Bobby Sager
Encyclopedia
Bobby Sager is an American philanthropist and photographer, best known for founding the Sager Family Traveling Foundation and Roadshow, a charitable organization. Sager also was a partner and the president of Gordon Brothers Group
from 1985 to 2000.
, a suburb of Boston
. His father owned a small jewelry business, while his mother was a homemaker who sometimes worked as a small-time activist for local African American couples having issues renting apartments. Mrs. Sager would rent the apartments on behalf of the couples and later take the landlords to court.
Despite aspiring to become an actor, Sager pursued business, graduating from Brandeis University
in 1976 with a degree in economics
, then going on to obtain a Masters of Management from Yale University
.
After college, Sager first started earning money by scalping tickets
to Boston Celtics
games. Sager would later use his passion for jewelry making (a skill he learned from his father) to earn considerable wealth.
In 1985, Sager joined Gordon Brothers Group
as a partner and served as their President. Between 1985 and his departure from Gordon Brothers in 2000, Sager helped the company grow from a $10 million a year business to a multi-billion business with 20 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. Sager still serves on the board of advisors for Gordon Brothers.
Sager also serves on the board of trustees for Tufts Medical Center
, formerly the New England Medical Center. He's also a member of the Young Millionaires Club.
. Sager was looking for a tour of the interior of the rain forest and asked Sting for contacts. The two kept in touch after that point. In the words of Sting, Bobby's frequent travelmate, Bobby is "a big brash guy from Boston...an old Nepal hand, flamboyant eccentric, inexhaustible world traveler, and practical philanthropist."
In 2000, Sager resigned his position at Gordon Brothers and founded the Sager Family Traveling Foundation and Roadshow, a charitable organization. He, along with his wife Elaine, daughter Tess, and son Shane, packed up their things and ventured out into some of the most dangerous places on the planet to make a difference. Through the foundation, Sager and his family live in villages and cities in developing countries using hands-on perspective and eyeball to eyeball connection to conceive, develop and operate economic opportunity training and leadership programs. These programs include Teacher Training, Leadership Training, Micro Enterprise, and Peace and Reconciliation Efforts. On any given day you might find Sager living in a tent in Karachi, sharing a toilet with 40 monks in the Himalayas, working alongside President Kagame in Rwanda, or discussing science education with the Dalai Lama in India. He would later tell The Chronicle of Philanthropy
, "It wasn't like I had this moment of awareness or I said, I've been fortunate and now I want to give back. It was about me in my quest for fullness in my life, looking at my situation and saying, more money isn't going to give me more return on investment because I already have all that I want that money can buy."
Sager convenes groups of international entrepreneurs from different parts of the world through Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) so that they can use their networks to collaborate and gain insights that help them connect the dots. He is a founding chairman of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Peace Action Network, which convenes business leaders from different sides of conflicts. Together they strategize and implement innovative approaches to cross-border understanding and shared opportunity. Sager is also the founder of YPO’s Presidents’ Action Net (PAN), a philanthropic search engine that connects presidents from over 100 countries in order to leverage their efforts around the world. PAN draws from a community of approximately 20,000 presidents whose businesses have aggregate sales that are the equivalent of the world’s third largest GNP.
Sager is moderator of both the Indo-Pak Action Forum and the U.S. Arab Action Forum.
In addition to his philanthropic and business endeavors Bobby was an Executive Producer for “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” (2006) winner of the Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize, inspiration for the NBC primetime show “The Philanthropist” (2009), and author of “The Power of the Invisible Sun,” released by Chronicle Books (2009), which was featured on NBC’s the TODAY show and ABC World News’ “Person of the Week.” Throughout his travels Sager has been an active photographer and has had his work featured in Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal and philanthropic publications. From 2007-2008, 49 of Sager’s photos were featured on the reunion tour of The Police during the song, “Invisible Sun.” The photos were displayed at over 100 concerts in 40 different countries to a collective audience of over 4 million people. The Power of the Invisible Sun
is a collection of his photographs of children in the most desperate and worn-town places in the world and a call to action and activism. It was produced by Sager and Sting and published in August 2009. Chronicle wrote about Bobby’s book: “In war-torn countries around the world, philanthropist and photographer Bobby Sager has discovered the transcendent power of hope through the eyes of children. Despite unthinkable violence and destruction, his portraits reveal joy, innocence, and strength.” Bobby has also been an active public speaker, speaking at such venues as the United Nations General Assembly Hall, Sydney Opera House, Grand Mosque in Oman, and Aiwan-e-Sadr, residence of the President of Pakistan. He was also the executive producer of “Saints” (2006) winner at Sundance and Venice Film Festivals.
Gordon Brothers Group
Gordon Brothers Group, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, is a liquidation firm that was founded in 1903 by Jacob Bernard, Louis and Joseph Gordon....
from 1985 to 2000.
Early life
Sager was raised in Malden, MassachusettsMalden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
, a suburb of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. His father owned a small jewelry business, while his mother was a homemaker who sometimes worked as a small-time activist for local African American couples having issues renting apartments. Mrs. Sager would rent the apartments on behalf of the couples and later take the landlords to court.
