How do you relax? Maybe you watch television, rent a movie, play guitar, or read a book. For Bahamas business leader Bobby Genovese, relaxation requires a little more adrenaline and fresh air.
Bobby Genovese, a serial entrepreneur and active philanthropist, loves the allure of being outdoors and enjoys participating in action-packed sports like polo, skiing and boating. He doesn’t do it to be competitive, rather, Bobby says he does it because it’s fun. You don’t often see a word like “fun” attached to business, but in Bobby’s case, there’s a time for work and a time for play. Bobby’s mantra, both in business and in life, has long been “Who has more fun than us?”
“I grew up on a farm and have been around horses since a very early age,” explains Bobby. “I spent many hours during my childhood and teen years cleaning out stalls and riding horses. I even managed a prominent stable in Toronto. I rode horses and taught riding to others, then started playing polo, and learned that I was pretty good at it. It’s just an organic part of who I am.”
Horseback riding is just one of Bobby’s passions, although he notes that he didn’t become familiar with the sport of polo until his 30s. “I was invited to a polo match,” he recalls. “I got there and saw the gloves and the hats and the guys on horses hitting the ball. To me, as a former hockey player, it looked like hockey on horseback. I thought, I could do that!”
Later, he and a partner purchased the Toronto polo club and turned it into a success.
“I thought it would be a good idea to combine my passion for polo with business,” he explains. “This gave me the opportunity to introduce polo, and the equestrian lifestyle, to others.”
When he’s not making business deals or riding horses, Bobby enjoys keeping fit and participating in high-energy sports.
To Bobby, success also means giving back to his community. As a result, over the years, Bobby Genovese has been an active supporter of a number of organizations, perhaps most prominently Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. As Chair of the annual Car and Boat Rally for Kids with Cancer events he’s helped to raise funds for pediatric cancer research.
“Giving back is a privilege,” said Bobby, “especially to those organizations that serve children. Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children stole my heart many years ago. It’s Canada’s largest and most sophisticated center for pediatric cancer research, treatment and care. Through supporting this organization, we’re in turn able to help provide critical resources and support for their pediatric cancer initiatives, from research and treatment to practical advancements like chemotherapy backpacks that free young patients from confining hospital stays.”
Among his passion for giving back, Bobby Genovese is also concerned about land conservation, and has partnered with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection with the mission to protect ecotourism land and waterscapes of several Florida state parks.
“We were thrilled and honored to be a major force in bringing to life and making accessible these incredibly beautiful parks for a whole new generation of visitors to enjoy. Not only are we privileged to help preserve and cultivate these extraordinary natural resources but we are especially honored to play a role in restoring the popularity of these south Florida treasures.”
As for the future, Bobby Genovese says he is happy to step back from business and looks forward to mentoring other entrepreneurs along their own journeys. “I believe that if you are passionate about what you do, success will follow.”