Marissa Hacker is the CEO and Founder of Fantastic Friends. When she was 15, she started the Organization for her twin brother, Matthew, who has autism. While growing up with Matthew, Marissa always saw how her brother and others with special needs struggled to create and maintain friendships. This was her spark for starting Fantastic Friends.

 

The summer before her sophomore year of high school, she got together with some friends and created a mission to have fun events where teens and young adults with special needs (members) could partner with neuro typical peers (volunteers) and have fun! After putting the word out to the special needs community, Fantastic Friends hosted our first event in South Jersey, which was a picnic sport day.

 

What started off as a group of ten members and ten volunteers in South Jersey, has grown into a nationally recognized organization. To date, Marissa has raised $60,000 for Fantastic Friends that have engaged hundreds of special needs members, volunteers, siblings, and parents. With her passion and dedication, Hacker and her work have been featured on many national and local news stations, magazines, and newspapers, and she now also is a contributing writer of The Huffington Post.

 

It is Marissa’s vision to provide friendships spread Fantastic Friends chapters across the world to provide as many people with special needs as possible the gift of friendship.