Stephen M. Ross

Stephen M. Ross is the Chairman and Founder of Related Companies, a global real estate and lifestyle company defined by innovation in all aspects of property development, design, service and wellness. The company has over $60 billion in assets owned or under development, including the neighborhood-defining Hudson Yards. The company was recently named one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World by Fast Company Magazine. Mr. Ross is also an investor in Equinox® Fitness Clubs, Equinox Hotels and SoulCycle.

In 2012, Mr. Ross partnered with Matt Higgins to found RSE Ventures, a private investment firm that focuses on companies in sports and entertainment, media and marketing, food and lifestyle and technology. RSE has invested in and incubated a number of diverse businesses, some in partnership with entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. Investments include Resy, David Chang’s Momofuku, Drone Racing League and &pizza. Mr. Ross is also the owner of the Miami Dolphins, a franchise that has become one of the most fan-friendly, and led the creation and launch of the International Champions Cup, a global pre-season soccer tournament that reached over 140 million viewers in 2017.

Mr. Ross serves on the Executive Committee and is a trustee of Lincoln Center, and is a trustee of New York – Presbyterian Hospital. He is a director on the board of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, Equinox Holdings, Inc., and The Shed and is chairperson emeritus of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the city’s leading real estate trade association. Mr. Ross is also a director on the board of the World Resources Institute (WRI) and established the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, an innovative new initiative to integrate urban planning, sustainable transport, energy and climate change, water resources, and governance.

Mr. Ross graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Business Administration, from Wayne State University Law School with a Juris Doctor degree and from New York University School of Law with a Master of Laws in Taxation. In 2004, the University of Michigan renamed its business school the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and in 2011 the University of Michigan awarded Mr. Ross an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws.