1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,280 Laurie Tisch: Welcome back to she Pivots. I'm Laurie Tisch, also known 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Laurie Tisch: as the Matriarch. 3 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: Welcome back to She Pivots, the podcast where women share 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:23,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: bold career moves and personal turning points that changed everything. 5 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:31,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: I'm your host, Emily Tisch Sussman. Growing up, I thought 6 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: I knew my mom pretty well. I mean, she's my mom, 7 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,199 Emily Tisch Sussman: But there's something about sitting across from someone with a 8 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,559 Emily Tisch Sussman: microphone between you that can really open things up and 9 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: show you a whole new side of them. Today's guest 10 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: grew up as the only girl in a big, close knit, 11 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:50,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: male focused family, seven brothers and male cousins, always in 12 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:51,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: each other's orbits. 13 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:53,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: It was a lot of boys. 14 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: Now, add on top of that certain public scrutiny and pressures, 15 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: you spend a lot of time figuring out who you 16 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:04,319 Emily Tisch Sussman: are versus who everyone else expects you to be. Our 17 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,279 Emily Tisch Sussman: guest spent years doing exactly that, and what she built 18 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: on the other side of that journey is remarkable. In 19 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: honor of Mother's Day, we're interviewing my own mother, Laurie Tisch. 20 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: She's a philanthropist and founder of her own foundation, a 21 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: longtime force in New York City's arts and Education World 22 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: Board member of the New York Giants, and someone who 23 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:32,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: quietly and steadily carved out an identity that is entirely 24 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:37,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: and unmistakably her own. Happy Mother's Day everyone. This is 25 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: Laurie Tish and this is how she pivots, or, as 26 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:47,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: she likes to say, evolved. What is your name and 27 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:48,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: what do you do? 28 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,840 Laurie Tisch: My name is Laurie Tisch, and I'm President and founder 29 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:53,960 Laurie Tisch: of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. 30 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:55,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: And who are you to me? 31 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,520 Laurie Tisch: I am your mother. I am proud to be your mother. Mostly. 32 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: Okay, so we go in chronological order, so we're going 33 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: to back up. Okay, tell us about your family. You 34 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: moved around a lot as a kid, like your family structurally, 35 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:10,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: tell us about your family and growing up. 36 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:11,960 Laurie Tisch: Well. 37 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,080 Laurie Tisch: People often asked me where I grew up, and I 38 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,120 Laurie Tisch: said I moved a lot, and I actually was Eloise 39 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,280 Laurie Tisch: of the Borsch Belt. I was born in Lakewood, New Jersey. 40 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,440 Laurie Tisch: You know, everybody thinks I was born in New York 41 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,880 Laurie Tisch: with a silver spoon. It was more like a metal 42 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:31,080 Laurie Tisch: spoon in Lakewood, New Jersey. My father and my uncle 43 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,760 Laurie Tisch: Larry were very young. They were in their early twenties 44 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,240 Laurie Tisch: and they bought a hotel. It used to be a 45 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,080 Laurie Tisch: grand hotel called the Laurel and the Pines. I was 46 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,359 Laurie Tisch: born in Lakewood, lived there until I was about three, 47 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,480 Laurie Tisch: then moved to Margate, New Jersey, stayed there until I 48 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:49,560 Laurie Tisch: was about eight, and then moved to Bell Harbor, Florida, 49 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,359 Laurie Tisch: where they built the first Americana Hotel. The company was 50 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:57,560 Laurie Tisch: then called Tisch Hotels, which merged with Loew's Theaters. And 51 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,640 Laurie Tisch: then we moved to Scarsdale, New York, and they built 52 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,359 Laurie Tisch: the Americana now known as the Sheridan, and quite a 53 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,920 Laurie Tisch: few other hotels in New York City. People in New 54 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,880 Laurie Tisch: York seem to think there are Tisches everywhere, which there are, 55 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,240 Laurie Tisch: but the recent people think that is that in my 56 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,519 Laurie Tisch: generation there were seven of us. Larry and Billy had 57 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,000 Laurie Tisch: four sons, my family had two sons and me, so 58 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,400 Laurie Tisch: I was the only female in a very very strong, 59 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,120 Laurie Tisch: male oriented family. 60 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: Because you guys all grew up together like with your cousins. 61 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,119 Laurie Tisch: Too, right, Yeah, we grew up always living near each other, 62 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,520 Laurie Tisch: and my father and uncle were in business together for 63 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:38,200 Laurie Tisch: sixty years. Coincidentally died on the same day three years apart. Yeah, 64 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,680 Laurie Tisch: it's wild wild. How do you think that impacted you? 65 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,320 Laurie Tisch: Of being the only girl among seven kids with six 66 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,160 Laurie Tisch: boys and you it wasn't always easy, as you know, 67 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:49,400 Laurie Tisch: as you're one of them. I have two very strong 68 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,440 Laurie Tisch: daughters and very strong, very successful I always had the drive, 69 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,440 Laurie Tisch: but to have the opportunities that I didn't often have, 70 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:57,760 Laurie Tisch: I didn't always have. 71 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: To have drive. What did drive mean to you as 72 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: you were a kid? How did it manifest itself? What 73 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:05,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: did not having opportunities mean? 74 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:06,080 Laurie Tisch: Well, 75 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,280 Laurie Tisch: I always had what I guess it is called big heart. 76 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,600 Laurie Tisch: I was always involved, even in high school with social efforts, 77 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,440 Laurie Tisch: whether it was you're too young to remember, but whether 78 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:20,760 Laurie Tisch: it was starvation in Biafra or marching on Washington. So 79 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,000 Laurie Tisch: I always had kind of a social bent, which I 80 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,000 Laurie Tisch: still have today. But I don't think I had the 81 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,480 Laurie Tisch: same business opportunities as the men in the family. 82 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: Did you want them? Did you ever think about it? 83 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,159 Laurie Tisch: I think that I wanted them. I really wasn't given 84 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,600 Laurie Tisch: the opportunity and maybe didn't push as hard as I 85 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,120 Laurie Tisch: could have or should have. So I wanted them, but 86 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,920 Laurie Tisch: there wasn't really a path. You were pretty rebellious as 87 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:46,640 Laurie Tisch: a teenager that wouldn't be considered rebellious today. But I 88 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,880 Laurie Tisch: did not follow everybody else's path. I wanted my own identity. 89 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,520 Laurie Tisch: I think being surrounded by all males, I was looking 90 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,919 Laurie Tisch: for attention. So I think what was considered rebellious was 91 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:00,360 Laurie Tisch: partially just looking for attention. 92 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:02,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: How did it manifest itself? 93 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,919 Laurie Tisch: I do remember exactly what I did. I remember never 94 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,920 Laurie Tisch: being able to make it through dinner through dessert because 95 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,960 Laurie Tisch: I was always set up to my room for some 96 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,120 Laurie Tisch: kind of mischievous behavior. 