Shari Arison

Shari Arison was born in 1957 and is an Israeli-American businesswoman. She is Israel's wealthiest citizen. She is the owner of several businesses, and according to Forbes, she is the richest woman in the Middle East. But this is not what qualifies her as a positive role model.

She was born in New York, grew up in Miami and Israel, and enlisted in the Israeli Defense Forces. Although she is one of the wealthiest and powerful people on the planet, it is her non-traditional business acumen and philanthropic generosity that sets her apart.

Shari is the mother of four children. Her business-spiritual model provides social skills training for children, while eliminating many school problems. Her approach is a model that children can buy into.

Good Deeds Day

Her non-profit organization, Ruach Tova, has sponsored the annual Good Deeds Day since 2007. This has inspired thousands of Israelis to volunteer throughout the country. In their 2009 event, a Palestinian youth orchestra performed a concert in honor of Holocaust survivors. Playing classical Arabic tunes and songs of peace, this event gained much media attention worldwide.

Sustainability

In her book, Birth: When the Spiritual and the Material Come Together, Shari maps out a more sustainable model for businesses and individuals. "Sustainability is the key to our survival on this planet and will also determine success on all levels," she said in an interview with BusinessWeek.

She believes it's possible for businesses to succeed while benefitting their surroundings, and that the environment must be taken into consideration. Shari has applied these ideals to her own life by selling off her personal jet and yacht, switching to a hybrid automobile, and making her home more environmentally friendly. She donates tens of millions of dollars every year to hospitals, arts, and other organizations.

Shari Arison views life as a reflection of something within each of us. Instead of burying our heads in the sand when confronted with such enormous global challenges, she asks that we learn to take responsibility for ourselves and our planet. Awareness is the first step to bringing about the needed positive change. We each must connect with ourselves, and then decide how we can each personally make a difference.

When asked why worry about spirituality in business when it's all about bottom line profits, she replied: "Because if there is no planet, there's no bottom line."

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