OUR TEAM
Michael LaLuna
Co-Founder & Chief Financial Officer
Mitch Weinstein
Co-Founder & Board Member
Chief LaJuana Haselrig
Advisor
Keion Mark
Advisor
Evan Bruno
Advisor
Craig Garland
Advisor
Joe DiPietro is a seasoned business executive with leadership experience in the financial services industry, maintaining a deep knowledge and focus on the card acquiring, issuing, prepaid and technology sectors. His accomplishments span years of service leading sales, operations, bank partnerships and services organizations in the Fintech industry. Joe has been an integral part of the leadership teams at First Data Corporation (now Fiserv), JPMorgan Chase & Co., WildCard Systems (now FIS), National Bancard Corporation (NaBANCO) and Burroughs Corporation (now Unisys). His most recent experience was with First Data Corporation as the Senior Vice President for the Commercial Mid-Market business across the US.
Over his 42-year career, Joe has been an integral part of building organizations, both in the private and public sectors, demonstrating a passion for rapid growth and disruption of the status quo in the industries he has served.
Joe resides in Coral Springs, Florida where he and his wife share a passion for family, community and support for those serving our country, here and abroad.
Craig is a Retired NYPD Detective and has been decorated over 30 times with Departmental Recognition including induction into the NYPD Honor Legion. His involvment in over 1000 arrest situations during 100’s of drug raids as a Narcotics Detective during the notorious Crack epidemic helped protect the streets of NYC while he was active. After retiring, Craig went into the private security business and is also the President of Massapequa Coast Little League.
As the Law Enforcement Liasion, Craig serves as an intermediary to assist law enforcement officers, their families and their friends in the campaign creation and support system on the Fund the First platform.
Currently, he is employed as an Active Shooter Tactical Responder for a public school district. Craig has four children and is married to his wife, Martha.
Evan is a doctoral candidate in leadership and organizational behavior at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, where his research focuses on speaking up and courage in the workplace. Prior to graduate school, he coached baseball and served as an officer in the US Navy. Evan holds an MBA from Cornell University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Amherst College.
Keion Mark is an optometric physician. He provides services in medically underserved areas in Hillsborough county. Growing up in Philadelphia, Keion was active in the community; volunteering at local hospitals, “Read Across America” and “Walk MS” (Multiple Sclerosis). Keion is a captain in the United States Army Reserve Medical Services Corps, in which he has overseen many humanitarian efforts.
Keion has nearly a decade of clinical experience. In his free time, he stays active by playing volleyball and roller blading. He currently resides in Lakeland, Florida with his wife.
As an Advisor and Military Liaison, Keion serves as an intermediary to assist military members, their families and their friends in the campaign creation and support system on the Fund the First platform.
Chief Haselrig began her career with LASD in 1988 as a deputy sheriff trainee. After the Academy, she was assigned to Sybil Brand Institute. She worked patrol at Carson station, serving in various capacities before transferring to Recruit Training Bureau as a staff instructor. She promoted to the rank of sergeant and served at Walnut and Compton stations. While at Compton, she was the patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, and acting watch commander.
Haselrig promoted to lieutenant at Pitchess Detention Center and later went to Century Regional Detention Facility, West Hollywood, Coveted Testing Unit, and Central Property and Evidence, where she was responsible for oversight of the largest evidence and property warehouse in the county. She promoted to captain and was assigned to Court Services Transportation Bureau, responsible for managing the transportation of inmates to and from stations, courthouses, and jail facilities all over the county.
Throughout her career, she has served in many roles, including being the first community oriented policing deputy for the city of Carson and
Emergency Operations coordinator at Walnut Station. She has been Board Chair for The Resource Center and a representative for multiple law
enforcement unions. Haselrig has been involved with Feed the Homeless events, the Community Development Center and Project Angel Tree. She has helped organize charitable giving campaigns and was a Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Phoenix.
Haselrig has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s degree in Emergency Management Administration. When she is off-duty, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, golfing, and staying active. She has run the Los Angeles Half Marathon, as well as the Los Angeles, San Diego, and Boston Marathons.
As Chief, Haselrig oversees Court Services Division, which is comprised of approximately 634 courtrooms and lock-up facilities in 58 court buildings throughout the county. The Division transports 4,500 inmates daily, traveling over two million miles annually.
With law enforcement as the foundation of his life and career, Mitch joined the Dade County Public Safety Department in 1973 as a Public Safety Officer at 20 years old. Along the way, earning his Emergency Medical Technician certification, Mitch retired from his full-time law enforcement career as a Sergeant with Plantation Police Department in 1981. His passion to serve his community continued for 10 more years as a reserve officer for both the Broward and Polk County Sheriff’s Departments while beginning his business career.
A business career spanning almost 40 years, Mitch has extensive experience in launching two highly successful entrepreneurial ventures in managed care and insurance brokerage. His most cherished experience during his business career is working with the Boys and Girls Club of Polk County. As a B&G Board Member for more than 15 years, Past President and Board Member of the Year for the State of Florida, his charitable work is only beginning as he joins Fund the First as Chief Business Strategy Officer.
Michael is a certified public accountant with a wide range of experience in areas such as Assurance, Taxation, Entity Formation, Business Structuring, Offers-In-Compromise and Internal Controls. He provides significant tax consulting and compliance services for clients in various industries including private companies with local, national and international operations. He is a current member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Prior to becoming a CPA, Mr. LaLuna graduated from New York Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and subsequently spent 3 years playing professional baseball for various teams including the Detroit Tiger’s organization.
Selected as one of Forbes Next 1000 and featured in countless media publications, Robert Garland makes it his priority to provide a trustworthy crowdfunding platform for those who serve across the nation. Since launching Fundthefirst.com, Robert and his team have helped thousands of people raise millions of dollars through numerous fundraising causes.
The inspiration for Fundthefirst.com came when Robert set out to help his close friend who was facing mounting medical expenses related to his daughter’s rare illness. As he researched the best ways to raise money, he realized his brothers and sisters in blue were skeptical of existing crowdfunding sites. It was then, Robert made the decision to build a better platform that all can trust.
Prior to founding Fundthefirst.com, Robert was a decorated Detective with the New York City Police Department where he specialized in complex narcotics investigations. During his 14 years in law enforcement, Robert worked in various roles which included joint interagency operations with the Department of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Well respected in his field, Robert also served as an expert witness to the Office of Special Narcotics New York. Robert retired from the NYPD in 2022.
Prior to his career in law enforcement, philanthropic and entrepreneurial endeavors, Robert attended New York Institute of Technology where he majored in behavioral sciences and played outfield for their Division I baseball program. When he’s not helping those in need, Robert can be found spending time with his three children. Massapequa raised, Robert continues to be a fixture in the local community as a volunteer baseball coach and Director of Compliance for Massapequa Coast Little League. Robert also serves as the Chairman to the Fallen First Reserve non-profit organization, the host of Heroes First Podcast, Technology Consultant to a cryptocurrency company and he is a board member to numerous business and non-profit organizations.