BOBBY’S BIO

Bobby is an American photographer, writer, and activist born and raised in Boston, MA. His father was a jewelry store owner and his mother a homemaker who fought for African American housing rights in their community. He joined the Gordon Brothers Group in 1985 where he served as President and grew the company from a $10M to a multi-billion dollar enterprise in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Beginning in 2000, he and his family lived in war-torn regions and countries in the Global South as part of the newly launched Sager Family Foundation and Traveling Roadshow. Building on his philosophy of hands-on and “eyeball-to-eyeball” philanthropy, Bobby has spent 20+ years activating impact programs to uplift communities and foster economic prosperity.

A passionate photographer, Sager uses his craft as a tool to raise global awareness of the consequences of conflict and hardship, in particular, the impact of the global refugee crisis on children. Since September 11, 2001, Sager has documented the Sager Family Foundation’s overseas relief efforts, building a significant body of images that capture these experiences. He exposes the unimaginably difficult conditions of these communities, not through the landscape, but through the faces of the people living there. Through their honest expressions, he demonstrates the power and dignity of their resilience.

Bobby’s photographs create a visual conversation whereby viewers feel an authentic connection. This exchange of looking into one another’s eyes summons a deeper sense of shared humanity. Bobby’s intimacy with his subjects increases our awareness, inviting us to reflect on our choices, and how we might take action to positively impact our lives and the lives of others. His photography has given rise to several publications where the images convey his philosophy and deliver an urgent call to action, namely, for people to take “concrete baby steps” as part of their individual responsibility to affect change.

Bobby’s books include: The Power of the Invisible Sun (2009; new edition titled Invisible Sun released in 2019), featuring photographs of areas stricken by war and children living and dealing with conflict, showcased during The Police’s 100-concert reunion tour in 2007-2008; Beyond the Robe (2013), which tells the story of Bobby’s partnership with the His Holiness the Dalai Lama as part of the Science for Monks and Nuns program; and Untouched Octaves (2017), a collaboration with Pakistani poet Amin Hashwani. His evolving and expanding photographic archive will continue to unfold in several new publications in the coming years.

In 2010, Bobby combined his entrepreneurial success and his passion for photography to lead the investment group behind Polaroid’s revival, where he served as Chairman for eight years. Bringing relevancy back to Polaroid enriched his deep-seated belief in the power of images to elicit authentic connection, even in the signature moment of a gritty snapshot.

As a longstanding member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), he founded the YPO Peace Action Network (2002), convening business leaders on different sides of conflict, and the Presidents’ Action Now Chapter (2005), a philanthropic initiative connecting presidents from over 100 countries to leverage their efforts globally. His philanthropy and activism earned him the 2002 YPO Global Humanitarian Award and 2013 YPO Hickock Award, two of the organization’s highest honors.

Bobby Sager is an active public speaker, addressing audiences at the United Nations General Assembly Hall, Sydney Opera House, and the Grand Mosque in Oman. He has moderated the lndo-Pak Development Forum and the US Arab Action Forum, fostering two-way dialogue on complex issues. Bobby served as the inspiration for the 8-part NBC television series The Philanthropist {2009) and was featured in the TEDx Talk Series (Be Selfish, Go Help Someone, 2014).