Joshua Bekenstein

Joshua Bekenstein is an American businessman and co-chairman of Bain Capital. He is recognized as a member of the Boston Billionaires Club.^[1]

Bekenstein grew up in a Jewish family in New York City.^[2][3] He attended Birch Wathen School prior to its merger with Lenox School.

He attended Yale University, where he was a four year member of the men's lacrosse team.^[4] In 1980, he graduated from Yale with a Bachelor of Arts.^[4] In 2015, he received Yale's George H.W. Bush Lifetime of Leadership Award^[4] in recognition of his involvement on the Board of Advisors of the Yale School of Management, the Yale Investment Committee, an at-large member of the University Council, the co-chair of the Yale Tomorrow Campaign, a member of the Yale Development Council, and a successor trustee of the Yale Corporation in 2013.^[5]

After Yale, he attended Harvard Business School, where he received his MBA in 1984.^[5]

Bekenstein worked at Bain & Company following his graduation from Yale where he worked with companies in a variety of industries.^[6]

In 1984, he was hired by Bill Bain and Mitt Romney as one of the first employees of Bain Capital, the consulting firm.^[1] In 1986, he became a managing director and in 2016, he was named co-chairman of the firm.^[5][7]

Bekenstein is a board member of Gymboree Corporation, Dollarama,^[8] Toys "R" Us, Bombardier Recreational Products, Michaels Stores, Burlington Coat Factory, Waters Corporation,^[9] Bright Horizons Family Solutions,^[10][11] and Yale University.^[12][13]

Bekenstein and his wife, Anita, live in Wayland, Massachusetts,^[1][4] and own a beachfront home on Nantucket.^[1] They have five adult children.^[4]

He and his wife are major donors to Democratic and liberal candidates and committees.^[1] The Bekensteins made significant contributions to two super PACs supporting Joe Biden, Unite the Country and Priorities USA Action.^[14] The Bekensteins pledged a total of $18,728,320 to Democratic causes, making Bekenstein the 17th largest Democratic donor of the 2020 election cycle.^[15] They also operate a donor-advised fund through the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston.^[3]

Bekenstein is co-chair of the board of directors of New Profit Inc., a Boston-based venture philanthropy fund^[16] and as a member on the Board of Trustees of the Pan-Mass Challenge, an annual bike-athon that crosses the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to raise money for the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute,^[17] where Bekenstein is chairman of the board of trustees.^[18] Bekenstein co-chaired Dana-Farbers “Mission Possible” campaign that hit its goal to raise $1 billion a year early in September 2009.^[19] Bekenstein also chairs the board of Be The Change, is a board member of City Year, Opportunity Nation, and New Leaders.^[20] He also contributes to Horizons for Homeless Children, Year Up, Teach for America, Kipp Schools, and Boston Children’s Hospital.^[10][21][22]

In 2010, the National Association of Corporate Directors named Bekenstein Nonprofit Director of the Year.^[10][23]

Bekenstein contributed $100,000 to The Lincoln Project in June 2020.