for saving the lives of thousands of Polish Jews during the Holocaust , and who ultimately died with many of them at Auschwitz in August 1941 . My brother , Rawson , explored similar heroism by writing about Raoul Wallenberg , a Swedish businessman working under the aegis of the Swedish government in Budapest , who created Swedish “ protective passports ,” responsible for saving thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Nazis ’ extermination efforts .
The school ’ s legacy for inclusion and instinct for understanding continues to impact me two decades later . My connection to the Catholic faith has allowed me to develop a deep relationship with my partner Wenonah ’ s family , celebrating their Catholic traditions and faith . In 2018 , we all traveled to Israel together to visit Wenonah ’ s brother , who was working at a monastery in Galilee with disabled Palestinian youth . Over the past year , I ’ ve sheltered from the pandemic with her family in Minnesota , and have had the opportunity to share a number of my own family traditions with her family — we recently celebrated their first Passover Seder with my parents over Zoom ! Throughout these difficult moments , we ’ ve discussed shared doctrines and found solace in our collective hope during uncertain times .
As Gen-Z emerges as the most diverse generation in American history , I have focused my professional work on enabling that generation ’ s self-expression and identitybuilding through technology . In 2018 , I founded Supergreat to democratize the beauty industry by empowering
“ The features of Saint David ’ s that stick with me the most are the instinct to be ever-curious about the world we inhabit ; to be inclusive and embrace cultural , religious , and intellectual diversity ; and to follow our own personal journey .”
Tyler and his brother Rawson , with then-Headmaster Don Maiocco ( R . I . P .) when they were Headmasters for the Day in 2004 . individuals to share the beauty and wellness products that work for them with their community through short-form videos and live interactive broadcasts . Part of our mission is to enable the voices of our increasingly diverse world to have a positive platform to share their opinions and identities within our global community .
Reflecting recently on the Saint David ’ s experience with the lifelong friends I made there , we agreed the experience was so much more than the sum of its parts . Yes , it was academically rigorous – classmates and I share similar stories of being much more challenged by Seventh and Eighth Grade curriculum than that of the high schools and universities that followed . And of course it was sartorial , as the many lessons in tie-dimpling from Dr . Maiocco and firm handshakes with Dr . O ’ Halloran ensured . But the features of Saint David ’ s that stick with me the most are the instinct to be ever-curious about the world we inhabit ; to be inclusive and embrace cultural , religious , and intellectual diversity ; and to follow our own personal journey .
As for my parents , it wasn ’ t just elementary school that they had good taste in selecting . Always trendsetters , their marriage actually sparked a lifelong business for Rabbi Lipsey and Reverend Clarke , who went on to perform numerous joyful , interfaith ceremonies together over the following decades . M
Thanks to Joseph Gasperetti ’ 05 , Rawson Faux ’ 06 , Gordon Faux ’ 94 , and Wenonah Echelard for reading drafts of this essay .
Tyler Faux ’ 05 is the co-founder and CEO of Supergreat , a video-first social commerce platform founded in NYC in 2018 , for which he was recognized in Forbes ’ “ 30 Under 30 ” for Consumer Technology in 2020 . Previously , Tyler studied computer science at Harvard (’ 13 ) and attended Riverdale Country School (’ 09 ).
16 • Saint David ’ s Magazine