Welcome from The Co-Founders & Co-Executive Directors of Forty Carrots Family Center
Co-Founders & Co-Executive Directors, Betsy Kane-Hartnett and Diane Weiss
When we founded Forty Carrots in 1993, we did so with a singular purpose – strengthening families, the foundation of any community. It has been an honor and a privilege to watch that happen. Whether the family is an incarcerated teen mom and her baby at one of our On Wheels sites, or a professional couple sending their little ones to our NAEYC accredited preschool, Forty Carrots is there to offer them information, skills and support. As we begin our sixteenth year – our “Sweet 16” – we welcome you to our growing family and invite you to put down roots.
About Betsy Kane-Hartnett and Diane Weiss
Betsy Kane-Hartnett, Co-Executive Director
Betsy Kane-Hartnett graduated from Cornell University in 1975 with a major in Human Development and Family Studies. Two years later she earned her Masters Degree from Columbia University's Teachers College in Curriculum Design. Betsy taught preschoolers for a number of years before opening The Sage School for Nursery Years in Bedford Hills, New York.
In 1989, pregnant with their third child, Betsy and her husband John decided to relocate to Sarasota, Florida. Shortly after, she was hired to be the Preschool Director of a nationally accredited Early Childhood Learning Center by Diane Weiss, their Parenting Center Director. After three years of working side-by-side, Betsy and Diane decided to found Forty Carrots Family Center - a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to strengthening families through educational programs for parents, their children, and professionals in the field. Since 1993, Forty Carrots has reached over 14,000 families.
Betsy has presented workshops at the national, state and local level. Her presentations include: What Should I Say: Confronting Taboo Subjects, Delivering Difficult Messages, Engaging Cooperation, Praise and Encouragement, Sparking Creativity, Classroom Management and Curriculum Planning.
Diane Weiss, Co-Executive Director
Diane Weiss, M.S. earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in special education and psychology. Following several years of working as a behavioral and educational consultant, Diane brought Parenting Education to Sarasota, Florida. In 1985, Diane founded Sarasota's first comprehensive early childhood parenting program. She authored a Birth-to-Three parenting education curriculum for leading parent groups. Diane is a presenter at national conferences, as well as at workshops for parents, teachers, and other professionals locally and statewide. Her articles have appeared in professional journals and local magazines. She also works with parents in groups, as well as on a private consulting basis.
In 1993 Diane co-founded Forty Carrots Family Center, a non-profit agency dedicated to serving the community by strengthening families through educational programs for parents, their children, and professionals in the field. As Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Diane has helped to bring parenting education to many of the community's most at-risk families.
Diane has been married to Sarasota Pediatrician, Robert Weiss, for 34 years and is the mother of 3 grown sons.