97 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,039 Emily Tisch Sussman: Do you feel like the expectations were different for your 98 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:19,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: brothers than for you? 99 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:21,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: How early did that start? 100 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:25,239 Laurie Tisch: That's a good question. I'm not really sure how early 101 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,040 Laurie Tisch: it started. I was always expected to do well. I 102 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,719 Laurie Tisch: was a good student, but not for any clear path. 103 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,479 Laurie Tisch: Certainly by college it seemed pretty clear that I was 104 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:37,560 Laurie Tisch: not going to go into the family business, Low's Corporation, 105 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:39,640 Laurie Tisch: and I needed to kind of find my own way. 106 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,159 Emily Tisch Sussman: When you went to college, what were you hoping to 107 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:42,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: get out of it? Like? 108 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: Were you hoping to get a specific degree and then 109 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:46,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: lead to a career path? 110 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,839 Laurie Tisch: I mean it was expectation that I would go to college. 111 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,159 Laurie Tisch: I went to the University of Michigan, where my parents met. 112 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:55,440 Laurie Tisch: It was very different times. I was there doing late 113 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,239 Laurie Tisch: sixties early seventies, so there was a lot of social 114 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:02,400 Laurie Tisch: movement going on SDS in Vietnam War. I can't say 115 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:04,560 Laurie Tisch: I learned that much that would take me on a 116 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,960 Laurie Tisch: career path. I ended up as an education major. It 117 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,240 Laurie Tisch: was a program abroad in England and what was called 118 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,560 Laurie Tisch: the Potteries, and I wanted to go to that program. 119 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,320 Laurie Tisch: It was a Spanish major. I wanted to go to Spain, 120 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,520 Laurie Tisch: but they canceled that program, so I ended up going 121 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,320 Laurie Tisch: to England and I ended up with a teaching certificate. 122 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,919 Laurie Tisch: And when I graduated from Michigan and I wasn't really 123 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:25,800 Laurie Tisch: sure what I was going to do. I thought that 124 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,640 Laurie Tisch: I was going to end the war in Vietnam single handedly, 125 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,040 Laurie Tisch: but others beat me to it. I applied to Vista, 126 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,279 Laurie Tisch: the American Peace Corps, and I was accepted, but put 127 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,800 Laurie Tisch: it off for a year to be something that I 128 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,600 Laurie Tisch: barely knew what it was, which was a Jewish ski bum 129 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,479 Laurie Tisch: from New York who barely knew how to ski. 130 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,800 Laurie Tisch: So I got in my car. I can't believe I 131 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:49,920 Laurie Tisch: did this. I don't think any parents would let their 132 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,760 Laurie Tisch: kids do this, now, including you, and your sister. And 133 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,920 Laurie Tisch: at twenty two years old, I drove to Park City, Utah, 134 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,279 Laurie Tisch: stayed for what I thought was going to be a year, 135 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,600 Laurie Tisch: worked at the food lines, and I got fired actually 136 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,640 Laurie Tisch: because I thought that for the dollar fifty or two 137 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,200 Laurie Tisch: fifty that the soup costs, they should be giving them 138 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,800 Laurie Tisch: two ladels instead of one. So I got fired from 139 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,440 Laurie Tisch: that job. I got fired for my waitress job. As 140 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,560 Laurie Tisch: a matter of fact, one of the customers left what 141 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,320 Laurie Tisch: was then a fairly big tip, like five dollars and 142 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,640 Laurie Tisch: said I was a nice girl and a terrible waitress 143 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:25,720 Laurie Tisch: and I should probably find another job or go back 144 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,000 Laurie Tisch: to school. But I assured him that I had finished school. 145 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,800 Laurie Tisch: I actually graduated with honors. I started substitute teaching in 146 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,800 Laurie Tisch: the elementary school. I had a teaching degree and it 147 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,840 Laurie Tisch: was one of the first schools in the state that 148 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,000 Laurie Tisch: taught Spanish at the elementary school level. I was going 149 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,600 Laurie Tisch: to then either go to Vista. I was accepted in 150 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:47,000 Laurie Tisch: the Southwest because I spoke Spanish. But then, as Lock 151 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:49,480 Laurie Tisch: or Unlock would have it, the Spanish teacher in the 152 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:51,080 Laurie Tisch: high school died that summer. 153 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:51,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: Wow 154 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:53,880 Laurie Tisch: So I ended up teaching in the high school. I 155 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:56,880 Laurie Tisch: was only a couple of years older than the students. 156 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,680 Laurie Tisch: I taught Spanish for about four years and beginning to 157 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,760 Laurie Tisch: learn to ski and have friends. So every morning before 158 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,200 Laurie Tisch: I went to class, I would lay out my ski 159 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,840 Laurie Tisch: clothes and I would go and teach my classes and 160 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,720 Laurie Tisch: then run home, jump on the gondola for an hour, 161 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,200 Laurie Tisch: correct my papers, and ski for an hour. 162 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:16,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: The way you're describing it, it feels like those years 163 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:20,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: in Park City were more formative for you than college itself. 164 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,160 Laurie Tisch: Absolutely, I was pretty much on my own. 165 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,800 Laurie Tisch: I mean I called home every week or two, but 166 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:29,080 Laurie Tisch: you know, I developed confidence, I made friends. 167 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:30,800 Laurie Tisch: I was something of an anomaly. 168 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,640 Laurie Tisch: I was a Jewish girl from New York who, although 169 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,480 Laurie Tisch: I certainly didn't live big, was not living on my 170 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:39,760 Laurie Tisch: sixteen hours a week of teaching. I had a little apartment. 171 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,520 Laurie Tisch: Those were good years. People were nice to me. They 172 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,680 Laurie Tisch: you know, they had never really met anyone like me. 173 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,160 Laurie Tisch: But I kept wondering if I should go back to 174 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:50,360 Laurie Tisch: New York. But I wasn't quite sure what I was 175 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,160 Laurie Tisch: going to do. And then by year five, I knew 176 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:54,400 Laurie Tisch: it was time to go. 177 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: What looks like wandering from the outside is really just 178 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:04,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: someone figuring themselves out on their own terms coming up. 179 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:08,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: She lands back in New York and starts building something 180 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: she didn't even have a name for yet. 181 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,679 Emily Tisch Sussman: I'm wondering about the relationship to New York. Was there 182 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: ever a consideration when you were graduating college to go 183 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:28,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: to New York or was it like a specific decision 184 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: not to because you were still trying to establish your 185 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:32,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: own identity. 186 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:34,559 Laurie Tisch: Well, I thought I would stay in Ann Arbor, and 187 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,160 Laurie Tisch: I did stay in ann Arbor. One summer. I worked 188 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,240 Laurie Tisch: at a bar at night and I watched the Watergate 189 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,240 Laurie Tisch: hearings during the day, mostly because I think I was 190 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:44,440 Laurie Tisch: afraid to come home and say I didn't know what 191 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,040 Laurie Tisch: I was going to do next after four years of 192 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,760 Laurie Tisch: college and private high school. I was in public school 193 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:51,880 Laurie Tisch: until high school. I don't know if I was avoiding 194 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:54,199 Laurie Tisch: New York. I had actually never lived in New York City. 195 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,280 Laurie Tisch: Now I'm so involved in New York City, in the 196 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,480 Laurie Tisch: life of New York and the philanthropy and the cultural 197 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:00,800 Laurie Tisch: world that people just assume grew up in New York. 198 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:02,240 Laurie Tisch: But I didn't live in New York till I was 199 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:02,760 Laurie Tisch: twenty eight. 