Growing up in Los Angeles, Leigh Steinberg’s father raised him with two core values: to treasure his relationships with family and friends and to make a meaningful and positive difference in the world. “He was always less concerned with our professional success,” says Leigh, “and wanted to make sure we were finding tangible ways to help the world.”
A famed sports agent who has represented more than 300 professional athletes and was the inspiration for the award-winning film Jerry Maguire, Leigh is a living example of his father’s values, the same ones he’s passed down to his own three children.
The bestselling author, speaker and philanthropist has helped direct more than $1 billion to charitable causes – and his support of Wayfinder is deeply personal.
Leigh discovered Wayfinder via his eldest son Jon Steinberg, who has vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa. Jon attended Wayfinder’s Hatlen Center, an immersive residential program for adults who are blind or visually impaired. Jon now works for Wayfinder as an independent-living skills instructor. “Jon was raised to understand our obligation to make a positive difference in the world and he’s able to fulfill that by working with younger blind and vision impaired people to help them in receiving tangible life skills,” says Leigh.
“Wayfinder has been a venue of empowerment for my son and has led to an optimism and brighter outlook on his part. Being surrounded by other professionals who are providing support and services for visually impaired people is a great environment for him to be in.”
Impressed by the impact Wayfinder had on Jon, the Leigh Steinberg Foundation became a sponsor of our event, The Conversation held annually in March, which brings together philanthropic- and civic-minded people for a panel discussion on some of the key issues in human services.
“Events like The Conversation stimulate people to think in their own lives how they can contribute and make a difference,” he said. “In an environment where the government is cutting back funds and the public commitment to non-profits is wavering, the work of Wayfinder goes on.” Leigh says he’s personally inspired by the work Wayfinder does and encourages others to help Wayfinder’s mission to support the well-being of children, youth and families by making a contribution.
“I always knew I had to dedicate my life to trying to solve societal problems, heal pain and help people who can’t help themselves,” he says. “It’s a pleasure and revelation to find such dedicated people at Wayfinder who have a shared commitment to make life easier for others.”
Please consider a gift to Wayfinder today: www.wayfinderfamily.org/donate.
November 25, 2025