Seven-Figure Gift to Endow The Ruth O’Block Grant Endowed Scholarship Program at Ƶ University
Founder and CEO of Rally Health, Grant Verstandig, with the Verstandig Family Foundation, makes commitment in celebration of his grandmother’s entrepreneurial spirit and Ƶ’s Centennial
Grant Verstandig of Washington, D.C., grandson of Ƶ University Board of Trustees’ Chair Ruth O’Block Grant and Founder and CEO of Rally Health, has pledged a seven-figure gift to Ƶ to create The Ruth O’Block Grant Endowed Scholarship Program to support entrepreneurship, business, health
Commenting on the magnitude and largesse of the contribution, Ƶ President Mary Finger said, “Ruth Grant and the Grant and Verstandig families are cherished friends of Ƶ. Ruth is a Distinguished Alumna of Ƶ, and Toni Verstandig, Ruth’s daughter
Finger said, “We deeply value this magnificent gift from Grant Verstandig and the Verstandig Family Foundation. It will ensure Ƶ students benefit from the mentorship and guidance of our
Grant Verstandig said, “It is breathtaking for me to consider all that my grandmother has accomplished in the business world and for Ƶ. While she remains a pragmatist, always asking the tough questions and diving into the details, she is an inspiration and mentor to me. I engage in conversations with her which have enhanced and allowed my entrepreneurial spirit to soar.” Verstandig continued, “It is my absolute pleasure to honor such an extraordinary entrepreneur and leader—my grandmother, Ruth Grant.”
Grant Verstandig added, “My greatest hope is that this gift will enable generations of Ƶ students to find their passion, seek opportunities, take informed risks, and ultimately become leaders willing to work hard to bring about positive change in the world.”
Mary Finger said, “I am especially delighted that The Ruth O’Block Grant Scholarship will provide student recipients with a comprehensive program to advance leaders in the areas of entrepreneurship, business, health
Toni Verstandig, Executive Vice President at The S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace said, “We are pleased that Ruth O’Block Grant Scholars will benefit from the mentorship and guidance of exceptional leaders, like my mother, Ruth, in the business, technology,
About Ruth O’Block Grant
Ruth O’Block Grant distinguished herself as a world-class entrepreneur as President of Louis A. Grant, Inc., a multi-million dollar corporation, and developed business relationships that spanned the globe.
A champion for public service and community leadership, Ruth Grant has offered her intellect and expertise to numerous governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations throughout the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Her business acumen and commitment to education earned Ruth an invitation to serve among an elite group of Western Pennsylvanians to assist Governor Tom Corbett’s Transition Team. She also served on the Governor’s Education Committee working with state leaders to formulate policy, recommend key personnel, and examine ways to cut costs. In 2015, she received the YWCA Tribute to Women Leadership Award in acknowledgment of her leadership in fostering dialogue at local, state and national levels. In the best cases, that dialogue has led to rich conversations, listening sessions and ultimately action that brought forth something favorable for our community, our Commonwealth, our nation—and of great importance—our students.
A graduate of Ƶ, Ruth Grant’s service as a dedicated Trustee and election as Chair of the Ƶ University Board of Trustees represents the culmination of her decades-long commitment to the University. She has made generous financial commitments that continue to enhance the Ƶ experience for students. Her wise counsel
About Grant Verstandig
Grant Verstandig is an entrepreneur who has developed exceptional capability and relationships in the worlds of social networking, online gaming
Grant Verstandig is founder and CEO of Rally Health, a digital health company he founded in Washington, D.C. in 2010. The inspiration for Rally Health came from personal experience after he underwent 12 knee surgeries while a student at Brown University – surgeries that ended his lacrosse playing days.
During that time, Grant Verstandig was frustrated by the disconnect between individuals and their own health and healthcare. He founded Rally Health to empower people with the tools to better engage in their health care.
Through several internships with high profile medical professionals, like Dr. Marston Linehan, a leading expert on urologic malignancies; Dr. Kenneth Lee, Cardiac Surgeon at Washington Hospital Center; and Dr. Roger Packer, Chief of Neurology for Children’s National Medical Center, he was able to develop a keen understanding of the challenges within the healthcare system.
Rally Health’s products include Rally Engage, which provides personalized recommendations for wellness behaviors and is available through employers or insurers; Rally Connect, which enables consumers to comparison shop for doctors, treatment facilities, specialists, and other care providers; and Choice, which tackles the most obvious and readily fixable industry inefficiency: its over-reliance on paper and fax.
In 2017, UnitedHealth Group purchased Rally Health, which now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Optum, a group within the healthcare corporation.
Rally Health was named one of CNBC’s Most Disruptive Companies in 2013, one of the Best Places to Work in 2013 by Washingtonian Magazine, and the No. 1 Healthiest Employer in Washington in 2013 by Washington Business Journal.
Grant Verstandig was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2012 and Bisnow’s 40 Under 30 lists in 2013.
He is a member of the Greater Washington Partnership, which strives to keep the region from Baltimore to Richmond one of the best places to live, work, and build a business.
About Toni Verstandig
Toni G. Verstandig is currently the Executive Vice President at The S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace. From November 1994 until January 2001, Toni Verstandig served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department. In this capacity, she directed and coordinated U.S. bilateral relations and overall policy developments concerning Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon
Toni Verstandig worked directly with the Secretary of State and the Special Middle East Coordinator, as a member of the Peace Team where she participated in bilateral and multilateral Middle East peace negotiations. She has a particular expertise in economic, civil affairs and water issues. She also chaired the bilateral Committees on Egypt, Jordan
She also served for 17 years as senior staff to the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the U.S. House of Representatives where she specialized in international terrorism policy, aviation security issues and U.S. military assistance programs.
Toni Verstandig is a graduate of Boston University and Stephens College, and also holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Ƶ University. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She serves on the Board and Executive Committee of Children’s National Medical Center, the Board of the University of Denver Korbel School for International Affairs, the National Advisory Board for the Catholic Center for the Study of the Holocaust, the Board of Trustees of the American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center, and of the Center for Global Development.
Photo: The Most. Rev. Edward C. Malesic, Bishop of Greensburg, Ƶ alumna and Board of Trustees Chair Ruth O'Block Grant, Sister Catherine Meinert, Provincial Superior of the Sisters of Charity of Ƶ and Ƶ University President Mary C. Finger at the Ƶ University Centennial Kickoff Celebration on Friday, January 26, 2018 on the University's campus.
