Manu and Rika Shah
CO-FOUNDERS
MS INTERNATIONAL
SHAH HAPPINESS FOUNDATION
WHO: Couple in 1975 started granite import business in their basement in Fort Wayne, Ind., and grew it to the 10th largest privately owned firm in Orange County with sales around $3B. CEO title split between their two sons, Rupesh and Raj.
WHY: Began the Shah Happiness Foundation that supports causes such as early childhood education, healthcare and well-being, and employment generation.
IN THE NEWS: Gave $3M to Chapman University to endow a chair to highlight local and national leaders who have successfully applied high-tech thinking to low-tech industries. Also gave another $1.5M to Illumination Foundation, which in January inaugurated the Shah Happiness Home in Orange to provide emergency shelters for homeless families.
NOTABLE: Manu Shah nowadays calls himself the “Chief Giving Officer.”
IN THEIR WORDS: “Here are the short reasons why we are doing this; God and America have given us a lot beyond our needs; positive feelings generated by giving helps us even more; and every time we give, we realize how fortunate we are.”
