DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with Alan Spivak, a longtime Haas alum who recently sold his business RGI Home. Alan shares his origin story, growing up in a family business making wicker and rattan furniture in Brooklyn. He describes his fascination with his father's inventions and the diverse community of workers at the family warehouse, which sparked his interest in community-building from a young age.
Alan discusses his unique educational path, getting a JD/MBA from Haas after studying political science and environmental studies as an undergrad. He explains his decision to work in the family business for a few years before launching RGI Home in 1986, implementing strategies like just-in-time inventory and a global team to enable an international, sustainable business model.
Throughout his career, Alan remained committed to social entrepreneurship and giving back to communities. He shares how this passion stemmed from his family's background and his early interest in the Middle East conflict. He is now focused on philanthropic projects at Haas, including funding fellowships and research prizes related to social impact and responsible business.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Alan Spivak's early exposure to his father's inventions and the family business sparked his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for community-building from a young age.
- Despite not having a traditional business background, Alan's unique JD/MBA from Haas provided a well-rounded education to think creatively about business challenges.
- Alan founded RGI Home with an innovative, sustainable model focused on just-in-time inventory, global teams, and operating without outside funding.
- Throughout his career, Alan remained committed to social entrepreneurship, using business as a means to support communities and address societal needs.
- After selling RGI Home, Alan has focused his efforts on philanthropic projects at Haas, funding fellowships, research prizes, and initiatives related to responsible business and conflict resolution.
- Alan's approach emphasizes finding inspired ways to tackle complex issues, stemming from his belief that privilege carries a responsibility to have a positive impact.
- Lifelong learning, diverse perspectives, and maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset have been key drivers of Alan's multifaceted success in business and social impact.
- Overcoming challenges through persistent effort, embracing innovation, and building strong teams were critical to Alan's achievements in the home goods industry.
Top Episodes Quotes
- โI've always been somebody who attempted to be a student always and this was a chance for me to catch up to what I missed when I was in undergrad.You know, having taken the kinds of classes that I thought would matter once I got into business the quantitative side of things. So, law was gonna teach me how to think one way, but I felt business school would teach me how to think a different way. And together, it would provide me with the best, most well-rounded education.โ by Alan Spivak
- โSince I was young, you know, I've always thought about transforming societies. I can never quite understand why people couldn't figure out how to connect with each other. And also I thought that somebody like myself who had a fortunate upbringing and also had the fortune to be really educated, to go to places like Haas, build the business, had a responsibility to do more.โ by Alan Spivak
- โThere's no shortage of need, just a shortage of inspired ways to deal with them.โ by Alan Spivak
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Episode Information
OneHaas
Haas School of Business (Produced by University FM)
6/28/24
The OneHaas alumni podcast is honored to have Allan Spivack, philanthropist, community builder, and business leader, share his career path insights on todayโs episode.ย
Allan spent much of his childhood fascinated by how his dad ran their family home furnishings business. But he was also curious about how businesses could be used for social good. After getting his JD MBA from Haas, he combined his two passions into RGI Home which he led for more than 30 years.ย
He and host Sean Li chat about Allanโs upbringing in New York, his unique business approach to RGI Home, and how a passion for community and social impact led him to study Middle Eastern politics and how that experience still influences his social entrepreneurship today.ย
*OneHaas Alumni Podcast is a production of Haas School of Business and is produced by University FM.*
Episode Quotes:
On his relationship with his father
โI remember pretty vividly spending a lot of time with my dad when I was quite youngโฆMy dad was not just an engineer, but he was also an inventor. So I would sit in his work room with him and marvel at the mystery of the inventions that he was coming up with. Then he fought for a couple of patents and I didn't really know the content of what he was doing, but it looked so interesting and innovative. And that was my introduction to bringing a different point of view to product and his point of view as well.โ
On his decision to get his JD MBA
โI've always been somebody who attempted to be a student always and this was a chance for me to catch up to what I missed when I was in undergrad.You know, having taken the kinds of classes that I thought would matter once I got into business the quantitative side of things. So, law was gonna teach me how to think one way, but I felt business school would teach me how to think a different way. And together, it would provide me with the best, most well-rounded education.โ
Some of the challenges he faced running RGI Home
โHow to run a business with no money. That was my first challenge. Along with that, running an international business by fax, no email. So you're faxing overseas or whatever, and you know, people who don't even speak your language and trying to figure out how to be able to integrate, you know, the various offices with the U.S. based offices.โ
On his lasting legacy
โSince I was young, you know, I've always thought about transforming societies. I can never quite understand why people couldn't figure out how to connect with each other. And also I thought that somebody like myself who had a fortunate upbringing and also had the fortune to be really educated, to go to places like Haas, build the business, had a responsibility to do more. So when I went to build a business, it was not just about industry. It was also about the ability to be able to give back to the communities that I was working in.โย
Show Links:
- LinkedIn Profile
- RGI Home | History
- Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't by Jim Collins
Support this podcast at โ https://redcircle.com/onehaas/donations