Josh Tanenbaum’s Been to the Other Side of the World And Back Again, But His Passion Remains Universal
When most kids were setting up lemonade stands in the neighborhood to earn money, Josh Tanenbaum saw a crowded marketplace and decided to sell his teddy bear and videotape collection on the street corner instead. Close to two decades later, his strong entrepreneurial spirit combined and unwavering passion for making the world a better place led him to establish Clearstone Enterprises, founded in 2016.
“For me, social change was integral to my being. It just took me a while to find out my niche,” Tanenbaum explains. “Clearstone is at the intersection of finance and social change, which is exactly where I want to be. ”
The platform invests in early-stage start-ups that narrow societal inequality gaps through educational technology, financial technology and mobility solutions.
Tanenbaum’s passion stems from his family roots in human activism. His father, Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum, was a renowned American social justice advocate, who, most notably, pioneered interreligious dialogue between Christians and Jews in the 1960s.
He died only seven weeks before Tanenbaum was born in 1992, but his legacy remains an integral part of Tanenbaum’s life.
He calls his mother, Dr. Georgette Bennett, the “ true rockstar” of his family, for being an “amazing human being.” Her roles include: accomplished criminologist, sociologist, bridge builder, banker, author, lecturer and devoted mother. Today, she is one of the leading champions raising awareness and aid for Syrian refugees.
While Bennett has a plethora of achievements, Tanenbaum remarks fondly, “ I can’t even begin to tell you how much energy my mother has spent trying to give me the visual of who my father was and the legacy he has left behind.”
A big piece of Bennett’s life mission has been to continue her husband’s work. In 1992, she founded the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding in New York City, where Rabbi Tanenbaum’s focus on fostering a better understanding and mutual respect between religious communities persists.
Tanenbaum credits his mother for instilling a sense of tenacity in him. Although he was born with a speech impediment and learning delays, she consistently urged him to push through the tough stuff.
“She’d often tell me to keep going till until I succeed or fail brilliantly while trying.,” Tanenbaum says playfully. Having had (but outgrown) ADD enabled me to have a greater curiosity about the world. I was passionate about one thousand things all at once- from the education system to music to civil rights to Judaism.”
He credits the “village” that helped his mother raise him during the time when she was a single parent. The group was made of predominantly strong-willed powerful women who were trailblazers in various industries such as politics, financial services, and community service.
Tanenbaum first met his stepfather-to-be, Dr. Leonard Polonsky, as he was being treated in the emergency room of a hospital after a pool injury. Tanenbaum’s scare occurred during his mother’s date with Polonsky and he insisted on coming with her.
Polonsky is a Brooklyn-born British businessman and the founder of Hansard Global. It was not long before he became a father figure for Tanenbaum, who calls him “Dad,” as opposed to Rabbi Tanenbaum, whom he refers to as his “father”.
“My stepfather is one of the most brilliant and cultured people I have ever met,” remarks Tanenbaum. “I am lucky to have grown up with someone like him.”
With Bennett and Polonsky as parents, conversations at the dinner table were deeper than the norm, centering on politics, human rights disasters, and financial markets, rather than on sports and more casual topics.
As a result, Tanenbaum grew up with a strong appreciation for the world around him with a particular sensitivity to inequality and injustice. And as a teenager, he began to think more about the legacy he inherited, although it at first seemed like a burden.
“Being the son of three overachieving, well-respected individuals is a hard act to follow,” he says. “I grappled with my legacy. If you don’t find the appropriate outlet for it, it will really screw you up.”
During his freshman year at George Washington University, Tanenbaum continued to feel restless. He transferred to the University of Melbourne in Australia- the furthest English– speaking country in the world. It was there that he did some soul searching and self-discovery.
It was a turning point for Tanenbaum; the further away he went, the more comfortable he felt with his legacy. In fact, he made it his mission to make Judaism more palatable for secular Jews and non-Jews in an ever more changing climate.
“Judaism has been a big driver for me but not in an orthodox sense – more in a very modern cultural sense,” he remarks.
It was through this channel that he made Judaism more approachable for his Queen’s College peers at the University of Melbourne. A farbrengen-a gathering such as a Sabbath dinner after-party- he hosted for his mostly non-Jewish friends sparked his college’s interest in furthering interreligious engagement. He then went on to co-found a council on the role that religion plays in an increasingly multicultural Australia with former deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe. Tikkun olam, the Jewish concept of repairing the world, became what Tanenbaum calls a “fundamental tenet” in his life.
While living Down Under, he created an early stage start-up called LOCAL VIBES, which operated in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Born out of Tanenbaum’s passion for live music. LOCAL VIBES, began as a music blog but quickly evolved into a music tech social enterprise. He wanted to help artists gain more exposure by leveraging fan analytics from gigs to broker deals with record labels and industry professionals. LOCAL VIBES became more profitable when it implemented cause marketing into the mix; fans could donate to the bands’ charity of choice at the show through mobile technology. LOCAL VIBES was creating the next generation of “cause ambassadors” through music- well before Will.i.am and Bono came out with their respective initiatives.
After completing his bachelor of arts in politics, international Studies and sociology, Tanenbaum returned to his home in New York and 2014 sold LOCAL VIBES to a music conglomerate in Australia.
As a result of his start-up, Tanenbaum had an interest in learning more about financial markets and the role of people in scaling businesses, which he admits was his weakness at a younger age. He joined Korn Ferry, a global organizational consulting firm, in its Global Asset Management & Alternative global practice as a recruiter. There, he was part of the founding team that launched the firm’s impact Investing practice. Concurrently, Tanenbaum started angel investing in early-stage companies with what he describes as “scalable social DNA.”
Over time, Michael Kennedy, a senior client partner at Korn Ferry and the chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, recognized Tanenbaum’s passion for investing. He subsequently encouraged Tanenbaum to apply to business school. Tanenbaum notes that he is forever grateful to Kennedy, one of the mentors he credits for having had the most influence on him.
Currently, Tanenbaum splits his time between Ithaca, where he attends Cornell’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, and New York City, where he lives with his girlfriend, Liz Mirovich.
Whether he is volunteering his time with various organizations such as the Nexus Global Youth Summit (an international non-profit that provides a forum for social entrepreneurs, impact investors and young wealth holders) or helping underserved communities with his own company, Clearstone Enterprises, he is determined to “drive impact in an approachable and passionate way.”
Tanenbaum is avid about social enterprise, arts and culture, and young leadership development. He was a judge for the Hult Prize, which is backed by former President Bill Clinton, and serves on the External Advisory Board of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business’s Erb Institute; is the president of the board of directors of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation; and is the vice chairman of the Council of Young Jewish Presidents. He was also honored at the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
Through various business and philanthropic ventures, Tanenbaum hopes to create a more level playing field in America and abroad by helping the underserved and underbanked get ahead. “I’m happy that I have positioned myself to be able to help as many people as I can,” he says.
This article by Rena Godfrey appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Lifestyles Magazine.
Photography by Jim Sweet