About Sonny Kalsi

Sonny Kalsi is an accomplished real estate investor with more than 20 years of experience that spans a range of areas, including: investment management, real estate financing and hedge funds. Since 2010, Sonny Kalsi has worked as a partner-owner of GreenOak Real Estate, the independent real estate merchant banking platform where he is also a founder. Sonny's professional career also includes almost two decades of experience at Morgan Stanley, where he served as Managing Director and Global Head of Real Estate Investing in parts of Asia and in New York City. In an effort to share this wealth of knowledge and experience, Sonny Kalsi teaches at Columbia University as an adjunct professor in the university's Real Estate Development program. Connect with Sonny on Twitter at @SonnyKalsi_

Economic Swings Affect Philanthropy

Since the global financial crisis of 2008 there has been significant economic recovery in many parts of the world. Which is good news-- for philanthropic organizations. In times of economic hardship and downturn, donations from individuals and corporations to foundations, nonprofit organizations, and other philanthropic entities decline.  Which is troubling because when an entire country [...]

By |2022-08-04T19:20:19+00:00February 16th, 2018|Blog, Philanthropy, Sonny Kalsi|Comments Off on Economic Swings Affect Philanthropy

Charity Spotlight: Hirshhorn Museum

The Hirshhorn Museum, a modern art museum in Washington D.C., is part of the Smithsonian Institution. As such it is free and open to the public. How is that possible when most art museums in the country charge admission fees ranging from $14 for the Art Institute in Chicago (and that ticket price is for [...]

By |2018-04-17T15:07:56+00:00December 28th, 2017|Blog|Comments Off on Charity Spotlight: Hirshhorn Museum

Charity Spotlight: Teaching Matters

In the 1800s the world of education was very different from today. In many parts of the country, especially in rural areas, first through eighth grade was taught in a one-room school house. Teachers were expected to teach multiple subjects (with an emphasis on reading, writing and arithmetic), as well as keep the stove fire [...]

By |2021-08-03T14:10:34+00:00December 4th, 2017|Blog, Philanthropy|Comments Off on Charity Spotlight: Teaching Matters

Museums Level the Playing Field for Kids’ Access to Education

Countless studies and organizations tout the educational benefits of arts and cultural education. Research links music studies with mathematical achievement. Students who study art, research suggests, are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and 3 times more likely to be awarded for school attendance. According to studies at the Cornell Language [...]

By |2021-08-03T14:05:25+00:00November 17th, 2017|Blog, Education|Comments Off on Museums Level the Playing Field for Kids’ Access to Education

Charity Spotlight: PowHERful

Every fall, millions of American high school students apply to college. For some-- those with educational and financial resources, as well as supportive families- it’s a nerve wracking time. But those students know that, in the end, they’ll most likely be off to a good school the next year. Unfortunately, there are far too many [...]

By |2017-11-03T16:00:12+00:00November 3rd, 2017|Blog|Comments Off on Charity Spotlight: PowHERful

What Tanzania Teaches Us About Public-Private Partnerships in Education

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as “arrangements between public and private actors for the delivery of goods, services and/or facilities.” The organization goes on to explain that “in many different settings, PPPs are increasingly perceived as an innovative policy approach to provide education for all, [...]

By |2018-04-17T15:04:41+00:00October 16th, 2017|Blog, Education, Philanthropy, Sonny Kalsi|Comments Off on What Tanzania Teaches Us About Public-Private Partnerships in Education

Literacy Rates are on the Rise, but Not Equally Between Genders

Literacy, the ability to read, write and communicate, is key to the growth and development of   individuals, families and communities. From an historic and global perspective, the news about overall literacy rates is good. In 1820 only 12 percent of the world’s population was literate; today the percentage of people who are illiterate hovers at [...]

By |2022-08-04T19:18:51+00:00October 10th, 2017|Blog|Comments Off on Literacy Rates are on the Rise, but Not Equally Between Genders