About Us
Our Staff
Karen Leone currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Be Like Tom and is the organization’s Chief Executive Officer and President. Karen earned a BA in Political Science from Duke University and a JD from Washington and Lee University School of Law. Prior to joining Be Like Tom, Karen practiced corporate law in New York City for 3 years and operated as a consultant in the commercial real estate industry in Chicago for 10 years. Karen most recently was co-founder and President of Westhill Innovation, LLC, a Chicago-based startup specializing in mobile power solutions. Karen served for 8 years as an advisory board member for the Chicago location of an international nonprofit, and has organized Chicago-based philanthropy programs for the past 12 years. Karen lives in Chicago with her family and a poorly behaved Labrador Retriever. She enjoys her motorcycle, biking, kayaking, and the ocean, any ocean.
Mark Havens currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Be Like Tom and is the organization’s Executive Vice President. Mark earned a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from SUNY Stony Brook, and an MBA from Duke University Fuqua School of Business. Mark started his professional career with Accenture (formerly Arthur Andersen) as a consultant in their New York City office. After leaving Accenture, Mark co-founded Revenue Solutions, Inc., one of the leading public sector proprietary software solution companies in the US. He grew the business to over 300 employees as the company CEO and President. He currently resides in Jackson Hole, WY with his wife Renee and two sons. He enjoys skiing, biking, fishing, hiking, and traveling.
Kelly Conmey currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Be Like Tom and is the organization’s Secretary. Kelly worked in Public Relations primarily in South Florida and Hawaii for eight years prior to working in the non-profit sector for the past 19 years. She began her second career in development and is currently the Executive Director of a nonprofit in Chicago. Kelly loves playing tennis, cooking and traveling with her friends and family.
What We Do
What We Do
While most Americans are aware of the challenges faced by children impacted by Autism, many are unaware of the hardships faced by autistic adults and their families. Over 75% of adults with developmental disabilities live at home with their families. Once these adults reach the age of 22, government and school-based programs cease, and overall support decreases dramatically.
At Be Like Tom, we support the community of autistic adults and their families by providing financial assistance for adults with Autism to attend residential camps and day programs designed for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and for caregivers to participate in respite opportunities.
But our work doesn’t stop there. Our mission is to promote and create services and supports across the country for autistic adults and their caregivers and to provide forums and access to information families require to guide them through the lifelong journey of caring for a loved one with Autism.
Be Like Tom, Inc. (NFP) is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in the State of Illinois.
AbouT Tom Havens
On August 27, 2018, Tom Havens died suddenly, just a day after his 58th birthday. He left behind a stunned, heartbroken family and hundreds of devoted friends. Tom was a remarkable human being. He was easy going and kind, active in his community, intelligent, thoughtful and deeply dedicated to his family and friends.
Tom was a partner at the firm of Loeb & Loeb, practicing as an energy transactional attorney with a background in state and federal energy regulation and policy focusing on the renewable energy sector. Tom believed strongly in the benefits of renewable energy resources and applied his knowledge and experience within the communities where he lived and worked. He provided pro bono service to nonprofits helping bring solar power to low-income neighborhoods in New York, and he was a leader within the environmental action group in his hometown of Port Washington.
When he wasn’t exercising his knowledge and expertise at work and in his community, Tom always found time to visit with his extended family and friends and dedicated himself daily to his wife and two children, whom he loved dearly. But, while Tom always appeared happy and at ease, it’s true that he and his wife, Robin, struggled at times in caring for their youngest son, Jake, who has severe autism. Caring for Jake was accompanied, at times, by distressing day-to-day challenges, but Tom and Robin were resolute in their dedication to Jake’s care and devotion to his future. They never stopped trying to reach him; they never stopped advocating for him; and they did both tirelessly.
With everything he did, Tom brought energy, light, and love into this world. He showed others what it meant to care deeply and live purposefully. His friends and family remember him whenever they hear a Kansas song, when the Yankees, Rangers, or Giants win, or when they hear a line from The Honeymooners, The Odd Couple, or Monty Python and Mel Brooks movies. Tom loved to laugh. He remains for us all the same warm presence he always was and will be. Life without Tom hasn’t been easy. But each day, we remind ourselves that we all can be kind, loving, and devoted to one another, and within all those things, we can be like Tom.