200 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: Was that intimidating to live in the city. You say 201 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:08,439 Emily Tisch Sussman: that you weren't sure if you were afraid to come 202 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: back and not know what you were going to do next, 203 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: like afraid of judgment from your parents, afraid of not 204 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:14,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: knowing what you were going to do every day? 205 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:15,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: Like what were you afraid of? 206 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:17,600 Laurie Tisch: I think all of the above. 207 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,839 Laurie Tisch: By the time I had been in Park City a 208 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,280 Laurie Tisch: little over four years, I was kind of I guess 209 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,160 Laurie Tisch: you'd call it a big fish in a little pond. 210 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:26,839 Laurie Tisch: I was on the board of a cultural center, the 211 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,199 Laurie Tisch: Kimball Arts Center. I was a teacher, I was a 212 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:31,439 Laurie Tisch: pretty good skier. I had a fair amount of friends. 213 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,080 Laurie Tisch: I came back to New York a much bigger pond. 214 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:36,800 Laurie Tisch: I was a much smaller fish. People I had known 215 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,480 Laurie Tisch: through high school college had master's degrees and law degrees 216 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,520 Laurie Tisch: and medical degrees and business degrees. And I was a 217 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,959 Laurie Tisch: little bit lost. But I got a job in Spanish advertising. 218 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:49,840 Laurie Tisch: I lasted a couple of years, and I still had 219 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,680 Laurie Tisch: a little bit of a rebellious streak. And I thought 220 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,720 Laurie Tisch: the whole field, I thought it was kind of silly, 221 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:57,880 Laurie Tisch: Like why would they spend all this money taking ads 222 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:00,839 Laurie Tisch: that already existed in English and making a whole new 223 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:04,240 Laurie Tisch: ad campaign rather than just translating them into Spanish. I 224 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,760 Laurie Tisch: was a little rebellious about that. I soon learned the 225 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,200 Laurie Tisch: importance of the field. And an example is there is 226 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:11,119 Laurie Tisch: a car called the Chevy Nova. 227 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:11,880 Laurie Tisch: in Spanish, "no va" means doesn't go. 228 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,240 Laurie Tisch: So clearly that was not something where you could just 229 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:21,760 Laurie Tisch: translate the campaign. So I understood more about how you 230 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:23,800 Laurie Tisch: needed to work within the culture, 231 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:24,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: cultural competency, 232 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:26,280 Laurie Tisch: cultural exactly. 233 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: Let's talk about the relationship to your family. 234 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: You had grown up with your brothers and cousins as 235 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:36,559 Emily Tisch Sussman: such a crew. Did that translate through college? You know, 236 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:38,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: you left, but now you're back. 237 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:42,079 Laurie Tisch: The family is fairly prominent now. When we were growing 238 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,160 Laurie Tisch: up much less so, so people thought less about the 239 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:49,280 Laurie Tisch: Tish crew coming back to New York. Yes, the question 240 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,880 Laurie Tisch: I frequently got and still frequently get, is which tissue 241 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:54,920 Laurie Tisch: you marry too. They didn't know that there was a 242 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,160 Laurie Tisch: female in the family, and it's certainly a female that 243 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:57,880 Laurie Tisch: kept their name. 244 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:00,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: I feel like that's like a point worth we're spending 245 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: a little time and that people ask you all the 246 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:04,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: time now. 247 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,280 Laurie Tisch: So an interesting story. I don't know if you remember this, 248 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,440 Laurie Tisch: you and your sister, But when I started my own foundation, 249 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:14,000 Laurie Tisch: I had been in philanthropic work for years, starting with 250 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,120 Laurie Tisch: the Children's Museum about forty three years ago. But when 251 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,800 Laurie Tisch: I started my own foundation about fifteen years ago, I 252 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:23,600 Laurie Tisch: decided to call it the Illumination Fund. And I had 253 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,520 Laurie Tisch: done some research, and I had this great logo and 254 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,960 Laurie Tisch: it was based on the illuminated Manuscripts. And I remember 255 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:32,880 Laurie Tisch: either you or your sister, or both of you saying, 256 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,959 Laurie Tisch: why would you not use your own name. You've worked 257 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:38,680 Laurie Tisch: so many years to have a reputation, why would you 258 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,440 Laurie Tisch: not call it the Laurie M. Tisch Foundation? But I 259 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:45,000 Laurie Tisch: had a logo, and I liked the illuminated manuscript So 260 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:49,120 Laurie Tisch: I started to research if there were any foundations that 261 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,200 Laurie Tisch: had both the name of the founder and then also 262 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:57,160 Laurie Tisch: a more generic name, and there weren't too many, so 263 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,480 Laurie Tisch: I decided to use both names. And I remember than 264 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:02,560 Laurie Tisch: a staff person I had, I said, well, we're going 265 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,080 Laurie Tisch: to call this the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. But I 266 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,400 Laurie Tisch: promise every time you answer the phone, you don't have 267 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:08,520 Laurie Tisch: to use that whole long name. 268 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:10,320 Laurie Tisch: You could just say Illumination Fund. 269 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,600 Laurie Tisch: But it's something that really struck with me, both you 270 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,560 Laurie Tisch: and Carolyn insisting that I keep my name on the foundation. 271 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:18,640 Laurie Tisch: It was a great idea. 272 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:22,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: Yeah, okay, so you're in New York. What happens next? 273 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:26,320 Laurie Tisch: I went from Spanish advertising to I got involved with 274 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:30,040 Laurie Tisch: a play called God Bless You, Mister Rosewater Kurt Vonnegut, 275 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,800 Laurie Tisch: I met Edie Vonnegut. I became kind of a co 276 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,960 Laurie Tisch: producer of the play. It probably went the way that 277 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:39,280 Laurie Tisch: many plays do, which was good, not a great investment. 278 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,319 Laurie Tisch: Soon after that I got married to your father and 279 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:44,920 Laurie Tisch: wasn't really sure what I was going to do. And 280 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:47,480 Laurie Tisch: a few months after you were born, I had lunch 281 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:51,400 Laurie Tisch: with a woman who is now almost ninety nine years old. 282 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,320 Laurie Tisch: Was a friend of my parents, a friend of mine, 283 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:55,959 Laurie Tisch: and a friend of yours and your sisters. 