SOURCE OF WEALTH: Morgan Stanley, GreenOak Real Estate; real estate investments
FUNDING AREAS: Education, Arts and Culture
OVERVIEW: Sonny Kalsi doesn't appear to have a formal charitable vehicle, but he has demonstrated a strong interest in education, supporting and serving on boards of nonprofits in New York, India and Africa. Literacy and education for women and girls appear to be specific areas of interest. Recently, he has expanded his philanthropic interests to include arts and culture.
BACKGROUND: Sonny Kalsi graduated from Georgetown University. He was previously the global co-head of Morgan Stanley’s Real Estate Investing (MSREI) business and president of the Morgan Stanley Real Estate (MSRE) funds until his departure from the firm in 2009. He founded GreenOak Real Estate in 2010.
ISSUES:EDUCATION & YOUTH: Kalsi serves on the board of trustees as PowHERful, which supports young women’s education with a strong focus on college readiness. He also supports Teaching Matters, a national network of teachers focused on instructional quality, retention and mentoring, and Room to Read, which works internationally to promote elementary literacy. Locally, Kalsi has supported New York City’s Spence School, a girls’ school in Manhattan, and AHRC, which helps parents of disabled children obtain therapeutic and educational services for their children.
ARTS & CULTURE: Kalsi serves on the board of Washington D.C.’s Hirshhorn Museum. He has also supported the Asia Society and the Smithsonian Institute.
OTHER: Kalsi is involved with the Urban Land Institute, “the oldest and largest network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts in the world” which aims to create thriving, sustainable communities worldwide.
LOOKING FORWARD: Sonny Kalsi is still very much engaged in business, but perhaps his education philanthropy will deepen in the coming years.
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