Despite aspiring to become an actor, Sager pursued business, graduating from Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
in 1976 with a degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, then going on to obtain a Masters of Management from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
After college, Sager first started earning money by scalping tickets
Ticket resale
Ticket resale is the act of reselling tickets for admission to events. Tickets are bought from licensed sellers and are then sold for a price determined by the individual or company in possession of the tickets. Tickets sold through secondary sources may be sold for less or more than their face...
to Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
games. Sager would later use his passion for jewelry making (a skill he learned from his father) to earn considerable wealth.
In 1985, Sager joined Gordon Brothers Group
Gordon Brothers Group
Gordon Brothers Group, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, is a liquidation firm that was founded in 1903 by Jacob Bernard, Louis and Joseph Gordon....
as a partner and served as their President. Between 1985 and his departure from Gordon Brothers in 2000, Sager helped the company grow from a $10 million a year business to a multi-billion business with 20 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. Sager still serves on the board of advisors for Gordon Brothers.
Sager also serves on the board of trustees for Tufts Medical Center
Tufts Medical Center
Tufts Medical Center is a medical institution in Boston, Massachusetts occupying space between Chinatown and the Theater District....
, formerly the New England Medical Center. He's also a member of the Young Millionaires Club.
Philanthropy
In 1999, Sager met the musician and activist Sting at a bar in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Sager was looking for a tour of the interior of the rain forest and asked Sting for contacts. The two kept in touch after that point. In the words of Sting, Bobby's frequent travelmate, Bobby is "a big brash guy from Boston...an old Nepal hand, flamboyant eccentric, inexhaustible world traveler, and practical philanthropist."
In 2000, Sager resigned his position at Gordon Brothers and founded the Sager Family Traveling Foundation and Roadshow, a charitable organization. He, along with his wife Elaine, daughter Tess, and son Shane, packed up their things and ventured out into some of the most dangerous places on the planet to make a difference. Through the foundation, Sager and his family live in villages and cities in developing countries using hands-on perspective and eyeball to eyeball connection to conceive, develop and operate economic opportunity training and leadership programs. These programs include Teacher Training, Leadership Training, Micro Enterprise, and Peace and Reconciliation Efforts. On any given day you might find Sager living in a tent in Karachi, sharing a toilet with 40 monks in the Himalayas, working alongside President Kagame in Rwanda, or discussing science education with the Dalai Lama in India. He would later tell The Chronicle of Philanthropy
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
The Chronicle of Philanthropy is a biweekly newspaper that covers the nonprofit world. Based in Washington, DC, it is the top news source for charity leaders, foundation executives, fund raisers, and other people involved in philanthropy...
, "It wasn't like I had this moment of awareness or I said, I've been fortunate and now I want to give back. It was about me in my quest for fullness in my life, looking at my situation and saying, more money isn't going to give me more return on investment because I already have all that I want that money can buy."
Sager convenes groups of international entrepreneurs from different parts of the world through Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) so that they can use their networks to collaborate and gain insights that help them connect the dots. He is a founding chairman of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Peace Action Network, which convenes business leaders from different sides of conflicts. Together they strategize and implement innovative approaches to cross-border understanding and shared opportunity. Sager is also the founder of YPO’s Presidents’ Action Net (PAN), a philanthropic search engine that connects presidents from over 100 countries in order to leverage their efforts around the world. PAN draws from a community of approximately 20,000 presidents whose businesses have aggregate sales that are the equivalent of the world’s third largest GNP.
Sager is moderator of both the Indo-Pak Action Forum and the U.S. Arab Action Forum.
In addition to his philanthropic and business endeavors Bobby was an Executive Producer for “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” (2006) winner of the Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize, inspiration for the NBC primetime show “The Philanthropist” (2009), and author of “The Power of the Invisible Sun,” released by Chronicle Books (2009), which was featured on NBC’s the TODAY show and ABC World News’ “Person of the Week.” Throughout his travels Sager has been an active photographer and has had his work featured in Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal and philanthropic publications. From 2007-2008, 49 of Sager’s photos were featured on the reunion tour of The Police during the song, “Invisible Sun.” The photos were displayed at over 100 concerts in 40 different countries to a collective audience of over 4 million people. The Power of the Invisible Sun
The Power of the Invisible Sun
The Power of the Invisible Sun is a philantropic work on behalf of Bobby Sager. It consists on a photography book based on pictures of those areas of the world most striken by war such as Afghanistan, Rwanda, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Kenya or Zimbawe, depicting children living and dealing...
is a collection of his photographs of children in the most desperate and worn-town places in the world and a call to action and activism. It was produced by Sager and Sting and published in August 2009. Chronicle wrote about Bobby’s book: “In war-torn countries around the world, philanthropist and photographer Bobby Sager has discovered the transcendent power of hope through the eyes of children. Despite unthinkable violence and destruction, his portraits reveal joy, innocence, and strength.” Bobby has also been an active public speaker, speaking at such venues as the United Nations General Assembly Hall, Sydney Opera House, Grand Mosque in Oman, and Aiwan-e-Sadr, residence of the President of Pakistan. He was also the executive producer of “Saints” (2006) winner at Sundance and Venice Film Festivals.