284 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,079 Emily Tisch Sussman: Yeah, has the best memory, 285 00:13:58,280 --> 00:13:58,920 Laurie Tisch: phenomenal memory 286 00:13:59,080 --> 00:13:59,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: unbelievable 287 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,880 Laurie Tisch: Marcia Warner. And she was a professional woman. She was 288 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,760 Laurie Tisch: running the Sackler School of Medicine. And she told me 289 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:09,200 Laurie Tisch: about this teeny tiny little institution with a very long name. 290 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:13,520 Laurie Tisch: It was called GAME. Which stood for Growth through Art 291 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:18,680 Laurie Tisch: Museum Experience slash Manhattan Laboratory Museum, very long name. In 292 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,120 Laurie Tisch: the seventies, when the arts were pretty much completely cut 293 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,360 Laurie Tisch: from the public schools, brought bags of artifacts to the 294 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:27,920 Laurie Tisch: New York City public schools to bring the arts back. 295 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,560 Laurie Tisch: It shared space with a firehouse. I started volunteering there 296 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,080 Laurie Tisch: and then I thought, I have friends who can help, 297 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,680 Laurie Tisch: so we started something called the Friends Committee. Like top Seed, 298 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,360 Laurie Tisch: grew almost forty three years later, within two years we 299 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,680 Laurie Tisch: will be opening a new three hundred million dollar museum 300 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,600 Laurie Tisch: on ninety six in Central Park West. Probably, of all 301 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,080 Laurie Tisch: the things, except for my daughters and my six grandchildren, 302 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:55,280 Laurie Tisch: it's what I'm most proud of. After about four years, 303 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,480 Laurie Tisch: we took space that was owned by the Catholic Church, 304 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,800 Laurie Tisch: a Catholic school, and built in new Museum Children's Museum 305 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,360 Laurie Tisch: in Manhattan. It had a very rocky beginning, but we 306 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:05,160 Laurie Tisch: stuck with it. 307 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:06,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: Wait rocky, how? 308 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,440 Laurie Tisch: In so many ways the founder was brilliant, but couldn't 309 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:15,440 Laurie Tisch: really translate to building this new museum and the museum open. 310 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:19,000 Laurie Tisch: It was very difficult time for me because I, with 311 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,520 Laurie Tisch: the help of my father, your wonderful grandfather, raised money 312 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,640 Laurie Tisch: to build this institution, and the exhibits didn't work, they 313 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,760 Laurie Tisch: were over designed. There were just a lot of problems, 314 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:31,960 Laurie Tisch: and we still had to keep raising money to keep 315 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,200 Laurie Tisch: it going. About a year after we opened, we were 316 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:38,000 Laurie Tisch: skiing in Colorado. I remember well because it was my 317 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:41,320 Laurie Tisch: fortieth birthday. It was before the internet, and I got 318 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,720 Laurie Tisch: a fax from the then director saying the museum burned, 319 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,680 Laurie Tisch: which was probably the only problem we hadn't had yet. 320 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,400 Laurie Tisch: There was a huge fire in the exhibits, and the 321 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,800 Laurie Tisch: then director, Andy Ackerman, said, I called your father and 322 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,920 Laurie Tisch: he came right over and he offered some advice about 323 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,720 Laurie Tisch: insurance and next steps. He said, but I will never 324 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,160 Laurie Tisch: forget gave your father for one thing. I said, well, 325 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,120 Laurie Tisch: what's that? He was so helpful to you, He said, 326 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,640 Laurie Tisch: he didn't tell me that. Just a couple of hours 327 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:08,920 Laurie Tisch: before he had bought half of the New York Giants. 328 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:10,200 Laurie Tisch: So it's now 329 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:11,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: What a rollercoaster of a day. 330 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:15,360 Laurie Tisch: What a roller coaster. So it's now over thirty years later, 331 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,120 Laurie Tisch: closer to thirty five years later, and I'm happy to 332 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,160 Laurie Tisch: say that both the New York Giants and the Children's 333 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,920 Laurie Tisch: Museum are in great shape. So that was kind of 334 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,200 Laurie Tisch: a rocky time. I've always said it's one thing when 335 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:27,960 Laurie Tisch: you lose your own money. But I had to go 336 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,840 Laurie Tisch: out and we had to keep going. It was terrifying. 337 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,280 Laurie Tisch: It's kind of a funny story, but at the time, 338 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,720 Laurie Tisch: the Museum of Natural History had a show of electronic 339 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:40,560 Laurie Tisch: dinosaurs and they lent us the dinosaurs and that was 340 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,360 Laurie Tisch: the beginning of being able to open again. Then we 341 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,320 Laurie Tisch: had a show with Faith Ringhold called tar Baby, and 342 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:48,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: that one I do remember 343 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:53,040 Laurie Tisch: Yeah, and things slowly, slowly, slowly started falling into place. 344 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,240 Laurie Tisch: People ask me why I've been there close to forty 345 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:59,040 Laurie Tisch: three years. You know, I'm so proud of the exhibits 346 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:03,040 Laurie Tisch: that we've done, roundbreaking their travel around the country. But 347 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,440 Laurie Tisch: really what keeps me there is the fact that we've 348 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,080 Laurie Tisch: just opened a children's museum hub in our fifty fourth shelter. 349 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:13,080 Laurie Tisch: On Mondays, when the museum is closed, we have mothers 350 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:16,720 Laurie Tisch: from Rikers Island come and reunite with their families. Their 351 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,240 Laurie Tisch: shackles are taken off downstairs before they see their families. 352 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,920 Laurie Tisch: They come in in street clothes. They spend about two 353 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,200 Laurie Tisch: hours with their kids. As if that wasn't tough enough 354 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:30,160 Laurie Tisch: to see, about three years later, with really great pressing 355 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,600 Laurie Tisch: with the Department of Corrections, we convince them to let 356 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,439 Laurie Tisch: us have the program for men as well. When we 357 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,400 Laurie Tisch: first did the program for men, they said they can 358 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:42,040 Laurie Tisch: take off their arm shackles so they can pick up 359 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,280 Laurie Tisch: their kids and play with their kids, but they have 360 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:48,280 Laurie Tisch: to keep their leg shackles. And our brilliant program director 361 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:51,680 Laurie Tisch: Leslie Bushara said, you know there's so much security. Please 362 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:53,960 Laurie Tisch: can we take off the leg shackles. No, you have 363 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:56,800 Laurie Tisch: to keep the leg shackles. After the first week they said, 364 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:00,000 Laurie Tisch: you're right, no more leg shackles. There are eight jails 365 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:04,520 Laurie Tisch: and Rikers Island, and the family visitation centers are probably 366 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,679 Laurie Tisch: as bad as you can imagine, and possibly worse. You 367 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,000 Laurie Tisch: would walk into a room and there was nothing there 368 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,240 Laurie Tisch: except a table where you would sit across. The visitors 369 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,639 Laurie Tisch: would come the family, the kids, the grandmothers sit across 370 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,720 Laurie Tisch: from the incarcerated person and basically talk to them. Because 371 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,040 Laurie Tisch: you couldn't bring anything in. You couldn't bring in a rattle, 372 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,640 Laurie Tisch: you couldn't bring in a crayon, you couldn't bring anything in. 373 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,000 Laurie Tisch: We went in as kind of VIPs. It took over 374 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,760 Laurie Tisch: two hours of security just to get in. They check you, 375 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:33,680 Laurie Tisch: they check you, they check you, they check you, then 376 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,320 Laurie Tisch: they check you again. The reason I was there is 377 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,320 Laurie Tisch: that they've allowed us to build children's museum hubs and 378 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,600 Laurie Tisch: every jail and Rikers. We've now completed four. We have 379 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:44,679 Laurie Tisch: four to go. I was there for the opening of 380 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:46,920 Laurie Tisch: the first one on Mother's Day a couple of years ago. 381 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,000 Laurie Tisch: So that's what keeps me at the Children's Museum. 382 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: I want to go back to these early years of 383 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: the Children's Museum, of you getting involved in taking leadership. 