I grew up in a middle-class family in Omaha, Nebraska. My father, Marty Staenberg, was growing his business as a residential property developer when he died suddenly at the age of 40. I was only 13.
A life-changing event like this makes you grow up fast. As the oldest of four, I felt a tremendous responsibility to help any way I could. I worked bagging groceries to help support the family, but my mom knew that friends would be critical as I worked through my own sense of loss. She quickly got me involved at the Jewish Community Center to keep me connected with other kids. It was there that I found a new sense of family and the support of the community. Time on the basketball court and away at camp one summer helped me build life-long friendships. Synagogue leaders and influential members of the business community were always there to mentor and shape me along the way. Many still influence me today.
Even though my dad passed away at a very young age, he taught our family a lot. We learned the importance of hard work and that charity begins at home. My parents instilled in each of us the Jewish tradition of tzedekah – the obligation of giving to charity. Each week, we would fill our tzedekah box with change because we knew that taking care of those less fortunate was an essential part of who we are.
My upbringing and experiences in Omaha provided the foundation for my life. As I grew and developed my own commercial real estate business, I viewed philanthropy and mentoring others as my way to continue our family legacy. Giving of your money is one way to help, but also being generous with your knowledge, ideas and time can make a real difference.
The Red Coat
Michael remembers many lessons from his upbringing. A particular memory is one of a red coat that he wanted as a child and his plan to do chores to earn the $10 to buy it. “So I finish the work and my dad pulls out ten $1 bills and puts them on the table and says, ‘Well the first thing we’re going to do is take out a dollar for the synagogue.’ So obviously, it took me many more hours of working before I got that red coat but I was proud to help others.”
“Anybody can write a check, but I want to really make a difference.”
Getting hands on with each and every project is what makes Michael stand out. Having the means to fund worthy causes is important to him, but being a real part of the change in the community is even more so. Michael gives his time, expertise and resources to many organizations. He serves as a board member and has been in numerous leadership roles for agencies including the Jewish Community Center (St. Louis and Denver), Regional Business Council, Jewish Federation of St. Louis, The Sheldon Arts Foundation, Variety the St. Louis Charity, Barnes Jewish Hospital, Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, and Forest Park Forever (past fundraising chair), among others.