WHO’s WHO
{ PHILANTHROPISTS } IRA FULTON Founder Fulton Homes fultonhomes.com
Fulton is a philanthropist, land developer, and businessman and founder of Fulton Homes. BusinessWeek listed Fulton among its “50 Most Generous Philanthropists” and reported that Fulton and his wife have given away about $265 million, approximately 60 percent of their net worth. Fulton has contributed millions to ASU, Brigham Young University and Barrow Neurological Institute. Surprising fact: “When I was a boy, we had a little hamburger stand in Tempe. I was the dishwasher. I was the youngest. And my mother would not turn away anyone who was hungry. I would say, ‘We can’t afford to do this.’ But she would say, ‘Son, they’re hungry.’ And I shut up because she’s my mom. I learned the principles of giving, and I didn’t even know it. My mother was a very generous lady.”
CATHERINE IVY BENNETT DORRANCE Founding partner DMB Associates dmbinc.com
Dorrance is the grandson of John T. Dorrance, who founded Campbell Soup in 1869. Dorrance owns about 14 percent of the firm and has been on the board since 1989. Dorrance is also a founding partner of DMB Associates, a Valley-based real estate development firm. The Dorrance Merit Scholarship was established by Bennett and Jacquie Dorrance at the Arizona Community Foundation in June of 1999. The original gift supported 10 Arizona public university students. What is now known as the Dorrance Scholarship Programs supports as many as 150 recipients at Arizona’s three public universities and at South Mountain Community College. The generosity and foresight of the Dorrances have made the scholarship one of the most influential, privately-funded educational initiatives in the state.
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Founder and president The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation ivyfoundation.org Ivy is responsible for the administration, investment management, and charitable grantmaking of the Ivy Foundation. She monitors and participates in the design of the overall grantmaking strategies and policies emphasizing the needs of the brain tumor research. Business advice: “Begin with the end in mind. Ask yourself if your activities are contributing effectively to your goal.” Professional accomplishment: “Seeing the impact of our medical research on patient’s lives. While the cure to brain cancer has not been found yet, our research is contributing to the progress, giving patients hope and some extension of life. ” Dream dinner: “I would choose to have dinner with Abraham Lincoln. I would want to learn from his wisdom and experiences. The dinner would be at T Cooks for the atmosphere and food.”
ALFREDO MOLINA Chairman and CEO Molina Fine Jewelers molinafinejewelers.com
Molina is chairman and CEO of Molina Fine Jewelers and chairman and CEO of Black Starr & Frost, America’s first jeweler since 1810. His family’s lineage as master jewelers dates back to 17th-century Italy. Professional accomplishment: “When I started Molina Fine Jewelers I had a negative net worth, no merchandise, no employees and no safety net. I did have a definitive purpose and the drive to succeed. When faced with difficult tasks, we have a choice to make. We can be fearful or we can believe.” Surprising fact: “Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional. People see me as serious businessman, maybe too serious. I wear a threepiece suit everyday, but under this suit is a 17-year-old. I choose not to grow up. I love people and I love fun.
BOB PARSONS Executive chairman GoDaddy godaddy.com
A serial entrepreneur, Parsons’ first endeavor was Parsons Technology, a software company he started in his basement in 1984, after teaching himself how to write computer programs. He sold Parsons Technology to Intuit in 1994 for $64 million. In 1997, Parsons started Jomax Technologies and renamed the company GoDaddy in 1999. In 2012, he established the Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation, which has awarded more than $64 million to more than 62 charities and organizations worldwide. Personal mission: “Timing and luck have been in our favor and we are profoundly grateful for our good fortune. We intend to donate at least half of our wealth – and likely much more – to nonprofits which are making a difference and inspiring hope for the American Dream.”