384 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: You had been nervous coming to New York, not sure 385 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: what you were going to do, what kind of perception 386 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:02,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: your family and others were going to have about you, 387 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,159 Emily Tisch Sussman: trying to find your own drive. When you had this 388 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: conversation with Marcia Warner about what you should do, what 389 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: were you looking for for yourself and what were you 390 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:12,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: trying to get rid of? 391 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:15,720 Laurie Tisch: Well, that's a very good question. As you probably know, 392 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,320 Laurie Tisch: I'm not much of a planner. I more go with 393 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,399 Laurie Tisch: the flow or take chances, So I don't know what 394 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,439 Laurie Tisch: I was looking for. I was looking to do something. 395 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:28,639 Laurie Tisch: I've always felt that I've been incredibly lucky, not just resources, 396 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:32,040 Laurie Tisch: but with good role models in my family. I knew 397 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,679 Laurie Tisch: I wanted to do something. I guess I was always 398 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:36,560 Laurie Tisch: lucky to be able to make a difference, to be 399 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:40,919 Laurie Tisch: able to use my resources good health intelligence in a 400 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:41,680 Laurie Tisch: positive way. 401 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:44,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: Did your perception of your own identity shift at that 402 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:49,879 Emily Tisch Sussman: point from an employee to a philanthropist or to a 403 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:50,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: community builder. 404 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,800 Laurie Tisch: Well, I've been at this now forty three years. I 405 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,760 Laurie Tisch: think it was a slow shift. A year or so ago, 406 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,080 Laurie Tisch: I had been introduced to ChatGPT, so I thought, I 407 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:02,840 Laurie Tisch: think all ChatGPT myself. 408 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,119 Laurie Tisch: I was almost like an outsider looking in. 409 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,760 Laurie Tisch: I was reading about how I'm a very important factor 410 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,199 Laurie Tisch: in New York City cultural life and philanthropic life and 411 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,439 Laurie Tisch: have started many initiatives, whether it was healthy food and 412 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,960 Laurie Tisch: community health or now at the Foundation, we're doing a 413 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,200 Laurie Tisch: lot of work in arts and health, especially mental health. 414 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,800 Laurie Tisch: And all of that was on ChatGPT and it was 415 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:26,960 Laurie Tisch: one of those aha moments, for a lack of a 416 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,800 Laurie Tisch: better word, I felt like an outsider looking and saying, wait, 417 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,720 Laurie Tisch: they're talking about me. So it didn't happen overnight. But 418 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,280 Laurie Tisch: you know, I think even at my age, we all 419 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:39,399 Laurie Tisch: have moments of imposter syndrome, thinking well, how did I 420 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,600 Laurie Tisch: get here? I didn't go to law school, I didn't 421 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,480 Laurie Tisch: go to business school. I kept thinking I should have 422 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,760 Laurie Tisch: gone to law school and regretted it. But you know, 423 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,560 Laurie Tisch: realized at about seventy that I was probably never going 424 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,600 Laurie Tisch: to go to law school. You know, I'm accepting and 425 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:54,560 Laurie Tisch: happy with the choices that I've made. 426 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: I feel like this lack of graduate education is a 427 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: continuing theme for you, Like you bring this up a lot. Yeah, 428 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: why is that something that you hold in such high 429 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: esteem and like put it in relationship to yourself and 430 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: the fact that you didn't do it, Like there's a 431 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:11,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: lot of things you haven't done, haven't gone to space. 432 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,399 Laurie Tisch: That's a very good question. I don't know. 433 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,200 Laurie Tisch: It just seems that the women that I admire most, 434 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,080 Laurie Tisch: both in my generation and certainly the generation of yours 435 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:23,639 Laurie Tisch: and your sisters, mostly do have graduate degrees. I guess 436 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,600 Laurie Tisch: I felt like what one accomplishes having gone to law school, 437 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,080 Laurie Tisch: having gone to business school is something that you have 438 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:34,280 Laurie Tisch: to accomplish on your own where I feel like, I 439 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,560 Laurie Tisch: know that I have a lot of accomplishments, but I 440 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,720 Laurie Tisch: didn't make money myself that I'm giving away. I feel 441 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,639 Laurie Tisch: like I don't have the same sense of confidence as 442 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:44,760 Laurie Tisch: if I had a graduate degree. 443 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: Well, just in comparison of time, is it most master's 444 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:49,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: degree or two years in a law degree is three 445 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:52,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: years versus forty three years of building the museum. 446 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:54,119 Laurie Tisch: I mean, I'm not sure I would have been the 447 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:54,800 Laurie Tisch: best lawyer. 448 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: Is there a vision of a world where you see 449 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: yourself in like a sliding doors moment that like you 450 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: would have had more or business or legal background, and 451 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,479 Emily Tisch Sussman: then you would have gone more in a business direction. 452 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,479 Laurie Tisch: You know, that's hard to say. I mean, of course 453 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,880 Laurie Tisch: I always thought that, but you know, especially since I've 454 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:14,720 Laurie Tisch: started the foundation, I'm not sure I really needed those degrees. 455 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:16,440 Laurie Tisch: But yeah, sure I thought that then. 456 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:22,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: I think a lot about how definitions of success change for ourselves over time. 457 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,919 Emily Tisch Sussman: So can you mark at this point where your different 458 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: definitions of success have been for yourself and did you 459 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:29,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: feel like you ever accomplished them? 460 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:30,040 Laurie Tisch: Yeah. 461 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:34,240 Laurie Tisch: I mean I feel that I'm successful in what I do. 462 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,199 Laurie Tisch: You know, sometimes it's a little head scratching to me. 463 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,040 Laurie Tisch: How did the Children's Museum go from sharing space and 464 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:45,600 Laurie Tisch: a firehouse on fifty fourth Street to building this incredible 465 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,400 Laurie Tisch: new museum on ninety six in Central Park West which 466 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,960 Laurie Tisch: will be a three hundred million dollar project. We've raised 467 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,840 Laurie Tisch: about two and thirty million so far. But it's not 468 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,600 Laurie Tisch: just about the money. The money's coming in because of 469 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,840 Laurie Tisch: the programming and because of the reach and the community programs. 470 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,000 Laurie Tisch: I'm given a lot of credit, but I can't take 471 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,639 Laurie Tisch: credit for all the vision. I mean, I had, you know, 472 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,800 Laurie Tisch: small successes like starting the Friends Committee at the Children's Museum, 473 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:14,439 Laurie Tisch: and then several people there became board members. I was 474 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:19,240 Laurie Tisch: asked by Skylard Chapin, Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner, to 475 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:22,760 Laurie Tisch: chair this Annenberg initiative, the Center for Arts Education, which 476 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:25,159 Laurie Tisch: was the initiative that put the arts back into the 477 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:29,440 Laurie Tisch: public schools. And there were something like twenty twenty five 478 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,320 Laurie Tisch: different initiatives around the country, all part of this big 479 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:35,439 Laurie Tisch: Annenberg initiative, having to do it with small schools or 480 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:39,360 Laurie Tisch: having to do with humanities, et cetera. I was terrified 481 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:41,840 Laurie Tisch: to do it. That was a big initiative. It worked 482 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,439 Laurie Tisch: with many of the cultural institutions in New York City. 483 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,639 Laurie Tisch: So I started to feel but always had doubts, you know, 484 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:49,720 Laurie Tisch: how is this happening? How am I so lucky that 485 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,840 Laurie Tisch: it's actually working. But again, I feel like I was 486 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,600 Laurie Tisch: at the helm, but I maybe didn't take enough credit 487 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,159 Laurie Tisch: for being a leader, for being at my vision. I 488 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:00,760 Laurie Tisch: always think that I was so lucky to have worked 489 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:05,560 Laurie Tisch: with incredible directors, education directors, program directors. But I think 490 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,119 Laurie Tisch: that's when I started to feel more of a sphere 491 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:08,800 Laurie Tisch: of influence. 