Olami, the global Jewish engagement organization serving more than 80,000 young adults annually across 300 campuses and communities in 28 countries, is proud to announce that Mike Leven, business executive, visionary philanthropist and founder of the Jewish Future Promise will be honored as guest of honor at The Promise, Olami’s flagship annual gala, on Tuesday, June 3. The evening will serve as a tribute to a man whose life’s work has shaped both American business and the future of the Jewish people.
A legacy built across an extraordinary career
Leven spent more than five decades at the pinnacle of American business. He grew Days Inn from a regional chain into one of the largest hotel brands in the world, launched the Holiday Inn Express brand as president and COO of Holiday Inn Worldwide and founded US Franchise Systems, franchising the Microtel Inn & Suites and Hawthorn Suites brands.
As president and COO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, he drove the company’s global expansion into Singapore and Macau. He later served as chairman and CEO of the Georgia Aquarium, leading unprecedented growth in attendance and helping establish it as a premier center for education and conservation. A co-founder of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), today representing more than 20,000 members who own more than 60% of hotels in the United States, Leven has also endowed the Michael A. Leven School of Management, Entrepreneurship & Hospitality at Kennesaw State University.
In 2019, at the height of his success, he decided to pursue what he considers the most important work of his life: ensuring the continuity of the Jewish people.
185,000 signers. $6.78 billion. One promise.
Inspired by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge, Leven founded the Jewish Future Promise (JFP), a global moral commitment movement through which individuals pledge that at least 50% of their charitable estate contributions will support Jewish organizations and/or the State of Israel.
The Jewish Future Promise recently crossed 180,000 signers, a milestone that carries profound Jewish significance. In Hebrew, chai, the word for life, carries the numerical value of 18. Reaching 180,000 signers means 10,000 times chai—10,000 expressions of life committed to the Jewish future. The movement has now surpassed 185,000 signers and more than $6.78 billion in pledged commitments to Jewish causes and/or the State of Israel.
The companion initiative, the Jewish Youth Promise, designed for individuals ages 13 to 24, has surpassed 30,000 signers, including 10,000 members of the Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi, cultivating the next generation of committed Jewish philanthropists.
“Every Sunday morning, Mike opens his email and waits for the latest numbers,” notes the Olami event page. “When he sees the numbers, he smiles.” Leven built empires, but he decided the Jewish future was worth more.
About the evening
The Promise will bring together a distinguished gathering of business leaders, philanthropists and Jewish communal figures for an evening of recognition, inspiration and commitment to Jewish continuity.
Gala Co-Chairs: Elie Horn, Alberto Safra and Aaron Wolfson
Gala Committee: Rich Abbe, Chezky Badian, Kenny Dichter, Howard Friedman, Ralph Herzka, Efraim Horn, Eli Levitin, Jason Lieber, Craig Lucas, Paul Packer, Kerry Propper, Shaya Rubin, Rachel Sapoznik, Aron Slone, Jordan Slone, Daniel Wolfson and Morris Wolfson.
For tickets and to RSVP: https://olami.org/thepromise/#promise_Section
