Eric John Abrahamson is an institutional historian and the 2006 Democratic candidate for the office of lieutenant governor in South Dakota. His running mate was Jack Billion.
Abrahamson is the president of Vantage Point Historical Services, Inc. Vantage Point's clients include Fortune 500 companies in financial services, telecommunications, and banking as well as leading philanthropic organizations.
Abrahamson received a Ph.D. in American history from Johns Hopkins University in 2003. His dissertation and coursework focused on the role of government in promoting innovation and economic growth in the development of cellular telephony. Abrahamson has written a number of books and articles, including Spirited Commitment: The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Foundation, which he co-authored with Roderick MacLeod (McGill-Queens University Press, 2010) and Anytime, Anywhere: Entrepreneurship and the Creation of a Wireless World, which he co-authored with Louis Galambos of Johns Hopkins University (Cambridge University Press, 2002). His book Building Home: Howard F. Ahmanson and the Politics of the American Dream was published by the University of California Press in February 2013. He edited a six-volume series of books on the history of the Rockefeller Foundation, including his book Beyond Charity: A Century of Philanthropic Innovation, which was released by the Rockefeller Foundation in March 2013. [1]
In 2010, Abrahamson cofounded the Black Hills Knowledge Network, an innovative library-based community news and information project. He serves on the board of the John T. Vucurevich Foundation, as well as the South Dakota Humanities Council. He has also been a member of the Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education, chairman of the South Dakota State Library Board, a member of the board of the Black Hills Area Community Foundation and a member of the Rapid City Library Board of Trustees.
Eric is married to Lois Facer. They are the parents of two sons, Reed and Zachary.
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death of the two founders, the foundation owned 90% of the non-voting shares of the Ford Motor Company. Between 1955 and 1974, the foundation sold its Ford Motor Company holdings and now plays no role in the automobile company.
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material gain; and with government endeavors that are public initiatives for public good, such as those that focus on the provision of public services. A person who practices philanthropy is a philanthropist.
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller ("Senior") and son "Junior", and their primary business advisor, Frederick Taylor Gates, on May 14, 1913, when its charter was granted by New York. It is the second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America and ranks as the 30th largest foundation globally by endowment, with assets of over $6.3 billion in 2022. According to the OECD, the foundation provided $284 million for development in 2021. The foundation has given more than $14 billion in current dollars.
Charles Bronfman, is a Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist and is a member of the Canadian Jewish Bronfman family. With an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion in 2023, Bronfman was ranked by Forbes as the 1,217th wealthiest person in the world.
John Davison Rockefeller III was an American philanthropist. Rockefeller was the eldest son and second child of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller as well as a grandson of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was engaged in a wide range of philanthropic projects, many of which his family had launched, as well as supporting organizations related to East Asian affairs. Rockefeller was also a major supporter of the Population Council, and the committee that created the Lincoln Center in Manhattan.
Samuel Bronfman, was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and member of the Canadian Bronfman family. He founded Distillers Corporation Limited and purchased the Seagram Company, that became the world’s largest liquor distilling firm.
The Rockefeller University is a private biomedical research and graduate-only university in New York City, New York. It focuses primarily on the biological and medical sciences and provides doctoral and postdoctoral education. It is classified as a "Special Focus – Research Institution". Rockefeller is the oldest biomedical research institute in the United States.
The Bronfman family is a Canadian family, known for its extensive business holdings. It owes its initial fame to Samuel Bronfman (1889–1971), the most influential Canadian Jew of the mid-20th century, who made a fortune in the alcoholic distilled beverage business during American prohibition, including the sale of liquor through organized crime, through founding the Seagram Company, and who later became president of the Canadian Jewish Congress (1939–62).
Howard Fieldstad Ahmanson Jr. is an American Christian activist. He is the son of Howard F. Ahmanson Sr., the founder of Home Savings Bank.
Howard Fieldstad Ahmanson Sr. was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of an insurance and savings and loan association, H.F. Ahmanson & Co. He made his fortune during the Great Depression selling fire insurance for property under foreclosure. He also bought real estate and invested in oil.
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) is a philanthropic foundation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was founded in New York City in 1940 as the primary philanthropic vehicle for the five third-generation Rockefeller brothers: John, Nelson, Laurance, Winthrop and David. It is distinct from the Rockefeller Foundation. The Rockefellers are an industrial, political and banking family that made one of the world's largest fortunes in the oil business during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Senapathy “Kris” Gopalakrishnan is an Indian businessman and the Chairman of Axilor Ventures, a startup accelerator. He is one of the co-founders of Infosys, having served as its CEO and managing director from 2007 to 2011 and vice chairman from 2011 to 2014.
Craft Ontario, legally known as the Ontario Crafts Council (OCC), is a member-based, not-for-profit arts service organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The organization is dedicated to promoting the recognition and appreciation of craft and craftspeople in Ontario and beyond.
Frederick Taylor Gates was an American Baptist clergyman, educator, and the principal business and philanthropic advisor to the major oil industrialist John D. Rockefeller, Sr., from 1891 to 1923.
The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion is one of the Queen's Awards for Enterprise, and is awarded annually to people who play an outstanding role in promoting the growth of business enterprise and/or entrepreneurial skills in other people. It is bestowed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Recipients receive an engraved crystal glass commemorative item, a Grant of Appointment and are invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace. Sometimes the award is presented by another member of the British Royal Family, and sometimes at another location.
For example, people who:
The Business History Review is a scholarly quarterly published by Cambridge University Press for Harvard Business School. Business History Review is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering the field of business history. It was established in 1954 by Harvard University Press as the continuation of the Bulletin of the Business Historical Society.
Eric Xu Yong is a Chinese entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known as co-founder of Baidu, the largest Chinese search engine.
Philip E. Auerswald is an American author, economist, and cofounder and coeditor of Innovations (journal). His most recent book, The Code Economy: A Forty-Thousand-Year History, explains how code has been a key driver of human development.
The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation is a private Canadian foundation providing grants to support the community sector. The foundation was established in 1952 as a means by which members of the Bronfman family could combine their philanthropic endeavours.
Stephen Rosner Bronfman is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist, environmental activist and scion of the Bronfman family. He is the Chief Revenue Officer of the Liberal Party of Canada and a senior advisor to Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. He is also the last male Bronfman to have stayed in the family's ancestral city of Montreal.