivity to social, cultural and economic bias remained with her, and Tina vowed to do what she could to bring smiles to children through exposure to the arts, a passion that helped form her early life as well as her adult interests. That mission is what prompted her to form Hugs and Smiles Children Foundation, as art, music and dance have no barriers, only bridges.

Tina is an Entrepreneur -  a Connection Consultant, Promoter and Marketer – with an uncanny eye for viewing the big picture and connecting the right business partners with the right business opportunities on a worldwide basis. She is skilled at seeing what people need, and helping them find it. As a Strategic Liaison, she brings people together by helping them connect, collaborate, and communicate more effectively, a strategy she has used for years to assist clients in industries as diverse as Health and Wellness, Fashion, Art, Real Estate, Disruptive Technologies, Non-profits, and the Petroleum Industry. From building strategies and creating brands through various marketing platforms, motivating staffs through guest-speaking engagements, and making critical introductions in “one-on-one” meetings, Tina is a proven business consultant that rarely fails to improve a clients’ success and prosperity.

“I am committed to making a difference in the lives of children, taking a stand against hate, and uniting children from all walks of life through exposure to the cultural humanities. Beyond offering programs for children in Florida, I hope to expand to New York and the Los Angeles area. Additionally, I plan to take a portion of my operating profits to support  other organizations and charities that are in need, especially those involving children who have been abused, neglected, and abandoned.”