Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Spatt.
Hi Gabrielle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a community builder at heart — someone who loves connecting people, ideas, and purpose. As Vice President of Philanthropy for a family foundation, I’ve spent my career championing causes that empower women, strengthen the Jewish community, and support mental health and wellbeing.
Originally from sunny Fort Lauderdale and a University of Florida grad (Go Gators!), I made Atlanta home about 15 years ago after co-founding a tech startup during college. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with organizations that inspire change and creativity — from Phi Mu Fraternity Headquarters and SPANX to The Schusterman Family Foundation and The Blue Dove Foundation. Each experience shaped how I think about leadership, community, and using drive and empathy to make a difference.
I live by the saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” Along the way, that’s led me to produce an Emmy-nominated film about the Atlanta Jewish community during COVID — Atlanta: The City Too Busy to Wait — and co-author a Wilbur Award-winning children’s book, Shabbat and Sunday Dinner (http://inourtradition.com/), about two friends, one Black and one Jewish, discovering that their traditions connect them more than they divide them.
Recently, my creative spark found a home in an unexpected place: around the mahjong game table. I grew up watching my mother and grandmothers play, and now I’m passing that joy to my own family — though my little man’s favorite move is still knocking over the tiles after he practices counting and matching. I co-founded Let’s Rack and Roll (https://www.instagram.com/letsrackandroll), Atlanta’s original go-to mahjong lesson and party company and created the Mazel Mahjong Card (http://mahjongforisrael.com/). This alternative playing card raised money for the Jewish Federations of North Americas Israel Emergency Fund.
That passion inspired two new children’s books (https://themissingline.com/), Bubbe and Bams and Grandma Dottie’s Dots — a heartwarming story about family, love, and the laughter that comes from learning together. Bubbe and Bams is crafted especially for a Jewish — or Jewish-curious — audience, perfect for when you like your Mahj served with a side of mishigas.
In the book, a spirited grandmother teaches her granddaughter the timeless game of mahjong—where tiles click, laughter sparkles, and tradition comes alive. The story is the same across the two books.
Seeing them become Amazon best-sellers has been such a joy, and even more meaningful knowing they’re helping bridge generations, one tile at a time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth or rough, everyone has their own path. My journey has been deeply shaped by personal experiences that led me to dedicate the most recent part of my career to mental health advocacy and nonprofit work. After losing my younger sister to an opioid overdose in 2017, I saw firsthand the profound impact that substance use, and mental health challenges have on individuals and families. That experience transformed my perspective and purpose. I channeled my grief into action—volunteering, raising awareness, and working to create meaningful change in this critical space.
Even in my lighter pursuits, like playing mahjong, I’m reminded how connection and community can strengthen us. The more we come together—around a game, a cause, or a shared experience—the better we can support one another when it matters most.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
While many have a traditional industry career, I’ve had incredible job opportunities in various insdustries that have given me amazing opportunities. My true joy has been working in the philanthropy industry and having the honor to represent a family that I admire and align with.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
My family. Full stop.
I hope our book brings families and communities together. There is a Hebrew phrase, “l’dor v’dor” that I love. It means “from generation to generation,” and I have the amazing opportunity to do things that help people today and for generations to come.
Pricing:
- Bubbe and Bams Mahjong Children’s Book – $15
- Grandma Dottie’s Dots Mahjong Children’s Book – $15
- Shabbat and Sunday Dinner Children’s Book – $15
- American Mahjong Lessons
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gabbyleonspatt.com
- Other: https://www.themissingline.com