492 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: My mom had all this drive and was finally starting 493 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:16,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: to figure out where to put it. The foundation she 494 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:21,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: founded changed everything. It became, in her words, the business 495 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: she never had. We'll get into all of that right 496 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:25,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: after the break. 497 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,960 Laurie Tisch: When I started the foundation fifteen years ago, after having 498 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:41,760 Laurie Tisch: done quite a few other things in the philanthropic world, 499 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,760 Laurie Tisch: I looked at the foundation. Number one is being able 500 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,439 Laurie Tisch: to do much more and make impacts in certain area. 501 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:49,679 Laurie Tisch: But I also looked at it as the business that 502 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,480 Laurie Tisch: I never had. We run it like a business. I 503 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,960 Laurie Tisch: had a different mindset instead of falling into something. It 504 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:58,359 Laurie Tisch: was I want to do this. I want this to 505 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:01,080 Laurie Tisch: be run like the business that I never had that 506 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:03,680 Laurie Tisch: I think I wish that I had had. As I've 507 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:08,639 Laurie Tisch: often said, I haven't really pivoted. I've evolved. So in 508 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,600 Laurie Tisch: your next iteration, you have a podcast called She Evolves 509 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:13,240 Laurie Tisch: count me in. 510 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,200 Laurie Tisch: You know, going back, I had done the Children's Museum 511 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,400 Laurie Tisch: of Manhattan. I had chaired the Center for Arts Education 512 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:23,040 Laurie Tisch: for five or six years. Along the way, I had 513 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,600 Laurie Tisch: start to serve on other boards to the Whitney Museum 514 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,439 Laurie Tisch: and Lincoln Center, couple of others, and I wanted to 515 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,600 Laurie Tisch: be on the other side of it. I didn't really 516 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,120 Laurie Tisch: know about foundations per se. You know, we had all 517 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:39,639 Laurie Tisch: heard of the big ones Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Melon Foundation, 518 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,879 Laurie Tisch: et cetera. But from both the Center for Arts Education 519 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,760 Laurie Tisch: and the Children's Museum, I started seeing something much smaller, 520 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:50,679 Laurie Tisch: family foundations. And at the time my two brothers and 521 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:54,199 Laurie Tisch: my cousins and I had each been given Now it 522 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,200 Laurie Tisch: looks like relatively small foundations which we're starting to grow 523 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:01,240 Laurie Tisch: with the passing of our father and then years later 524 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,760 Laurie Tisch: my mother. I wanted to be on the other side 525 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:08,080 Laurie Tisch: of it. I always quote Vartan Gregorian, who was something 526 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,000 Laurie Tisch: of a mentor to me when I was doing the 527 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,119 Laurie Tisch: Center for Arts Education. He had been president of Brown 528 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:16,159 Laurie Tisch: president of Penn, New York Public Library, so he was 529 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:19,320 Laurie Tisch: constantly raising money, and then he went to Carnegie where 530 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,000 Laurie Tisch: he was giving way money. And I remember well he 531 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,480 Laurie Tisch: said the reason that he pivoted was because he wanted 532 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,359 Laurie Tisch: to see if he had backs of his hands, because 533 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,399 Laurie Tisch: he only saw the palms because he was constantly asking 534 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:35,480 Laurie Tisch: for money. And I thought, well, that's as good a 535 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:39,160 Laurie Tisch: reason as any to pivot to the other side. Now, 536 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,800 Laurie Tisch: as I'm getting older, I very much think about the foundation, 537 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,520 Laurie Tisch: the legacy that will be passing on to you and 538 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,800 Laurie Tisch: your sister. I'm in contact with so many foundations, and 539 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:52,960 Laurie Tisch: some of them, you know, two, three, four generations leave 540 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:58,480 Laurie Tisch: very strict instructions only New York City only, early childhood, 541 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:02,600 Laurie Tisch: only co erect cancer. And I'm actually not a believer 542 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:05,000 Laurie Tisch: in that. I often quote I say, a lot of 543 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:07,960 Laurie Tisch: wealthy people say I don't care what my kids do 544 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:10,880 Laurie Tisch: as long as they're happy, which means they can either 545 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:15,359 Laurie Tisch: go to Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, or Bank of America. 546 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,000 Laurie Tisch: And I kind of feel the same about the foundation. You know, people say, 547 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:21,840 Laurie Tisch: I just want my kids to be passionate. Well, I'm 548 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:26,000 Laurie Tisch: not sure that future generations can be passionate about something 549 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:29,639 Laurie Tisch: that's just my vision. Right now, it's pretty much a 550 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,960 Laurie Tisch: New York City based foundation. Eighty five ninety percent is 551 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,840 Laurie Tisch: New York City. I would hope that there's always a 552 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:38,240 Laurie Tisch: New York City presence, but I don't know who's going 553 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,800 Laurie Tisch: to live in New York City. And I think, again, 554 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:44,359 Laurie Tisch: a next generation generation after that, it will be hard 555 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:46,720 Laurie Tisch: to feel the same passion for New York City that 556 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,080 Laurie Tisch: I feel and that my parents felt if there's not 557 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:53,720 Laurie Tisch: as much relationship one of the things we're discussing. And 558 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,240 Laurie Tisch: I think that you have met with Melissa Berman, the 559 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,280 Laurie Tisch: consultant we're working with, on what's important to you, what's 560 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,280 Laurie Tisch: important to your family, what's important to Carolyn, what's important 561 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:05,639 Laurie Tisch: to her family, and how to balance the things that 562 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,960 Laurie Tisch: have been important to me with what's coming down the pike, 563 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,800 Laurie Tisch: you know, how to be prepared for the issues of 564 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:13,000 Laurie Tisch: future generations. 565 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:15,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: How do you think about the legacy that you're leaving? 566 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:18,719 Laurie Tisch: you know, truly, and I'm going to get choked up 567 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,879 Laurie Tisch: truly now. A day goes by that somebody says to me, 568 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:25,600 Laurie Tisch: I'm so impressed with your daughter, And I'll say, oh, 569 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,879 Laurie Tisch: thank you, which daughter? And half the time it's you, 570 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:32,400 Laurie Tisch: and half the time it's your sister, And whichever one 571 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:34,600 Laurie Tisch: it is, I thank them that I say, but you 572 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:38,160 Laurie Tisch: should see what their sister is doing. So I know 573 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,440 Laurie Tisch: people say that and that's kind of cliche, but you know, 574 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:44,920 Laurie Tisch: I can't imagine a better family legacy from what I've 575 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:48,080 Laurie Tisch: seen so far, and I'm sure it will continue you 576 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,840 Laurie Tisch: and your family and Carolyn her family are passing on 577 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:52,400 Laurie Tisch: the same to their children. 