The Merage family /mrd/ is a wealthy Iranian Jewish family residing in Orange County, California. He eventually rose to the position of director of new products. Stell 18 Inverness Place East, Englewood, CO 80112. Shawn Naim - Add Relationship - LittleSis I was able to help her, and I began actively supporting hundreds of Iranian-Jewish families on their struggling path to Israel. The brothers later sold the Chef America Inc. company to Nestl for $2.6 billion. David and I share a tenacious, hands-on approach to philanthropy, investing our time, capital, business acumen, and problem-solving . In 2015, his net worth was estimated at $1.8 billion. He brought his son and one of his brothers as co-founders. David, who moved with the company to Denver years earlier, launched his own investment firm called the CIG Group. Spoiler alert, that person is named Joe C. Wen. They called the sandwiches Hot Pockets and, in 1983, started marketing them to vending machines, catering businesses and schools. The primary mission of his foundation is to promote self-sufficiency through education and community development in the United States and Israel. Laura is an artist and photographer with works in public and private collections nationally and internationally. There's just one teeny, tiny blemish on the family's track record. The cornerstones of this culture are Davids business imperatives: respect, accountability, innovation, collaboration, a drive for excellence, having fun, and making our world a better place. We constantly look for opportunities that tap into existing networks and infrastructures that avoid duplication. Since they were young, my children have been actively involved in our philanthropic work, and now they are leading their own foundations, and are promoting their own endeavors with great success. Redline Art Center has been noticed Redlines new exhibit Carey Fisher, curated by Cortney Lane Stell, brings together two popular landscape painters. CIG is in the process of buying another food company, which David declines to identify because the deal has not yet closed. Building on our early success, we soon began research and development of a frozen lunch product which we called the Hot Pocket and sold to schools, catering and vending companies. The foundation concentrates its efforts in four primary areas: Early Childhood Education, Art and Community, Jewish Life (Domestic), and Jewish Life (International). The David and Laura Merage Foundation, based in Colorado, focuses on community development and early childhood education. Sabrina Merage Grantee at DOC NYC - David & Laura Merage Foundation To kindle the younger generation's interest in philanthropy, their grandmother, Katherine Merage, gave each of her 13 grandchildren the gift of a foundation and the freedom to make their own decisions about how to give away the money. Today, I am principal of Consolidated Investment Group, a Denver-based investment firm, focusing on Wall Street and real estate investments. Following these guidelines, our Israel team develops programs and nurtures partnerships that bring about systemic, sustainable and bold results. His older brother, Paul, had graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. In 2005, Paul and Lilly Merage donated $30 million to the School of Business at University of California, Irvine, which was renamed Paul Merage School of Business in his honor. About Merage family Brothers Paul and David Merage created a snack sensation with their Hot Pockets, which became a household name. Today, David, 66, is principal of Consolidated Investment Group in Denver, the firm he started in 2002. That's very important to him. Chef America already had breakfast covered with waffles, and the frozen dinner category already had a dozen dominant players like Swanson's. You and your wife Laura are known for your philanthropic involvement. Joe's 55,000 square-foot home topped Paul's by 10,000 square feet. Deanne Stone is a business writer based in Berkeley, Calif. The glorious frozen creations known as Hot Pockets were created by two Jewish-Iranian brothers named Paul and David Merage, who immigrated from Tehran to the U.S. for college, according to Saveur.After earning an MBA, Paul worked in marketing at Maxwell Coffee House, but a trip to Europe inspired him to start a frozen waffle business alongside his brother, and thus, former frozen food giant . I sought out my American dream and seized the opportunity to move overseas, diving fully into art education, learning from established artists and teachers, and experiencing museums and art institutions in the U.S. From then on, I devoted myself to the craft, using it as an outlet for self-expression. Today, Merage runs Consolidated Investment Group (CIG), a Denver-based company strategically investing in real estate, capital markets and private equity. Related: 10 Ways to Make Money During the Pandemic Ali and . Along with my wife, Laura, I formed the David and Laura Merage Foundation, whose mission is to promote self-sufficiency through education and community involvement. Nelson has worked with David for 30 years, as vice president of food services, sales and marketing at Chef America and, since 2005, as a member of CIG's executive team. David is a discerning investor who's always looking for what others haven't thought of. Clarkston : A Documentary About the Most Diverse Square Mile - David CIG seeks optimal returns through direct investment, creative partnership structures, fund investments, and other innovative techniques. The Negev is rich in a wide range of agricultural sites and is a fertile ground to turn these into tourism attractions. "CIG is driven by excellence. Poring over thousands of historical documents, centuries of ancient texts, and Bible translations in many languages, the experts in the film conclude that two Greek words were mistranslated to mean homosexual. Photo Essay: L.A.'s Iranian Jews repaying Alliance's generosity She was a young Jewish woman in Tehran, who was trying to escape from a very abusive husband with her two young daughters. 