Dick Simon (entrepreneur)

Dick Simon is an American entrepreneur, social enterprise philanthropist, photographer and speaker, best known as co-Founder and Chair of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) Peace Action Network (PAN) and responsible for launching the kNOw THEM Initiative.

This article is about the co-founder of the Peace Action Network. For the co-founder of Simon & Schuster, see Richard L. Simon. For other people named Dick Simon, see Richard Simon.

YPO-WPO Peace Action Network

Dick Simon is the CEO of RSI, Inc., a Boston-based real estate development and investment management company.[1] Based on his business activity, in 1998 Simon joined the Young/World Presidents' Organization (YPO-WPO), an organization of over 24,000 CEO members in more than 150 countries whose combined businesses generate over 10% of the world's GDP.[2] Following his experiences on a yearlong, around-the-world trip he took with his wife and children in 1999, when the children were 6, 8 and 10 years old,[3][4] and in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Simon realized he could make a difference through YPO-WPO by connecting international CEOs from opposite sides of conflict regions to address stereotypes and misconceptions of the other.[5] Simon co-created YPO-WPO's Peace Action Network to promote conflict resolution by engaging these business leaders on the opposite sides of conflicts such as Palestine/Israel, India/Pakistan, U.S/Middle East and Jewish/Arab-Muslim Americans, through the use of Forums, intimate and confidential groups of CEOs that are facilitated by a trained moderator.[6] Simon also organizes and leads delegations of international CEOs to countries that are traditionally difficult to access and understood only as adversaries in the West, such as North Korea,[7] Iran,[8] Syria[9] and Cuba, in order to meet with business, political, and religious leaders to hear local perspectives and their narratives of conflict.[10] Simon’s work in YPO-WPO and PAN has earned him a place on Real Leaders Magazine's list of "100 Visionary Leaders"[11] and recognitions including YPO Global Humanitarian Award 2004, YPO Innovation and New Frontier Forum Awards 2003, and YPO Best of the Best 2005. In addition, Simon received Harvard Business School’s Making a Difference Award in 2005.

Iran Delegations

Since 2013, as a part of PAN, Simon has led three delegations of international CEOs to Iran.[12] The 2015 delegation included the first American business leaders to meet with an Iranian Minister [13] and the first American group to be allowed to return to the former US Embassy in Tehran, Iran since the Iranian Hostage Crisis immediately following the Iranian Revolution.[14] As a result, American members of the group were called upon to brief the US Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Banking Committees, as well as senior officials at the State Department.

Photographer and Speaker

During his world travels, Simon has photographed and gathered the stories of people on all sides of geopolitical and religious divides in areas such as the Middle East, Korean Peninsula, Myanmar, Rwanda, Guatemala, and Cuba, among others.[15] His images and stories have been exhibited in venues such as Danforth Museum of Art and Griffin Museum of Photography,[16] and he gives presentations about his experiences to TEDx,[17] RiseUp Egypt,[18] as well as universities, museums and community, religious, and business organizations around the world. He also regularly speaks to media about his work and issues of business and conflict resolution, including CBS Radio,[19] Public Radio International,[20] NPR/PBS,[21] Boston Globe,[22] New York Times,[23] and BBC Persia.[24]

kNOw THEM Initiative

In 2012, Simon launched the kNOw THEM Initiative.[25] The kNOw THEM Initiative raises individual and collective awareness about the power and danger of THEM, which Simon views as the most dangerous four-letter word in the English language for its ability to marginalize, dehumanize and create conflict.[26][27] Ambassadors for the kNOw THEM Initiative include Martin Luther King III, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ambassador Swanee Hunt, Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger, Gary Knight, Liz Murray, Zainab Salbi, and Zade Dirani.[28]

References
  1. Rezaian, Jason (28 May 2014). "U.S. investors begin to imagine a return to Iran." The Washington Post.
  2. Young Presidents’ Organization. "Who We Are." YPO. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  3. Abey, Arun and Andrew Ford (2009). How Much is Enough?, Greenleaf Book Group Press, p.102-104.
  4. Daley, Beth (9 April 2000). "The World is Their Classroom." The Boston Globe.
  5. Studley, Ashley (7 September 2011). "Newton Photographer Sees Human Connection in 9/11," Newton Tab.
  6. Peace Action Network. "About Us." PAN. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  7. West, Nancy Shohet (23 May 2013). "Newton man hoping to build bridges through photography". The Boston Globe.
  8. Bozorgmehr, Najmeh (19 April 2015). "US investors feted in Iran despite sanctions uncertainty." The Financial Times.
  9. "Jewish Photographer Unmasks Syria." The Jewish Journal, Vol 35, Issue 11, 6 January 2011.
  10. Erdbrink, Thomas (19 April 2015). "Billboards in Iran Say ‘Death to America,’ but Officials Say ‘Let’s Make a Deal’." New York Times.
  11. 100 Visionary Leaders Leading Us Toward A Better World. Real Leaders Magazine, Issue 4, 2015.
  12. Lamont, Ned (June 2015). "Iran: Ready for Business". Medium.
  13. "American businessman preps for 'huge' opportunities to come in potential Iran deal," The World, WGBH, Public Radio International. 8 May 2015.
  14. Weiss, Cathy (1 May 2015). "Stepping into the U.S. Embassy in Tehran is a step back in time to 1979." ABC News Cleveland
  15. "Books and Beyond." newTV, Newton Media Center, May 2013
  16. Costello, Emily. (11 September 2011) "Photographer, activist says there is no 'other'." Winchester Star.
  17. TEDxBeaconStreet. "Dick Simon." Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  18. RiseUp Egypt. "Fireside Chat: Dick Simon." Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  19. "Hurricane Sandy in Cuba." CBS Radio, 25 October 2012.
  20. "American businessman preps for 'huge' opportunities to come in potential Iran deal," The World, WGBH, Public Radio International. 8 May 2015.
  21. Faces of Syria. PBS/NPR Forum Network, 9 January 2011.
  22. Cantrell, Cindy (2 February 2014). "The Most Dangerous Four-Letter Word". The Boston Globe.
  23. Erdbrink, Thomas (19 April 2015). "Billboards in Iran Say ‘Death to America,’ but Officials Say ‘Let’s Make a Deal’." New York Times.
  24. "American Business Leaders in Iran." BBC Persian, 20 April 2015.
  25. Hertz, Isaac (director) (2015). "One Rock Three Religions" (Documentary).
  26. Cantrell, Cindy (2 February 2014). "The Most Dangerous Four-Letter Word". The Boston Globe.
  27. Stoll, Deborah (9 September 2014). "A Look Inside Iran’s Business Climate". YPO Ignite Magazine.
  28. kNOw THEM Initiative. "Ambassadors." Retrieved 15 October 2014.
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