578 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: Speaking of family legacy, in a minute, we're going to 579 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: dig into my mom's role in our families sports legacy, 580 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:03,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: as well as her own history as an athlete in 581 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:08,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: her own right. Let's talk about the sports. You started 582 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: becoming an owner of the Giants. I think when Poe died, 583 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:13,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: like when my grandfather died, or it might have been 584 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:16,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: a few years later. Now you are one of the 585 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: six members of the Giants board. That is also a 586 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:21,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: big role in responsibility. 587 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:23,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: How do you think about your relationship to the Giants 588 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:25,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: and sports now? 589 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,120 Laurie Tisch: I'm on the board of the New York Giants and 590 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,440 Laurie Tisch: the New York Giants Foundation, so I have votes on 591 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:33,480 Laurie Tisch: each It's kept to a very small group, but my 592 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,120 Laurie Tisch: voice is heard. We have every other week meetings with 593 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:41,080 Laurie Tisch: John Marra and understanding more how teams should be run. 594 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,960 Laurie Tisch: It's now a very, very big business, so you know, 595 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:47,080 Laurie Tisch: there's a lot more responsibility than when your grandfather bought 596 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,720 Laurie Tisch: half the team for seventy five million dollars. The team 597 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:54,840 Laurie Tisch: is now worth over ten billion dollars. So I'm taking 598 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:58,479 Laurie Tisch: that responsibility more and more seriously, just to the extent 599 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,600 Laurie Tisch: that I can make sure that the franchise is well run, 600 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:03,933 Laurie Tisch: the money is well spent. 601 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: And it has connected to you and your own identity 602 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:08,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: as an athlete as well. 603 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,400 Laurie Tisch: You know, I was always pretty good in sports, but again, 604 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:15,320 Laurie Tisch: growing ethnic family with so many males, I wasn't really pushed. 605 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:17,600 Laurie Tisch: As a matter of fact, I remember my grandmother when 606 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,880 Laurie Tisch: I was fourteen fifteen, told me never to beat the 607 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,720 Laurie Tisch: men in tennis because I'll never have a date. Fortunately, 608 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:26,959 Laurie Tisch: I did beat a couple of the men. When I 609 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,400 Laurie Tisch: was at the University of Michigan, I was a walk 610 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:30,840 Laurie Tisch: on the tennis team. 611 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:32,000 Laurie Tisch: I hadn't tried out. 612 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:34,880 Laurie Tisch: I guess I played in high school, but didn't see 613 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,240 Laurie Tisch: it as a pathway. I walked on. I played a 614 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,320 Laurie Tisch: couple of matches forgot about it. And then about twelve 615 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,200 Laurie Tisch: years ago, fifteen years ago, I'm sitting at my desk 616 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,880 Laurie Tisch: at the Foundation and I get email from the University 617 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,840 Laurie Tisch: of Michigan Athletic Department and it was addressed dear early 618 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,400 Laurie Tisch: woman athlete, And I said, I don't think they made me. 619 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:56,680 Laurie Tisch: I think they need like a ninety six year old 620 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,920 Laurie Tisch: gym teacher or something. So I kept reading. And because 621 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:05,080 Laurie Tisch: you played a varsity sport before tied on nineteen, you 622 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:07,800 Laurie Tisch: were never allowed to buy a letter jacket. But now 623 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,240 Laurie Tisch: you have the opportunity to buy one, and I woke back. 624 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,520 Laurie Tisch: I said, oh, that's so nice. What sport did I play? 625 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,040 Laurie Tisch: I hadn't really counted the two or three matches, and 626 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:17,239 Laurie Tisch: they said, oh, we read in the Michigan Daily that 627 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,160 Laurie Tisch: you were on the tennis team. So I called Will, 628 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:23,520 Laurie Tisch: Carolyn's husband, who was a varsity athlete, and I said, 629 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:26,560 Laurie Tisch: Will they want me to buy this really ugly jacket 630 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,240 Laurie Tisch: for three hundred and fifty dollars a letter jacket for 631 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:30,440 Laurie Tisch: the University of Michigan. 632 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:31,240 Laurie Tisch: Should I buy it? 633 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,560 Laurie Tisch: And he said, LT, you don't buy a letter jacket, 634 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,360 Laurie Tisch: you earn a letter jacket. Of course you should buy it. 635 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:40,160 Laurie Tisch: So I don't wear it that much when I play 636 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,719 Laurie Tisch: tennis because people expect me to be better than I 637 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:45,760 Laurie Tisch: now am. But I still do play tennis, and I 638 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:47,560 Laurie Tisch: still ski ride the peloton. 639 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:49,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: Talk to us about Gotham. 640 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:52,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: We've had Carolyn on every season to talk about the 641 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:53,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: acquisition of the team, the leading of the team, the 642 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: vision of the team. Talk to us about how that 643 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:57,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: has been from your perspective. 644 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:01,080 Laurie Tisch: Women's Soccer or soccer in general, is a sport that 645 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,520 Laurie Tisch: I knew almost nothing about, and I remember going to 646 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:07,920 Laurie Tisch: the first Gotham game with you and Carolyn and your families. 647 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:10,840 Laurie Tisch: And I didn't really know that there was any strategy. 648 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,040 Laurie Tisch: I thought they just kicked the ball back and forth 649 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,400 Laurie Tisch: and if they're lucky, it goes in the goal. But 650 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:17,800 Laurie Tisch: I couldn't imagine what they do at practice every day 651 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:20,200 Laurie Tisch: because it seemed kind of random. I mean, it still 652 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:24,240 Laurie Tisch: does to some extent, but much less random. It was great, 653 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:26,920 Laurie Tisch: just as the New York Giants. It was great family time, 654 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,080 Laurie Tisch: and you know, it was a whole different kind of 655 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:32,239 Laurie Tisch: fan base. But it's now been what three years, and 656 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,120 Laurie Tisch: I've gone to many many of the home games. I 657 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,400 Laurie Tisch: think I'm understanding the game a little bit better. It's interesting, 658 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,160 Laurie Tisch: just like in the early days of the Children's Museum, 659 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:43,320 Laurie Tisch: and I would have to explain every time people would 660 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:44,840 Laurie Tisch: say to me, I didn't know there was a children's 661 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:48,200 Laurie Tisch: museum in New York. I heard that with Gotham. I 662 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:50,320 Laurie Tisch: didn't know there was such a thing as women's soccer. 663 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,760 Laurie Tisch: I didn't know New York New Jersey had a soccer team. 664 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:56,719 Laurie Tisch: You've seen it all. It's so interesting and wonderful to 665 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:01,560 Laurie Tisch: see slowly by, slowly by, slowly, people say, oh, oh, Gotham, 666 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:05,480 Laurie Tisch: building the brand awareness, building the brand awareness. And I've 667 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:07,880 Laurie Tisch: seen both the work that you do and the work 668 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,040 Laurie Tisch: that Carolyn does. It doesn't just happen. 