1 company in the world mass-producing frozen Belgian waffles. Mental Health Colorado Expands its Focus on Criminal Justice Reserve companies are also supported by a digital platform that allows them to manage and mobilize their communities for action. Negev Development Division: For the past 15 years, I have been actively involved in the Negev, supporting a variety of projects, from employment and entrepreneurship programs, dozens of festivals and cultural events and supporting local municipalities in the development of strategic plans for demographic growth, urban development, economic growth, health and transportation. "After a year and a half of testing, we developed the first generation of frozen waffles. ", Sabrina was a teenager when her father and uncle sold Chef America, but she says she was unfazed by the publicity or comments from kids at school. When they were ready, the brothers went door-to-door marketing their frozen Belgian waffles to coffee shops, supermarkets and restaurants. CIG does not just write a check. In 2013, David Merage received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, an award given to U.S. immigrants and native-born citizens who have made substantial contributions to American society. They're better than their record, but it might already be too late for them to contend, even in the mediocre AL Central. Part of our work includes promoting the emergence of early-stage DeserTech startups, mobilizing the entrepreneurial capital in the region, and spurring innovation by bringing together technology, information, specialized talent, competing companies, academic institutions, and high-quality jobs. My team would continue meeting with them and helping in any way they could. All Rights Reserved. This article. My family represents three generations of philanthropists that began with my parents, and we are now working on a fourth generation: my grandchildren! At the age of 15, he traveled to England to pursue his studies and then completed his formal education in the United States with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from California State University. Initially, Paul Merage had to obtain three Mortgages on his home to fund the business. Meanwhile, Paul, who had had ten years of management experience working with major packaged food companies, suggested that he and David start a business importing and marketing consumer products from Europe and Japan. David and their father began investing in real estate while Paul was toiling away at General Foods. After interviewing dozens of reservist and army officials, we understood that this was a widespread problem. [1]. or call (303) 789-2664 x233. It manages a large portfolio of commercial properties coast to coast. I'm pretty sure the daughters could have gotten into UC Irvine without even submitting grades considering the business school is literally named after their grandpa! Paul Merage's daughter Michelle Janavs, a food executive who was at one point regarded as the Hot Pockets "heiress," was later implicated in the notorious Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and later sentenced in February 2020 to five months in prison after pleading guilty to paying Rick Singer $100,000 to fix test scores for her Laura: I'm one-half of the David and Laura Merage Foundation. Founder of Consolidated Investment Group and the David and Laura Merage Foundation, David Merage, was invited to be on a panel with Advisor Ivanka Trump and Senator Cory Gardner. Early Learning Ventures is building a network of over 600 high-performing child-care providers, making quality child care more accessible to American families. Jamie Dimon, the CEO of the countrys largest bank, asserted last month it was absurd to suggest titans like JPMorgan would benefit from the collapse of several regional banks. At the time of its sale to Nestl in 2002, the company had reached $750 million in annual sales, employed 1,800 people, and was growing at a rate of 15% per year, making it one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world. David and Laura Merage Foundation's philanthropic investments are focused on social change and result in children, families and communities improving the quality and circumstances of their lives. David and Laura have two adult children, Jonathan and Sabrina. CIG currently has a staff of 74, including David's daughter, Sabrina, 29; his wife's nephew Ben Levy, 34; and Rob Nelson, one of six former managers from the Chef America team. My father, Andre, an entrepreneur himself, encouraged us to build a family business as a strategy to foster personal and familial strength. In 2020, Sabrina founded Evoke Media as a subsidiary of SMF in order to create connection, cultivate conversation, and drive social impact through the power of storytelling. 1946 takes a journalistic, academic approach. Its politics. He named it Hot Pockets, and promoted it as the Hot Meal without a Big Deal. A collection of recent news, press mentions, and insights on the David and Laura Merage Foundation and our impact areas. He serves as chairman of MIG parent companies. After the sale of Chef America, the brothers pursued separate projects. In her interview, Rocky explains the importance of the film to her and for the LGBTQ+ community. Paul earned an undergraduate degree in economics, followed by an M.B.A. from the school and then landed a job at General Foods. In my research I learned that Joe C. Wen took the record for largest home in all of Orange County from a person named Paul Merage. In 1983, Hot Pockets were introduced to retail supermarkets and, within a short time, was a household staple. Sign up for The Jerusalem Post Premium Plus for just $5, Upgrade your reading experience with an ad-free environment and exclusive content. Sabrina Merage Naim, daughter of David and Laura Merage, is a passionate and engaged philanthropist working toward making the world a more equitable and unified place. Mr. In 1977, David Merage and his brother, Paul, founded Chef America, Inc. best known for developing the popular microwavable snack, Hot Pockets.

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