Board of Directors
Eric Drew
Founder / Spokesperson / Chairman / Patient Advocate
Eric is not only the inspiration for this organization which was founded to save his life but has served as Chairman and CEO since 2005. He is the longest surviving adult recipient of an umbilical cord stem cell transplant and has the blood, bone marrow and immune system from the baby girl hand-carried all the way from Milan Italy. On July 23, 2026, Eric celebrated his 22nd transplant anniversary! Eric is a Board-Certified Patient Advocate and actively consults the patients and families that come to the foundation for assistance. He is an in-demand speaker and sits on the boards of a variety of domestic and international companies. His passion is helping people who are struggling to find life-saving solutions like he was. He spends many hours each day consulting individual patient cases and promoting the foundation that was founded in his namesake. He is still battling substantial medical issues resulting from his extensive treatments but doesn’t let it slow him down! When not having or recovering from extensive orthopedic surgeries, he enjoys golfing, hiking, presenting, and traveling the world inspiring people and bringing hope along the way.
Charles Swan
Treasurer
Charles (Chuck) Swan is a hands-on financial executive / manager with more than 15 years of successful finance, accounting and operations experience in a variety of industries with a concentration on technology. His specialties include SEC reporting, IFRS, ERP system recommendations and implementation, revenue recognition, international accounting, offshoring, on-shoring, change management, mergers and acquisitions. Chuck's community connections continue to serve the foundation by booking Eric as a speaker and referring many patients who are struggling.
Puneet Wadhwa
Founding Board Member / Technology Angel Investor / CEO Digital Media Group
Puneet is a long -time friend of Eric 's prior to his diagnosis and a founder of this organization. He inspired and led the launch of the foundation to save Eric's life starting in February 2003 and championed many of the initial projects. Through his extensive professional network, Puneet has been a solid backbone of the foundation since its inception. As an investor and a managing partner in several technology companies, he continues to bring high level perspective and talent to the organization. Puneet currently resides in San Juan Puerto Rico where he manages his companies continues to advocate and promote the foundation he helped create.
Stephen Guruwaiya
Stephen is a publisher at Best Version Media, a Silicon Valley based publisher for “Los Gatos Living” and “Saratoga Spotlight” magazines. "Los Gatos Living Magazine and Saratoga Spotlight are glossy, high-end, monthly publications that are built by the people, for the people, and about the people, so we take much pride in delivering a beautiful monthly magazine that is crafted with a lot of love and passion." Stephen has featured Eric and the WeHeal Foundation in his periodicals multiple times and continues to be a staunch advocate for the foundation throughout the Silicon Valley community.
Rich Piziali
Senior Account Mgr – Nvidia
Rich has been a close friend of Eric since childhood, and having seen what Eric went through with his disease, has a keen interest in helping others in similar situations. He is currently a Senior sales executive at Nvidia with more than twenty-five years' experience in the enterprise software and hardware industry. Rich has worked in all aspects of the value chain, from product development and marketing to channel programs and sales. He understands the broad range of factors necessary to drive success in a partnership and is an experienced leader of large cross-organizational projects and relationships. Rich resides in Grass Valley, CA and enjoys hiking, bouldering, skiing, and surfing.
Mark Austin
Mark Austin, a Los Gatos resident, and graduate from Montana State and Univeristy of Montana, has been a passionate fan of WeHeal for several years. Working as a CreAuteur at Google, Mark’s theatre and stage background serves him well. Favorite quote: “A person is remembered not by what they acquire, but by what they create.”
Abhit Singh MD
Chief Medical Advisor
With years of experience in medicine and clinical research, Dr. Singh has generously dedicated his clinical expertise to WeHeal and the patients we serve. Through compassionate guidance and focused advocacy, he has assisted dozens of patients and families facing complex and often critical health challenges, helped improve and save lives, and strengthened WeHeal’s mission of serving those in need.
In Memoriam - Bob Long "Uncle Bob"
We miss Bob dearly! As long time Los Gatos resident, originally from Chicago, Bob was actively involved in many areas related to the Los Gatos community and its’ various non-profits including the Morning Rotary Club, Los Gatos Community Foundation and The New Museum "NuMu". For 10 years Bob was involved in Healthcare IT as a career, which brought him into contact with Payer/Provider organizations Nationwide. As a lecturer and evangelist for the Electronic Medical Records (EMR / EHR) transformation, he spoke alongside many Healthcare and Medical executives. A belief in how much our Healthcare system needs to undergo profound change, starting with IT to improve the delivery of better care and to achieve optimal patient outcomes. "WeHeal.org takes an enormous leap in that direction" hence Bob’s eager participation in this great work.
WeHeal Team
Chris Del Pillar
Bookkeeper
Chris has more than 20 years as a senior management-level leader as a Controller, overseeing, training, and mentoring operational accounting staff in high-tech firms. She was drawn into the non profit world and began ChrisBooks in order to bring her skills to non profit and other small companies who didn’t need a full time accounting person.In addition to keeping accounting functions running smoothly for several organizations, she is committed to being involved with her community, which includes serving as President of Happy Hollow Foundation and sitting on two other non profit Boards.
Katelyn Piziali
Media Consultant
Katelyn is a recent graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she studied journalism and graduated with cum laude honors. Katelyn is interested in the world of digital media, working with many platforms at any given time – writing, web design, graphic design, content creation, editing, video production, blogging – and more. In her down time, Katelyn enjoys cooking, reading, exploring the coast, and spending time with friends and family.
With Immense Gratitude to Our Past Board Members and Committee Chairs who gave years of their lives to WeHeal and helping patients in need
Jeanette Smith
Jeanette’s professional background includes Clinical Research, Aromatherapy, Graphic Design and over 20 years as an Adjunct Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign Instructor. She has practiced holistic health for most of her life and is versed in natural, traditional and cutting edge healing technologies and wellness modalities. Jeanette is a Certified Clinical Research Professional , a Certified Aromatherapist and moderator of the WeHeal Therapeutic Essential Oils Community on WeHeal.org. Learn more about Jeanette.
Vijay Kamma
Philanthropist / Silicon Valley Visionary
As a Silicon Valley technology guru currently serving a high level position at Cisco Systems, Vijay is involved in a number of Silicon Valley based philanthropic organizations and dedicates and great deal of time to helping others. Vijay brings a large corporate perspective to the foundation and as well as his extensive network of contacts for both technology applications as well as corporate funding possibilities.
Paul King
Financial Guru and Wealth Planner
Paul King has supported and been involved with the foundation since 2005. He served on the Board of Directors for 2 years 2006-9, and served on the Trek-4- Treatments event Committee for 2008-9. He continues to support the foundation’s programs and efforts.
Paul founded King Wealth Planning nearly 30 years ago with the goal of helping people realize a higher quality of life through better financial awareness and decision making. King Wealth Planning’s wealth advisors see themselves as “Retirement Guides”, serving client families across the U.S. and around the world using their unique WealthGUIDE financial planning process and fiduciary based investment management.
Paul has been a featured lecturer and instructor at Fortune 500 companies and Bay Area colleges on such topics as Modern Portfolio Principles, Strategies for Successful Retirement, and Asset Protection Techniques. . He is the author of the “Financial Planning for Career Transitions” course and “The Identity Theft Resource Kit”.
In his spare time, you might find him out on the local trails running ultramarathons and photographing the beauty of the natural world.
Past Board Member
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