669 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:12,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: What is it like for you, not just as an investor, 670 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: but as a mother to see Carolyn leading the team. 671 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:19,280 Laurie Tisch: Oh, it's fabulous, But part of me keep thinking, Wait, 672 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:22,440 Laurie Tisch: she's just a young girl, She's just a kid. How 673 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,600 Laurie Tisch: is she doing this? And how is she not just 674 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:30,760 Laurie Tisch: leading the team but chairing the executive committee. Winning two 675 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:35,280 Laurie Tisch: out of three championships since ownership, and the one that 676 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:39,560 Laurie Tisch: we didn't win we lost in penalty kicks in the 677 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,840 Laurie Tisch: semi finals. You do remember things, mom, Every once in 678 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,240 Laurie Tisch: a while, I learned about penalty kicks. So it's fabulous, 679 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:50,120 Laurie Tisch: but it's also a little bit like when did that happen? 680 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:51,640 Laurie Tisch: Where did she learn that? 681 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:55,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: Do you think you will pivot or evolve again? 682 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,320 Laurie Tisch: other than to the Hebrew Home for the Aged... 683 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:02,120 Laurie Tisch: I think I might... So, at the Illumination Fund, we've 684 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:05,200 Laurie Tisch: taken up a new area. We've just announced you were 685 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:10,320 Laurie Tisch: there ten million dollars into youth sports, especially women's sports, 686 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,480 Laurie Tisch: and the mission of the foundation is access an opportunity, 687 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:16,319 Laurie Tisch: ways that we can level the playing field. So I 688 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:20,600 Laurie Tisch: see evolving with that area more learning more about the 689 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:24,640 Laurie Tisch: benefit of sports, youth sports, and bringing in kids who 690 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:27,760 Laurie Tisch: might not have the opportunity, who wouldn't have the opportunity. 691 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:30,360 Laurie Tisch: I want to keep playing tennis, I want to keep skiing, 692 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:34,319 Laurie Tisch: seeing my grandchildren, and getting this museum built. Maybe when 693 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,719 Laurie Tisch: the museum opens in twenty twenty eight, I'll have one 694 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:41,480 Laurie Tisch: more big adventure. So I see more figuring out both 695 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:43,480 Laurie Tisch: the present and the future of the foundation. 696 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:46,879 Emily Tisch Sussman: It could be something that we've talked about already or 697 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:48,839 Emily Tisch Sussman: something that we haven't. Was there something that you saw 698 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:50,919 Emily Tisch Sussman: as a low point at the time that you really 699 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: couldn't see yourself getting out of, and now you see 700 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:55,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: it as having built you up to the success you 701 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:55,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: are today. 702 00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:59,920 Laurie Tisch: Well, certainly the museum not only opening as a ditza 703 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:04,880 Laurie Tisch: and then burning pretty much down. The structure stayed, but 704 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:08,000 Laurie Tisch: all the exhibits burned. Not only was that a low point, 705 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:11,640 Laurie Tisch: but when we opened things just weren't going that well. 706 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,760 Laurie Tisch: You know, I've worked hard, I did have a vision 707 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:16,919 Laurie Tisch: on many of the things that I've done. But I've 708 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:19,719 Laurie Tisch: also been lucky had good people around me. 709 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:22,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: Board governance, people underrate it, 710 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:22,920 Laurie Tisch: Yeah, 711 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:24,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: incredibly important, 712 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:27,134 Laurie Tisch: Yeah, and keeping everybody happy and... 713 00:35:27,134 --> 00:35:30,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: yeah. what have some of your favorite She Pivots episodes been? 714 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:34,719 Laurie Tisch: Oh my goodness. When I speak on behalf of the Foundation, 715 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:37,480 Laurie Tisch: I often say, just like you're not allowed to have 716 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:40,440 Laurie Tisch: favorite kids, you're not allowed to have favorite projects. I 717 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:44,760 Laurie Tisch: feel the same about the episodes I remember especially being touched, 718 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:49,399 Laurie Tisch: maybe because they're my friends, but also found fascinating. Crystal McCrary 719 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:54,399 Laurie Tisch: episode Chandrika Tanden I thought was a fabulous story. I 720 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:57,839 Laurie Tisch: love the surfer girl. Oh, of course, Joan Boyce. Who 721 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:01,680 Laurie Tisch: wouldn't love Joan Boyce? And very early on from your 722 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:05,160 Laurie Tisch: days at Service Members Legal Defense Network, Paula 723 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:06,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: Paula Neira 724 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:10,160 Laurie Tisch: Trans, out of the Army, nurse, lawyer. I think 725 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:11,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: she's both yeah, yeah, 726 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:14,200 Laurie Tisch: yeah, So that one really stuck with me. I think 727 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:18,200 Laurie Tisch: that the people that you've chosen have had phenomenal paths, 728 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:25,160 Laurie Tisch: not always easy. Many started in difficult circumstances and became successful. 729 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:29,200 Laurie Tisch: Different ways of measuring success. So I've learned about their grit, 730 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:33,560 Laurie Tisch: and I guess it's reinforced just keep going, Just keep going. 731 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:35,920 Laurie Tisch: It's not always easy, but just keep going. 732 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:38,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: What had you hope to get out of this interview? 733 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:39,239 Emily Tisch Sussman: And did we accomplish it? 734 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:43,239 Laurie Tisch: Oh? Good question. You know I joked about although I 735 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:45,960 Laurie Tisch: don't really joke about it. You know, people always saying, oh, 736 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,120 Laurie Tisch: I didn't know there was a Tisch woman in the family, 737 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:51,360 Laurie Tisch: which Tisch are you married to? So I think I've hoped 738 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:54,320 Laurie Tisch: to get out further in establishing my own reputation. 739 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:57,839 Speaker 3: Okay, you got it all in there. Thank you, Mom. 740 00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 3: Thank you. 741 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:03,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: Laurie Tisch spent many years being the only woman in 742 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:06,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: rooms that weren't built for women. Instead of waiting for 743 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:09,319 Emily Tisch Sussman: an invitation, she carved a new path and found a 744 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:11,799 Emily Tisch Sussman: way to leave her mark in her own way, on 745 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:15,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: her own terms, moving culture at the same time, and 746 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:17,319 Emily Tisch Sussman: she raised her daughters to do the same. 747 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:21,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: Mom, thank you for coming on and Happy Mother's Day 748 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:26,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: to all the moms listening. See you next week. Thanks 749 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:29,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: for listening to she Pivots. If you like this episode, 750 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: follow the show so you never miss a pivot story 751 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:34,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: and share it with one woman in your life who 752 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:37,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: might need to hear it. To learn more about our 753 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:40,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: guests and join our community, follow us on Instagram at 754 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:44,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: she Pivots, the podcast our Subscribe to our substack for 755 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:47,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: exclusive content and behind the scenes conversations. You can also 756 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:52,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: find us at shepivotspod dot com. This episode was produced 757 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:56,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: and edited by Paige Davis Jeannotte, with sound editing and 758 00:37:56,400 --> 00:38:00,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: mixing by Nina Pollock. Logistics and planning by Emma Stopek and Kendall Krupkin. 759 00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:04,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: Research by Christine Dickason. She pivots is proud to be 760 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:08,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: a part of the iHeart Podcast Network. I endorse she 761 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:09,839 Emily Tisch Sussman: pivots